Mom Knows Best

Asha buried her head deeper into her mother's neck as they ran through the forest. Leia hadn't explained much to Asha, she'd just picked her up and started running at full tilt - the young girl felt scared and confused. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and just hoped that they'd stop running soon.

"We're going for a dip baby," Leia spoke into Asha's ear, holding the young girl tighter. "Hold on."

Asha obediently wrapped her legs around her mother's waist and held onto her neck for dear life as they plunged into the cold river. She held her breath and kept her eyes closed as she felt them both submerge underwater for a brief second before her mother started propelling them to the opposite bank quickly.

Asha gasped and did her best to breathe as her mother fought against the river currents. She felt relieved when they finally reached the other side and her mother climbed out of the river. Before she could really enjoy being on dry land once again, Leia had started picking up handfuls of mud and she was frantically rubbing it all over Asha's body.

"What are you doing, Mommy?" Asha asked with a wrinkled nose, not appreciating the feeling of the slimy cold mud seeping through her clothes.

Leia smiled at her daughter sadly as she continued to cover her in mud, "I need you to listen to me carefully, okay? It's very important."

Asha looked at her doubtfully and nodded hesitantly.

"There are some bad people who are looking for us," Leia explained seriously. "I'm covering you in mud so that they lose your scent. When I'm done, you're going to hide. Do you understand?"

Asha felt terrified but she nodded at her mother as she wondered who was looking for them and why.

"This is the most important part, Asha." Leia said sternly as she gripped her daughter's shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Don't come out unless you hear me calling for you, okay? If I don't come calling for you, I want you to wait until it's quiet and run home. Do you think you can do that?"

"I'm scared," Asha confessed with a wobbly voice. "I don't want to hide without you."

"You have to, honey." Leia answered softly. "I'm going to lead them away so that they can't find you. Do you remember how to get home from here?"

Asha nodded miserably as she started to cry softly, her little body was filled with the kind of dread that she'd never felt before. She just had a sinking feeling that something really bad was going to happen.

"Promise me you're going to come back," Asha pleaded with Leia as she started sobbing quietly.

Leia hugged Asha tightly, struggling to hold in her own tears. She desperately wanted to promise her daughter that she would come back - but she knew that she couldn't. She would fight with all her might to come back to her little girl but she knew nothing in life was guaranteed.

"I'm going to do my best," Leia promised. "No matter what happens, always remember that I love you so very much."

"I love you too Mommy," Asha sobbed as she struggled to quiet herself.

"Come on," Leia said as she dragged Asha into the woods lining the river.

She stopped a few feet away in front of a large tree that had a hole in the bark that was big enough for Asha to climb into. The young girl looked at her mother sorrowfully as she crawled into the hiding spot. Leia let one single tear roll down her face as she looked at her daughter for the last time before she quickly covered the entrance with branches and leaves.

Asha bright her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she heard her mother run back toward the river. Everything was quiet aside from the faint rushing of the river and the sound of the wind whistling through the trees.

A loud howl suddenly tore through the silence, causing Asha's heart to start thudding dangerously hard in her chest. The forest was alive with the sounds of growling and snarling. Some of the sounds she heard were familiar wolf sounds but some of the others she couldn't recognise - they were terrifying and haunting sounds.

She buried her head in her knees when she heard a loud yelp that sounded like her mother's wolf. She covered her ears and rocked back and forth as she waited for her mother to come back.

****

"Asha! Wake up!" 

Asha's eyes flickered open in annoyance - she'd anticipated that one of the benefits of being a high school graduate would be getting to sleep in. Unfortunately, her aunt seemed to have other ideas in mind.

"Go away," Asha groaned as she pulled the covers over her head and burrowed further into her bed.

"I have a letter from your mom," Celia tried again with a smug look on her face as Asha jolted upright with wide eyes.

"What?" Asha asked in disbelief as her eyes locked onto the envelope Celia was holding. "Where did you get that?"

"Your mom's lawyer," Celia explained as she sat on the bed and handed the letter to Asha. "She instructed him to give you this letter when you turned eighteen. Since that was last week, here we are."

Asha nodded wordlessly, her eyes fixed on the envelope as she turned it over and studied it. She felt herself choke up slightly as she noted her name in her mom's handwriting on the front. She traced every letter of the black ink and imagined her mom writing to her.

"Open it," Celia prodded impatiently.

Asha made a face and hesitated, she wasn't sure she wanted to read the letter with her aunt there but it looked like she didn't have much of a choice. She sighed internally and carefully started lifting the flap of the envelope. She pulled the folded white paper out and let out a long breath as she flipped it open.

My darling Asha,

If you're reading this letter, it means that we are no longer together. I am so sorry that my past caught up with us, I hope you can forgive me.

I can't be there to do all the things a mother is supposed to do but I hope I can guide you and set you on the right path. 

My lawyers have been instructed to hold your inheritance in a trust until you have attended Star Academy and graduated with honors. It may seem like a strange condition but I'm positive you will become who you're meant to be on this journey.

I love you forever and always,

Mom.

"What does it say?" Celia demanded impatiently. "You read so slow."

"Here you go," Asha sighed as she handed the letter to her aunt and waited for her verdict.

Celia was silent for a few minutes as her eyes ran over the sheet of paper. When she was done reading, she looked up at Asha with a smile.

"I guess you better get packing!" She trilled excitedly.

"Why?" Asha questioned. "I don't even know what this place is or what my inheritance is. I could do all of that just to get a china set or something."

Celia rolled her eyes and laughed, "I'm sure your mom wouldn't go to all this trouble for some plates."

"Where is this place anyway?" Asha grumbled as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"It's back in New Hampshire," Celia supplied helpfully.

"New Hampshire!" Asha squawked. "That's like a ten hour flight away on a totally different continent. I don't want to leave London."

"Technically, New Hampshire is your home." Celia reminded her. "Your mom grew up there and she was raising you there."

"It doesn't feel like home anymore," Asha said quietly as she thought about the last time she'd seen her mother.

Celia reached over and grabbed Asha's hand with a reassuring squeeze and smile, "Your mom wanted you to go there for a reason. I think you should give it a chance."

Asha was quiet for a few minutes before she sighed heavily and nodded her head with a wary smile. "Maybe I'll feel closer to Mom once I'm back there."

"That's the spirit!" Celia encouraged as she jumped up. "I'll go book your flight, you start packing."