"Mia you know I am better at lies and deceptions than you. Lin said , holding her tight with his . "So don't even try to. You will only be wasting your energy trying to push me away or anything from me. I know something terrible has happened back there. I know how difficult might have been. And I also know you might have been forced to make certain decisions that be worse than the disaster we are trying to evade. Mia looked at me. "Lin pulled her face to his' ' You don't need to fight alone. You have me. I will be your soldier, I will be your . Don't try to fight alone, Mia please. Everything has a way out. No matter what decision made, I will be there . Just tell me Mia. What happened back there. Tell me. "His voice was desperate. Mia could sense that he was getting a hint of what sort of a tragedy awaited , but she could not confide in him.
" Really? Since we are doing a little round of sharing secrets, why don't you tell me what you, a , was doing in the human world, disguised as a wolf. Mia asked, trying to distract his .
"Mia, you wouldn't even understand if I told you. It's about a family secret that I had gone to . It's complicated. " Lin said.
"Yes it is. Everything is complicated now because of your complicated family mission. " Mia was being mean.
"Tell me Mia, would you have not loved me or been with me if you had known I was a fox? Do too believe in the hate shared between our clans for so long? Lin asked, his voice cracking.
"It doesn't matter what I believe. My mother would have never allowed us to tie the knot had she you were a wolf. She knew I had wolf blood in my veins. She could have prevented this from happening. " She said with more aggression now seeing that Lin was breaking.
Her words were having their desired effects. "This cursed child would then have never come existence" Mia said with gritted teeth, putting on her best performance. She was breaking herself doing so, but it broke her more seeing the look of disbelief on Lin's face.
Before Lin could say anything in reply, Xie came up to them "So are you guys planning to leave place anytime soon or do you plan to stay a few more nights here? '' He said jokingly with a . "Please guys, let's get out of here and then you can continue your lovers' bickering back . Let's get out of this goddamn place first. "
Lin nodded, putting on a smile.
"Mia, let's go visit Nana önce we get back. Don't worry Mia I will do everything in my power to all the wrongs I brought into our lives. Don't worry Mia, I will get us out of this. " Lin into Mia's ears, squeezing her hand tight as they walked back to Boshu and Row were waiting.
"So Mia, can you now tell us what happened back there? What outcome do you have from your to the tree of knowledge. " Roe jumped on her with questions as soon as she neared them.
"Roe, Roe... " Xie was trying to stop his sister but Mia put in " Yes, I am so sorry I forgot to the outcome. Please forgive me. The curse has been lifted. I had quite a few intensive answers and riddle sessions with it, but finally the tree of knowledge gave in and to my demand. "
Everyone looked at one another. Mia sounded like a real lunatic, describing her adventure.
"What about the sacrifice? What did you have to offer? " Boshu asked.
"I choose not to divulge. " Was her bland reply " What should matter to you is that your mission been accomplished. Now we should head back home. "She added.
" Umm, Mia, if you don't mind, please be our guest for a few days. As you know the relationship the tribes have been worse lately. But in this mission we have seen cooperation is the solution for mutual benefit. Let's extend the olive branch. Please be our guest in the wolf . " Xie said.
Mia thought it was the perfect solution for peace between the tribes. Now that they have royals both sides wanting to work towards that, Mia felt very happy from within. It was the very she could do for a better world for her child to live in.
" It sounds really tempting but maybe some other time. We would need to get back home as as possible. " Lin interrupted Mia's trail of thought.
"Why Lin, what emergency do we have back home? Let's pay the wolf tribe a visit. '' Mia said .
The thought of seeing the place she actually belonged to was quite tempting too. She even had faint hope of seeing her father one last time if she could. His distant facial features enhance slowly in her memory.
"Mia, we need to see Nana. Besides there might be people who might recognize me back in the tribe" Lin whispered in Mia's ears.
"Lin, your Nana isn't running anywhere away. Also people knew you in the human realm. We going to be royal guests. Chances are very little that your fraud might be caught. " Mia back.
Lin could not believe his Mia could be so indifferent. He had a hunch but now he was damn sure Mia was hiding something. He was sure she had put a lot of bets trying to get everybody of the influence of the curse. She was broken within hence was putting on the chaotic to distract him away from the chaos. He needed to find out what was wrong . He needed get her out.
