"Kadie?" I feel my mother running her claws through my feathers, and I give a contented smile. My mother’s voice, and her claws work to gently rouse me from my slumber. "Kadie, it is time to awaken."
I grumble and extend my claws, as if to forestall my mother's words. "Can I not sleep for another ten minutes, Mother? I am most comfortable."
"I am afraid not, Kadie. There is much to be done today, for we must travel to Iselin."
I open one eye and look at my mother, a slight frown finding its way onto my face. "Iselin? We must go to the capital to see the emperor?"
For the first time since awakening, I observe that Mother has an air of exhaustion about her. Her eyes do not hold the spark of life and joy that I am so accustomed to seeing. Perhaps she needs a good rest. Or perhaps what would benefit her most would be Father's return. We have not seen him for a long while.
Mother sighs and sits down at the edge of my bed. She extends her forelegs and takes me in her embrace. I love my mother's hugs. My smile returns, and I nuzzle into her feathers. She resumes running her claws through my own head feathers.
"Kadie, do you remember when I spoke to you about our country declaring war on the ponies of Equestria?"
I nod, and my smile falls. "Yes, Mother. That is why our emperor requested that Father leave us." I look up at my mother with wide eyes. "Though I still fail to see why I could not see my pony friend, Starlight Beam. I like her, Mother."
Mother grimaces and shakes her head. "Someday you will understand, my dear. I am certain that you have not seen the last of Starlight Beam."
My smile returns, and I lean my head into my mother's chest once more. "That pleases me, Mother. I hope that I can see her again soon."
"We shall see, my dear. Until then, I must speak to you about the war once more."
"Oh..." Once more my smile fades. "I do not like talking about the war."
"Nor do I, Kadie, but the time has come when we must."
"We have been fighting the war for such a long time. I wish to see it over," I mutter. I sigh and close my eyes. "Is it, Mother? Is the war over?"
"Yes, my dear. The war has ended."
A joyful feeling fills my heart, and my smile is the widest one yet. No more shall my mother be saddened by news from the front lines that battles are going ill. No more shall there be hushed whispers among the townsgriffins in the taverns and shops discussing every new piece of news about the successes and failures of our Grand Army. No more will our supplies be rationed, so that the soldiers can be fed and clothed properly. Perhaps I can even go out and play during the evenings now as well!
"This is good news, Mother!" I reply. "I am glad to hear of the war's end. Did we win, Mother? Did we beat the nasty soldier ponies back?"
My mother pauses, and because of that pause, the joy I feel begins slipping away. Mother would instantly smile and laugh joyously with me, were the news of our Grand Army good. But she is not. She waits for a few moments before speaking.
"No, my dear. We did not win. The pony army led by their two princesses met our Grand Army on the fields of Mancha, and our losses were so great, and theirs so few, that Emperor Attchune has decided to broker peace with the sun and moon princesses on their terms, not ours." Mother's hold on me tightens, and for the briefest of moments, I begin to wonder for whose comfort she intended the hug. "That is why we must travel to Iselin, my dear. Tomorrow the pony army will be in Iselin to talk to our emperor, and since we live so close to the city, we must be there to see the ponies."
"Why must we do that, Mother?" I shudder at the thought. "I do not think that I would very much like to see the ponies who have beaten us."
"Nor would I, my dear, but we must." Mother takes a deep breath. "If the ponies see that we are subservient to them, they may have mercy upon us. It sits ill with me as well, but we must go to pay our respects to their army when they go to meet our emperor."
"If we must, Mother." I am silent for a few moments, letting my mother hold me so that we may find comfort in each other, before a thought strikes me. My eyes widen, and I look back up at my mother. "Mother, if our Grand Army suffered many losses, does that mean that Father was killed on the field of battle? Will he not come home anymore?"
For the first time since I awoke, a genuine smile appears on my mother's face, and she gently nuzzles me. "No, Kadie. I do not believe that your father was slain or wounded. There are griffins whose jobs it is to tell families of soldiers that their loved ones have perished, and we have received no such news. Now that the war is over, your father can come home."
"And he won't have to leave us anymore?"
"No, Kadie. He will stay with us now. Emperor Attchune does not need your father to fight for him anymore. He will come back, and you may begin helping him on the farm when planting time comes. I am certain that he will be most pleased to see you."
"And I him." My smile matches Mother's, and once again she begins stroking my head feathers. "I shall count down the days."
