Bawdy Ballads

Leaving Home

Three years have passed since that fateful day. The rose scar on my wrist was burning red as I fought to disobey my mom’s call. “Scarlet, you come here now,” she bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.

My body jerked in obedience, and I gave up the internal struggle watching the scar go back to white. I let out a heavy breath but went to the door marching down the stairs with thuds of annoyance. She gave me a weary smile. She looked exhausted and I didn’t want to cause her more strain than what I already had. My stepfather left her a year ago so she had to work hard to support us. Added to that was my curse. I couldn’t be around people or work because when they asked me to do something I had no choice but to obey and the town grew suspicious.

“I promise you this is the best your Gran and I could come up with to keep you safe from those who would want to abuse your curse.” Her voice cracked with emotions. “I have three commands for you now that you must obey.”

I gave a nod as tears spilled over miserably. I was being sent away to live on my own in a cottage deep in the woods. My ma and Gran showed me the path to it. It was over the river separating their two lands and deep in the woods closer to my Gran’s. They built the home and started the land so I could farm my own food to survive without ever needing to leave the land.

“As you travel you are commanded to always wear your hood,” she started, and I gave a nod. I had to wear a hood to cover my red hair since I was a child just like her. Our hair color made us different and targeted. “Once you arrive at your new home you are never to step foot off that land for any reason.” I nodded again as more tears fell. She commanded me to a life of solitude . . . forever alone, sent to die. My heart thudded and my throat seized with emotions. “The last command I have for you, never tell a living soul Baba Yaga cursed you to obey. Those words must never leave your lips, am I clear?”

“Yes mama,” I sniffed.

She pulled me into a hug as she cried. We both knew it was the last time we’d see one another. She couldn’t risk leading someone to find me. She drew back holding out a satchel to me. I put it over my neck with a sigh. “Hurry girl before the sunrises,” she ordered. I thought about how fast I ran from here three years ago and here I was on my sixteenth birthday dragging my feet to leave the only home I’d ever known.

I tugged the hooded cloak tight around my body as I set off on the path west moving into the darkest part of the woods. I walked for hours feeling the sun rise against my back. The place I was walking towards though was still cast in the shadows. At half-day I reached the river. I sat at the bank pulling out the bread my mom baked, tearing into it.

“What do we have here?” A deep rumble behind me made me go rigid. I didn’t even hear him approach. I stood fast, shouldering the satchel turning to face the strange man. He was large in every sense of the word. He towered me easily. I barely came up to his chest. He was broadly built, and I felt dwarfed in front of him.

What startled me the most about this stranger was his appearance. He had dark skin, mahogany brown wolf-like eyes and long black hair that was braided in a multitude of lengths around his shoulders. I stayed silent watching him darkly as he closed the distance. I knew if I tried to run he might yell an order to have me stop and trigger the curse. It had happened before. Despite my body demanding that I flee from this advancing stranger I had to stay still.

“What is your name girl?” he grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Scarlett,” I answered irritably. His lips lifted into a dangerous smile that made me stiffen nervously.

“What are you doing out here Scarlett?”

My mom set a command in case of a situation like this. If anyone asked I was to say I was heading to my grandmother’s. “I am going to my grandma’s. She is ill and needs my care.”

“A little morsel on her way to grannies,” he chuckled. My fury raged hotly at his cocky tone. He sniffed the air and I saw his eyes shift to an almost glowing amber color. “Something smells interesting about you Scarlett.” Run! My body shouted. I jerked back slightly, and he growled. “Stay,” he ordered.