Now that the snowfall has been tamed, I gaze at the stars in front of the garden dome, leaning my arms on the flimsy fence of the farm.
The moon is so beautiful in my eyes. A beauty that still cannot fill the emptiness I'm feeling. My eyes must be looking for a different beauty. The street is dark and silent when the light coming from the garden dome illuminates the road for a second as the door opens. I didn't look back for there's no need for it. Cormelio leans his arms on the fence, too.
"Why are you here contemplating the unknown in a summer outfit?" He raised an eyebrow at me. I look at my thin sleeveless shirt, then giggle.
"I don't feel cold at all." The emptiness I'm feeling makes me cold already. Snow has nothing to do with my drama.
He speaks like a wry neighbor gossiper. "I've always been curious... You said you traveled all the way to Asfara. Have you not met a girl that," he playfully made a consecutive sound of smack kisses, "the adolescence out of you?"
My mouth was stroked open for a silent moment. "Uuuh," then I wet my lips, "I haven't," I lied. I've been through the lips of different ladies.
"What!?" He slaps my butt. "Do I need to teach you how to flirt!? Look at you! You look fresh for marriage!"
"What—?"
"Don't die alone! Do you want me to arrange marriage for you!? I'm positive girls will fall in love just by looking at your pretty eyes. Your appearance is far too attractive!"
"Fix marriage? That would be troublesome. I haven't found the woman of my interest yet and that might take time." I put my arm over his shoulders. "Don't worry. You're still the first on the line." Then he titters and taps my navel in a flirty manner. I add the twist, "And don't take it seriously."
"As your uncle only!" he asserted and it made me laugh. "If not a woman, who successfully convinced you to cut your hair?"
The question made my other hand caress my hair. "Who? I just... decided on my own." And I forgot why I did it. My long hair was my favorite asset so why did I choose to betray it?
"You've really changed," he commented. "I thought you'll introduce that girl to me soon, the one you were with when you made a move to save the slaves and abdicate the Delta of Vengeance pack in Lanbarc as told by Amos when I woke up."
"I girl? I wasn't with a girl when I did that."
"..." A momentary silence as we both stare at each other like ignorant parrots. "Are you sure?"
"No, I'm not sure."
He hits my nape. "You're not sure what you're answering me, aren't you? Get inside and get some rest. You must be weary from the long trip.”
Moving on—but I can't truly move on, I think about the girl the whole night. It's been a long time since I last laid on my swing bed. As I excavate into my memories, the bed seems full. Sweet fingers are sliding on my arms that tickle me. There's a woman above me... I can't see her face because of the darkness... My hands can remember the sensation of her skin and it makes me stimulated.
This enigma is starting to make me lewd! I bite my lip through my silver fangs to force stop this delusion. But whenever I try to sleep, my mind just can't stop questioning me. Who is that girl? It's the first thing my mind thinks of in the morning as well. We started plotting our raid in the blacksmith shop which means that Amos will have a part in this plan.
Cormelio is explaining the plan with a map spread on the round table. Matheo and Amos are listening attentively while every word Cormelio utters is coming in my right ear, then exiting from my left. I've been trying to clarify the image of the woman in my head. I know she's naked but the face is what I wanted yet it's killing me in curiosity because of how this memory is eluding me. The feelings of her kisses are true. Those lips she has are...
"So, Little Devil, what do you think about the plan?"
"It's soft..."
"..." The whole room was shut into silence and it took me a while to realize what I just said. "I-I mean— It's not a brute plan! It's soft in a way of considering the options to avoid a huge number of casualties!"
"Oh." They all nod their chins. Cormelio added that "I've spent my military days jotting down techniques and this is the first time I've encountered such a comment. What a remarkable thought!"
I can't help but fake a laugh with him to save my face from shame. Without further ado, we started progressing the plan.
Matheo and I will be doing the errand. Around this time, few villagers are walking to and fro in their winter clothes. We walk under the leaves of fire trees, my arms are folded inside my coat, and Matheo is reviewing the list.
"Mr. Matheo, by any chance, do you know a woman that I don't know? Uncle Cor told me that I was with a woman when I saved the slaves. Sometimes I see a woman in my we— dreams that I have never seen before." I clear my throat. "And I suspect that I forgot about this woman from an incident. Do you know any?"
"Well..."
