After a good dinner with Hanz, Thalia tried to train again despite her cramped and aching body "Wow wow wow, Stop right there young lady" Said Hanz as he picked thalia up and carried her to one of the bedrooms in the shack "You can train all you want. but you have to know when you have to stop or you'll get horribly hurt and you won't be able to train in a week. so, get rest and train tomorrow you little goblin" he said as he went into the room and placed her in the bed gently, ruffled her hair with a smile on his face and said "Rest kiddo, Tell me if you have a nightmare…. oh… you may need this!" he stood up and walked towards a chest to open it.
From within the toys, blankets and dolls in the chest. He pulled out a little teddy bear stitched and patched by hand with a little bow on its head and handed it to Thalia "Here ya go, Her name is Lisa. Take care of her cuz she will take care of you when im busy, ok?" thalia nodded a little bit and still having a grin in his face Hanz left the room "Use the clothes i left on the bed when you sleep".
Thalia thought about recent events once again like the first time she was here, doubting everything for just a moment, eyeing the walls confused by the surrealism of her situation and how sudden were the changes to her life. Her young brain couldn't process so many events so she took the simple option to sleep instead so she could hopefully get some rest.
darkness…. nothing but void on the dream world that she created while she slept…. in
the distance she could see a small blue flame shining brightly despite its tiny size, slowly walking Thalia approached the flame almost as if the flame dragged her using magic. She slowly admired the bright crystal blue tint of the flame that was in front of her and when she crouched down to touch the flame. A bright mark of the same color appeared in her right hand and through her veins, the same blue energy flowed at a quick pace going to the back of her head litting her eyes blue and finally marking her back.
Thalia woke up, gasping for air and sweating as she looked at her hand and how the mark she saw on her dream was there but it slowly faded within seconds after looking at it but as soon as she snapped back to reality Hanz knocked firmly on the door "Oi Thalia. Wake up, you got a long day ahead ya little goblin" she jumped from bed with her pjs on and opened the door with care she didn't slam it against the wall, she was surprised to find Hanz carrying what seemed to be food on a tray "Have you ever heard of breakfast?" he said with a grin on his face.
"Break… fast?" She questioned his words and this new term she didn't understand but she seemed grateful about the food. "Food in the morning, to Jumpstart your heart and your body" he said as he poked her forehead with two fingers "now sit on bed and enjoy bread with this jam i made this morning" he took the bread and taught her how to cut, prepare and properly eat a jelly sandwich, her perception of the jelly sandwich was kind of unique, since it was a first in her life. Viscous, sweet, almost overwhelmingly sweet but a treat nonetheless. As for the toasted bread, it was like nothing else and no other pieces of bread she's had in her entire life, it was nice, incredibly fluffy and it seemed to be cooked just at the perfect time.
Hanz was happy as he saw the expressions that the little girl made as she ate with a huge grin from ear to ear. "Seems that ya' haven't eaten somethin' like this in a looong time kiddo" he smiled and giggled lightly as she ferociously ate the "Banquet" she had before her eyes.
"Havent got such good clients since i was a young soldier…" Hanz whispered to himself almost as if he was reminiscing of old times, maybe he was dearly recalling memories of times past, his smile seemed somewhat sad but his eyes expressed a warm gaze towards the child, he was feeling a bit soft so he snapped quickly and patted the head of the girl
She closed her eyes as he pat her, Thalia was still eating with fervor and happily munching into the sweet delight that Hanz prepared her. She looked at the man, whose green eyes combined with his warm demeanor, she stared for a second and said "Soldier…?" and she held her shoulder with the almost healed wound "Soldier..." his expression quickly morphed into one of worry and sadness, Hanz looked at her… stood in silence and sat in bed with her
"Dont… worry- ill never do something like this to you, Children arent meant to be warriors… take it easy, ok?" He said, still caressing her head with soft and delicate motions. Her crystal blue eyes, deeper than the blue sky in a warm summer evening, started to water, eventually. Tears started flowing from her eyes and eventually stained the bed she was sitting in, her clothing and some of the food still sitting in the plate in front of her. Hanz put one hand in her back and pulled her close, hugged her with care, selicately and subtly caressing her back, he in his apparent disturbed warmth whispered to her "dont cry my little warrior… im here… papa is here… everything is alright, ill always be here, ill never leave your side…. so dont fear and tremble because youll be great one day, after all… even if its not by blood, you are my daughter"
She hugged him, tightly. crying in his chest, burying her face on him as she let out a slurry of emotions "Papa…. Papa!... Please papa… dont go… im strong papa… im strong…" She cried out to him, opening her mind to him. He looked at her, so hurt, not by any of her doings, but hurt by the level pf her pain. How sad she was, how desperate she sounded, How she clung onto him, not letting her go like she was in her last day with him
End of chapter 3