almost
afraid to ask, terrified her father would change his mind. For a
moment, he didn't seem to hear her. Finally, however, Warin's
shoulders slumped and he came to a stop.
"We're goin’ back to Weit. No, rather, we're
goin’ to your grandparents. I've done a fine job of makin’ you
miserable here," he turned and looked at her, his eyes repentant.
"You need a woman's touch to help you grow." Unable to hold herself
back, Liesel flung herself at her father and wrapped her arms
around him. She felt him hug her back, hesitantly at first, but
then his grip tightened. "You're much wiser than your old man,
Leese. Your mum would have been proud of you tonight." Liesel felt
tears sting her own eyes as he pushed her back to look at her face.
"And I don't mean just your beauty. You held yourself together with
dignity, even when they tried to hurt you. I mean it. Your mum
would be so proud." It took Liesel a moment to recover her
voice.
"So when are we going?"
"Tonight." As he spoke, however, a wolf's
howl sounded in the distance. It made Liesel shiver, and even
seemed to chill Warin a bit. "Although I suppose it wouldn't hurt
to wait until the mornin'. We'll get a bit of rest tonight,
instead." Liesel nodded emphatically before continuing to help him
pack the few dishes they had in the cupboards.
As they worked, Liesel couldn't help but
feel torn. It was awful to think that she could be second-guessing
their decision to leave, but something nagged at her. Kurt's face
continued to entertain her mind as she worked. If they had been
leaving like this the year before, Liesel would simply have felt as
if she was leaving a friend. But Kurt was more than a friend. He
had kept her alive for an entire winter, breaking his father's
sacred rules to do so. He'd promised to keep her safe when no one
else would. He'd stirred up feelings within her that she'd never
felt for a boy, the ones her mother had warned her about. Kurt had
become her whole world. It would be incredibly wrong, she decided,
to leave without at least saying goodbye. And reminding him of the
promise he'd made.
Since they were leaving in the morning, she
decided, she could sneak out early and meet him at the waterfall.
He usually didn't arrive that early, but if he didn't make it in
time, perhaps she could leave him a letter explaining what had
happened.
After Warin finally went to bed, Liesel took
a quill, ink, and a piece of parchment from her bag. She rarely
used the writing materials, as they were nearly impossible to
afford, but such an occasion merited a whole book, she decided. As
neatly as she could, Liesel related to Kurt all that had happened.
As she wrote, she thanked the Maker again and again that Kurt could
read. In her letter, she promised that she would still keep her
side of the bargain, that she would meet him when they were older,
that they would still explore the world together. She wouldn't
forget, and she was going to be holding him to his promise not to
forget either. It seemed so strange, she mused to herself, that she
could feel any sort of sadness about leaving the woods. She'd
wanted nothing more than to return to her grandparents since they'd
arrived. In the time that they'd lived in Ward, she'd lost her
mother, been ostracized, and nearly starved. And yet, a piece of
her mourned leaving this boy behind. Through it all, he had been
there. Simply leaving without saying farewell in person seemed so
wrong. And yet, she sighed, what else could she do? Warin's mind
was made up. They were leaving at first light. He was determined to
be out of the forest by the first night, and to do that, they would
need to ride steadily. There would only be time to rest the
horse.
Liesel had nearly nodded off with exhaustion
by the time she sealed the letter with wax. Getting into her little
mattress for the last time, she smiled as she rested. In just two
nights' time, she would be laying on her bed at her grandparents'
house. Never would she take the feeling of
afraid to ask, terrified her father would change his mind. For a
moment, he didn't seem to hear her. Finally, however, Warin's
shoulders slumped and he came to a stop.
"We're goin’ back to Weit. No, rather, we're
goin’ to your grandparents. I've done a fine job of makin’ you
miserable here," he turned and looked at her, his eyes repentant.
"You need a woman's touch to help you grow." Unable to hold herself
back, Liesel flung herself at her father and wrapped her arms
around him. She felt him hug her back, hesitantly at first, but
then his grip tightened. "You're much wiser than your old man,
Leese. Your mum would have been proud of you tonight." Liesel felt
tears sting her own eyes as he pushed her back to look at her face.
"And I don't mean just your beauty. You held yourself together with
dignity, even when they tried to hurt you. I mean it. Your mum
would be so proud." It took Liesel a moment to recover her
voice.
"So when are we going?"
"Tonight." As he spoke, however, a wolf's
howl sounded in the distance. It made Liesel shiver, and even
seemed to chill Warin a bit. "Although I suppose it wouldn't hurt
to wait until the mornin'. We'll get a bit of rest tonight,
instead." Liesel nodded emphatically before continuing to help him
pack the few dishes they had in the cupboards.
As they worked, Liesel couldn't help but
feel torn. It was awful to think that she could be second-guessing
their decision to leave, but something nagged at her. Kurt's face
continued to entertain her mind as she worked. If they had been
leaving like this the year before, Liesel would simply have felt as
if she was leaving a friend. But Kurt was more than a friend. He
had kept her alive for an entire winter, breaking his father's
sacred rules to do so. He'd promised to keep her safe when no one
else would. He'd stirred up feelings within her that she'd never
felt for a boy, the ones her mother had warned her about. Kurt had
become her whole world. It would be incredibly wrong, she decided,
to leave without at least saying goodbye. And reminding him of the
promise he'd made.
Since they were leaving in the morning, she
decided, she could sneak out early and meet him at the waterfall.
He usually didn't arrive that early, but if he didn't make it in
time, perhaps she could leave him a letter explaining what had
happened.
After Warin finally went to bed, Liesel took
a quill, ink, and a piece of parchment from her bag. She rarely
used the writing materials, as they were nearly impossible to
afford, but such an occasion merited a whole book, she decided. As
neatly as she could, Liesel related to Kurt all that had happened.
As she wrote, she thanked the Maker again and again that Kurt could
read. In her letter, she promised that she would still keep her
side of the bargain, that she would meet him when they were older,
that they would still explore the world together. She wouldn't
forget, and she was going to be holding him to his promise not to
forget either. It seemed so strange, she mused to herself, that she
could feel any sort of sadness about leaving the woods. She'd
wanted nothing more than to return to her grandparents since they'd
arrived. In the time that they'd lived in Ward, she'd lost her
mother, been ostracized, and nearly starved. And yet, a piece of
her mourned leaving this boy behind. Through it all, he had been
there. Simply leaving without saying farewell in person seemed so
wrong. And yet, she sighed, what else could she do? Warin's mind
was made up. They were leaving at first light. He was determined to
be out of the forest by the first night, and to do that, they would
need to ride steadily. There would only be time to rest the
horse.
Liesel had nearly nodded off with exhaustion
by the time she sealed the letter with wax. Getting into her little
mattress for the last time, she smiled as she rested. In just two
nights' time, she would be laying on her bed at her grandparents'
house. Never would she take the feeling of
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