"So shall I, my dear, but for now, we must prepare for our journey." Mother releases me, and I hop from my bed to the floor. Mother slides off of my bed, and I follow her to the main room of our home. "Come, help me pack. We have a long day ahead of us, and I wish to be there as soon as possible."
"As you will."
Mother walks over to a nearby storage closet and opens it up. She takes out a small pack, just large enough for her to sling over her back, and undoes the top clasps to open it. She then moves over to a nearby dresser and takes out a small box. Inside the box is a bag filled with gryphs. When she moves the bag from the box to the pack, I hear the coins inside jingle. I like the sound of money jingling.
"Kadie, if you would, please fetch and wrap two loaves of bread, four apples, a bread knife, and a block of cheese. I will see to the rest of our supplies."
"Of course, Mother." I walk over to the pantry, and take wing to reach the shelf where the cloths are for wrapping food. I take five of them from the stack and place them on a shelf closer to my height. I then fly over to a basin of water and wash my claws to ensure that I do not taint the food by exposing it to where I walked. Once that task is complete, I fly around the pantry, collecting the items that Mother requested and wrapping them in the cloths for safekeeping. I note that the food seems to not be enough for many meals. I hope that this means we shall not be gone from our home very long.
With our parcels of food gathered, I bring them back to Mother, who puts it in her pack, then slings it over her back.
"Come now, Kadie; the time is upon us for our departure to Iselin."
I grimace, and lower my head, but follow my mother towards the door. "Will we return soon, Mother?"
"I believe so, my dear. Perhaps as early as tomorrow evening." Mother reaches the door, opens it, and steps aside, allowing me to exit first. "But you must keep close to me, Kadie. I do not wish to lose you in Iselin when a pony army is in the city."
I step out of the house, and Mother follows. I wait for her to shut and lock our door before she walks up to me. "Do your best to keep up, my dear. Should you feel tired, say so, and I will find or make us a cloud."
"Yes, Mother."
With that, Mother and I spread our wings and take to the sky. I admit that I feel a touch stung by my mother's remark about my flying abilities. I am a big griffin, not some newly hatched chick. I foresee no difficulty in keeping up with my mother.
As we fly towards Iselin, I see others from my village also taking flight to our beloved capital. I note many grim faces in the travelers. I suppose that I see why, though I wish it needn't be so. Before today, I thought that the news of the war’s end would be a joyous occasion, where we would welcome back our soldiers as heroes. Instead, I see before me a broken flock of griffins, wishing that what transpired on the fields of Mancha was not so. I whimper and fly a little closer to my mother. I do not want to think of such things. I choose instead to think about my father and his return home to us. A far more comforting thought.
Our flight to Iselin goes without incident. Every now and again, more griffins join our group, each with the same blank, broken face that I dislike. After a while, I choose not to look when I notice that new griffins have arrived. After a few hours, Mother creates a cloud, and we stop for a brief meal of bread, cheese, and apples. We eat quickly, in total silence, before Mother dissolves the cloud, and we resume our journey.
After another five hours of flight, I look out into the horizon, and I see the first traces of brick buildings. Hundreds of them, some reaching quite high. I fly closer to my mother and poke her in the side to get her attention. She looks over to me, and I point at the approaching city.
"Mother, is that Iselin? Have we arrived?"
Mother gives me a small smile and nods. "Indeed we have, my dear. I'm very proud of you. You did not complain once, and kept up with all of us. We shall be there within the hour."
Hearing that pleases me, and any trace of fatigue leaves my body. Ever since my youth, I wished to see Iselin, and here I am, not even an hour from its borders. I wish it was under better circumstances, though. I wished not to see it in a time of defeat.
Within three quarters of an hour, our large group begins its descent over the city. The first thing I notice is that there are many more griffins here than I have ever seen before. Many more than in my small village. They crowd the streets, and I can hear their chatter, even from up here. It grows much louder as I get closer to the city.
Mother and I land on a street corner, and she immediately wraps her wing around me and pulls me closer. "Stay with me, Kadie. Do not get lost, else I fear I shall not find you again."
"Yes, Mother." She unwraps her wing from me, but I do not move farther away. I work to keep up with her pace, doing my best to dodge the other griffins who walk down the street. I find it intimidating, seeing so many strange griffins whom I have never met before all around me.
"We must find a place to sleep for the night, and we must make haste. I fear that the inns are full."
