From: lil_red_hoodie	Date: 04/07/2007 20:27:17

She'd been there alright. The Sleeping Woods, while not precisely being home, had gotten to be a sort of a friendly place for Red. The way the leaves in the trees rustled in the breeze, the way the birds twittered, it all seemed... protective, somehow. Even the bushes always seemed to produce berries just when she got hungry.

Which is what she's doing now, in a small clearing-- picking berries. Red whistles a little tune to herself as she goes. La la. It's a lovely day.

	From: whos_afraid	Date: 04/07/2007 20:35:08

He heard her next, and followed the sound just as easily as he could follow that renewed scent. She smelled rose-pink, and of something that mimicked cinnamon. It wasn't long before he found her, picking berries and whistling merrily.

"You know, you can be incredibly hard to find sometimes," Hunter said mildly, announcing his presence.

	From: lil_red_hoodie	Date: 04/07/2007 21:22:45

"Oh!" Red jumps up from her kneeling position in the grass, spilling berries all over, startled. As soon as she sees that it's her Hunter, she just grins like a little girl, relieved to see it's not anyone who will hurt her (arguably!)

"You startled me!" She laughs and puts her hands on her hips. "Why would you go looking for me in the first place? I haven't got much interesting to say. Not lately, anyway." Red makes a face and goes back to picking her berries, la la.

"I've still got to go into town somewhere, you know," she says. "I just can't seem to get myself to leave these woods! They're getting to be quite comfy, for little old me."

	From: whos_afraid	Date: 04/07/2007 22:54:47

"Well I've been looking for you to escort you, if you still wanted to go into Camlann," Hunter replied easily, stopping to help her collect lost berries. Well, it was part of the truth. He was also looking to try that potion of Puck's. "I was just there; Camlann's a bit dangerous lately, so I'd rather you didn't go alone."

	From: lil_red_hoodie	Date: 04/11/2007 18:44:16

"Dangerous?" Red sounds a little... well, not concerned, really, more like annoyed that now she's going to have to alter her plans. She feels safer in the woods amongst the animals and the trees than she does around too many people already, so to go into a kingdom where there will be people everywhere and few trees (if any) just seems... well, not so smart. To the point where even Red notices how not-smart it is.

"I don't know. Do you think I'll be safe enough?" After what happened with that huge knight attacking her for her cape, who knows what people would do to her?

	From: whos_afraid	Date: 04/11/2007 19:06:56

"You should be, if I go with you." Hunter tilted his head, one eyebrow raised at her. "Assuming you still want to go. Why did you want to go anyway?" Camlann certainly seemed a bit dangerous - probably not that bad for someone like Red. She might be fine if she went alone, but Hunter was well aware how she could be manipulated or taken advantage of. He was about to do it himself, wasn't he?

As for the woods... The woods weren't exactly safe but they seemed to like Red. At least, none of the bad things Hunter had sniffed and seen had gone at all near her yet. She was either incredibly lucky, or something of the more pleasant variety was looking out for her.

Neither thought pleased Hunter, the latter because anything in these woods that did a favor like that, asked for or not, wanted something in return. The former because luck had a tendency to run out. "By the way, are you hungry? I have two birds here for dinner, but I doubt I'll be eating them both." They were pretty sizeable; he could do with another mouth to feed.

	From: lil_red_hoodie	Date: 04/14/2007 13:09:19

"I don't know. I like the forest... it's nice, and I feel safe here. But I think I ought to see what it's like to be around people. If just for a little while." Red picks at the little pile of berries gathered in her handkerchief. It's true that Red had never really been around people much in her life, living in the forest with nobody but her family and the odd woodsman to keep her company. Her mother and father and grandmother had done their best to teach her the ways of the world, but Red would probably never completely understand people. Too naive.

Which is why she decides to take Hunter up on his offer of food. Actually, it's more because as soon as he offers, her stomach lets out this tremendous growl, and she laughs. "That's a 'yes', I think!" And she sets about making a cooking fire. Because when someone volunteers to feed you, you ought to help out how you can!

	From: whos_afraid	Date: 04/14/2007 15:44:39

Hunter couldn't help but smile at her stomach's enthusiastic response. "Good. We can share a meal and if you still wish, I'll take you to Camlann." Though she might prefer Estervale. Maybe he'd suggest that instead. Hunter set about plucking and preparing the birds, as Red made the fire. He took some seasonings from his belt pouch - nothing special, just some wild herbs - and flavored the fowl.

He watched her as she helped, his fingers stroking the vial in his pocket. He was certain he hardly had to sneak about to get her to drink it. He could flavor her dinner, and if Goodfellow had been truthful, she wouldn't notice a thing.

After a moment's thought, he did so, pouring the contents of the vial onto the smaller of the two birds, the one he'd set aside for her, while she wasn't looking. In a few moments more, he'd set them both up over the fire and was cleaning his knives. "I'll assume you haven't been to Estervale either then," he asked, nonchalantly.