Jeongyeon is on her way again, walking down the usual path. She trudges on, pulls her red cloak tighter around her shivering form, and grips the basket tightly in her right hand.

Be careful in there. She remembers her mother’s warning. The creatures in the woods are far more dangerous than any man alive. 

Jeongyeon doubts that; for no creature can cause as much destruction as the ones she sees in the village, the full-grown men with erted gazes and drunken slurs. Still, Jeongyeon is a good child and follows her mother’s warning carefully, walks along the path in front of her that is clear and free of thick forest. 

As she continues on, she decides to stop and pick some flowers for the person she is visiting. Wildly blooming in every direction she turns to, Jeongyeon strays away from the path, admires and gently snips off flowers from the ground and from bushes. She ties them up in a bundle and feeling proud of herself, turns to continue her journey.

The path is nowhere to be seen. Jeongyeon only sees flowers and plants and green and green everywhere she’s lost and she feels the rising panic in her chest and- 

A rustle in the bushes to the right and Jeongyeon jumps and grabs the small knife sheathed in leather tucked away safely in her boot.

There is silence. Jeongyeon is alert, eyes flitting around, watching for the slightest movement. The basket is on the forest floor, forgotten.

Her mother’s warning plays again in her mind. Some of the creatures in the deeper parts of the forest were extremely dangerous, and though she is more than capable of fending for herself, she doesn’t have the appropriate equipment with her.

A shadow, much large than Jeongyeon herself, rises from behind a large, old oak tree. Jeongyeon in a deep breath, readies herself into a battle stance, knife glinting in the light that streams through the cracks in the canopy above.

Everything happens in a split second.

The creature bounds towards her with a sharp growl and makes a grab for her and Jeongyeon easily dodges it, twirling the knife in her hand and marking several easy spots to stab the beast before it gets any closer and-

“How do you keep doing that?” The beast whines and Jeongyeon is struck speechless for a moment. She takes a good three seconds to comprehend that the creature in front of her is talking before she realises who it actually is.

“Mina!” Jeongyeon shrieks as Mina walks towards her on all fours, a bounce in her step, laughter spilling from as her tail wags happily in the air.

Her merriness is short-lived as Jeongyeon leaps at her and starts attacking her in mock anger.

“Hey- ow! I wanted to surprise you!” Mina yelps as Jeongyeon rains her fists on her (gently, as Jeongyeon can only ever be gentle with Mina, even when they’re squabbling like this). “I got bored waiting for you back at home!”

Jeongyeon huffs and stares down the wolf quivering before her. She reaches around her neck and tugs the red cloak off her shoulders, revealing a white tunic underneath and light chest armour, scratched up with red stains but still looking strong.

“Here, take it before I throw it into the stream.” She tosses the cloak to Mina, who deftly catches it with one large hand and slips it around her shoulders. Instantly, she begins to transform, shrinks from an enormous wolf to a young girl, about Jeongyeon’s height, with soft brown hair falling over her eyes.

“Finally-“ Mina groans, stretching and groaning at the sensation of being back in her human body. “I’ve missed you, flesh sack.”

Jeongyeon rolls her eyes as she tucks her knife safely away again. “I really wish you’d stop calling it that.”

Mina laughs and slips her hands in Jeongyeon’s short hair, curls her fingers in it and pulls Jeongyeon in for a kiss.

“Sure, princess. Anything for you.” She whispers and Jeongyeon groans, red-faced.

“Don’t call me that, you know I don’t like it,” Jeongyeon mutters as they pull away, still holding onto each other. “I don’t go around calling you ‘Red Riding Bad Wolf’ do I?” 

Mina scoffs, brings Jeongyeon in for another kiss. “First of all, that’s a mouthful. I wouldn’t even say half of it. Secondly, it’s not like you’re the princess princess of the kingdom.”

“Yeah, just the bastard child of the king, that’s all.”

“Hey, be grateful. At least you don’t turn into a wolf without your special blankie by your side.” 

Jeongyeon laughs.