"What shall we do if they are?" I ask.
"I shall create a cloud bed for us, and we will sleep under the blankets I have brought." Mother raises her head, scanning the signs protruding from over the doorways of the various shops, to see where an inn may be. "Hopefully, we needn't do such a thing. 'Twill be warmer inside, I think."
Mother continues leading me through the streets, searching for a room. After a half hour of searching, we find an inn, but as Mother suspected, it is full up. We have to take our search elsewhere. I do not like that. I find myself growing tired from all of the traveling that Mother has requested of me. Still, Mother told me that she was proud of me for keeping up and not complaining, so I will continue to be silent.
It is not until four hours into our search that we finally find an inn with an open room, and just in time, as well. The sun is setting. It costs a fair portion of our gryphs, but Mother takes the spot without any hesitation. She takes the room key from the tired-looking griffin behind the counter, then herds me to the room. When we reach it, she opens it up, and I discover that another griffin shares our room. He looks older than Mother, as his head feathers are starting to gray, and I notice from his claws that he spent his life doing hard labor. They are cracked from use, as opposed to the washed and filed claws the upper classes have, and dirt residue sticks to them. I see him reclining on his bed when we enter. He looks over at us, and gives the two of us a single nod when we move to our bed.
"Good evenin', ma'am, lil' miss."
My mother nods in return. "Good evening, sir."
"You here for the ponies?"
"Indeed. We flew from Ponchia this morning. We arrived a few hours ago and just found this open spot."
The griffin nods and grabs a carrot from a plate on his bedside table. "Ponchia. Small town. Not hit by the destruction of the war."
"It was hit by the draft," my mother retorts. "We gave up our sons and fathers, the same as the rest of Griffonia."
"Maybe so." The griffin bites into the carrot, and I hear him chewing it, even from the opposite end of the room. "But no pony army touched your little hamlet. I hail from Mancha, miss. I know what those ponies can do."
"You saw the pony armies at Mancha?" I ask curiously. "When did you escape?"
Mother puts her wing on my back, and I lower my head. I have spoken out of turn. The older griffin does not seem to care.
"Just a few days ago. Not long after that, I heard about the final battle from two griffins who spoke to the battle's survivors in a tavern." The griffin brings the carrot to his mouth once more, but he pauses with it halfway to his mouth, grimaces, shakes his head, and puts it back on his plate. "It was there that I realized that it didn't matter how many victories we scored against them. We were never going to win. Those goddesses of theirs, particularly that moon princess..." He shudders. "I've seen some of the unicorn ponies who live in Griffonia get in some friendly sparring matches with some of our own, so I thought I knew what magics ponies were capable of." The griffin snorts and shakes his head once more. "I knew nothing. We all knew nothing. Once they began entertaining the notion that we could win, and they decided to get involved themselves... that's when we lost the war."
The griffin takes a deep breath, and leans back further in his bed. "I still remember what they told me. Two ponies, radiant as the celestial bodies they control, clad in shimmering armor, one pure gold, the other midnight blue. They conjure magical weapons, some small knives that they fling great distances, others great swords, almost as large as we. They light those horns, and the next instant, dozens of our troops evaporate into nothing, like they'd never existed at all. The protective spells they had over themselves... all of the arrows we fired and the spears we threw bounced off of them like they were paper. I count us lucky that the white one didn't decide to lower the sun onto our whole nation. From what they told, she could have, I'm certain of it. They fought like nothing else we've ever seen. Them, plus the size and skill of their army... we stood no chance. We never did."
"Enough!" My mother pulls me closer with her wing. I realized then that I'd been shivering. "Such talk is not appropriate in the presence of youth."
The griffin glances in my direction and subtly shrugs. "My apologies." He grabs his carrot again. "But mark my words: a long time will pass before we go to war with Equestria again."
"I pray that is the case." Mother clicks her tongue and waves her claws at him. "I wish to discuss this no longer. We had a long flight, and we must be well-rested before tomorrow."
"Tomorrow." The griffin scowls and puts the last of the carrot back on the plate. "Disgusting, is what it is. We go line up and grovel in front of the ponies like worms, begging the bird not to eat us. I rather thought that we were a prouder race than to lower ourselves in such a fashion."
"Maybe, sir, but I have just heard you describe the awesome power of the pony princesses." Mother pulls back the covers of the bed, and motions for me to lie down. I make haste to do so. "Would you rather your pride be stung for a day, or your entire race be destroyed for all time?"
