Chapter 113: Back home
The search party returned to the settlement.
They came through the trees slowly. Their lanterns were low. Their faces were tired, they had been walking for hours. They had searched around the settlement, the nearby woods, the stream and they had found nothing.
Rylan walked at the front. His jaw was tight. Kenai was beside him and Kai was at his right.
The women were already waiting near the center. They stood when they saw the men. They looked behind them to see if they finally found the child but they did not see him.
The mother was alerted immediately. She looked at their faces and down at their empty hands and didn’t see her child, she started crying again.
Her mates rushed to her and consoled her and told her that they are still going to look for their child and they are definitely going to find him.
Rylan did not stop, he walked past the women. He looked around the settlement as if looking for something then he turned to one of the young beast women "Where is Anaria?"
The woman looked at him with a confused face. "She was with us a while ago. I think she went inside to rest."
Rylan nodded and walked to the shelter that had been prepared for them. He pushed the flap open. He looked inside but it was empty neither Ana or Anaria was not there.
He came back out "She is not there."
The women looked at each other. One of them spoke "Maybe she went to use the forest. She will be back soon."
Rylan shook his head, for some reason something was wrong
He called Kenai "Check the back. The trees behind the shelters."
Kenai nodded and left. He came back a short while later. His face was tight "She is not there."
Kai stepped forward "Where could she have gone to by this time?"
Rylan looked at him "I don’t know."
The words hung in the air, Kenai’s and Kai’s expression changed
They looked around the settlement and the dark trees. They asked the guards that were assigned to guards the place "Did anyone see her leave?"
The guards shook their heads and told them that they only saw her go into the shelters that the women were in.
The mother stopped crying immediately and the other woman looked confused even though the beastman couldn’t understand what was happening.
And now three mates were standing in the middle of the settlement.
They looked around from the women to the men then the grauds and towards the dark forest.
Anaria was not there.
Kenai spoke first "Where did she go?
Kai ran a hand over his face "She was supposed to be resting."
Rylan did not answer, he was looking at the trees.
The women looked at each other. One of them spoke "She was with us a while ago then she left."
Another one nodded "She went to check on the mother then she went to rest."
Rylan turned to the guards"Did anyone see her leave?"
The guards shook their heads.
The mother was no longer crying, her mates turned and faced them. Everyone wore a confused expression.
They stood there for a moment, No one spoke then a shout came from the edge of the settlement.
Everyone turned.
A Lizard beastman was pointing toward the trees.
"Someone is coming!"
Rylan looked. Kenai looked. Kai looked.
A figure was walking toward them. It was slow and it was limping.
Another beastman shouted "HEALERRR!"
The word spread through the settlement. People turned immediately and some stood up.
The figure came closer.
It was Anaria.
She was carrying Ana against her chest. Her clothes were torn. Her leg was wrapped in sticks and cloth. She was limping.
And beside her, holding her hand, was Tiku. The little leopard cub, he was alive.
The settlement went quiet then it erupted.
The mother ran faster than anyone had ever seen her run. She pushed past the other beast women and everyone that was on her way. She ran straight for her son.
𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
She reached him and grabbed him. She pulled him into her arms. She held him so tight he could not breathe "You are alive," she said. "You are alive."
Tiku did not answer. He just held her.
Then she pulled back. She looked at his face. She looked at his dirty clothes. She looked at the scratches on his arms.
And then scolded him "What were you thinking? Do you know how worried I was? Do you know how many people went looking for you?"
Tiku’s lip trembled, he looked down.
Anaria stepped forward. Her voice was tired but firm "Do not scold him."
The mother looked at her.
"He got lost and he is a child. It was not his fault."
The mother stared at her with tears in her eyes then she looked at Tiku and pulled him close again and started crying.
The people just stood there and watched.
Some of them looked at Anaria. They saw her torn clothes, the splint on her leg and the blood on her sleeve. She was holding herself up with the last of her strength.
Some of them looked at her with respect. Others looked at her like she was crazy.
One of the older beastmen muttered to another. "She went into the forest alone. In the dark with her baby."
The other one shook his head "She could have died."
"But at least she found him, which we couldn’t even do"
The first one nodded slowly"Yeah, that was brave of her."
The mates were still standing near the center. They had not moved, they were still boiling with rage by the state that ananria was and what was even happening in front of them.
Kenai moved first among them, he walked toward her. His face was hard, his hands were fists at his sides.
Rylan and Kai followed, they reached her.
Kenai spoke first "What were you thinking?"
Anaria looked at him but couldn’t say anything.
"We told you to stay here but still you had your own ways and went into the forest alone, in the dark with Ana."
She still did not answer.
"You could have been killed, look at you and the state you are currently in"
Rylan added "What if something happened to the three of you then, how are you going to explain."
Kai spoke next "You could not even stay inside for one night and just rest. We told you we would find him, can’t you just believe in us?"