"Aaaiiio.. aunt.. ahhhh.. what are you doing? Ahh.. you can't possibly do this to your future leader.. aiio.." A minute later Darla walked across the corridors of the palace with her left ear held between her aunt's clutches.
"Talk to when you can achieve that. For now, I guess we need to have a nice chat with your grandma." Darla knew there was no saving her ass today. No matter how much she resisted the pain only increased and she was dragged to her grandam's place.
Not long after, the two of them stood before a long alley inside the massing palace complex. "Madam Naila, Lady Kate had asked us to stop anyone from approaching at this hour. We would ask you to please delay your visit." These were not ordinary guests but the guards were under strict order.
The first one that was being dragged down the corridor was the princess of their clan and the only child of their leader. Next to her was one of the most brutal warriors of their race. Neither of them was soone they can afford to offend. "Good. Then go on, try stopping !" Naila was blunt as ever with her response.
She shoved them to the side and pulled Darla behind her. The guards looked at the wry smile on each other's faces. They can only shrug their shoulders before taking their places in once again.
*Knock* *Knock* "And this one will be for .. hmm?" Kate had been in the middle of her sacred ceremony when soone made their presence known at her bedroom door. As expected her face frowned. This was an opportunity she can had chanced upon after years of struggles, how can she let anyone disturb her. Hence, her voice was not very polite while responding.
"Who is it?" Had there been anyone else they might have been intimidated but not Naila? She responded in a complacent manner. "Sorry to disturb you, my lady. But there is an important matter that I need to discuss with you on an urgent basis. Please allow in."
No reply. For the first minute, there was absolute silence and just when Naila thought of knocking back, she heard the door unlock. The doors swung open to show a scantly dressed older lady with a wide smile on her face. "So it's you, Naila. I see you brought the brat too. Co in."
Kate's heart raced as soon as she saw her granddaughter with the brute. She had a bad feeling about all this, and to top that Naila's stern expression was not helping her case. Yet, who was she? She had been fighting in the battlefields since the ti these kids were suckling on their mother's tits. The next, minute she had welcod them with a straight face.
Once they sat down together, Kate accepted Darla's greetings before turning to Naila. "You can tell your motive now, girl. What happened? Is there so issue about the tribe that you want to discuss?" The older woman had a fair amount of idea but she was not one to give up without a fight.
"Ahem... Firstly please forgive this junior to disturb you at this hour." Kate waved her hands to show her that it was not a big deal. "Secondly, can your please pass your space ring, lady Kate? Actually, I have so information that I need to confirm. I know my demands can seem a bit outrageous but since it is related to your health, I am perfectly in my jurisdiction for that."
Damon had commanded his wife and her friend to be heavy-handed with his mother if it ca to putting a check on her alcohol addiction. Yet, this was the first ti she had directly asked for her personal space ring. "Hmm? It's not good manners to ask for the personal belongings of your seniors, little lady."
Kate let her reservations known but the more would resist the surer Naila will get of her conjectures. From the way Darla had acted, she was more or less convinced that the girl had smuggled so drinks for her grandmother in order to coerce the information out of her. And the fact that she had made a sudden raid on her estate, there was a good chance that she would be able to catch the old lady, red-handed.
"I know it's very presumptuous of to ask for that. Nevertheless, I am duty-bound by the leader to ensure your health. Hence, please co-operate with ." Naila put her head down to emphasize the due respect that Kate commanded.
Opposite to her Kate's eyes had glanced over Darla's and her ugly expression ant their secret deal was pretty much exposed. "Huh.. you guys sure take as a child, don't you? Why would I consu sothing deterrent to my health?" She tried to diffuse the situation even when Naila ardently extended her open palm.
"Huff.." Kate puffed her cheeks to show her displeasure whilst she stiffly removed her ring and tossed it. Naila picked up the ring mid-air and focussed on scanning the storage for the obvious signs of drinks.
anwhile, a concerned Darla managed to gather enough courage to raise her eyes, to apologize to her grandmother, only to find her winking mischievously at her. Out of nowhere, the girl felt her earlier depressed mind, dance in joy. She completely forgot that her grandmother was an old monster herself, how can she allow her juniors to catch up to her.
Beside her, Naila had scanned the contents of the ring thrice already, finding not even a trace of alcohol. "Do you want to pull everything out so that you can take a better look?" Listening to the mocking voice, she can tell that the old woman was pulling her leg.