"My pride will not be stung for just one day, miss, nor even for just my lifetime. This groveling will shame us as long as we are in the history books."
"That is better than what we may get, should they prove unmerciful," my mother growls. "I like it no more than you, but I do what I must to survive."
"But what kind of survival is it?" the griffin mutters, almost unheard by me.
My mother decides to ignore him, and she slides into bed next to me. I feel her forelegs and wings wrap around me, and a contented smile crosses my face. My mother's wings warm me more than the blanket. Mother shifts one leg for a moment so that she may extinguish our bedside candle, darkening the room. I hear the griffin beside us grunt, and the sound of another carrot being bitten into. I suspect that he shall not bother us.
I try to close my eyes and drift off to sleep, but the conversation between my mother and this other griffin keeps repeating itself in my mind. I open up one eye and turn my head towards my mother.
"Mother?" I say, my voice barely a whisper. "Is all of that true? Will we be destroyed unless we plead with the pony princesses tomorrow? Can they really destroy whole armies with naught but a whim?"
"I know not about their power, my dear, but I see no reason to doubt it," Mother whispers back, her voice as low as mine. "Do not trouble yourself with that for now. We have had a long day. Sleep, my dear. No trouble shall find us tonight."
* * * *
I am awoken by the feeling of my mother's wings releasing their hold on me. I open my eyes and see that the day is upon us. I note that the other griffin no longer shares our room. This pleases me. He made me nervous with his talk.
"Kadie." My mother runs her claws through my head feathers. "Kadie, the time has come to awaken. The ponies are coming, and we must be there when they arrive."
I groan and flutter one wing to wave her commands away. "The ponies are not here yet, Mother. Can I not rest for ten more minutes? I am still weary from our travels."
I hear Mother sigh. "Very well. Five more minutes, then you must get up. I am going to shower. When I come out, you must leave the bed."
"Very well." Mother gets off of the bed, and I pull the covers over my head. In truth, I wish to stay in bed longer. The ponies' arrival seemed before to be a distant thing. Something that I needn't worry myself with, but now, on the cusp of their march through the streets of Iselin, I admit I feel a sort of tightness in my chest. I don't want to see the ponies. I don't want to ask mercy. I want them to give it. I don't want my home burned to the ground by bad soldiers, but watching them go to meet our emperor... I don't like it.
I consider it far too short of a time before I hear Mother stop showering. I groan again and move deeper underneath the covers. Mother walks out of the bathroom, and I hear her grunt in exasperation when she sees me. "Kadie, now is not the time for play. I need you up." She walks over to the bed and pulls the covers off of me. I squeak, and flare out my wings to shield myself as best I can. "Please, this is not the day for games."
"I wish it were so," I muttered.
"As do I, but it is not." Mother leans forward and nudges me with her beak. "Remove thyself from the bed, Kadie."
"Mother..." I curl up into a ball, and cover my head with my wings. "Perhaps I can... stay here? I do not wish to see the pony soldiers, or the pony princesses. Such a thing frightens me. I do not want to go and see ponies who can make dozens of griffins disappear if they displease them."
"Kadie, I like it no more than you, but it must be done." Mother nudges me with her beak again, this time with a little more force. "I cannot leave you alone in a city like this, even if I do know where you are. What if something were to happen? I might never find you again. You need to stay with me, and that means seeing the ponies." Mother puts her claws on my back, and when she speaks next, there is a softness to her voice. "Do you wish to be lost? Do you wish for us to be separated in this strange place? I do not wish for such a thing. I want to know that my child is safe." Mother sits down on the bed, and she wraps me in her wings and forelegs. "It will not be long, Kadie. Once the ponies pass us by, we shall make haste back to our home. We needn't stay a moment longer."
I slowly fold my wings at my side, my eyes wide and fearful. "But this frightens me, Mother. I do not want the ponies to be in our city."
"Nor do any of us, my dear, but that is the way of things." Mother runs her claws through my head feathers and smiles warmly at me. "We cannot go through life shirking what we must do just because we are afraid. I am scared too, Kadie. We are all scared of the ponies, and that is one of the reasons we do this. It will be over before you know it, okay?"
I slowly nod, and lean my head into my mother's chest. "Very well, Mother. I trust you."
"Good." Mother puts me back down on the bed and stands up. "I know today is a scary day, Kadie, but you are a big griffin now, and I know you can be brave when the ponies pass by us."
