Chapter 105: Chapter 105

DAHLIA:

The sun has already reached its peak when I woke up. Samalah was kind enough to prepare some breakfast for the day’s journey.

“You have to eat up a lot, sister. After all, you are eating for two now.”

I looked down at my belly and placed my hands over it. Was it really true? Was a child really growing inside me when it wasn’t even apparent?...

Before I slept, I was thinking what to do. Samalah said my husband was a monster. If he was, then I could be carrying someone who could turn out to be as devilish and as menacing, right?

And yet, the alternative – ending this child’s life – didn’t feel like even an option for me at all. Even though I do not remember anything, I was sure I don’t want to see this child leave.

Things would be hard from now on, I guess… I was going to be a mother soon.

“By the way, sister, it’s inevitable that we’ll meet people along the way. Maybe it’s a good thing to conceal your pregnancy to strangers,” Samalah said as we ate her cooking. “These are dangerous times for someone in your constitution. Until we find a suitable place to settle, maybe it’s best that we don’t tell anyone about your situation off hand.”

I nodded in agreement. “By the way, where are we going?”

“We’ll go deep into the forest for now. We’ll settle in a cave somewhere. I don’t think it’ll be safe for the meantime to go to town so soon,” Samalah said.

I agreed with Samalah. My husband sounded like a very influential person. If we go into town, he’s bound to find us soon.

“Don’t worry, I already asked for help from a rogue friend. We’ll ask him to go to town for us and buy us supplies in case we need it. His name is Naskan. He looks rough and rude, but he’ll help us,” Samalah quipped in a cheery voice.

I smiled back and nodded at her suggestion. It seemed like she had laid everything well when she planned to rescue me. I’m glad I had a friend like her whom I could rely on after losing my memory.

“By the way, sister, do you still not remember anything? Not even a bit about your powers?”

I shook my head. “No… I can’t even talk to my wolf yet…”

“I see. Well, don’t worry. I’m sure your memory would come back soon. Just take your time.”

After breakfast, we changed into more comfortable clothes and packed our bags for the journey.

Everything could have been easy if I could just shift into my wolf, but since I cannot even talk to her, I wasn’t able to shift into my wolf form as well. Samalah opted to accompany me, and thus we went into the forest in our human form.

“Don’t fret, Dahlly. You had difficulty shifting into your wolf ever since you were young. It must be because of the torture you incurred,” she remarked.

Was my husband really that cruel that even my wolf had shunned me from the fear of him?

By nightfall, we were able to cover some distance by foot. We found a cave and settled comfortably inside.

“I already sent word for Naskan to meet us. He’ll be here soon, I suppose. For now, let’s just make do of what we have, alright?”

“Thank you, Samalah, and I’m sorry you had to go through all of this for me,” I said bursting into tears, perhaps more so due to hunger and exhaustion.

“There, there, don’t cry, Dahlly. Everything would be over soon. We’ll just while away some time, and then we’ll settle in a small village, just the two of us… and your baby, okay?... By the way, have you decided what to do?”

“Yes… I’m keeping the baby.” I look down at my belly that was yet to show any signs of life, but I was determined. “I’m keeping him…”

“Or her,” Samalah, happily replied. “I can’t believe I’m going to be an aunt very soon.”

I looked as Samalah’s face, and I could also see a trace of sadness in it. Was she also feeling the same way as I was – scared, overwhelmed, and nervous as hell?

I hope to the Moon Goddess that I could be a good mother… At least now that we were running away from the sick bastard who fathered my child, perhaps things would be different. My child could grow up in a healthier environment and could thus turn out to be a better person.

My head was still full of conflicting thoughts as we settled into our sleeping bags well into the night. Somehow, my heart could not feel fully at peace until we can finally settle into a far away village and prepare to give birth to my child.

I was still wide away during the wee hours of the morning. Since Samalah had been kind enough to take care of me this past two days, I decided to do my fare share of labor, starting with fetching some water.

Samalah and I found a cave that was a bit near the water source. I took the wooden pail and began to travel down the path going to the stream.

We also had a bit of laundry. I decided it would be best to do some laundry by the stream since it’s still very early.

It didn’t occur to me how scary the forest could be before twilight…

The cave was just about fifty steps from the stream, and yet, I felt a sense of panic as I went through the dark path leading into the water source.

Why was I afraid of the dark like this? Did something happen in the past that made me scared?

I could vaguely remember a dark room and a hint of something red and fiery, like a stone glowing somewhere…

I frowned. Were they my memories? Am I beginning to remember something?

I went deeper into the forest path, all the while trying to remember more things, but nothing more came into my mind in the darkness.

At last, I reached the stream. I settled the laundry basket nearby and began to fill the wooden pail first.

I went into the middle of the stream to fill the pail, wetting my feet in the process. I liked how the cool water tickled me. It was really refreshing.

Once the pail was filled, I carried it back towards the edge of the stream where I put the pile of clothes I intended to wash.

That was when I felt it. I felt a pair of eyes observing me, surveying my every move…

When I spun around towards the bushes, I saw a pair of wolf eyes gaze at me at such intensity that it became hard to breath.