Return.

Fritz kneeled and I got on. But just as she stood up I began feeling woozy, I turned around, and just as I started to get my bearings I saw Mara on horseback right behind me. Startling me so much I nearly fell off Fritz's back

I let out a small laugh. 'And here I thought my senses were pretty sharp, yet I let myself get snuck up on twice in a row.'

She didn't say a word, or even make a move, she just glared at me for what felt like forever, making me more and more anxious. I was afraid. I was afraid more than anything that she was going to tell me she sent the wolves after me somehow, that this was just another part of my father's test…

Without a word she rode up next to me, her eyes fixed on mine to the very end as she clenched her fists, letting out a scream as she raised her hand.

I felt a chill go down my spine as I closed my eyes. 'This is going to hurt… But if I block won't she just hit me again?'

I felt a light tap on my shoulder, and then I felt myself being squeezed so tightly I thought I might die.

"STUPID GIRL! What were you doing!" Her grip eased a bit, but she never let go, making me feel really awkward, since we were still both on separate horses.

"And you!" She let go, sternly pointing at Fritz. "Do you have any idea how much danger you put her in!"

Given their history, I was a bit worried Fritz would just snap at her, but instead, she lowered her head, as if feeling genuinely guilty from Mara's scolding.

Turning back to me she started pulling on my arms and neck, checking me for new wounds. "You're not hurt are you?" Everything paused as she found the massive gashes and tears in my clothes.

Practically ripping my shirt off to see the wounds, she almost wrestled me to the ground. When she did see them though she paused again, letting go and glaring back at the horse.

I was left speechless. I knew that we were at the part where I was supposed to talk, but honestly, I was still trying to process the part where she didn't hit me, even though she was angry and disappointed, she gave me a hug instead…

It was so different from the way that my father acted it was hard to believe they were both my parents. Thinking about it though, it almost felt silly to think she would ever react like he did, given everything else that had happened between us.

"I-I got gashed, but it healed." I finally said as she continued scowling at Fritz, who continued averting her gaze.

She poked the wound, checking it thoroughly before pulling my shirt back on and buttoning it for me. "It's not bleeding so it should be fine. I'll take a closer look when we get back." Without warning she picked me up and placed me on her saddle in front of her.

"M-mara! I can ride on my own!"

She snapped her eyes back to the fritz giving her a death glare, making the fritz only look even more defeated and pitiful.

"Fritz?" I called out to her, but she just conceded, following close behind as Mara set off for the castle.

'I guess this is happening now…'

I looked back to the dire wolves. I didn't remember it happening, but somehow they were all tied to Mara's saddle, being dragged along behind us.

She didn't say a word the whole way back, but she was pushed right up against me. I could hear her heartbeat… It wasn't steady at all, almost as anxious as mine was.

'I'm making her work when she's still hurt again…'

The moment we got back Mara dismounted and handed the reins to one of the guards, helping me down before carefully getting off herself.

"Take the horses back to the stalls, and get a hunting party together, I pushed more wolves out of the forest than I thought. Their population is much larger this year than last."

"Mam." The guards pounded a fist over their chest, standing up straight before dispersing to take care of the tasks they were given.

"Wait, you pushed them out of the forest? But why, I thought we wanted the monsters to stay away from the castle."

We quickly walked inside the main house and she started checking my shoulder just like she said. Squinting, poking, and prodding, but ultimately not doing anything, completely ignoring me.

Then, without warning my father walked in and the whole room grew cold. I wasn't sure if it was just in my head or not, but ever since the day he threw me in the water It was like every time I saw him the temperature around me dropped several degrees.

"Control your magic…" He grumbled.

Mara whispered in my ear. "Siya your freezing."

I cut off the flow of manna that was circulating through my body, not even realizing what I was doing. "Sorry…" I mumble back to her.

She quickly wrapped a blanket over my shoulders to cover me as she stood in between me and my father. "It's fine. Go to your room now and get some rest. I'm sure you're tired."

I looked down at my hands. They were cold, but they weren't shaking anymore. "No, I think I'm fine, really."

"Siya…" She said my name again with an underlying growl that made me almost jump. 

'Did I do something wrong?' I looked back up to her, 'Well, besides the running away thing…' Her eyes were unmoving, locked solely on my father. "Go to your room." She said again.

I looked between the two of them. 'To be honest I kinda want to hear this though…' I sighed. "Fine."

I pulled the blankets tightly over my shoulders and walked up the stairs like I was told, but I didn't close my door and sharpened my hearing with manna.

"You were supposed to be looking after her!" Mara yelled, not giving off any subtlety as to why she was mad.

Just by his tone of voice, I could tell he had crossed his arms before replying. "If Lu wanted to leave the castle, would you let her?"

"That's different and you know it."

"It's not. Siya may be different, but they are in the same position. Besides… She won, didn't she? I heard she killed a dire wolf all on her own, and her horse brought it back the alpha in its jaws?." He started laughing. "That's worthy of praise, not scolding."

She pounded her fist on the table so hard that the cracking of timber echoed like popcorn as it broke off. Contrary to the action though, her voice was suddenly calm. "If I praised you every time you tried to kill yourself while we were in the wilds you would be dead by now… Do you really think she's any different…"

He groaned, unable to respond right away. "Look… She's alive, that's what's important. She's proven she's strong enough. The only thing left is to prepare to send her off in a few weeks.

"The only reason she's alive is because I stayed in the woods keeping the monsters away. What kind of test was that…" Her voice cracked as the rage started to die down. "We stopped throwing children to wolves over a hundred years ago… I… I want her to become stronger, just like you do, but like this?"

Before I realized it I was standing outside my door, like a force was pulling me closer as my whole body flooded with chills.

"You didn't even watch over her while she was in the pit in case something went wrong… I know because I did. I even went out there in secret without telling you, and I ripped their fangs out… At least this time she didn't end up that close to death because of that… You're not making her stronger, you're making her afraid…That's the last thing she needs right now…"

Their voices became too quiet to hear, and I snuck closer, but it didn't help. 'Did I hear that right? He said ALL that's left is for me to prepare to leave. That means… Am I done? He wouldn't lie to her to make her feel… No, wait… He probably would…'

I poked my head around the corner to see Them hugging each other, which was… unexpected.

"Mara opened her eyes, looking up at me. "Sometimes I forget you're still a child." She said with a grimace.

I felt my face twist, unsure what emotion I was feeling after hearing her say that.

My father stepped back and turned to me as well, before looking back at Mara. "You need to go and rest. I'll talk to her."

She rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh and waving her hand as she turned away with a limp. Reaching the door she turned back to him. "You'll TALK to her… Just talk…" She repeated before she left.

"She's hurt?…" 'that's not the leg that she broke…' Looking closer, her pant leg was covered in blood, and her fur clothes had as many claw marks as mine. She never showed when she was hurt, and because of that it made it easy to think she was invincible, but I was reminded yet again that wasn't the case…

'She talked about how there were more dire wolves than expected, does that mean she got attacked while she was looking for me? I really messed up this time…'

"She's even tougher than you, she'll be fine." He let out a sigh as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I felt a false smile cross my face. "Tougher than me? That's not reassuring…"

He walked past me and stopped with one foot on the staircase, gesturing to my room. "Lets… Have a chat, shall we?"