By late afternoon, I found a stream. My thirst and hunger drove me forward, and I wanted to thank the heavens when I finally found the cool water. The water was clear, and I just hoped there were no dead animals nearby to get me sick. Still, my thirst overpowered my concerns and drank my fill despite the inside of my throat feeling so sore. The water knocked off the hunger for a bit.

While I sat on the bank, I thought about the crazy world around me. Maybe I lived a lifetime before. The memories tell me that, but I’m back in a youthful body. It means I plan on having another long life. My suspicion told me I needed to forget my past and focus on survival.

Fortunately, I had some survival skills which I already used. After coming back to my senses when I woke, I found my mark on the tree. It gave me my starting course as I made a rough sun compass using a piece of bark and a stick. Using the shadow of the sun and its path, I could follow the same direction I took overnight. Even though the sickle’s blade was too large for delicate work, the compass worked reasonably well. My direction appeared to follow a northeasterly route. That was assuming the world here followed the same directions as Earth. For a moment, I could only follow the assumption. Briefly, I entertained the idea of climbing a tree to look for villages. But I disregarded the idea after remembering something in survival school. A broken leg makes you easier to capture and more likely to die.

No need to take unnecessary risks.

After stripping down, I cleaned myself as well as possible in the stream. I put in my clothing and the sickle as well. Removing the blood covering me would help when I eventually got to a town. After I finished, I hung the clothes up to dry while I went over to an open area to assess my direction against a nearby trail. It appeared to be heading in the same direction, so I considered my next steps. Sitting naked inside a forest is weird enough, but I had the feeling someone was watching me. While I kept looking over my shoulder, I decided the slight noises I heard came from animals moving around in the brush. Leaning back against a fallen log, I let the late afternoon sun warm me while I organized my memories.

Conceding to myself this was my reality now, I noticed a sense of calm washed over me. Since I never considered myself high-strung, this new world now intrigued me. Sure, being hunted in the middle of a town scared the hell out of me, I now found a sense of wonder about this place. After all, the trees and animals look like those on Earth.

While I thought about it, the path through the forest and the making of a sun compass brought back my past. It was reminiscent of SERE training while I was in the Navy. Even though I was a photographer’s mate, the military sent me to survival school to become an aircrewman. Now, I’m glad it happened. Discovering food was my first goal and I was successful in finding breakfast. Discovering wild berries along the way, they matched my memories of edible food. After carefully tasting one, then waiting for a while with no adverse effects, I decided they weren’t poisonous to me. I eventually gathered all I could carry. Still, I needed to make a trap or fish to get meat, as eating berries won’t last long on an empty stomach. It was something I planned to do when I found a place to camp.

Well, time to get moving!

When I rose from my spot, I heard a sudden inhale. My glance in that direction spotted a movement coming from a nearby bush. Grabbing my sickle, I pulled behind a tree. Then, I circled around to the area where I saw movement. As I got closer, I heard the snap of a twig. I raised my weapon and spotted red clothing.

“Alright, come out into the open!” I decided my order did not sound menacing enough.

The figure I could barely see inside the foliage suddenly froze.

“I said, come out. I’ll only count to three, then I’ll come in after you.”

Now, I said it before I realized I’m still naked and pushing into a thorn bush wouldn’t do my junk any good. Still, I started counting.

Fortunately for me, two hands rose in the air. Soon, the face of the woman I saw in the night came into view.

“I cullionly nay harmeth!” She sputtered out while her eyes focused below my waistline.

Curiously, I seemed more embarrassed than the girl. Well, I’m happy in a strange way.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Maybe size does matter.

However, I kept my guard up.

“Huh? What are you saying?”

“Nay weapons, I carryeth. I bring offering.” The woman extended both hands to show me the weapon that nearly ended my life. Dried blood coated the dagger she held out to me.

“Alright, I can see that,” I sighed.

Carefully, I stepped closer and took the dagger before I lowered my sickle and backed away. I looked at the knife, then her, and finally accepted it as a gift. Going to my clothes, I eyed her as she came out of the brush.

“I’m not going to hurt you—I mean thee!” I told her, while frowning at the thought of wearing damp clothing.

