“Done packing your stuff?” Rhea asked her ward as she entered her chambers with a steaming cup of coffee and an assortment of meats. She had left Kendra to go find both of them something to eat after the younger wolf had lashed out at her so, and now that she was back, it wasn’t that hard to see the guilty look on the girl’s face. She was just like her mother in that regard, the resemblance was so scarily uncanny.
Kendra pounced on the food, stuffing her face full while nodding absentmindedly at her nanny’s many questions. She didn’t know she was that hungry, being lost in feeling nostalgic as she packed for her adventure.
She had decided to pack light… very light. If she was joining troupes, there was no need packing anything extravagant, all she needed were about five tunics, and two pairs of breeches, and some pantaloons, oh and a binder for her tits. She had forgotten to pack those.
She made a mental note to do so after she was done.
For now, what she needed to do was apologise to her nanny for how rude she had been earlier. The guilty feeling was really eating her up.
She gulped down some coffee to wash down the meat and then cleared her throat nervously, “I’m really sorry for my outburst earlier, Rhea… I know you only had nothing but the best of intentions.”
“It’s okay, child…” The older woman smiled, reaching out to squeeze her hand lovingly, “I know this isn’t easy for you either,” She admitted, looking out through the window.
Dusk was fast approaching, and with it the time for Kendra’s departure grew nearer and nearer.
The young she-wolf herself had this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t really explain it, but perhaps it was partly nerves and partly excitement at the thought of the adventure waiting ahead.
A part of her wished nightfall would just come already so she could be out, but another part of her wanted to delay it for as long as possible, not wanting to leave… but that was crazy, right?
There was a knock at the door, the sound interrupting the female-beta from her musings for the second time in just a short period. Her heart skipped a beat, maybe two even, and then it started to thump really fast again.
What if it was him?
Kendra wasn’t sure she’d be able to leave if she saw him and that hurtful look in his eyes again, and so she shot her nanny a distressed look and mouthed to her, “Could you please check who that is?” The older woman tried to head for the door but Kendra grabbed her arm. “Please if it’s Killian tell him I’m not around,” She pleaded with wide eyes.
Rhea stared her ward down in amazement, never knowing the young one to be one who would shy away or give up... she couldn’t help but think that something wasn’t adding up. She didn’t say that though, all she said was, “Alright,” and then she proceeded to go open the door just as another knock sounded again.
Rhea opened the door after a loud, “I’m coming”, only to find Artemis standing there.
She couldn’t help the pang of disappointment that made its way onto her face. She had really hoped it was Killian, so some sense would be knocked back into her ward. Plus, she didn’t really like this Artemis, especially when she knew the redhead had feelings for the Alpha too. “Come in, my lady…” she curtsied, not for once allowing her familiarity with Kendra to get in her way of respecting the elite.
“Thank you Rhea,” Artemis smiled beautifully, brushing past the old wolf to enter her friend’s chambers.
“Kendra, child… I’ll leave you two to talk, I’ll be back.” Rhea curtsied once more and stepped out, right as Artemis made her way to her friend’s bed and collapsed in it in an unladylike manner, “We have a lot to talk about, girl,” She said, the lovely smile she was sporting had vanished, she seemed… upset. Or angry?
Kendra couldn’t even tell. She swallowed deeply, not quite back to herself after the whole Killian scare.
What was it now?
******
It was finally nighttime.
All of Kendra’s things she’d need for the trip, which was just a bag filled with a few tunics, breeches, pantaloons, a bind for her breasts and one gown she had felt the urge to pack just in case, some food, water, matches and some candles, had been loaded onto her horse.
She just had to say her goodbyes now.
Dressed in a tunic and a pair of breeches, her hair tied up in a bun atop her head so it wouldn’t get in the way, Kendra started bidding the goodbyes from her room.
Oh, how she was going to miss her cozy bed, and her rose setting planned chamber. Her beautiful armoire, filled with so many pretty clothes she wouldn’t get to wear anymore if she didn’t make it back alive.
