What I felt, I am 100 certain, was the equivalent to a migraine caused by a hangover in spirit form. Bad, I felt bad in the definition of bad. I was waking up and it was like something was hammering my theoretical head.
[You used all of your magic reserves during the last battle. I managed to keep you alive though the Ether stones you gathered for the last few weeks, but you still needed time to recover]
[Maybe I should have explained better, but I did tell you that Ether is vital energy that you need in certain amounts. MP is just a way to quantify your magic or Ether reserves]
She did make a connection between Ether and water, and even Fir had to drink to recover. I could see the implication, but she could have told me..
I used [Soul Sense] and found that I was inside of a burrow. And besides me, sleeping with her belly up and tongue out, was Aspen.
[You spent 4 days unconscious. She has been taking care of you and returned you to the North Clan lands]
[I lack that information. I focused on keeping you alive. Aspen or Fir should know more]
Figures… I just had to go ask questions the old way.
[???? Why?]
Erika went silent.
I moved out and-
“Aspen! They arri…”
A wolf entered the burrow and saw me.
“M-Master Alice! Y-you are okay! Thanks Ella!” he seemed happy that I was back and alive.
“Yes! Aspen brought you and explained everything. We have been caring for you and Aspen has been standing close in case you woke up.”
And she missed me waking up by falling asleep like a dog in a house. Still, it made me feel warm knowing that she was taking care of me.
“About that… we decided we wouldn’t suffer any name you would give us and we will be happy with any name you decided for us!”
Agh! That was not part of my plan! I wanted to have them choose one by themselves! That was just to entice them into choosing one! I am not that good at naming things.
“Ah! And Master Alice… I know you just woke up, but Elder Luna just arrived and wanted to see how you are doing.”
“Here.” Her voice came from behind me.
Adela suddenly appeared inside of the burrow behind me, sitting and staring at me with that deep stare into my soul.
“H-high Priest Adela! You are always… appearing like that.” The wolf asked.
Then that is a common thing she does?! Creepy!
[Analysing… indeed, it is creepy]
“I came here to check on young Alice here. It seems she has already recovered.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Well… seeing you recovered, I have something to tell you about that last fight.” Adela lowered her head, and her stare seemed to pry even deeper inside of my mind, “want to hear them now?”
Well… I knew I was amazing, but listening about it from someone as wise as a High Priest was going to help my self esteem a lot!
“You were sloppy and a complete mess.”
Even the wolf who was beside me was with his maw open.
“Forehead? Ah, you mean that wolf…” Adela answered confused. After all, that is how I began to call him mentally, “but yes, sloppy, you lack discipline at using magic and risked starting a war between your and Luna’s clan. Even when you avoided the conflict, you took too many risks and invaded their territory without their permission. That could have ended poorly, especially when you cannot communicate with the rest of them. And that is not counting you almost killed yourself by spending more magic than you should.”
“And yet you decided to take charge of them. Didn’t you?”
It was a mess the way I did it, but I did. Even when it was a misunderstanding between me and Erika, I took their pacts and decided to take the role as their leader. I could have let Fir continue being the leader instead, yet just 2 days and I almost started a war.
“The lives of all those wolves are in your hands now. The weight is heavy, yes, but that means you have to take things more seriously. Even if you are still learning, you cannot commit mistakes like that. Another one and they could be dead, and you left without a clan. Patience is a virtue, your enemy was lying about you, yes, but you had ways to prove your innocence.”
Ugh… and I left it back at home.
[That was not the ego stroke you wanted, huh?]
Shut it, Erika.
It was like my Kenjutsu teacher. Her words feel more painful than all those wooden swords hitting my limbs.
“But… you paid attention to your followers. You knew Fir cared about Luna, even when they separated. That means you listen to them.”
[You just wanted gossip]
Not helping, Erika!
“Think about it. Now, Luna is waiting for us…”
Adela walked past me. The wolf was sitting besides me and with how his ears were perked up I could tell he was uncomfortable after watching me getting chowed down by the Priest.
Chicken tenders… I missed them so much.
“Food!” Aspen suddenly woke up and got on her four paws, ready to pounce at anything, ears perked up, and prepared.
I was really prepared for being praised for my success, but got completely chowed down by Adela. And she was right, even if we managed to defeat an enemy and avoided a war I took too many risky moves and all of them could have ended poorly, with someone dying because of my fault.
I spent the last few weeks just killing everything until it was no longer about survival, and then just to become a bit more stronger.
But, even when it hurt, that was a frustration I had gotten used by that time already. I needed to prove to myself I could take her words and improve on them, to become a better leader for those wolves.
And as I was thinking about it.
“Alice!” Aspen jumped at me and threw me to the ground!
Aspen was on top of me, wagging her tail, panting and with her tongue out.
“You woke up! I was worried you wouldn’t! Don’t do that to me ever again, you hear me?!”
Then she became self aware, coughed, and got off me, sitting and trying to be more calm.
“I… I made sure the clan was safe in your absence. I hope you are fine right now.”
“S-shut up!”
“W-well… Iiii!” he screeched as Aspen gave him a murderous look, “I am going out to check on the rest of the Clan! Excuse me, Master!”
He ran away.
Outside, when rumors that I woke up began to spread, some wolves came to me to celebrate that I was fine and back with them. I tried to act it up, but I was not used to receiving all that much attention from people.
As they laughed and smiled, I felt the need to bury myself just so no one saw me.
And in the middle, close to the carcasses that were now decorating the center of the territory, was Luna, with a couple of her wolves, and Adela. With them, was Fir.
“Glad you could make it, Luna.” He said.
“Thanks.” She answered.
And awkward. They kept looking at each other, then to other spots, then to another. It was hard to imagine they were a couple, Fir looked young and like he was in his prime while Luna looked much older and dignified.
The tension of something that needed to be said was strong between each other. Fir would open his mouth, only to close it right after and look to the other side
The other wolves seemed to be uncomfortable, and most likely felt it. Adela was… being her normal self.
“Oh, thank Ella.” One of her guards said, relaxing.
We all looked at her, and she immediately noticed she was out of line. Although, I knew my arrival cut the tension that she was probably feeling, and she relaxed.
“Sorry…”
“Then… it is true. There is a human woman behind that sword.” Luna said, “I believe we have not been properly introduced. I am Luna, current Elder of the West Clan.”
“That would be me, Young Alice.” Adela answered, “you can communicate freely with me around. After this meeting, I will teach you how to do it at your own accord.”
Then, I supposed the diplomatic meeting was about to begin. I should have left Fir to take hold of them, but I made a few mistakes and had to face them.
“Let me begin by apologizing for what happened." Luna stopped me from apologizing first, “if I was more careful with who I sent her to speak with your clan, none of this would have happened to begin with. My most sincere apology.”
Before I could answer, Luna and her guards lowered their heads to me, the tip of their noses touched the ground, as a sign of guilt.
Astonished and surprised, I looked at Adela, who was smirking like a mischievous grandma.
She knew she was going to apologize, after making me feel bad because of my actions!
I said,
Luna and her wolves lifted their heads.
“Then, since this topic is settled, may I ask to begin again?” Luna smiled, “I wanted to offer, as a way to protect ourselves against the false King, to join our clans.”
Thus… the real negotiations began.