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Chapter 20 - Casual Meeting

The gray wolf siblings go back to where Klawa and Adalia are. Adalia is continuing her breakfast with Klawa sitting beside her.

"So, have you guys talked with one another?" Klawa asks.

"Yes, we have," Hawu replies. She looks at Adalia and takes a breath. "Hey, Adalia, was it?"

Adalia looks at the wolf, swallows her food, and replies, "yes."

"My brother has something to say to you."

Lawu looks surprised at his sister. "Do I?"

Hawu nudges his side with her elbow. "Apologize," She whispers.

"Oh, right," Lawu whispers back. He sits in front of Adalia. He's tense. He looks at her. She's tense. Lawu has never seen one up close without them trying to run on trying to kill him. It's quite bizarre and almost surreal. He observes how her mouth opens and her jaw moves as she eats and chews.

"Can you not stare at me, please?" Adalia says. Her voice shakes just a tiny bit.

"Oh, sorry sorry. I just, I've never seen one of you so calm before."

"Right." She's not calm at all. Her heart is racing, her ribs and lungs feel heavy, she's sweating ice. Still, Adalia speaks back. "What is it that you want to say to me?"

"Oh yeah yeah... Ok..." Lawu closes his eyes, calms himself down, and exhales. "I am sorry. I'm sorry that I tried to harm you..."

"You tried to kill me."

Lawu is stunned. She's right. He was trying to kill her. How does he continue his apology?

Adalia realizes what she just did. Even though it's true, he's still trying to apologize and she should at least let him finish it. So now, she decides to give him something to continue from. "Don't think of it. I tried to kill you too back there, we're even."

"Yes, but you we're doing it in self-defense. I tried to kill you unprovoked. You weren't doing anything and I attacked you. It's my fault. I'm in the wrong. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

He does seem and feels genuine, mostly. As a part of The Grand Metropolis security service, one of the basic training she receives was spotting when someone lies or being truthful. It doesn't work 100% but it's still useful on occasion, and now she is certain that Lawu is being genuine. Although, she does feel some reluctance in his apology. It could just be because she is human. Despite Lawu's dislike of humans or just Adalia personally, he's still apologizing. That is something Adalia can respect.

"It's fine. It's understandable. I forgive you. Like I said, we're even," Adalia says, looking into his eyes as she puts another bite into her mouth. "Have you guys eaten? I don't know how it would be for you, but to me, this tastes pretty good," Adalia says trying to be friendly with an awkward smile.

"Oh my, thank you! I'm glad that you like it," Klawa says.

They haven't, but they still have a lot o wolves to look after and other things to keep an eye on. "Yes, Madam Klawa's cookings are nice, but we..."

Hawu shuts her brother's snout and pushes him back. "We haven't eaten and we could use some food now! Madam Klawa, sorry to bother you, but can you get us both what she's having?"

"Oh no no, you're not bothering at all. You're all so sweet. Just give me a moment." Klawa goes to the cooking area just on the other side of the tent.

"By the way, Adalia, how did you get the moon charm?" Hawu asks. If she wants to make Adalia like wolves, she needs to be friendly to Adalia. So instead of waiting for their food in awkward silence or leaving Adalia out by only talking to Lawu, Hawu engages her with a question. "It belongs to us wolves and it has been gone for quite some time. I'm just wondering where it went. How it ends up in a... what do you call yourselves? We call ourselves wolves, what about you?"

"Humans," Adalia says.

"I wonder how it ends up in human territory," Hawu finishes.

"I found it on the ground after I finished my hunt."

"Oh, you are a hunter. What were you hunting?"

"It was a few B-types and a C-type."

"Umm, bee type and see type?"

"Werewolves."

"Right. What are werewolves again?"

Of course, they wouldn't know of werewolves. They are purebloods, the natives of Arcadia. Werewolves are a human phenomenon. A phenomenon that happens within the city. No Arcadians have been in the Grand Metropolis. Also, cases that do happens outside the walls are stable mutations and would be taken care of as soon as possible, like what happened to Adalia and Catrina.

"It's something that can happen to some humans. They would mutate and morph to resemble closer to how you look like. Bigger, fur, fangs, claws."

"That can happen?" Hawu is quite baffled and her brother doesn't look to understand any more than she does.

"Rarely, but not rare enough. Still, yes, it does happen."

"Is that what happened to you? Your eyes and ears look more like ours than most other humans we've seen," Lawu asks. He has seen humans with ears and eyes like Adalia's before, but he never understands it, and it's not like just about any other wolf would know about humans any more than he or his sister.

"Well, yes and no. What happened to me is a lot safer and controlled. The ones that I hunt, when they turn, they become violent and dangerous and..." Adalia takes a deep breath and sighs, "at that point, there's no saving them. There's no way to turn them back. So instead of leaving them in agony, there are people like me. People who would hunt and..."

"Oh, look at you guys getting along. Isn't this wonderful?" Klawa comes with a tray of food. It's all double the amount of everything she gave Adalia. "Here you go, Hawu, Lawu, enjoy your meal," she says while placing down the dishes.

"Thank you, Madam," Hawu says. She takes a bite of her food. "Mmm, it's good always."

"Thank you!"

As the siblings start eating their food, Adalia finishes hers. She does her habit of stacking all the dishes and placing the utensils on top of the pile after finishing her meal. Klawa notices and picks up the dishes.

"Oh, you're done? Here, give me your plates. You should go lay down and rest again now. I'll check your wound later at night," Klawa says.

Adalia stands up and walks to where she was laying before.

"Have a good rest, Adalia," Hawu says.

"Thanks. I will," she replies.

Hawu is thinking. If she doesn't instigate anything she will miss her chance of getting Adalia to see the other wolves. She and Lawu are going to be very busy taking care of the wounded. Adalia could also be leaving quite soon. What can they bring out Adalia for? Can they even bring out Adalia? Will the other wolves be fine with her walking around? Certainly not, right?

Adalia can be covered up like she was when Hawu met her, but what about her face? She's going to have to wear a mask. Wait, that's it, a mask! She can ask several other wolves to perform a Reog to entertain everyone. Masks will have to be made for the dance and she can ask for extra smaller masks to be given to the pups. This way she's taking care of the wounded while also making an opportunity to show how the wolves are to Adalia. It's two birds with one stone. It's perfect. Hawu stands up and walks to Klawa to whisper the plan.