Chapter 53: In Which She Faces A Past

[AWUOR]

"This place is a little deserted," Awuor said after a long silence. She was watching the establishment and the temptation to go closer to Rukiya's camp was overwhelming. Then again, she had no reason not to go.

She needed to see for herself what Rukiya Greyson was up to. It was a nice evening after all and the worst that could happen was for Malika to burst out with laughter when they were there. It was a given though, considering what the woman was doing at the moment.

It was almost like she was setting herself up for failure, but was she?

"I'm the grandma, and you're my granddaughter... how about we begin the practice sessions?" Hawi said to Malika who just let out quiet laugh. It was unbelievable what they were willing to do, but then it wasn't like they had a formation to keep up to.

They needed to get this over and done with so they could settle down with ease. At least then, they would be letting Rukiya know that they were here, and more than anything else, they would be reminding Rukiya that they were around, just in case she was planning to do anything.

"Lead the way, grandma," Malika snorted and Awuor just sighed. They were being unbelievable right now, but then there wasn't much they could work around at the moment, or was there?

"What of the rehearsals?" Hawi asked, unsure if going to Rukiya without a proper rehearsal was a good thing. Then again, there was a chance she was worrying too much for nothing. There wasn't a thing that Malika hadn't learned at the protector school hundreds of years ago.

She could do whatever Hawi wanted of her, in her sleep. And right now, it was just a chance for her to prove to Hawi that she was in a good state of mind.

"I got your back. Don't worry, I could even start, if that works for you. You just have to look a little older than you are right now," Malika said and Awuor let out a sigh.

Her protector was really going to have a lot of fun with her current getup. Then again, it was only until Rukiya Greyson left the free lands, that Awuor Hawi would go back to being the woman she had been.

She would get back to her life and her plans, but until then, this was just a gate pass for her.

"We'll be fine. Besides wolves have their territories. Revilio said that this was the free lands. I trust him for that. Come along, help me to get in this damn shelter. Who knows, we might get some food here," Hawi said and Malike helped Awuor into the shelter that was suddenly so silent.

They could see that there was no one in the room, but then Malika and Hawi had a special gift of sight. Eyes that could see through any barrier, and that was also how the two of them saw Rukiya, and her team in the room along with the Sicario wolves.

The Sicario wolves look like they had been roughed up and were forced to stay silent, because a word for them would probably result in Rukiya killing them. It wasn't hard to let them be unsociable and Hawi just let out a laugh in her head.

Rukiya Greyson was crazy, that was her only conclusion. The woman was stubborn and adamant and even Awuor hoped that there was something they could have all done, but there wasn't, at least not now.

"See, nana? There's no one here. The people here were probably eaten by wolves. Come let's go back home," Malika said and Awuor just sighed.

"No. We are staying here. The evening is here with us and we can't go out there. You said it yourselves. There are wolves here. What if they attack us?" Hawi insisted as they looked around the shelter.

She was pushing it, trying to see if there was anything that could catch her yet, sure enough, she got it.

Her favorite sweater.

Everyone in Sicario knew their alpha loved that weather and even when they had left, they had remembered it. Which could only mean one of two things.

Either the Sicario wolves went to Rukiya to look for Awuor, or Rukiya was trying to find out where Hawi was. But then again, why would anyone even look for Hawi when everyone had been silent when she had been banished?

It all just didn't make any sense.

"Come on nana—"

"Here child. I found a beautiful sweater for you. You can take it and then we can go back home. Try it on,"