As expected, I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, but my skin has always been pale so it does not make a difference at my overall appearance. It could have been because of the new environment. Perhaps because of knowing that there're a lot more people around this time, so I felt alert all night.
Who am I kidding? The feeling of being watched by someone in the dark, even if only by a second, is unsettling. Much more, is the familiar method of observance.
"Videre, are you here?"
I hear Tukare calling. I jump off the tree, subconsciously patting the trunk twice. Looking around, there didn't seem to be any wild animals nearby. Ever since I stepped into Barred Forest, there wasn't any other animal or beast in sight. It makes me wonder just who was looking at me last night. It can't have been my imagination. What's more unsettling than finding out is that I wasn't able to locate the person, before or after.
"There you are. Let's go."
I don't ask where to. Tukare leads me unto an outdoor space. Red maple tree leaves scatter everywhere, hiding the pathwalk the further in we go inside the maple forest, and the farther from the small rebel village we get.
In the distance, a large maple tree looms over a wide heavy oak table. Five people sit around eating breakfast as they talk seriously with each other. Apart from one face I'm not acquainted with, the other four I recognize. Even the just healed Letitia is sitting beside her twin on side.
"Who's that?"
"Hm. That's Serena. Laris' and Letitia's Beta. She's basically their second-in-command." As if some fleeting thought, Tukare murmurs, "Strange how they rule one pack like they're the one Alpha."
"—too hasty."
We didn't talk further as we neared their table, their babbles becoming audible.
"It wouldn't have worked otherwise. The future would've changed if we told you guys." Girtro waves his spoon in a circle. Turning his back to Laris, he busies himself with the dishes placed on a serving cart beside the table.
"But chasing after the spy yourselves is dangerous however you look at it", Laris rebutted. "What if you weren't able to get away and Vaughn used you as a hostage?"
"I'm fine, aren't I?" Letitia exasperatedly says.
"But you could have died! You could have put everyone at risk!" Laris argues, not intending to let the matter go. "You could have given us a heads up, or Girtro—you could have at least told us after she left! Going alone by oneself is alre—"
"Ah", Letitia says, loudly interrupting Laris. "Little cousins, good morning!"
"..."
Two identical dull faces blankly look at Letitia.
"Letitia, are you listening to me?"
"Ah! Where are you two going!"
The twins say at the same time, one ignoring the other.
Both Tukare and I unanimously head to the seat farthest from Letitia. On the other hand, Laris defeatedly sighs. It's no use scolding when your words just pass through one ear and leave out the other. As the saying goes, you can't wake a person feigning sleep.
"Make way, make way", Girtro says as he places several more steaming dishes across the table.
"Did you make breakfast, Girtro", Theo asks, pleasantly surprised after getting a sniff of the food's smell.
"Uh-hmm", Girtro nods happily. He takes his seat beside me and starts to cheerfully name the dishes laid in the table, going as far as serve us. "Eat lots and lots, okay? I made today's breakfast instead of that stingy old cook, so I can guarantee that it's delicious!"
"I'm not sure if I should be happy to eat something tasteful for once, or mourn that we'd go back to sweet potatoes all week once the spices are gone." Theo looks at the food on the table with mixed feelings.
"Don't be sad~ Just take it that we have to pull out all the stops for Lady Amani's guests."
"Cheeky child, aren't you just taking advantage of my guests so you can splurge on the food?"
"Lady Amani", a few people say as others stand up after seeing a tall man, with red curly locks of hair, wearing a long dress a thin shawl over his shoulders.
Which part says 'lady'? No matter how much I look, everything screams 'sir'!
Quite astonishingly, this person has soothing, peaceful aura compared to the powerful aura that I thought all the Encantado-kind would have. He has the smell of earth just after rain, a bit like cut grass.
"I don't know what you mean, Lady Amani~ My intentions are pure, I'm so wounded~!" Girtro answers coyly.
"It's so early and yet everyone's so lively. That's youth for you." Amani just laughs him off gently, the back of his hand elegantly covering his upturned lips.
"You're not that old, Lady Amani." Letitia rolls her eyes, teasing.
"You flatterer", Amani answers with an eyeroll of his own.
"A pleasant morning to you, Lady Amani", Laris greets. He stands up to move the chair for the 'lady'.
"My, you're as charming as ever, Laris." Amani smiles, sitting down at the head of the table.
"...Lady?" I ask Tukare beside me in a low voice.
Girtro, who was sitting right beside me, answers in her stead.
"Apparently, Lady Amani used to be a female Encantado with an affinity for fire elements instead of the earth elements that she has now. I heard she made a prophecy many centuries before, and that she used too much of her life energy on the process. The whole forest got burned when the fire elements went rampant, and the life energy within the range of Barred Forest got sucked so dry that there's a rumor that it'll take several millennia before they can recover. Fortunately, she's an Encantado so she can reincarnate with her memories intact. Unfortunately, she got reincarnated into a male body." Girtro shakes his head. "I used to think the Encantado-kind had easy. Must be hard for them too. Imagine being a girl and then all of a sudden, you reincarnate and you don't know how to aim when you relieve yourself!" He holds his face in distress.
"Mm." I hum gravely in agreement.
Tuning back into their conversation, I accidentally meet Lady Amani's eyes.
"Well hello. This must be our first time meeting." He tells me, his eyes staring at the necklace on my chest but not saying anything about it. But his eyes just then held something. I unconsciously grabbed the blue teardrop necklace Aovialutre gave me.
Beside me, Tukare also notices me tightly grasping it, as if to hide.
"Let me introduce my younger cousin, Videre. Videre, this is Lady Amani, the kind owner of Barred Forest. The lady is generous enough to let us stay in her backyard for the time being."
"And here I thought Letitia was the only talented flatterer in the family." Amani retracts his eyes casually and tilts his head at Laris. He then looks back at me to say, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Videre. I've heard a lot about you." He enunciates the last statement slowly and elegantly, giving me an implicating smile.
"Really", Laris glances at Letitia, who then shakes her head once, indicating it wasn't her who told Amani about me. "I hope you don't mind the late introductions. We've only reunited yesterday. We didn't want to trouble you so late at night."
"Such a shame, I would've liked to play a few games with you as well, in lieu of our acquaintance."
With that, everybody visibly stiffens. Laris laughs but doesn't make agree or disagree.
Is there something wrong with playing a few games?
"Where are your guests?" Laris smoothly changes the subject, looks around but does not find anyone.
"They'll be here shortly. Why don't we start digging in?"
"What's wrong with games?" I hear Tukare inquire Girtro in a whisper.
Girtro swallows, "Lady Amani...likes truth games ha ha." Girtro fake smiles, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Seeing him like this makes one more curious.
In response to Lady Amani's suggestion, everyone sits down properly and starts passing around the dishes that Girtro made.
"We had too much fun trying out different games last night. They must be tired, the poor things", Amani chatters.
"You sure you weren't forcing them to play with you?" Letitia raises a brow.
"How can that be? I only play voluntary games—ah, but, there was a guest who managed to slip past—ehem, excuse me—retired early last night."
"Hohoho~" Letitia didn't say anything more.
"Speak of the devil", Lady Amani stares straight, making heads turn to the same direction.
Without anybody noticing his presence, a man, a head taller than me, stands at the other end of the table. Everybody is so startled that they forgot to say any words of welcome. But no one is as disconcerted as I am.
All eyes are on him, but those hazel eyes are set only on mine.