CHAPTER 5

One of the servants led Mila out to the outskirts. Now as she was free, she realized she was, in fact, in a mansion before. The servant called it a 'palace' but she thought calling Arthur's house a palace was a little far-fetched.

"Is that food?" Mila asked the servant who was walking beside her.

He nodded. The servant was dressed in a plain shirt and pants, and he looked quite friendly. His smile was easy and he had a very friendly aura around him - something she had been missing most of her life.

"Is it for me?" Mila asked again.

He nodded again.

Without another word, Mila snatched the bread that was on the plate and gobbled it down. She then picked up a piece of steak and swallowed it too. There were some crisps and other assorted items, and she ate them too. The servant looked at her in shock.

“Try not eating anything for more than twenty-four hours,” Mila groaned as she now chewed at a more human pace.

The servant laughed and continued to walk.

“You do not shirk away from me?” Mila commented.

“Arthur, I mean 'sire' assigned me to you," the servant started. Mila could sense that this man was very comfortable around Arthur, is that why Arthur sent him with Mila?

"Okay," Mila replied.

"And how can I serve you if I shirk from you. He said and his exact words were, ‘I will bite your head off with my bare teeth if you displeased her,’” and the servant laughed. “Well, I like my head where it is, thank you very much, so I dare not, you know!” he shrugged carelessly as he stopped outside a small hut.

"Is that where I am supposed to live?" Mila asked looking around.

Though the hut looked small from the outside, it was quite good on the inside, just like Mila wanted. A small room with one wardrobe and a large, comfortable bed. A small bath on the side with a hand pump to draw water from. And another end had a small kitchenette to cook food.

"Sire got the bed replaced a while ago for you," the servant spoke as he placed a small bag on the bed. 

"I am happy on the floor too," Mila laughed as she checked the bed. Her dirty hands left stains on the satin bedspread. 

The servant squealed but didn't complain.

"Where do you live?" Mila asked him.

"Inside the walls, but I will be here in the morning," he informed. Mila stepped out and now she saw big boundary walls of the city. "You asked to stay near water, so sire decided to put you up here," the servant continued.

Mila looked around and was delighted to see no one, literally no house was in the vicinity. 

"No one comes down here?" Mila asked, curiously.

"No, this is the outskirts of our city," the servant spoke and Mila realized there was nothing but water and a big forest around. "But be cautious, many men prowl in the woods at night."

"You mean in their wolf form?" Mila asked, wondering how big Arthur's wolf would be.

"Yes," the servant nodded.

"Are you a wolf too?" Mila asked him.

"I am just a human. A big chunk of the population in the city are humans, you know..." he added.

Mila looked perplexed, so he added, "The wolves, you know other clans have attacked so many of our villages that many of us took shelter with the one who doesn't kill for pleasure!"

Mila remembered how badly the Keats clan treated the humans in the vicinity. They would attack humans for no apparent reason and the ones who were kept alive were treated like slaves, and not at all like this man here.

"What is your name?" Mila asked.

"Rahat," the servant replied. "You can call me Rah, everyone does," and he smiled again.

"You are a nice fellow, Rah," Mila smiled back.

"You need a shower," Rah screwed up his face as mud fell from her face again.

"I will... then tomorrow, I will back like this," and Mila pointed at herself.

"Why do you hide yourself like this?" Rah demanded.

"Maybe one day... One day I will tell you the truth," Mila laughed.

"I will wait for that day, mistress," and Rah bowed.

"Oh, I am no one's mistress. I am Mila," Mila corrected.

"Mila, it is," and with one final bow, Rah left.

Mila exhaled loudly and thumped on the floor once alone. Grace too stretched and yawned. 

"I need a run and a bath," Grace spoke soothingly in her head, clearly feeling too lethargic to roam about at the moment.

"Maybe later," Mila yawned and drifted off to sleep instantly.