"I'll try, Mother," I whisper.
"That is all I can ask."
I get off of the bed, and Mother unpacks more food from the pack. We have another quick meal of bread, apples, and cheese, before she seals off the sack again, and beckons me to follow. It is time to see the ponies. I swallow to refrain from whimpering, but follow behind my mother. She knows what is best. She will make sure all is well.
We exit the inn, and go towards the main street of the city. Already I see many more griffins going our way as well. While we are in a city, nogriffin speaks. It is like the ponies have sacked Iselin already. I move closer to my mother and nuzzle her side. She extends a wing and puts it on my back in response.
Within twenty minutes, we reach a long street, and Mother stops the two of us on the sidewalk. I look down the street, but I see nothing coming. Frowning, I turn to my mother.
"Mother, how long must we wait?"
"I know not, Kadie. They will arrive when they arrive. I promise, once they pass us by, we will leave."
"I know," I mutter. "I wish they would come sooner rather than later."
"Be patient, my dear."
I sit down on the sidewalk, and look around at the crowd. It's growing every minute, with more griffins landing and standing on the sidewalk, waiting for the ponies. They all look very sad and scared. I hate this. I want to go home now!
As I scan the crowd, I notice someone that I have not seen in a long time. My eyes widen, and a smile crosses my face as I stand. I see Starlight Beam in the crowd! She is noticeably older, she has one of the "cutie marks" that the ponies seem to treasure since I last saw her, but her identity is unmistakable. I poke my mother's side and point at Starlight.
"Mother, I see Starlight Beam!" Mother looks out into the crowd where I am pointing, and she gives a single nod.
"Yes, indeed. I see her as well."
"May I go speak to her, Mother?" I ask, joy in my voice. "I have not done so for such a long time."
Mother grimaces and shakes her head. "No, Kadie. I'm afraid that you cannot."
My smile evaporates, and for the first time, tears well up in my eyes. "B-but Mother, she is one of my dearest friends. I have not seen her since the beginning of the war! You said that there would be a time when I could see her again."
"Indeed I did," Mother says with a nod, "but though peace will soon be upon us, the time is not now. You will have to speak to Starlight Beam another time. I am sorry, but such is the way of things."
I lower my head, the tears that previously welled up in my eyes now dripping down my face. "As you wish, Mother."
Before anything else happens, I hear the crowd around me begin murmuring. I look up at mother, and I see for the first time the fear she spoke to me about. She leans in to the griffin next to her and exchanges a few words with her before nodding. She then turns to me and lowers her head.
"They are coming, my dear." I widen my eyes, and I cannot help but whimper. Mother gives me another comforting smile, and she wraps her wing around me to pull me close. "Be brave, my dear. They wish to meet our emperor, not harm you. Just bow when the princesses pass, wait until the rest of their army leaves, then we shall go. Does that sound simple enough?"
"Yes," I whisper.
"Good. Then just breathe deep, and be brave. It is okay to be afraid of them, Kadie. They have given us much cause for it, but I do not believe that they will harm you."
I nuzzle my mother's side, and wait, listening for any sign that the ponies are coming. My wait is short. Within minutes, I hear the sound of armored hooves marching on the pavement. I whimper again and squeeze my eyes shut, but I remember my mother's words. I need to be brave. I open my eyes just as the first Equestrian soldiers begin passing by.
I instantly wish I hadn't.
The pony soldiers are clad from head to hoof in either shiny gold armor, or midnight blue armor. Some have long horns protruding from their heads, and they look as sharp as spear tips. The ones in gold armor bear feathered wings like us, but the ones in midnight blue armor have leathery wings, that remind me of the kind seen on bats, protruding from their sides. Some of the winged ponies are in the air, carrying crossbows, and scanning the crowd. Most of them carry spears, or bladed shoes, though many of the winged ponies have blades attached to their wings. Not one of them is smiling, or looks the least bit friendly. Their blank expressions make me think that we anger them by merely existing. They do nothing, though. They simply stare straight ahead, and march towards the emperor's castle.
After a few minutes, I begin to wonder if they won because their army is endless. I look down the street, and I see no end in sight. I look up at Mother and see that she is staring straight ahead as well, her face as blank as those of the soldiers. With nothing else to look at, my attention turns to where I last saw Starlight Beam. She still stands there, but instead of the fear and sorrow that the griffins bear, I notice that her chest is puffed out, and she is smiling. I see a flying pony notice her, and she proudly waves at him before saluting. The flying pony smirks, and tips his helmet at her.