She chuckled, shaking her head to clear the negative thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to turn melancholic, her father always said that winning battles were equal parts preparation and equal parts mindset. She needed to get that mindset part in check if she wanted to survive.
Next, she headed for Rhea’s room, knocking softly.
It was as though her nanny had been behind the door the whole time, just waiting for her to knock, for the door opened in record time, the old woman stepping out and wrapping her short chubby frame around her ward, loud sniffles escaping her, “Is it time?” She asked.
Kendra nodded. “Yes, it is… why are you bawling your heart out like I’m going never to return?” She teased the older wolf, but Rhea didn’t find it funny. The smile quickly vanished off Kendra’s face, a solemn look gracing her features. “I promise to write to you every time,” She thought better about it, knowing that wasn’t going to possible, “Well, as much as I can,” She amended.
“You make sure you return back to me in one piece, you hear me, child?” Rhea warned sternly, pulling away to look her ward in the face, her eyes the color of her wolf’s.
“Crystal clear, Rhea. You have my word,” She promised.
With Rhea handled, and Artemis as well, Kendra had just one more person she needed to say goodbye to. True, one’s argue that her female friends counted too, but Kendra couldn’t bear the thought of seeing them, especially little Elinor… now that was going to break her heart.
It was better they didn’t know anything.
As for Maymunah, the young she-wolf had decided that it was best if she didn’t see the oracle. She was already tensed enough for the journey as it was, and she didn’t need some prophecies coming into her life, riling her up even more
And so now she just had to say goodbye to Killian.
Believe me when I tell you that all day, she had been contemplating just making a dash for it, and it hadn’t really felt like a bad idea, because in the end, she had already told him she’s be leaving, he’d know when she was gone.
But he was her best friend.
And she knew deep down that had the tables been turned, she’d have wanted him to say a final goodbye to her before he left, and so with that thought in mind, the female-Beta headed for the Alpha’s study.
She knocked several times, and even tried the knob, but it was locked.
He wasn’t there.
A little deflated, she decided to try his chambers, but she was greeted with the same sight.
Where had he gone to?
She couldn’t help but think that maybe he had just left so he wouldn’t have to see her go, and even though it hurt, even she could understand that perhaps it was for the best.
At least she had tried to say goodbye… that ought to count, right?
And so it was with a heavy heart that she decided to make her way to the courtyard, where her horse, a beautiful black stallion named Nightshade stood, already saddled and ready to go.
She thanked the young stable boy who had been watching over Nightshade while she had been gone, and then tossed him some silver,
“You have a safe journey, Beta Sullivan,” He bowed gallantly, causing her to grin, “I will, Jean… take care of yourself,” She watched him leave, lost in thought about how it seemed like just yesterday when he had been a wee pup, and how he had grown up so fast.
She was so lost that she didn’t hear the footsteps approach. “Leaving without saying goodbye?”
She froze in her tracks, afraid to turn and face him, a part of her hoping that if she stood there for a while longer, perhaps he’d just vanish or something.
“Now you won’t even look at me? Woah, Ken… I’m hurt,” She heard him say with a chuckle, and so she turned to face him, “I did come and look for you, but you weren’t in your study, neither were you in your chambers.” She said irritably, taking in his white mare and his black riding clothes.
She had to confess, he was looking like a snack in the outfit. “Did you go somewhere?”
His blue eyes roamed her body from head to toe, shamelessly, a slight twinkle in them telling her that he liked what he saw, “I didn’t go anywhere, but I’m going with you on this quest.” He said simply.
Kendra didn’t know what compelled her to move at such record speed, but before she knew it, she was already on her horse, “Oh like hell you are,” She snarled, and then squeezing her horse’s sides, she galloped off into the night leaving the Alpha without a pack in a cloud of dust still trying to make sense of what had just happened.