"Not required. I hope you don't mind if I take a look around." Naila was unwilling to give up, certain that Kate was hiding things from her. How can she tell? Because soone had cast a small spell in this room, very recently. Though the centaurs can't cast powerful magic spells, but a small spell to clear out the room was not a big deal. And why else would they cast such a spell, unless they were trying to hide the fragrance of wine, so to say?
"Yeah, go right ahead." Getting permission Naila didn't waste any ti and began to physically search the room. Staring at the slight grin on her grandmother's face, Darla herself grew confident that everything was under control.
"What did you say to your aunt, little girl? How co you dragged into your matters?" Kate ignored the lady rummaging through her belongings and instead switched to her granddaughter.
Darla jumped up in ecstasy and took her seat beside Kate, rubbing her face against her affectionately. "It's not my fault, grandma. By mistake, I asked aunt about the Epoch training grounds that you told about last ti. From there, she began accusing of bribing you with alcohol to fetch the information."
Darla's face looked like she had been wrongfully accused of a cri she did not commit. "I told her that she got it all wrong. But all I received, in the end, is a bruised butt. See!!" To magnify her destituteness the girl even turned her torso to the side, showing Kate the prominent slap marks that she had endured.
"Ohh myy..!!" Kate made an exaggerated impression, much to Naila's annoyance. "It's okay, baby girl. Aunt is a bit paranoid about granny's health, you know. Here, let rub it for you." Audible sounds of gnashing teeth can be heard from the corner of the room, and Darla was forcing herself from laughing out loud. Kate on the other hand playfully bit her tongue before caressing the red butt of her granddaughter.
They talked for the next 10 minutes when Naila realized that the ole lady had been a step ahead of her and had clearly gotten rid of any shreds of evidence. "Ahem... I am sorry for my audacity, lady Kate. Please forgive this junior for wrongfully maligning you."
"Haha... it's no issue, Naila. You have been a great support to this tribe as well as our family. How can I bla it on you, knowing that you only have best wishes for?" Though her words were extrely polite, Naila can't help but feel frustrated at her tone. Her words can be paraphrased to 'Don't even try girl, you are a hundred years too young for playing these kins of gas with this mother.'
"Thanks for your kind words. Anyhow, there was another matter that I need to discuss with you. About the Epoch training grounds, may I know the reason for you ntioning it to little Darla?" Kate was in no hurry to answer her. Taking her ti to put the ring back in her finger, she fondled Darla's face.
"It's only a matter of ti. Darla will have to take up the mantle of this tribe one day. The sooner she knows what are our strengths and weaknesses the faster she can grow." Naila was expecting sothing like this but listening to the words right from the horse's mouth she was unable to hide her disappointnt.
She had her face in her palms while she replied. "Please take a good look at her face, lady Kate. Please tell from which angle did you find this girl ready for such serious business?" "Pffftt!!" Her words ca as a surprise to Kate and before she realized it, laughter had rung out from her mouth, obtaining her glare from the girl.
"Huh.. don't go on discounting the juniors, aunt. Why do you think I am unprepared?" Darla raged at the obvious bias. Naila was perfectly prepared for a counter but Kate jumped in to save them from a back and forth argunt. "I know she is not ready just yet. That's why I would like you to take this girl out of our boundaries and make her ready."
The discussion has suddenly taken a serious turn. Naila checked Kate's face only to find that she had a small smile, telling her that her words were not supposed to be re lip service. "Are you telling that we are going to allow her in? That's too dangerous, madam. We can't do that, not unless the chief orders it himself."
"Yeah, but there is no chief right now. Haha.. that will make the de facto leader. Now, can you please drop your patrolling duties for a while, I need you to take on a very important role that will significantly affect the future of our tribe as a whole?" Even though Naila loved her freedom, but if it was a command from the leaders then she was bound to follow through.
"Coming to the girl, no one is born ready. Damon had entered the training grounds even before he turned eighteen, how can she fall behind?" Naila got up after taking a lasting glance at the pair. "Good. I guess I got nothing to say then." Turning to Darla's direction she continued. "We will leave tomorrow. Say goodbye to your mother, it might take many months."
Darla had been too stunned to respond. How could she have foreseen such a turn of events? Not only did her grandmother turn the situation on its head, she even solved her greatest problem in a matter of minutes. If she gains the access to the Epoch training grounds, kicking her father's butt might not remain an impossible dream.
As soon as Naila took her leave, Darla had lunged into Kate's embrace. "I love you so much, grandma heheh.." She rubbed her cheeks against her to show her appreciation. "Hahaha... I love you too, my little princess. I knew how desperate you were for this. Naila is one of our best warriors, so make sure you take full advantage of her ti."
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