Her Fierce Protector

Chapter 12

"Ashera!"

It was her sister who stood in front of her that distracted her from thinking. She gulped and shook her head trying to erase the thought in her mind.

"Ashera, why did you do that?!" her older sister asked, annoyed and at the same time worried about what she just did.

"Do what?" Ashera cluelessly asked. Her sister pulled her away because they're just a few steps away from the entrance.

"That's the Alawin forest, Ashera!" her sister said, "We already told you how dangerous it is! Why did you even dare to go inside, aren't you afraid of the ferocious werewolves?! You might not get out of the place, you might be lost and might be eaten by unusual creatures we do not know!"

Ashera looked at her sister. Her sister started checking on her as if she got anything like cuts and scratches.

"I'm perfectly fine, Zelda," she calmly told her sister, "See? You have seen me enter the forest and get out safely. Alawin forest is not as bad as everyone thought it was, Zelda!"

That's also the reason why she entered the forest while her older sister, Zelda, is watching. She wants to prove it to her, she wants to make her sister a witness that Alawin forest is not dangerous, that she is safe and nothing will happen to her inside.

Her sister's forehead creased, "Ashera, please don't do that again! Maybe you're just lucky enough to get out safely, we never know when the danger is coming."

Ashera looked at her sister, she looked sincere and serious about being worried about her, she sighed and accepted that what she did was wrong and instead of proving a point, she just made her sister nervous and worried about her.

"Alright, I'm so sorry, Zelda… I just wanted you to know that Alawin forest is safe for us," Ashera said and pouted, "I hope you all can realize what you are missing because of the thought without any basis… I believe, every place has danger in it, even in our village, we never knew if it's really safe… but we shouldn't live in fear, because if we do, we will miss something great."

"Ashera…" her sister's eyes were filled with pity for her.

"I'm like a bird being caged in our village, Zelda… and I don't really understand why I felt like it was very unfair… Why is everyone treating me as if I always need to be saved? That danger is always around me? I couldn't spread my wings to where I wanted to spread them because of limited space."

"Ashera," her sister caressed her face, her eyes suddenly watered.

"Do you think everything is okay for me whenever they scold me for doing what makes me happy?" her tears rolled down to her cheeks, "Do you think that it doesn't hurt me whenever someone tells me that I only fit at home, sitting pretty the whole day and is destined to be a wife at home who takes care of kids? Zelda, that's not me…"

Her sister's eyes were filled with tears mirroring her eyes as well. Her nose started to get red so her eyes while looking at her.

"In our village… I always feel like I'm the most useless one… because no one is letting me do something."

"Ashera—"

"And I want to prove them wrong, that's why I like going out, because I want to make them realize that I can also stand with my own feet, aside from I love nature… I also want them to know that I am also fit to fly outside, to explore what nature can offer…"

"Ashera, I'm sorry—"

They all looked up and found it suddenly raining, the raindrops were like the size of Ashera's tears rolling down on her cheeks.

"Our clothes!" her sister screamed and ran to get their clothes. Ashera just watched her sister put their clothes under the shade of the tree. Ashera sighed and looked at the entrance of the Alawin forest.

Is he still there or has he gone home? They stayed under the shade of the tree, luckily the leaves of the three are thick enough to give them shelter against the rain that just miraculously just happened even though the weather was so fine earlier.

"Once the rain stops, we will go back to the village," her sister said. They sat near the stem of the tree, she leaned her back against it as she was watching the rain and the fog on the other mountain that she can see.

She sighed and looked at her sister who is also doing the same, looking at where she was looking.

"It's okay for me if you will tell Father about what happened earlier, Zelda. You are always free, to be honest, I'm not gonna tell you to lie for me to cover me," she said and smiled genuinely at her sister. She doesn't want her to be confused about telling their parents the truth, "I'm willing to accept the consequences of my actions though."

Zelda just smiled at her, she looked to the fog in the other mountain.

