Louisa's POV
"Where did he go?" I asked Darren.
"Master didn't say. He will be back soon, though," he said.
"I don't like him. He's so giant and ugly," Mr. Weasel said, jumping on my shoulders.
"Where's Vincent?" I asked.
"He went out hunting," he replied, going out.
I put Mr. Weasel on the bed and said, "Don't run around. Stay put. Will you?"
"OK," he said and fell on his stomach.
I rushed out of the room and chased Darren.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I'll stay outside," he replied.
He didn't look at me while speaking to me.
Every time Finn showed up, he got nervous and upset.
I didn't know what happened to them.
"It's cold outside, Darren. Please come into the room..."
He said, "I'll keep myself warm. Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll build another shelter in the yard, so I'll stay in it for the night."
"Darren, it isn't necessary..."
He abruptly interrupted me and asked, "Why?"
I was confused and said, "Darren..."
I wasn't able to finish my words before Darren stepped towards me and pressed me against the haystack.
He lowered his head, looked at me closely, and asked, "Why isn't it necessary?"
I was shocked. He was always so gentle and quiet. I had never thought that there was a violent side to him.
His pale handsome face looked full of anger and shame.
He must be terrified, which made me heartbroken.
I wasn't able to say anything.
"Tell me, Lisa. I'm asking you a question!" He grabbed my arms and said.
I looked at him and said, "Darren, you're like my brother. I don't want you to be cold. I want you to stay warm."
Darren looked furious and said, "I'm not your brother! I am an adult man! Maybe I'm not supposed to be sleeping with another woman under the same roof! Maybe I want to do something to hurt you. Have you ever thought of that?!"
I looked at him in confusion and asked, "Darren, are you going to hurt me?"
"I'm telling you! I'm fed up with fish and I don't want to eat no more stupid fish!" I heard Ms. Salamander shouting at her brother, "What? What do you want to say? Cats got your tongue? Oh, I almost forgot! Children and fish have no voice!"
As she was shouting, she crawled out of the river and moved swiftly towards me.
Darren let go of me and started to walk out of the yard.
I kept up with him and grabbed his arm.
"Darren, please... Don't do this to me..."
"Let go of me, Lisa. I need to be alone now," he said.
Then, he pushed my hands and walked away.
I was left alone in the yard, feeling like an idiot.
"That warlock's in love with you."
Ms. Salamander's voice came from behind.
I sat on the ground and held my knees, leaning on the haystack.
My body was trembling slightly.
"We're friends. He's like an elder brother to me," I said.
"Not according to him," Ms. Salamander rolled her eyes and said, "Girls to girls, I have to tell you. There ain't no such thing as 'just friends' between a boy and a girl."
I whispered, "He's just a bit upset because..."
"Because another man took you away and had sex with you," Ms. Salamander finished my sentence for me.
"How do you know about this?"
Ms. Salamander looked at me and said, "Let's just say salamanders are a very resourceful and nosy species. We have eyes and ears all over the forest. It's a public area, after all, you know."
"No!" I covered my face with my hands.
My face was burning. I must have looked like a tomato.
Ms. Salamander licked my hands and said, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. Having sex is the best thing in the world."
"Did Darren see us doing it?" I asked.
I couldn't imagine something like that... No!
"He didn't need to. He had already known when that big bad wolf took you out. I could see it in his eyes. Sad, sad, sad." Ms. Salamander said.
"Darren isn't in love with me. We're just friends... We are brother and sister, just like your brother and you..."
Ms. Salamander said, "You can keep telling yourself that. But the way he reacted after he thought you were drowning to death in the marsh this morning? Girl, I saw people losing family members before, it ain't no like that. If my brother was dead, I wouldn't have acted half as mad as he was. I'm just saying."
She swung her tail from side to side, like a puppy wagging its tail.
"There must be some confusion..."
"When boys are in love, they can't hide it. It's all in their eyes," Ms. Salamander said.
Darren's eyes were always filled with a mixture of sadness and fear.
He always looked so fragile and vulnerable.
I guessed that was why I had never really looked closely into his eyes.
How arrogant I was, being so full of myself.
I should have paid more attention to him.
I felt so vexed and annoyed.
"Girl, my advice, if you don't love him in the way that he expects you to do, stay away from him. Any mindless gestures, a look, a touch, a smile, will be mistaken as an acknowledgment of his love or permission for him to go ahead. That can be dangerous for you. He might be a warlock and was exploited by other men, but like what he has just said, he's a man. That, my girl, was a warning to you."
I frowned and said, "I don't believe that he will hurt me..."
Ms. Salamander said, "Girl, I've spent way too much time on earth and you wouldn't believe what I've witnessed. My old man tore my mother into several pieces and chewed her up like bubblegum. She used to be the love of his life, the apple of his eyes. Trust me, when men want something and they don't get it, they are troubled. When they're troubled, the wires in their mind start to get twisted. And when they are not in their right mind, they will hurt women. I have no doubts about that."
I bit my lips.
That can't be right.
Probably Darren was just upset because Finn had threatened him again.
If only I could stop Finn from hurting Darren.
He was such a graceful and noble spirit.
He didn't deserve to be treated like a subject or slave.
But before that, I knew I had to talk to Darren and explain everything.
I walked out of the yard.