Cutlass: Binding
This is so much more awkward than I expected. What am I going to even say when they answer the door? Willow turned me into a puppet and sealed me away in a tree with Lysander, leaving me for dead. I doubt they’ll try to do it again, but I don’t think they’ll be happy to see me. Probably worried. Maybe they’re going to think I’m coming back to kill them all? I hope they don’t think that. I have to make sure they know I’m not any kind of threat. I have some rope for setting up that tent. If I tie my wrists together… No no no, that would be too weird-
The door creaks open, and I see Willow’s snout poke through the opening. Out of ideas, I frantically raise my hands in the air. I completely forget the bag I was previously holding onto as it loudly crashes onto the ground. “H-hello!” I blush. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this. What do I even say… “You can tie my wrists behind my back if you want!” That sounded leagues more appropriate in my head.
Willow takes a moment of silence to absorb everything. I’m so glad the door hasn’t been shut in my face. “You’re… look if you’re not going to hurt me I won’t hurt you. I made a horrible mistake and almost killed you and I’m deeply sorry for that, but please don’t hurt me.”
“No no no no no no!” The words are just trailing out of my mouth, although I’m keeping my hands in the air. “I have no intention of that. When I heard you lost someone you loved and you wouldn’t see them again, I just… I don’t know, I really want to talk to you about this if that’s okay… and maybe… become friends?”
Willow’s eyes go wide from confusion. I don’t think they were expecting this at all. “...What about Lysander,” they ask.
I clear my throat. “Lysander… honestly just feels too hurt from the situation and wants nothing to do with you.”
“That’s fair. Well, come on in anyway. You don’t have to keep your hands in the air.”
I gulp, still unsure if I’m trusted or not. “You’re not going to, uh, tie me up?”
Willow rolls their eyes toward me. I’m probably just making things worse. “Do you want to be tied up?”
My face feels like it’s boiling, I can only imagine how visible it is. I stay silent and just enter their home.
In the humble cabin, I see some more tea boiling. “This tea isn’t for sleeping, so you don’t have to worry,” Willow says to me. “I’m done using underhanded tactics like that.”
“Honestly,” I admit, “I can see where you were coming from. I grew up in an orphanage. Friends would get adopted, leave me, and never come back. No matter how many times that happened, I don’t think it hurt any less. Now that I am adopted and have people I can rely on, I don’t know what I’d do if something were to happen. Would I want them back? Yes. Would I have trouble coping with it? Absolutely. I just wish I knew so I could talk to you about it before things got out of hand.”
Maple and Lily overhear us. “Is that Cutlass,” Maple asks, “And you let them in?”
“It’s only Cutlass,” Maple replies, “And they’re here to become friends and talk with me.”
Maple crosses her arms. “You didn’t think of… I don’t know, restraining them?” Nope, but I did. I still have the rope if they decide to do it.
Lily hops up and looks at me. “We can play heroes! Cutlass can be the bad guy we catch!”
“Is-is that really necessary?” Willow looks flustered.
I shrug and pull some rope out of my bag. “Really, I don’t mind!”
Willow groans. “Alright, I guess. Cutlass, sit down.” I sit down and they do a really sloppy tie around my wrists and tie the slack to the bars of the chair. It’s just a glorified loop of rope so loose that I can slip out of it if I really wanted, so I can tell Willow either really believes in me or knows absolutely nothing about ropework.
I begin to explain myself. “I can’t really say anything about Lysander, and I honestly don’t want to bring them into the conversation. However, I really enjoyed your company last night. Do I care that you tried to kill me? Well, yes. I was terrified, and I’m honestly still mentally processing it. However, I know that was just for a goal I can sympathize with, and I know it’s over.”
The three wolves nod, and Maple is the first one to speak up. “I have to know, though, why come back?”
“Because I know that having people to rely on makes saying goodbye a little easier to get through.” The others’ eyes light up, and I think they know what I mean. My intentions seem to be clear enough to them.
“Thank you,” Willow replies as they offer me a hug. I nod, and they hug me. I hug back, forgetting that I was supposed to be tied. Thankfully, the others don’t even seem to care, except for lily.
“The bad guy got out!” She exclaims.
“That’s fine,” Maple replies, “Cutlass is a good guy now. I’ll pour everyone some tea.”
I feel proud of myself, making friends like this. I wish my parents could see me now so I can show them how far I’ve gotten. Maybe I should do that after the tea? I wonder if they’d like to meet my parents.