Scanning the area for anyone watching us, I slid on my pants. Well, I tried to slip them on. Getting leather pants while they’re still damp is tougher than you can imagine. The woman’s expression broke into a cute grin as she saw me hopping around on one leg. When I finished, I slid the dagger and the sickle in between the crude belt that kept my pants up. By the way, in this world, there’re no zippers for pants which is damn inconvenient for taking a piss.

When I reached my cape, I noticed the red hair girl was picking leaves from a bright flowering plant.

“Wh’re art thee going?” She asked.

Shrugging, I pointed to the northeast. Well, I’m still assuming that’s a northerly direction since I don’t have a map of this place.

“To Morum? Tis a valorous road,” she said. “Alloweth me healeth thy injury!”

The woman came towards me with the handful of leaves, which she showed me. I couldn’t stop staring at her hypnotic pale blue eyes. Even her dirty, round face carried the adorable hint of a cherub. But I was unclear to her age. Being a grandpa for so long, I found it difficult to guess the ages of young people. Now, I’m unsure how to even ask the question. Her frown at my hesitation broke me out of my thoughts.

“What are these leaves for?” I finally asked.

“Thee must crusheth’t,” she pointed to my knife wound in the chest and my throat. “Putteth’t ther’th as well!”

Immediately, the woman lifted her red hooded cape over her shoulders. Her undergarment tunic was thin, and I beheld her substantial breasts momentarily as she crouched down. Then, she asked for the dagger. I cocked my head slightly and pulled it from my belt. As the woman cut a strip from the edge of her red cape, she asked me to find her a large, flat stone.

Keeping a careful eye on her activity, I pulled up a piece of black slat from the stream and brought it over. She placed the leaves on the stone and used the pommel to grind the leaves into a pulp.

While, at first, I hesitated to accept her offer. However, I realized she had tracked me since the early morning. Guessing her intention with the dagger showed good faith. So, I decided to use her knowledge to understand this place. The woman helped me apply her concoction over my wounds, her eyes sympathetic to my painful reaction. She carefully rubbed the compound that reopened the wounds. She explained it was necessary to get the poultice into the scab. My guess was she knew little about infections. But I went with it, since it was probably a native concoction to provide an antibiotic effect. It was something I remembered from SERE school. However, I couldn’t identify the plants if you put a pistol to my face.

I asked her questions as she worked, and I got the gist of the world. From her view, the four kingdoms of the lands contained the greatest cities, along with powerful kings and nobility. She was a commoner, taken in by her grandmother after her family died. When I asked her name, she smiled.

“Mine own nameth is Blanchette. Mine own calleth me Red Riding Hood because of mine own hair and clothing,” she said.

Damn, a fairy tale! What are the odds?

As she tied off a strip of cloth around my cut hand after rubbing in the poultice to my wound, I debated her name. She confirmed the name of a fairy tale character. Still, I refused to believe I’m stuck in a fairy tale. This is reality, not something the kids call a manga. After all, I didn’t see any wolf, just a damn rapist last night.

“What’s thy nameth?”

Her question brought me out of my thoughts. I wasn’t sure what to say. Then, I remembered what my attackers called me.

“Covan,” I replied.

She stared at me for a moment, then asked me if I was a commoner. For some reason, I shook my head. Sure, it’s a lie, but I don’t feel like a damn peasant.

“Then, thee might not but has’t two names,” she stated.

Now, there’s no way I can subject her to trying to pronounce Postlethwaite. I fought that embarrassment all my life. So, I just shrugged.

“I can’t say it here since I’ve cometh from far way lands called America,” I explained. “A storm brought me here and my king might search for me.”

Her brows knotted in thought, then she nodded agreement.

“Covan Brown-haired,” she told me.

“Simple and to the point, I like it!” I replied.

Yes, I couldn't hide my surprise at learning I had brown hair.

Guess I should have looked at the water reflection before dunking my head in it.

The look of brief triumph on her face made me want to laugh. Blanchette turned serious and quickly explained I must hide my wound. I smiled while I put the strip of red wool around my neck. Apparently, a recent injury will lead to thugs coming after me or suspicious guards putting me in a dungeon for being a bandit. Nobles don’t have such scars unless they are the king’s warriors. She even mentioned ghouls, but immediately laughed at my shocked look. It seems justice doesn’t exist in the world, just black and white judgement.

Is that why I had a mob after me? They thought I was a ghoul.