The morning sun differs from the blaring afternoon sun. Its rays of light eases people into the coming day, waking everyone up gently.
Everyone except us.
We played until morning, and now I want nothing more but to sleep.
A person stops beside me and looks up at the clear sky as well.
"How are you feeling", Tukare questions, deadpanned.
I grab her collar, about to headbutt her, however, she blocks me.
"I seem to be angry at you about something yet I can't exactly remember why", I say through gritted teeth. The both of us lost to Girtro and Laris, and now all I remember are the emotions I felt the whole night.
"What a coincidence, me too."
I know for a fact that it was her who angered me first, so I abruptly grab her collar, going in for another headbutt attempt. Tukare grabs my wrist, with her elbow aimed at my head. It both stops my action and forces me to let go. She moves to grab my waist, attempting to do another suplex, but I block her with my foot and knee by disrupting her balance. We tumble down and wrestle for a moment.
Meanwhile, the others had come out of Lady Amani's house.
"I'm hungry", Letitia complains.
"I'm surprised you even have an appetite after that whole ordeal", Laris says as he walks closer to try to separate Tukare and I.
Letitia grabs me from behind while Laris grabs Tukare's shoulders from behind as well, pulling us apart; red leaves on our hair and clothes.
Girtro walks out while chatting with Virgil and Theo. They take a different route from ours as they head back to the camp.
"Ah, Girtro", Laris calls out, and three heads turn his way. "Tell anybody my secrets this time and I'll send you to the other camps that only have potatoes and dry bread to eat, okay?"
I've never seen a more sinister smile. Surprisingly, Girtro isn't daunted, but he does take Laris' warning seriously.
"Right, we need to prepare." Laris drags away Tukare.
I pat away the dirt and leaves. When Laris and Tukare's shadows are nowhere to be seen, Letitia asks me something that gives me pause.
"So. That hickey on your neck. Was it that guy, Obrecht, who gave you that?"
Subconsciously, I pull the collar higher, until it hides even half my nose; the action giving me away.
"Saw it when I pulled you and Tukare apart. It's too late to hide it~ You'd better not let those two see it." She laughs, worry-free. "Let's go grab something to eat in the kitchen."
I follow after Letitia into a maze of tents until we arrive at the kitchen. There were giant stone stoves lined up to one side, with the tent itself held higher than most. Sacks of crops and multiple tables filled with chopped ingredients and utensils littered the place. There are only a few people present, prepping ingredients in the early morning.
"Alpha, good morning", a worker greets, seeing us come in.
"Good morning~", Letitia cheerfully answers back. She's obviously a regular here.
"Is Alpha Letitia here?" A man comes by, his eyes roaming until he sees Letitia for himself. "Alpha", he greets with bright eyes, "We've finished the first batch of pottery. You were right about the soil in the back mountain, it's better to use."
He looks as if he wanted to talk more about it to Letitia, but upon finally noticing my presence, he holds himself back.
"That's good news", a kitchen staff says. "The kitchen really needs pots right now for storage and a few fermentations."
"Maybe we can make fruit wine or sake now", another excited staff joins in to discuss.
"Sorry, Videre. Do you mind if I take a trip there for a while? I won't take long, just check and bring the ready-made ones here", Letitia says.
"Hm." I nod.
"Then, please notify the cook to prepare the food for your journey to Faerie Valley within three days. Make sure they know the number of people, got it?" Letitia raises her thump up as she walks away with the man who came looking for her.
Jutting out my thumb, I imitate her thumbs up gesture as I turn around. Feeling eyes on me, I pretend to be counting instead.
If it's to notify, I can do that much.
"Where's your cook", I ask the two previous kitchen staffs that were peeling potatoes and carrots on the table while standing up.
"She's over there, by the stoves." One of them points using the knife in their hand.
The line of stoves wasn't far away, but still a little distant from the tables where the ingredients are stocked. A single woman busies herself with large casserole pots of different boiling bases of soup, her back facing me. Obviously, it's for today's breakfast and lunch.
