My training sessions got back in track again mostly consisting me alone battling a tree to the ground, running laps and practicing archery until Hunter got back and crank it up to extreme again.
I pleaded with the Ruby to help construct a sophisticated workout schedule again and I have realized why she's pushing me to the point of breaking.
After today's session I had less crisp blood trailing on my skin. We all came back into the cabin when the sun was almost at it's peak. Hunter blessed me with a damp towel after I sat on a stool chugging down a cup of water, I wiped from my forehead down to my cleavage.
"I don't think that would be enough, you need a shower"
"Hahaha! Funny. Glad you're back"
I stand to my feet punching his upper arm roughly to be playful, I rounded the table slinging the towel over my shoulder. He protested with an "ouch" before saying
"You're getting strong for combat"
I turned with a smile walking backwards
"hmmm, we'll see after my bath"
After my bath I was less stinky and was ready for dinner. He met at the table eating home made wheat bread and some beef broth. Hunter ate triple the usual saying he's had an appetite since after having a sour fruit.
After the hunger was subdued I still had energy in me to spare but both grandma Ruby and hunter were exhausted.
After they both went for a little nap I decided to stroll. I started out taking the dirt road and then off into the thick trees walking to jogging, I wanted no more room for negative thoughts, it's been a week after the incident with Cassius and he's not shown up. Whatever he was planning must be grand and he's probably enjoying the suspense he's put me through. He just might be watching how I was slowly unraveling. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Phoenix hunkered down in razor blade grasses picking at something.
"Hey, Phoenix. You are not serving up worms again, are you?"
I remembered when we had a play date and he served some worms calling it nature's goodness. I watched him eat but I couldn't dare do that although I had ingested some of the nature's fluids.
He looked over his shoulder with a smile.
"No, I'm planting something" he said in a cheerful tone. Whatever he was doing was making him happy and I liked watching happy kids.
"What are you planting?"
"A blossom, my brother Jake gifted to me. I'm planting it for my Mom. She's gone you know but I will not let these die" he said simply, he stone even. I came by him with my heart crunched up in pain, I never asked about Phoenix's mother because I thought he had one. Seeing the child brave enough talking of his late mother made me weak, I felt jealous, I could never tell about Elisabeth as he did.
The seedlings were beautiful having four large petals of two contrasts but almost same colors; pink and purple. He was patting the dirt he had buried the roots of the plants before taking a bowl of water gently pouring from it's mouth from the top of the petals to the dirt soaking it up.
"They are beautiful. I'm sure you mom would like them" I said my voice cracking from weakness. He didn't respond but a smile spreading across his face did it for him.
He stood up to his feet after washing his hands.
"Why did you choose to plant it here. There's alot of space in the village for this. Being out here alone in this part of the woods is dangerous Phoenix, don't you know that?" I scolded straightening out my hand to take his. He took it locking our fingers together.
"I know but mom and I used to come here and watch the stars right under that tree–" he looked over his shoulder pointing to the tree he planted the seedling. It was so thoughtful from a little kid. My eyes walked up in tears as he continued to lead me through the tree
"I know this place well, I won't get lost"
I replied with a hmm
"Gianna," I looked down to his face before answering "yes"
"Is my mommy with the stars?"
I stopped, one knee to the ground after turning him to face me. Eyes locked I could see a little bit of sadness in his eyes but overall he moved on, he accepted his faith of not living with either parents and was honoring them, keeping their memories alive with him.
"In the stars or not I know your mom is in a better place probably with Jesus now in the great heavens having a dinner," he giggled innocently before I continued "And will always be with you. In here" I said placing a hand on his chest. He smiled and hugged me lightly
"I trust you," he stated stroking my hair to the end. We pulled out of the huge
"You know I also lost my mom and my dad too and my mom promised to look after me from above. I trust she's doing just that"
"They might be having that dinner with Jesus together"
I chuckled deeply at his cuteness and innocent heart he caged in his chest. I wished I could be that pure
"Come let's have another play date today" I said
***
I was soon back in the lively village hand in hand with Phoenix, swinging out entangled fist back and forth in the space in between us. We actually stopped by and plucked some fruit that Phoenix said were really good, it looked juicy but I didn't try it. He bit into it with a slight crunching sound and slurp on the juice than runs out of it, chew and finally swallow. The fruit had no to little seed inside of it, I simply kept glancing at his happy expression while subsequently keeping an eye at where we were going. The little things do really matter!
I remembered how I also used to be really happy in the company of James and Elisabeth, they never really made me feel something was missing or actually take a hint that I was adopted by them. It really made me feel warmth spreading across my chest. As soon as we were out of the market place and in the residential areas, a group of five kids approached us in a hurry, really exited and energetic.
"We have been waiting for you," A boy about one foot taller than Phoenix stated unable to contain his excitement. Phoenix stopped biting into his fruit for a moment before asking "What for?"
"You can't possibly tell us you've forgotten. You're still just a boy you know" The girl with brownish short hair said.
"What's that you're eating?" Another boy asked as while he was trying to answer to the girl.
"It's a forest fruit" Phoenix answered evenly
"Can I have some?"
"Yeah, you want to trade?" Phoenix let go off my hand and thrust it into his tiny pocket where the other fruit was bulging out of, it could barely contain it's size. The fruit was colorful, a little bit of green and red on it while the whole of it was a whitish color. It has a rough texture and seemed tough until you actually touch it. It's very tender and juicy. He extended his hand with the fruit to the kid that asked but he seemed to be thinking of something.