*******
Was it a trap
Even though Lin's intuitions were asking him not to, he obliged with Mia's decision to be a guest the wolf tent.They went straight to the water body connecting the wolf terrain with the human , after Mia had summoned the mer-creature to transport them. Boshu too, went along with . Mia had a split second of thought that she should share whatever details she had about mer-people, but then again she consciously chose not to do so.At this moment , getting Lin with any more matters would only get things more complicated. She always had the till her child was born. She had to wrap everything up within that time. Once they were out the water, Xie led them to a nearby inn to get refreshed.
"Let's go there " He pointed, "That place has the best food in this area, and honestly, I am . "
"Me too, let go" Boshu hurried in the direction, leaving the rest no choice but to follow his lead.
"Mia, are you feeling alright? " Lin came to Mia' s ears and whispered. Mia was so engaged in thoughts that a frown had grown on her face. She immediately straightened up and said "I fine. Never felt better. Why do you ask? "
" Nothing. Just like that. '' Lin didn't drag the conversation and immediately walked towards
Boshu, leaving Mia behind. Though that was precisely what Mia wanted, for Lin to get detached her, it hurt. It hurt so much that her eyes started boiling as it followed Lin leave her side join Boshu. But before anybody could see, she wiped her face clean and continued . Once inside, Lin, Boshu and Mia were mesmerized by the beauty of the sculpture . It was clearly a work of art.
"Here, I got ourselves rooms to refresh and change.There are baths attached to each .They will be sending new clothes for us to change into. I think food will be ready by then.
We can all come down here and enjoy lunch together. " Xie said with a warm smile that befits host.
"Sounds great " Roe pushed her brother and Boshu aside and rushed to her room. Xie and
Boshu followed suit to the room they were to share. Lin stood there waiting for Mia with his stretched as Mia looked at him with nervous eyes.
"It wouldn't hurt to take his hand this while " said her heart as her brain fought constantly with notion. But her tired feet and soul needed some rest so she ultimately gave her hands to . He sensed her fatigue and without hesitation lifted her in his arms. Mia closed her eyes any more struggle as she tightly held on to him. She then closed her eyes as her head over his shoulder.
It was after a while that there was a loud knock on Lin and Mia's room. Lin immediately rushed answer it.
"Who's there? " He asked. His dagger in his hand is in full alert.
"Lin, it's me. " It was Boshu.
He put the dagger back and opened the door.
"What happened? Why were you knocking so frantic? '' Lin asked.
"I was worried when you didn't show up for the meal. Why didn't you come down? Weren't you ? " Boshu asked.
Lin just pointed at the sleeping Mia with his hand.
"Oh, I see. I thought something bad happened to you. " Boshu murmured under his breath.
"Why? Lin asked, catching his whispers.
"Oh nothing. It's probably nothing. It's just that we are in enemy territory . Though they seem and nice, we can never be too sure. Precaution is better at all times. " He said.
"Did you notice anything strange? " Lin urged Boshu to sense something suspicious.
"It's probably nothing but I saw Xie sneak out of the room a few times when he thought I was a shower. The last time I followed him and saw him talking with this inn's keeper in . I must just be over thinking. " Boshu added as he finished his narrative.
Lin's eyebrows furrowed. He was in deep thought.
"Do you think it might be something fishy? " Boshu asked again.
"Probably not" Lin told him with a pat on his shoulder "You go back to your room and tell them Mia. We would be stopping for a while. Go now. Tell them. And... "
" And...? " Boshu asked.
" Keep an eye on them but silently. Let me know if you see anything else out of the ordinary . '' Lin commanded.
Boshu nodded his head indicating that he understood his assignment and then walked back to room.
Lin took a glance at the sleeping Mia and then used his apparition technique and went out of the , keeping it locked from the inside. He had placed his cloak over Mia before leaving, so that didn't get cold before he arrived.
Roe was getting bored and fidgety in her room, so she too decided to take a stroll outside since were going to be staying overnight at the place. Roe jumped from one roof to another, deep the sweet fragrance of her homeland. It didn't take her long to cross the little and get out in the clearing, which gave way to the woods on one side and the desert the other. She was tiptoeing on the border when she saw a figure immerging in the distance.
It came out of nowhere. It looked familiar too. In a flicker of an eye two more apparitions joined . She was quite far from them, so she couldn't make out clearly. But she strained her eyes.
There was no way of getting any closer without giving herself away as the desert was a flat of endless land and sand. So she climbed the tallest tree in the woods, to get as clear a as she possibly could.