CHAPTER FIVE

The News about the demise of Lord Haimi spread around the wolves' land like wildfire. Lord Halalnik felt as if the world had come to an end for him. He felt like his brother had died, he always spoke highly about the late Lord Haimi. He was a special friend and they have been together for a long time. Long before they knew what the moon goddess had in plans for both of them. The king did not speak to any of his subordinates for some days. Lord Halalnik distanced himself from everybody as he locked himself in his room for a couple of days.  

Richard and Zafira were troubled for they had never seen their father in this situation of grief and agony. Their heart started to tremble when he sent for them, they mentioned nothing to each other as they walked through the long corridor. Getting to the brown magnificent door that stood in front of them,  Richard summoned the courage to knock. It seemed  Lord Halalnik was waiting for the both of them, he immediately called in from behind the door,  giving them the go-ahead for them to come into his room. They walked into Lord Halalnik’s gigantic room, it had refinement written all over,  from the blood-red coloured wall up to the brown ceiling that stood above the room in pride as it held on to a large golden bulb that stood in the middle of the room. As almost every Alpha lord,  His bed was large, so large Zafira once teased her dad that five men could sleep on it comfortably. Richard and Zafira stood with their  heads bowed as their father spoke to them

"Do you know who Lord Haimi is? "he asked.

"He is your close friend," Richard answered with his head still down. Lord Halalnik sighed a little and said. 

"He was more than a friend "and then kept quiet; the whole room became silent and then after some few minutes he began to speak again.

"He was the closest thing to a brother, often we think our family was chosen for us, but no, we choose our family and I choose Lord Haimi as my brother." 

Zafira raised her head and looked at her Father, she noticed a few droplets of teardrop from his eyes, and thought to herself that ever since she came to this earth she had never seen her father’s tears, she had always seen him as her pillar, someone she trusted and could rely on,  for in his company she felt safe, with his backing she was certain she could face the world but here he was sobbing. How cruel can this world be? how can a man that is known to be so strong, feel so weak as a kitten? At this moment she was certain that her hero had lost one of his pillars. The sobbing man in the room raised his hands and wiped his tears and said.

"He was my brother, though we were distant cities apart, we visited each other frequently and in his company, the whole world stood still, now he is gone." He stood up and began pacing through the spacious room. 

He looked back at his two children and said, "With all these many guards and the people in this town that bow whenever I walk, I still feel alone in this world, he should have just waited for me, let's meet Azuul together." 

Zafira knew her father had a Lord Haimi that came to visit him frequently and sometimes he went to the town of Karak to visit she will always hear their laughter whenever they were together but she had no idea they had a bond so strong; strong to the extent that her father will trade them for him.

"I might break down if I follow the route to Karak, I know I am supposed to go to his family but I can't face them now, I am not a coward, I just can't take now, so I am sending you as my delegates to send my condolence to his family, I am not a coward... I am not a coward, " 

Both Richard and Zafira nodded in affirmation and turned to leave the room.

"Zafira,"  he called out with a low voice. 

"Be careful?" he said; and then he added, "Karak is a long journey. Be the fierce woman you have trained to be," she nodded and walked behind her brother as they matched out of his room.

             Before the long journey that stood ahead of them,  Zafira sat down on her bed thinking about what she had just witnessed from her father's reaction. Thoughts like; How will she feel if she lose the people she loved? what will be her reaction? Or how will the people around her act when she finally goes to the moon goddess? Will their lives seem messed up like how her father felt at this moment? How long will he punish himself for something he had no control over? Will the jovial king ever be the same again? Kept on creeping into her mind, she was buried in her thoughts that she did not notice Richard who had been standing at her doorstep for a couple of minutes. 

"Are you ready?"He finally spoke.

"Yes, I am" Zafira stood up and took her sword that sat perfectly in its sheath, she tied it around her nubile waist and followed Richard out.  She walked behind Richard in the Hallway until she noticed her mother coming in the opposite direction.

"May the moon goddess protect you, my children," she said. Richard hugged her but Zafira walked past her mother without mentioning anything for she still cringes when she feels her mother still dislikes her, she wanted that hug like her life depended on it but if she asked for it, she might look weak before her eyes and that signifies her being weak. 

Zafira wanted her mother to appreciate her for being what she was and to want for her what she wanted to become. Zafira wanted her mother to understand that she wanted a life full of adventures like the men had, she did not want to have a boring life as her mother did, was that too much to want for the young princess? She always asked whenever she remembers her reality. 

"Zafira” her mother called out to her, the young Zafira slowly looked back at her mother in her peach gown that fitted her slim body so perfectly.

"Ma" she answered in a pudgy voice.

"Be careful out there, and most importantly leave the Men to do their job?" she said. 

What does she mean? Zafira thought If she was being attacked, will she wait for a man to protect her? Why does she see her as being so fragile, she wished her mother could stop a little and pay attention to the lady she was becoming. 

"Okay mum," she answered and moved out of her presence.

Richard led the entourage, as they walked slowly towards the gate of Del,  the entourage had four other men who were known to be Richard's friends and well-known warriors in the town. The entourage was waved by small children playing along the road, some girls looked at Zafira in admiration as she raised her hands towards them.

"I love children," Zafira murmured as they rode, she missed being one, she knew for certain that in life everyone grows old and misses the memories of being small, it pained her as she never enjoyed being this free, she played with Richard and that was my only companion, her mother was fun until she changed overnight and Lord Halalnik wasn't always around even though she cherished the plays and fun they had together.  Zafira quickly remembered that the Alpha lord was still depressed and locked in his room and she came to realize that depression eats the slowly like a fire burning wood, it takes a person by surprise until they are on their knees begging for help and if they were not lucky they might reach for a rope and end everything. 

Among the hiatus of her father's dilemma, Zafira felt this guilty happiness surging through her heart the moment she was asked to follow her brother for the condolence visit. She was delighted because whenever Richard was not around she was lonely even among the slaves, maids and guards In the castle. Most times she wants to tell them not to bow their head when she came passed by, she wanted to ask them about their family and what was going on in their life, she wanted them to be able to confide in her, because a sad truth was that the world was not a fair place and her mother always said a problem shared is a problem half solved, If her dreams of being a king have been shattered by everyone around, at least with the royal blood that flowed within her veins she could save people, she wanted to be remembered as a lady that assisted, not just a King's wife like her mother, she knew her mother was an amazing woman but she wanted to be greater, she wanted her name to be known among all the towns.