Chapter 63

Anya could not believe her eyes. It all felt unreal, dreamlike almost, to be reunited in such a way. She stood befuddled and unable to speak.

“By the ancients, are you alright?!” Hailey tightened her arms around the child. “Where have you been?! What happened to your clothes?!”

“I…”

The woman pressed the side of her head against Anya’s, sniffling as she bombarded the child with more questions. Anya’s eyes peered at the woman. If she remembered correctly, there was usually a hint of alcohol that accompanied Hailey but this time there was only the smell of sweat. She then stared at the man, who remained quiet all this time.

“Anya…” There was a slight tremble in Stephan’s voice, to which he quickly tucked away. “I’m glad you’re safe.” He smiled, the same soft smile from her memories. It was a relic of a time that seemed so distant, a time when his uncle’s words still provided warmth.

The child lowered her gaze, as each time her eyes met his, grief filled her heart.

“I see… let’s not block the road.” Stephan walked past the two, tapping Hailey on the shoulder. “I bet Anya’s starving, come on, we can continue after we’ve gotten a table.”

The woman finally let loose and stood up. A small trail of snot measured its way from her nostrils onto her lip. With a swipe of her sleeve, she cleaned herself up and offered up her hand.

Anya ignored the gesture, to Hailey’s disappointment, and followed closely behind her uncle.

The marketplace seemed even more lively and welcoming than before, or maybe that was just how much she had missed it. To be bathed in light and laughter, it was bliss. The girl was still a little bit anxious about being followed, but at the very least she had blended into the crowd.

As Anya walked along the noisy roads, she continued to peek over her shoulders.

“What are you looking for, Anya?” questioned Hailey. The woman again offered to hold the girl’s hand but was rejected.

“No, nothing…” The child shook her head. “It’s nothing…”

Hailey inched closer but the child drifted away.

“Anya…” the woman paused, her voice low and solemn. “Were you there...”

“Let’s get a table first,” Stephan interrupted. “I know this place that serves great food.” The man stood in front of the two, paying attention only to the path ahead. In contrast to Hailey, who periodically studied Anya and her attire.

“That dress… it brings back so many memories… Here, let me hold that cloak for you.” Hailey reached and again, the girl shied away.

“I’m fine… thank you…”

“Oh… alright then…” There was a pain in the woman’s voice, it was very apparent though she tried to hide it.

Anya found herself more comfortable remaining quiet. Despite knowing Hailey for years, the woman felt like a complete stranger. She thought she knew Hailey. Straight forward and brash, but always kind toward her. Even though Anya was aware of Hailey’s disdain for her father, she never believed anything would have come from it.

The child did not mutter a word. Even if the girl wanted to start a conversation, she would not know what to say. As no matter how hard she tried, one thing occupied her mind. From the moment she saw Hailey and her uncle, that was all she could think about. A sharp bitterness coursed through her. From her chest, it slowly spread to the rest of her body. Anya fought back the tears the best she could, but it was no use. All she could do was keep her head down.

“Anya… are you alright?” Hailey placed her hand on the child's shoulder.

“Ye-yes…”

“We’re almost there,” the woman then gently padded the girl’s head, “you’ll feel better after some food.”

Those words made Anya angry. She felt insulted as if food was the only thing that occupied her mind. The child wanted to bark back but decided to instead bite her tongue. After all, she did not want to start anything right after their reunion.

They had arrived at the restaurant by the time Anya had put herself back together. Though, her eyes were still a bit red. The three were directed to a table without much waiting and handed menus. The girl quickly browsed through the list. As if right on queue, her stomach growled. Not a quiet and subtle one which only she could hear, but a loud and pompous announcement that rang throughout the table.

“I guess you were hungry,” Stephan voiced with a chuckle, “don’t hold back, you can order anything you want.”

Hailey laughed alongside Stephan, “You haven’t changed at all, have you?”

Anya felt her hands tighten and her blood boil. How could Hailey even laugh knowing the things that she had done to her father? The girl ducked behind the menu to hide her scathing glare.

“Don’t be shy about it, Anya! It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

With every word that left Hailey’s mouth the child clenched harder, to the point where she found herself fighting to not crumple the rigid paper that made up the menu.

“See anything you like?” Stephan questioned.

“I don’t know…” The girl’s voice was muffled, her face still covered by the menu.

“Then I will be making the recommendations then. Hailey, are you ready to order?” to which the woman responded with a nod.

Having calmed herself, Anya closed the menu and placed it on the table. That was when she had noticed how close the other two were sitting.

The waiter came quickly as if he watched the table. Stephan held up the booklet and denoted his selections before returning all the handouts.

“So Anya, are you feeling alright?” asked Hailey. “You’ve been pretty quiet.”

“If you’re tired then you can rest in our hotel room after the meal.”

“Our…?” The girl instinctively muttered.

“Oh right,” The woman blushed. “About that…” Their eyes met and the woman’s smile disappeared. It was apparent that the child was not in a jovial mood. “Well… lots of things happened...”

The food soon arrived and decorated the table with its delectability. Its aroma made their way into Anya’s nose, tempting her with every breath. Her stomach growled again.