I do not know how to think of that. I count Starlight Beam as a friend, but here she is: happy that the pony army is here. They scare us, but make her happy?
I do not wish to think of that. Starlight Beam simply needs to put on appearances for her kinsponies. She is not really pleased that they defeated our Grand Army.
I try to push those thoughts aside. I merely want this to be over. I feel less scared and more bored now. The ponies just keep marching, like an unstoppable tide.
Suddenly, I hear a cry from my left, and turn to see the source of the commotion. My fear returns stronger than ever, and I gasp and shrink down when I see who approaches. They are unmistakable: the pony princesses.
The words of the griffin in our room failed to even come close to describing them. They stand taller than any of the pony soldiers by a significant amount, and their ornate armor gleams in the sunlight that I know the white one brought forth. The griffins that they pass by instantly sink to their knees in low bows, and even from here I observe the blue one smiling at this. I see it not as a happy smile, but rather like one found on a schoolyard bully, who enjoys taunting his classmates. The white one isn't smiling. In fact, I think she looks sort of sad.
Soon the pony princesses approach us, and my mother presses down on my back with her wing. "It's only for a few moments, my dear," she whispers to me, "just a few moments, then we may rise again."
I nod, and sink to my knees in a bow just as the pony princesses approach, and flinch when the shadow of the white princess reaches me.
It does not pass.
My stomach clenches when I realize that the bigger pony princess is standing over me. I inch closer to my mother, and she replaces her wing on my back, but still the pony princess remains.
And then she speaks.
"Child. My dear child. You needn't bow to me."
Her voice is like a beautiful song on a summer's day, when a gentle breeze blows through the land. I find it to be one of the most beautiful and terrifying things I have ever heard. I slowly raise my head, and look at her. She stares down at me, that same sad look on her face. She speaks to me again.
"You needn't bow to me, child. Neither you nor your mother. Your kind wishes mercy for the war, and I wish to give it."
My eyes widen, and I straighten up a little more. My mother continues bowing. Somehow I find the courage to speak. "Y-you will not be wroth with my father, even though he is a soldier in the Grand Army?"
The white princess shakes her head. "No, child. I wish no ills upon your father, even if he is a soldier. You need not fear that. If..." She pauses for a moment. "If your father is not returned home very soon, write to me, and I shall see what I can do to reunite you."
"Tia!" The blue pony hisses at the white one, her smug smile replaced by a glare. She leans in and whispers something in the white princess' ear, and she nods back.
"Yes, Lulu," she whispers back. "We should."
The white princess turns around and moves back into the formation of soldiers, her movements down the streets triggering more bows. The blue princess pauses for a moment, and she, too, looks down at me. I see her face soften slightly before she joins her sister.
The instant the princesses are gone, I feel my mother's forelegs wrap around my barrel, and I am quickly pulled backwards. I need a few moments before I regain my bearings, but when I do, I notice that Mother is carrying us away from the pony army. I fail to understand why she changed her mind on the matter of staying until the army passed, but I do not mind.
After a few seconds, Mother touches down outside of a deserted shop on an equally deserted street and pulls me into a crushing hug with both foreleg and wing.
"There there," she coos, "you're safe now, my dear. They cannot harm you." I feel Mother running her claws through my head feathers. "You will be okay, Kadie. The pony princesses will not get you. We are going home now. Right this minute. We'll go home, and we'll try to forget all about this, and we'll wait for your father to return to us. Then everything will be okay." I flinch when I feel moisture drip onto my head. Seeing the ponies made Mother cry. I stay silent for her, though. I let her continue stroking my head feathers.
"We're all going to be okay, Kadie. We're going to go home and wait for your father, and things will get better. No more war, no more ponies, no more sorrow. It will be like before. You will see. Everything will be okay."
"She was showing me kindness, Mother," I say, trying my best to look up at her through the crushing hug. "Does that not show that she is not evil? I do not understand."
"I pray you never do, Kadie." Mother whispers. She holds me for a few more moments, then takes a deep breath and stands up, releasing me from her grasp. "Now we must leave." She looks back in the direction of the main street. "I have had enough of this place. Let us go home."
With that, Mother turned around and began walking back to the hotel. I spare one last glance at the main street, then run to catch up to my mother.
