Little Red's Riding

Fools Rush In

Soren was sitting at a booth in the back of a bar when he saw her come in. He'd wondered if she would come, even after he got her note. She walked by him, not looking in his direction, heading upstairs, to the room that still belonged to her, even after all these years. No one else recognized her. She was wrapped up tight from head to toe in a thick green cloak that looked far too warm for the day's weather.

"She hardly uses the room." The bartender had told him the last time he was here, because he recognized Soren and knew that he was one of the few real friends that she had, or at least the bartender thought that they were friends. Soren wasn't so sure that Tansy had real friends at all. She never let anyone get that close. "And she never brings anyone else up there anymore, well other than you when you visit. But she comes in here, maybe once or twice a month to get away and think. Says it's too quiet sometimes to think in the palace. And she feels safer here. Imagine that. In a place like this."

Soren had shook his head at the time and watched as she disappeared back into the night from which she'd come. He could imagine a number of reasons she wouldn't feel safe at the palace and a number of choices she might make that would make her quite a bit safer. Like running away with him like he'd offered so many times before she decided to get married. Or not meeting with him.

But she always did. And he never had stopped asking.

Today was different though.

After a few minutes had passed, Soren drained his beer and stood. The bartender nodded to him, as he slowly made his way towards the stairs, his eyes scanning the room as he made sure no one was watching him. He'd always been careful when he went to meet the great Lady Calla but today was different. Today it wasn't just their lives that were at stake. Today his sister's life was at stake as well. And the woman sitting in the little room upstairs was the one link that their little group had to her.

He hadn't told Silas, or any of the others that he had heard from her, but when he had gotten up to leave the inn that they were staying in after lunch he'd felt his mother's eyes burning a hole in his back. He'd felt thankful then that the two of them weren't particularly close. He was always avoiding her gaze, so this wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

When he reached the top of the stairs he opened the door and let himself into the room, quickly locking and closing it before turning and facing the bed. Tansy was sitting on the edge of the bed, in a simple blue gown that was the exact same color as her eyes, watching him.

"I thought I saw you in that scuffle outside the dress shop." A smile curved the corners of her lovely full lips, which he'd kissed more times than he'd kissed any other woman in the entire world. He thought back and remembered the first time that he'd begged her to run away with him. He'd been so sure that she would come with him. He'd even bought a ring. But she'd refused. She wouldn't leave her mother and she'd always told him that her mother said that they had to stay in the Capital for some reason that Tansy didn't quite understand. And by staying there, in the King's bed, Tansy was able to keep the people she loved safe.

Soren had always hated that, and he didn't hate it any less now, when he knew that the position that she was in, was likely going to be part of what helped him save his little sister.

"I also had a feeling that I'd be seeing you soon with our little wolfling in the palace. With her coming from the North and all. She does desperately need a hero and you, Soren, are a hero if I've ever seen one."

"She's my little sister." Tansy's eyebrows flew up, although he couldn't be certain if she was actually surprised. As the finest courtesan at the court he knew she was also an amazing actress.

"She is possibly the luckiest girl I've ever met in my entire life. But that seems fair. Because she's also lovely and very kind. So I'm quite happy to help her get out of this in one piece."