Chapter 54: The Stubborn Old Hag

[AWUOR]

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

Hawi knew so well that if Malika wore the sweater, her potent scent would be interfered with and there would be no way of tracking her, especially now that she had masked her scent. Maybe that's what she wanted, or maybe she wanted to see what this was all about.

"If I wear this, will we go home?" Malika asked and Hawi nodded as Malika grabbed the sweater from the ground and headed to try it on.

However, before she could even try to put the sweater on, the magical barrier was broken and Rukiya instantly snatched the sweater from Malika so fast that Hawi was forced to let out a knowing chuckle.

Malika almost facepalmed, but then she remembered that she was here with her nana, so she had to pretend like she was shocked.

Oh, but it wasn't hard to fake that, given that everything Awuor had made her do, had surprised her from the moment they had set foot into Olyana anyway.

"Good lord what the hell?" Malika said in a terrified voice as she stood before Hawi in a protective mode.

This wasn't just her acting as the kiddo read to protect her nana, but this was her being the white wolf's protector. If she sensed that Rukiya was a threat to Hawi's life, Malika would fight her to the death, and that was not even up for discussion.

"They just popped out of nowhere, child. Or is this their shelter?" Hawi asked as Rukiya watched her like she had seen her somewhere.

"I told you entering people's shelter was a really bad idea nana, now look what we have gotten into," Malika scolded her nana while Rukiya was giving them the stink eyes.

She wanted to explain why they were here but then wasn't it obvious? They had come here for food and water. It was the most common thing that anyone in Hawi and Malika's state would have said, but then was that just it for the two lethal wolves here?

"I'm sorry, nana wanted to get some rest and food and we saw your shelter. If we had known someone was here, we would have knocked. It's just we have been traveling for a while now and we just needed the food.

"Okay. Thank you. Come on, nana. Let's leave while we can," Malika said and Hawi stood there looking at Malika like she was crazy.

"I'm not leaving. My joints hurt. If you want me to leave you can as well kill me instead of letting me leave Besides it's already dark. We don't want to steal, but I want to rest," Hawi said stubbornly, making Malika choke on air.

This woman was unbelievable.

Of all the things that she could have done, she chose to play the stubborn card? Oh, but she was unbelievable at this one.

"Woman, you can't be serious right now. Don't you hear her? We are not wanted here. Now get your old ass up and come with me. You've lived to be this old and I'm just in my twenties and would very much like to live till beyond your age.

"Now will you come along or do I have to drag your stubborn ass back home?" Malika said seriously, making Hudhayfa chuckle this time.

They all could see the stink eye the old woman was giving her grandchild and it seemed like Malika dealt with this daily. It was out, really, but was it, anyway, when the two women were having the time of their lives putting up the stupid act right now?

"I said I'm not leaving. If you want to go, you go. Have fun telling my son why you left his mother with a bunch of wolves," Hawi insisted and Hudhayfah had to intervene.

Rukiya herself looked like she hadn't been ready for this madness.

This wasn't what she had subscribed to, even though the old woman's stubbornness seemed awfully familiar. Then again, how was she even supposed to tell that Hawi was the nana who was giving Malika too much trouble anyway?

How was she supposed to know that the woman she was desperately trying to find was right here before her in the form of a white-haired older woman?

"Nana, you don't have to leave. We can set up a shelter for you outside. And then you and your grandchild can leave tomorrow. How about that?" Hudhayfah said softly as he looked at Hawi who was glaring daggers at him.

It was almost like she wanted to beat the hell out of Hudhayfah, and sure enough, Hawi raised her stick and smacked Hudhayfah's leg with it, making everyone in the room look at the stubborn old hag in the room.