He's somewhat avoiding my glance. A racing wagon is coming our way wherefore I step beside for the meantime. The moment the wagon passes, the stink of an old rival swarms around my nose. This wagon leads to the metropolis.
"That smell..." Immediately, I chase that wagon, Matheo follows me during his confusion about the situation. I ran faster than the two horses, then I prohibited the wagon ahead of its path. "Hold on a second!!" I yelled. The coachman didn't bother to halt, however. Before it could pass by me, I kicked the wheel to make it lurch and tilt on the cold snowy ground. I step on the wagon and pull the coachman through his collar upward from his tilted seat. "What the hell are you doing here, Mraz!?"
"Aw, don't you have a nice way to ask that question, aye!?"
"You ignored the chance when you didn't halt. Now answer me!"
He's raising his hands to look innocent. He's still not growing a single strand of hair long like the last time we had a conversation. "Why so aggressive, pureblood? I came here to visit the metropolis I once managed," he responded with a fake chuckle. He's making himself even more suspicious. I yank him to stand up properly. "Geez!"
"Why would you visit the city you are forbidden to set foot for? A festival is upcoming in the city of Plandreas, right? Then why are you here instead of making your presence meaningful there?"
"You talk rude, kid." He draws his face closer to me arrogantly but later pulls back when I didn't falter. He praises, "You look stronger now, aye!? Fine! I have personal reasons why I came here. It's none of your business. I never meddled with yours anyway. At least return that respect."
My eyes turn dull. If ever he's scheming for something, then he sucks at fooling around. I pull the wagon to make it stand again. The smell of dogs is accumulated inside. "I'm sorry for the rude meet-up. We happen to have the same destination at the moment. Let us ride with you or we will report your identity to the knights."
He made a mocking laugh but he cooperated with my request eventually. Matheo is questioning my motives. I can't keep an eye off this werewolf, his presence in Lanbarc alone is already a warning. He might be planning something against this city. He might be aspiring to revenge to recoup the humiliation he deserved.
"Hessuel," Matheo whispers his thoughts about the matter, "you're just exaggerating your hunch. I've known Mraz as a belligerent and pliable pup of their Alpha. We can gain nothing from him but a waste of time. Although I'm considering your opinion, we have our own plans we should mind."
"... Alright."
We're doing the errand together with Mraz. He's roaming his eyes throughout the metropolis whilst I'm keeping an eye on him. Matheo has the list hence he's buying the needful materials. Mraz indeed never meddles with our own business. This is making me guilty. But better not to regret it. He comments without looking at anyone,
"This city has improved. I loved this place and it's a relief that humans didn't impoverish the habitants."
"I think it became better when you left."
"But with people that are dark roaming around? Disgusting..."
"You—"
"Hessuel." Matheo tames me again by gripping my arm. He must be having a tough time babysitting me since neither I can do it to myself. "He's trying to push all of your buttons. Don't be carried away." Then he gave me the list and purchased items in a plastic bag, passing me the continuation of the errand with additional expenses according to his request.
"An iced drink? Seriously? It's winter," I complained.
"Just do it and leave Mraz to me. I'd like to talk with an old pack, too." Afterward, he invited Mraz under a shade with a round table where they could talk and I did the errand. The bag was filled with unnecessary items and two iced drinks that made my hands full. I'm sulking when I approach the table and they almost didn't notice my arrival because of their conversation.
Mraz says that "I can't believe it! I knew you were familiar. You're still invited to attend the festival."
I laid the items on the table. Matheo poured another mixture for both drinks and gave the other to Mraz. He didn't bother to give it to me, either! They drink together and I eat the snacks from the bag instead.
"So you're here to visit the city, too?" Mraz questioned. He's scanning the bag but the wrappers of snacks have buried the materials we bought against them.
"Sort of," Matheo answered.
And I impatiently say, "Let's get going."
"Right," Mraz intervenes, "you should get going before it's too late."
The people around us are panicking, the noise of the crowd dominating my sharp ears, and that's because of prodigious smoke going up the sky coming from Small Vil. I already figured out what's going on. I slammed the table, scratching with claws, as I threw an enraging glare at Mraz while he was busy sipping the drink.
"Not just you, pureblood. We've been making our move, too."
My concern for the people in our village is greater than to argue. I rush towards the burning Small Vil. It was all a diversion. And I stupidly bit it!