CHAPTER THREE: THE LEADER

The way to read a fairy tale is to throw yourself in.
-W.H. Auden

Once upon a time, there lived a fairy and his wife, a witch. More than anything they wanted a child of their own.

At long last, their wish came true -the witch was pregnant and going to have their child.

Next to their little home, was the witch's garden and everyday the husband would go pick cabbage, vegetables and a flower for his wife. As a fairy, the husband was able to keep the garden flourishing and kept animals away.

But one day, deep from the woods can a team of human hunters -hungry and in search of food.

The couple refused them from their property, not willing to ruin her garden or loose food for the men.

As humans, they got selfishly mad.

So late at night, they slept in the house and stole all the food the couple had -awaking them both. The husband rushed to the kitchen but was unexpectedly ambushed and beat down.

They took his beautiful, black raven wings as a trophy.

Though now heavily pregnant, the witch was infuriated and tracked those humans through the woods. She slaughtered them.

She slaughtered them all.

Then she moved their family into a giant tower that nobody could break into without them knowing, without them being prepared and without the intruders able to get through the magical wall of thorns.

Maleficent didn't take any precautions when it came to her family and now without wings, her husband wouldn't either.

Their daughter was born there, lives there and never leaves the tower even though she has wings of her own. Just like her father, her wings have feathers and were strong for long flights. Instead of raven's, she had platinum gold wings that matched her hair.

Demelza Cox is the girl in the tower.

Her hair is so long, that when in the braid- -how she usually kept it- -it went down to her knees.

Being half-fairy and half-witch she has the perfect skills and natural intuition someone needs to be the perfect foresighted leader.

And she also has enough built up rage from being locked in a tower by her parents that she'll let her team do some questionable shit, Blythe had decided.

Little Red and the wolf definitely had some climbing to do.

The warrior and the mercenary already made it through the wall of thorns since Little Red was small enough to navigate well under the sharp edges. And in his fighting form, there wasn't much Dimitri couldn't snap with his jaws to clear the way. Given, his human form is extremely strong as well but his wolf is shorter and more agile.

The half-witch couldn't use her magic, as Maleficent put a barrier along the thorn wall to block any magic from being used by anyone not sharing her own bloodline.

"So..." The wolf says apprehensively, staring up at the tower. "Who exactly are we recruiting now? Because this really doesn't seem worth it, I'll probably chip a claw climbing up that."

"You know I'm not going to tell you her name," They're ghosts for a reason. "But she is going to be our leader. She'll decide her nickname, or if she just wants to be called by her title."

"If I start calling her my Boss with this accent, that will create some unwarranted sexual tension that neither of us will be prepared for." Dimitri states, purposely annoying his companion since him saying 'My Dear' creates exactly that. "Besides, I thought you were our leader."

"No, I'm a mercenary. Our killer," She ignores the innuendo. "Good for battle and commands while on the field. She has intuition but not much fighting skills. Half-fairy, half-witch."

"That means she's a bisexual bitch." He says in total confidence.

"That means if you really piss her she'll see red and probably rip you in half."

"Kinky." The wolf says, sounding impressed.

"I hate you." Blythe sends him a dark look, but only gets a wink in reply. With a sigh she continues to explain, knowing underneath his cockiness there's a warrior who's paying attention to every word. "This is serious, Wolf. We need her. When I stepped into the thorn wall I lost my ability to manipulate energy."

"You lost your magic," Dimitri states, not looking all too happy about it.

She nods, "Which means I won't have my magic to save one of us if we fall. With your quick healing you'd survive, walk it off and help completely in two days. But I won't so I want us both to go slow and cautious while climbing and if either of us pick up the pace, warn each other."

The warrior gives her a steady look before turning his eyes back to the tower and says, "I can get you up there."

"I'm not letting you throw me." She says bluntly. "That might sound fun-"

"That most definitely would be fun that's not what I was thinking." Dimitri smirks, running a hand through thick brown hair. "I'll carry you up on my front, it will be easy. You weigh nothing, practically." His Russian accent thickens, as it often does when he's thinking while speaking. "And if we do fall I'm guaranteed to take the hit."

Thinking it over for a minute, Little Red agrees and they start the walk over to the tall tower. 

The wolf shifts back into his fighting form to dig a hole for their bags, putting one of his leather jackets that repels dirt over the bags before covering them over with dirt.

"You should put your cloak in there too, could get in the way."

"Fuck to the no, it's staying on. It doesn't even go past my waist, what's to complain about?"

"I just wanted to see you without it," Dimitri says honestly. "You're keeping your sword, right?" He still doesn't know about the two daggers she keeps on her thighs.

"Right." Little Red nods, suddenly feeling awkward in front of the large man. "Are you sure you can carry me?"

"Don't want to be wrapped on my front like I'm about to fuck you?" The wolf sees through her question, knowing if she had to second guess his strength she wouldn't have agreed. And he just had to, smugly, exploit that. "Are you not used to being is such positions with men, my Dear?"