"Excuse me, cook", I say, uncertain of which other way to get her attention. "I bring orders from Letitia."
"If she's asking for more melon seeds, Girtro already swept the bag clean", the female cook says as she wipes her hand on her apron and turns around. "You—"
Surprise is mirrored on both our faces. The air condenses. The shadows below tables and kitchen tops flicker restlessly.
It's her. The woman who took Tukare's arm and almost killed her. Tukare may have found a way to gain back her arm, but it does not mean I can forget what she'd done. This woman brought me and my sister pain.
Karen squints at the bloodlust I didn't bother to hide. A silent shadow below her feet wriggles. It'd take just a moment to impale her from her foot upwards to her head, but I have to be careful or else, if she dodges, only her legs might get impaled.
Either way, I'm confident she won't be able to run away from me.
"Mama!"
We jerk to a stop at the sight of a two-year old clumsily making her way to Karen. The child fumbles and nearly trips, clutching Karen's pants in the process of steadying herself.
"Mama", the child calls out again. This time, Karen responds, the tenseness no longer visible on her face but her body was more rigid than before. "Mama!" The child shows a small white pebble to her as if it's a treasure.
"Sweet child, why don't you play with us while the adults talk? Good?" One of the kitchen staffs nervously takes the child by the armpits as Karen gives them an appreciative smile.
It's possible to have ignored bloodlust. Everyone in this camp has more or less encountered things that had made them sensitive to the aura of killing. They may have been doing menial daily tasks, but in the end, they're still greedy rebels. Normal daily lives may make them lose their edge, but it won't make them forget.
Karen shows me her back as she resumes to stirring the pots that had probably burnt a little at the bottom. It's hard to control the fire of a stone stove.
"I heard about what you said when you disappeared in the Nymph's forest."
I keep my silence, waiting for her to get to the point. What's the use of this idle conversation?
Well, it's good for stalling.
I answer myself as I find myself not immediately attacking her as I have intended.
"I never thought I'd meet the cause of my mate's death like this." Her words looked sarcastic and blaming, but she didn't sound like so. Her voice was soft and even, not one bit of anger.
Pouring a few things here and there and mixing the soup base in the pots, she looks back at me.
"I can't help but try to find Mitchell's scent on you even though it's been years. It's ridiculous, but I can't help it", she smiles derisively at herself.
"Mitchell?"
Karen gives me a hard look.
"They didn't tell you? No wonder. They're probably afraid you'll blame yourself. You have a protective family. I'm a bit envious." Karen glances at the child happily sitting on a table not far away, the whole top a mess because of her.
"Explain."
Karen doesn't shrink away. She honestly tells me about her late mate, Mitchell. I can't help but recall the beat up man that sat in front of me in that interrogation chamber, his eyes pleading for me not to tell about Barred Forest. Ironically, I'm now at the same place. It's like I've substituted him.
"So that time, you were aiming for me, not my sister?" I study her. This question didn't require an answer, but I still wanted to hear her answer it.
Karen watches her daughter absent-mindedly as she speaks, "When I felt Mitchell die, my wolf wanted to die with him, but my mind was clear. I was pregnant at that time. I remember deciding to tell Mitchell about my pregnancy after we'd meet on our escape from the Blackshade City, but... he never made it out." She pauses.
"I've supported this rebellion for years, right from the very start when I met his highnesses. A safer and more just kingdom, not just for the noble purebloods—a home. A real home where my child can grow safely, not fearing the fancy of a nobleman, or the abuse of a noblewoman because of jealousy. No corrupt guards turning a blind eye when the weaker people are abused because they think it's the weak's fault for not being able to protect themselves. I want that more than anything right now, for Shilaine. If you want my life, I won't shy away. But in return for my death, you have to help his highnesses' achieve their cause."
'I won't shy away from death as long as it gains us something' — her eyes tell me.