"For you to cry… it's rare," her sister said, "But every time you do, nature sympathizes with you…"

Asher nodded and agreed. Ashera is not the type of person that sheds tears most of the time, whenever she is sad, she does not usually cry, instead, she just acts so weakly and bored… When she already has enough of saving all the pain, that's just when she cries and most of the time, nature also cries with her.

"I saw you looking back at the forest," her sister recalled, "Do you have something or someone looking there?"

Ashera gulped and tried her best not to show her sister that she suddenly felt nervous with her question.

"None," Ashera lied.

"Then why did you look back, even stared for a moment… is there something or someone that makes you visit the Alawin forest, Ashera?"

"None," Ashera lied again, "Aside from the beautiful place, none, Zelda."

Her sister sighed, "You know that you can always tell me about anything, you can always trust me with anything, Ashera…"

Ashera pouted, "I know… you know me, Zelda, I will tell you if I have something to tell you, but if there's none… then none."

They fell into a long silence, the only sound they can hear is the rain falling to the ground, they watched it, Zelda was hoping for it to stop sooner, but Ashera wanted it to be longer, she is not yet ready to be back to her cage again. She smiled bitterly.

"Zelda?" she called her sister in a soft voice.

"Hmm?"

"If I happened to look different… do you think… our parents would still forbid me to the thing that makes me happy?" she asked curiously. She played with her hands and watched them as she waits for her sister's answer.

"It just happened that the thing that makes you happy is forbidden and dangerous for you, Ashera… Please don't think about that you're strictly protected because you look—" her sister looked at her and sighed.

"I look weak?"

"You look fragile… there is something in your eyes that can make us feel how fragile you are… that's why each one of us is handling you carefully like anytime you will break, we are all gentle in handling you because of that, Ashera."

Ashera sighed, "I don't wanna be like this."

"Don't say that Ashera… a lot of girls envy you, your beauty is very rare… no wonder that anyone would be attracted to you, even… even the unusual creatures… and even those people that already have someone in their heart."

Ashera felt the sudden transition of her sister's voice, it suddenly sounded sad. She started wondering why, but she felt sleepy.

"Ashera?" her sister called her.

"Hmm?" she said starting to get drowsy.

"Don't you really love, Ruso?"

Ashera chuckled a bit and shook her head, "I don't."

"Please don't hurt him, Ashera," her sister said softly, her voice suddenly broke making her look at her sister even how sleepy she was.

The rain is now light, it's not as heavy as earlier, any moment from now, the rain will finally stop dropping.

She was about to ask her sister about it but they both stilled when her sister suddenly when they heard the familiar voice of Ruso calling her name.

"Ashera!"

Ashera looked at Ruso immediately who was walking towards them. She looked at her sister, then her gaze looked at Ruso again. She felt the pain and even saw it in her sister's eyes.

"Zelda?" she called her sister worriedly, "Zelda… d-do you like Ruso?"

Zelda's eyes widened in surprise and looked at her, then she blushed abruptly. Ashera was surprised, she never thought that her sister could be one of those ladies in their village who likes Ruso a lot.

"Zelda…"

"Please, let's not talk about it, he's coming," her sister said and weakly smiled at her.

"Ashera!" Ruso finally went near them. Ashera looked at her sister and Ruso, the stares of her sister, Zelda, for Ruso didn't escape from her sight, "Let's go home, your father told me to come here and get you, they were worried about the spring to—"

"We are fine," Ashera said starting to hate the man's voice, "I'm not the only one who stayed here… why do you have to act like I'm the only one you're seeing?"

She got offended by what Ruso just did, he even acted like he didn't see Zelda who is honestly just beside her, that's just so unrespectful like he didn't acknowledge the presence of her sister.

"Ashera…"

Ashera just glanced at her sister and glared back at Ruso.

"I only came here for you," Ruso said without even caring for what her sister would feel.

Ashera stood up annoyingly, pulled her sister's hand, and started walking.

"Let's go, Zelda," she said in a firm voice.

"Ashera…"

Ashera looked at the man, "One thing that I never like about a guy is when they're a hypocrite, the one that is very kind to me, but very rude to others, especially when the person means a lot to me."

And I never met a guy like that… all of my suitors were just like Ruso...