“What are you waiting for, let’s eat.” Stephan picked up his utensils and dug into his meal. Hailey did the same.

The child sat and held in her saliva. Anya was angry, thus she did not want to give in. Again and again, the girl would sway her eyes away to avoid staring at the food, but the scent always lured her back. Finally, after a few more minutes of futile struggling, Anya gave in. With her tool of the trade, she scooped up a spoonful of her platter. The marinated meat fell right off the bone, and with it, a bath of rich dark broth. Her fingers trembled as it felt like an eternity since her last decent meal. Carefully, she brought the spoon to her lips and tipped its contents into her mouth.

Mnn.

“Anya…?” Hailey paused after hearing the strange noise and looked to the child with concern. “Are you all right…?”

The girl did not answer, instead, she slowly chewed, extracting every bit of flavor that she could.

It was heavenly.

The juices that slid down her throat, took with it, the anxiousness and fear that tainted her mind. For a moment, she felt nothing but the warmth within her stomach. Now that the pandora’s box had been opened there was no stopping it. She continued on, one spoonful after another. Any will to resist her temptations were long gone.

“Glad to see you still have your appetite.” Stephan laughed, “Take as much as you want.”

Between bouts of slurping and munching, the child would occasionally look up, wanting to say something to smooth over the awkwardness. However, whenever she tried, her mind would go blank and would quietly return to gorging. After a while, Hailey and Stephan caught on and decided to initiate a conversation themselves.

“So Anya… where have you been…? Since... then” Hailey noticed that there was a quick glance from Stephan and immediately regretted her words.

Anya’s spoon froze on its way to her mouth. It halted for a few seconds before making the rest of its journey.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” Hailey quickly added.

“The food’s great here isn’t it?” Stephan voiced, pushing a few of the appetizers toward the girl. “You should try some of these as well.”

“An explorer found me. We traveled together for a bit.” The child’s answer caught the two by surprise.

“An explorer…?” Questioned Hailey, “Did he bring you to the city?”

“No... he… he didn’t make it…”

“Oh…” The woman rubbed the side of her neck. “I’m sorry to hear that…”

Anya went back to swallowing another spoonful of her meal.

“What was his name?” Stephan asked.

“Boone.”

“I’ll remember that name.” Stephan smiled, it was gentle and full of sorrow. “He has my eternal gratitude.”

“We’re just glad you’re now safe, Anya.”

Anya felt her hand tighten but loosened it quickly enough for no one to notice. Maybe it was how Hailey just disregarded her old friend, or maybe it was the woman’s voice. Anya was not sure why but Hailey's words irritated her. The child resumed eating as she had nothing to say.

“Oh, right, we kept your room exactly as you left it,” Hailey said as her eyes beamed with excitement. “Also, we bought a few things here and there that we think you’ll like.”

“My room…” Anya muttered. Images of her home flooded her memories. The dusty smell of the couch, the flickering lights of the lanterns, and the warm coziness of the fireplace, she could feel them all as if she was there.

“The town’s actually gotten much better since... you’ll see when you get back.”

“Better since you killed my dad?” Anya slipped, it took a moment before she realized what she had said. The child had a quick glance at the other two. Hailey was taken aback but her uncle seemed calm.

“Anya… I” Hailey took a moment to gather herself. “We did what we had-” she stopped herself from finishing the sentence. “It’s complicated… You’ll understand once you get older.”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me.” Stephan voiced. “But know that I did what I thought was best for you and for our home.”

“What was best for me?” Anya dropped her spoon. “And that was killing my dad?!”

“Anya, he was lying to you, lying to all of us. If I had let him continue, he would have slowly drained the town dry.”

“You couldn’t have talked to him?!” Anya raised her voice, but the rowdy atmosphere kept them from being singled out. “You’re his brother!”

“And he got my sister, your mother, killed.”

Hailey turned to the man in shock.

"And you hated him, hated him for it."

Anya and Stephan glowered at each other, each refusing to back down.

“Anya, please calm down!” Hailey tried to alleviate the situation but to no avail.

“Know that everything I did, no matter how despicable, I did to keep you and the town safe.”

The child gritted her teeth.

“Keep me safe? I never asked you to!” The girl stood up and grabbed her gear. “I’m leaving.”

“Leaving? Where will you go?” The man questioned, his tone becoming increasingly irritable. “You’ve seen what it’s like out here, Anya. It’s a terrible place filled with terrible people, not some fairytale adventure from your fantasy. It’s not a place for some child to roam.”

“Is that what you think of me?” Anya tightened her fists and glared at her uncle. “Just some ‘child’?”

“Is that not what you are? A naive little girl?”

The girl slammed the table, this time grabbing everyone’s attention and quieting the room.

“You know nothing about me! Nothing about what I have been through, nothing about what I have done! Anya scowled at her uncle with eyes of daggers. “When you look at me, what do you see?! Huh?! Some delicate little girl who gets afraid at the slightest sound in the dark?!”

“No.” Anya leaned in, her hand firmly pressed against the table. “They should be afraid of me.”