"I have nothing to trade for" the kids lips quiver a little as his face downed in sadness.
"You do want it right? You can have it" he handed it over with a smile. It made my heart melt.
"Don't worry I will get you all some more" I offered while they all cheered happily.
"You'd like to come see it?" The girl in curly hair asked towards me with a glint in her eyes.
"See what?" I asked getting equally exited
"Come with us"
We walked far out of range of the village noise into a forest which in the middle of it was a dirt path, where there was barely any movement in, they drove me to the left of it deep inside. I asked several times where they were taking me and I was alarmed that we were far away and danger could be lurking anywhere especially in a place like that, it made my stomach flip with uncertain emotions.
"We are here" The girl with the curly hair stated excitedly
"Where are we exactly?" I asked with a bit of uncertainty in my voice as I take in the environment. It was dense and somehow darker in that part, there was no any visible human activity or any of sorts.
"Heliamgroth" The girl announced like it were some place any normal person would know of.
"Heligrow?What place is this? We need to go back to the Terent Mill right now!"
"No one is ever out here anyway, it's just us and it's Heliamgroth" The boy just as same height as phoenix corrected.
"What do you come out here for? Don't you think it's dangerous" I was still having that anxious feeling in my gut. It doesn't feel alright here, it was like I was suffocating. The kids now were headed deeper inside leaving me wandering in my spot what the heck I just got us into while I was the adult. It took me a moment to catch my breath and follow after them
"I thought we were already here"
"Just a little further," one of the kids stated
I followed after them silently until we were just in another dirt path, narrow enough so three people couldn't walk side by side. The other side of the forest was a gorgeous view of a creek, in it a platform of flat rock water slowly trailing down into the pond like a waterfall and high above was a cliff. It was surrounded by vegetation, I stood there lips apart absorbing the view while the little once went ahead. I only noticed they were gone when I saw the curly headed girl was standing on the flat rock. I was jerked back to the reality that if something where to go wrong while I was watching then,
'what the hell?! I'm definitely going to get kicked out of this community for this'
I literally ran the length of the dirt path cross over some bushes and saw there was a rocky path against the rocks leading to the platform. I rushed there with the cold breeze coming from the creek gushing down my pipes. My hair was sent flying in every direction so every now and then I had to take it out of my face. The sound of the creek was amazing, it was peaceful
"What are you doing?" I asked urgently
"We train here" Phoenix answered evenly as the brown short haired girl hand him a bow and an arrow. He aimed down into the creek, his arm holding back the arrow bent keeping the bow up close to his face, he was handling it like a pro.
"Train for what?"
"The inevitable war with the one that bears the mark"
He then released his arrow right through a fish it went and the whole of his friends cheered and I was left dumbfounded and pain struck.
We headed back as soon as everyone had his shot. It turned out that they weren't just training for war with the one that bears the mark but also setting traps for vampires. It has been years that no vampire was found there but seeing that some horrible event linked phoenix to that spot, he had to believe they were still out there in that place. His mother was attacked there, died alone. Apparently, Heliamgroth used to be a lovely and lively place, full of romance and joy but after chains of events it became forbidden to everyone. It was a highly dangerous place and ignorantly let those kids take me there putting themselves in danger.
I told the kids never to take anyone or themselves there. I promised to find them a better place and teacher to practice their archery and fighting skills, and made them promise me in turn never to set foot in a place like that again. It took them quiet a time of contemplating before they promised me because they had form a real connection with that place and where chasing a taste for revenge. I admired their courage, after knowing all about that place they still dared to sneak out there. It was a good thing that they took me there and not anyone else, they would have been in real trouble.
It was getting to sundown, the sky was starting to darken as shades of yellow and orange stained the sky at the horizon. I let the kids to go play around as they usually do while I stared up there. Usually I didn't mind the hatred that anyone has had for me because I could understand but seeing those kids with such a razor sharp determination to the next anticipated war with me made my heart throb painfully. It just made me feel awful
"You definitely look better!" I heard coming from behind me. I didn't bother to look behind me as I knew who it was already
"Hey" I said as she set herself by me also gazing at the sky as I was. I sighed heavily
"How are you doing?" She asked glancing at me for a moment
"Good, really getting some good knowledge around here that I don't get from the human world"
Maya actually laughed before looking back up again. After a brief silence, the aching was sharper in my chest knowing that one day I might be standing all alone and against all
"So any special connections with the wolf?"
"What wolf?" I asked sheepishly
She leaned a hand on me before making a snorting laugh "Oh! Come on. It's just us ladies here. Something is going on between you two"
"No. We are just friends," I felt my skin born at that
"Wait! You are able to recognize each other by scent right?" I asked quickly as i remembered what she told me, maybe she could help me figure out who it was
"Yes, why?" She seemed pretty excited as I said that
"Maybe you could help me find out the wolf's identity"
"No, I can't" I rejected quickly getting up to her feet
"Why not? You were just interested in talking about him and I wouldn't have asked if I could find out. You know,"
"Still no, I'm definitely not getting myself into that."
"Is it wrong to do that? Is he maybe not from here?" I asked way to pressed about it that I should actually be. The look on her face was straight and soft but very decisive. I couldn't strike her out of her negative reaction.
"Ok. I understand"
'no I didn't understand', I just didn't want to push any further than that.
"But I can tell you this, he's definitely have a great deal of care for you" She patted down my shoulder with a smile before she pulled me close and we stared back up again.