"None as crude about it as you." She retaliates with red cheeks.

"Aw," He whines teasingly. "So I won't be your first, moy malenkiy?"

If they were being honest, the thought only bothered one of them and it wasn't Dimitri.

"Shut up you -wait, what did you just call me?" Her red eyes blink up at the wolf through her eyelashes, more curious than ever. "If you're insulting me it's unfair to do it in another language I don't understand. Were you insulting me?"

Looking amused Dimitri shrugs, "Was I?"

This wolf is affecting my psyche.

Blythe throws her hands in the air, "Tell me!" He stays silent, causing her to scowl. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."

Yelping, she clearly doesn't expect it when the wolf lifts her up and pins her back to the tower wall. This makes eye contact as he pulls her legs around his waist -her smaller body barely able to wrap completely around his.

As his hands move  back up her thighs, he notices the blades against her skin and scoffs. "Seriously? Do you plan to stab me with your legs?"

"Haven't decided yet."

"Hand me those," The warrior says. "I'll climb with them as grip guards."

Little Red agrees and soon they're half way up the tower, the daggers always moving up with them so if he slips he would grab the knives and save them.

"Who the fuck lives in a tower?" The wolf grunts out, his breath coming in a little fast.

"Someone who doesn't get the choice on how and where they live. Which is why I think she'll agree. Her parents had more kids, stuck them in another tower and is basically ruling a small portion of the land without any of them."

"Dumb ass parents." Is all he says.

Blythe couldn't help but to agree.

With a loud growl, Dimitri finally pulls them up onto the balcony -handing Little Red her daggers.

Rather suddenly the wolf gets pulled! inside by what the half-witch easily identifies as magic. 

Reacting fast, Little Red turns the corner where the witch-fairy saw him from. In the same moment, she throws her daggers. One nicks Demelza's check and the other pins the arm she had out straight to control the wolf against the wall Demelza is standing against.

"We were going to do this peacefully but that was fucking rude." Being the warrior, he bounces right back up again but was more than sour at the one who threw him against the wall.

When the wolf drops to the floor the mercenary steps between them.

"Ignore everything that comes out of his mouth, sorry about him. And for making you bleed with my blade, both of which I'll need back. I assume you wanted out of this tower, that's why we didn't knock."

Demelza drops her guard at this, "Pardon?"

"I'll get you out of the tower if you join my mission. It's dangerous. You'll be the leader, make plans, end disagreements-" With the wolf and the rest of the team Little Red plans to assemble she has no doubts there will be endless amounts of that. "I think I need you to complete the mission. Are you in?"

"I'm in!" The new leader knew that since she heard that she gets to leave the tower. "What's the mission?"

"Oh you know," Dimitri sings, Russian accent thick on the 'K's. "Kill the queen."

"And I'm the leader, for that?"

"Yes." Blythe says. "Here are the rules, don't tell anyone your real name. I do know it, but only I do. Only tell someone your name if you truly, whole heartedly trust them. You'll choose your own name, if we just call you Leader. If you do tell others your name and something bad happens to our team because of it, I will kill you. Plan our missions best, use your intuition and if you make a plan but want to call it off just because you feel something is wrong, then do it. I can and will remove you as leader, but our vote is equal."

Both Demelza and Dimitri nod in agreement.

"I'm Red," Blythe wouldn't doubt that if the wolf would introduce them, he'd say Little and add emphasis. "Your mercenary."

The leader looks to Wolf, and asks, "What does that make you?"

The wolf steps up, features smug. "The big bad Wolf."

"He's a werewolf, our warrior. Just call him Wolf." Little did either of them know that Dimitri choose this because of his middle name, Vuk, literally translating to wolf from Russian -his parents very much having a humerus air about them. "The only thing bad about him is his attitude."

Taking in this information Demelza nods, trying to think of a nickname when she notices how her hands instantly went to fiddle with her thick braid.

"Locks." She blurts. "For my nickname, Locks."

They accepts that, it being easy to remember as the only thing they're allowed to call her.

"It's a long journey, one you won't ever be allowed to come back from. You need to leave everything that you own and can't pack here." Little Red says, voice not one to argue against and Demelza quickly shows it won't be a problem -her having very little possessions within the tower that she wants. "Are you going to be one hundred percent devoted to this mission?"

Again, she won't take no.

"Hell yeah, this will be fun. I get to leave!" Locks exclaims. "I mean, it's obviously going to be terrifying, horrible and deadly but still fun."

The wolf stifles a laugh, knowing that with this witch-fairy in charge things will definitely be interesting.

From the tower it is a quick trip to the nearby village hidden in the foliage of the forest, where a elf hidden beneath a green hood often robs the frivolous wealthy and delivers it to the barely surviving farmers in the village.

This elf, who not so surprisingly is hated by the rich in the village, has a price for his head in the village. Him leaving will be good for them, nobody would question it.

Which for Blythe, is perfect.