Red Hood's Revenge

her.
    Roudette was much as Talia remembered. She was older, probably in her early forties. Her blonde curls had lost much of their color, and her complexion was cracked leather. Black fur lined the inside of her famous cape. Golden characters in a language Talia didn’t recognize bordered the edges.
    “I didn’t expect you to come,” Roudette said. “I know what Charlotte and her sister tried to do to you.”
    Snow didn’t move. “Are you all right, Charlotte?”
    “Am I all right? She cut off my toe! I haven’t eaten in three days!”
    This was definitely Danielle’s stepsister. Talia adjusted her grip on her knives. If she could kill Roudette with the first knife, that left the other for Charlotte. The idea was tempting . . . but Danielle would hound her about it for years.
    Talia stepped to the right, trying to get a better angle. Roudette had positioned herself where Charlotte’s body would help shield her. That left the eyes and the throat as the best targets.
    “Give Charlotte to me,” said Snow.
    “You’re welcome to her.” Roudette’s mouth twisted. “I’ll thank you for taking her off my hands. How you lived with the bitch for so long without gutting her I’ll never understand.”
    “I wonder the same thing sometimes,” Snow admitted.
    A wolf howled in the distance, and Charlotte whimpered. Roudette smiled at the sound. “The Duchess was right about you, Princess. She assured me you’d never leave your stepsister to die, despite everything she did to you. Just as she told me you would bring help.”
    “The Duchess hired you?” Talia asked. The Lady of the Red Hood working with a would-be fairy ruler?
    Roudette laughed, a sound of genuine merriment. Her bow never moved from Talia. “The Duchess has nothing that would persuade me to work for her. She merely provided me with the tool to finish the job.”
    Charlotte shook her head. She was even paler than before, her face sweaty. “I won’t,” she whispered.
    “Bravely spoken,” Roudette said. “But you speak as though you had a choice.”
    “Why do you need Charlotte to kill me?” Snow asked.
    “Not you. Your companion.”
    “You can’t have Gregory,” Snow said firmly. “He’s my favorite eunuch!”
    Talia scowled but said nothing. She still couldn’t get a clear line on Roudette.
    Another wolf called out, this one from the opposite side of the grove. Roudette’s smile grew. “Don’t bother using your tricks on them, Princess Whiteshore. You may be able to influence rodents, but my wolves won’t dare disobey their pack leader.”
    Talia took another step forward. “What do you want from me?”
    “Your disguise is marvelous, Talia,” said Roudette. “But you’ve done nothing to change your scent.”
    “My scent ?” Talia threw her first knife. At the same time, Roudette loosed her arrow and leaped away. The arrow buzzed past Talia’s ear just as Talia’s knife sparked against the stone stump.
    “You could have killed me, you stupid cow!” Charlotte yelled.
    Talia was already diving for cover as Roudette’s next arrow flew past. Snow had ducked behind a tree, where she was muttering a quick spell. She raised her hands to her mouth and blew.
    Stone needles flew like tiny darts. Roudette dropped her bow and raised her cape. Most of the needles buried themselves in the cape, but a few struck Roudette’s hand and face. Roudette cursed and pulled a spiked war hammer from her belt.
    Talia started forward when she heard something crashing after her. She turned her next step into a roll, tumbling to the side as a wolf landed in the dirt beside her. Still prone, Talia flung her second knife at the wolf. It was an awkward throw, resulting in a shallow wound to the wolf’s chest, but it slowed the animal long enough for Talia to rise and draw her sword.
    By now, Trittibar had freed himself from Snow’s pouch and stood human-sized once more. In his hand he held a slender sword with a gold blade and a basket hilt.
    Roudette was already disappearing through the trees. Talia jumped over Charlotte, only to turn back as the wolf charged after her. The wolf was no longer alone. Talia counted six closing in around them. The smallest was half again as large as any wolf Talia had ever seen.
    “I thought Roudette worked alone,” Snow shouted.
    Trittibar sliced through the ropes holding Charlotte’s arm, then spun to face one of the wolves. Charlotte stretched to grab Talia’s fallen knife and started cutting herself