The New Light of Hope: Books I to VI.

Chapter XIII: Talking With Scarlett.

Sadie:

Date: August 12, 2020.

"So that's what's been going on the forest over the past several months now?" Scarlett asked. "A rogue's been the one behind each and every one of the murders all because his mother wanted to stick to her lone wolf life?"

"Well, when you put it that way, then yeah. And that's pretty much it." I replied. "I'm just as shocked as you are just trying to come to terms with all of this. But on the other hand, I'm glad AshClaw told us all of this before it was too late."

Scarlett: "Lord have mercy on us all. I don't know what else to say about this other than the fact that this Chief CrookedSoul guy needs to stopped."

Sadie: "I honestly feel the same way as you do, Scarlett. But alas, here we are now, preparing ourselves for war as it approaches for any day, the battle will come and then it will go when all is said and done."

Scarlett: "All of which is true in every way possible."

Sadie: "It sure is."

We were both in the base that same day, going over a thing or two and Scarlett of course came over to visit and do what she usually did when she came to visit; we stayed silent for a bit until Scarlett broke the silence by asking: "So, how've things been for you, your sister, and the group ever since the incident back in July?"

Sadie: "We've been doing well for the most part and aside from what we learned just yesterday, we're doing okay. But now, we're going to be busier than ever before, preparing not ourselves for battle, but the rest of the Forest as well when that day comes and you're free to help us out if you'd like."

Scarlett: "I think that'd be nice."

Sadie: "All right."

Then we talked about different strategies that we could plan out and then show to the rest of the group and we would go on to talk more about it and see what we could come up with until we came up with the perfect ones to use that we would go over tomorrow.

***

"You really think these ideas will work?" Scarlett asked. The day was coming to a close and we were beginning to settle down for the night and sleep to regain our energy for the next day. "I just now they'll work, Scarlett. Don't overwhelm yourself with self-doubt and discouragement." I told her. "What we've got in mind will work."

Scarlett: "But that's the thing, Sadie! Some of these ideas aren't going to work out the way we hope if we were to try! So why come up with them anyway?"

Sadie: "Scarlett… don't say stuff like that."

I sat down next to her, held her hand and told her: "Tell ya what, how about we see which idea will work out and which ones won't work and see where it goes, okay? There's no need to get all worked up over something that we haven't put to the test just yet."

Scarlett: "*Sigh* You're right, Sadie. I think it'd be best if we looked over all of them carefully, experiment, and see which ones we can work with and which ones we should scrap and head back to the drawing board for when we have the chance."

Sadie: "That sounds like a great idea, Scarlett, and a brilliant one too. For right now, let's rest and then we'll share these ideas with everyone in the morning."

Scarlett: "That sounds like a plan to me."

***

That same night, we were settling down and we were all about to go to sleep. I was practically fast asleep in the bed that I was sleeping in by this point, regaining my energy for what tomorrow was going to throw at us. Then, I felt someone touch my shoulder followed by that same hand nudging me which was then followed by the sound of Scarlett's voice asking: "Sadie, are you awake?"

I shot awake at that moment, feeling drowsy, looked at her and asked: "What's the matter, Scarlett? Why are you still awake?"

Scarlett then sat down next to me and began: "Something just crossed my mind and it's about the current mysogony and misandry motivated killings that you've told me about. You know, the ones that have been taken place these past few months leading up to now. And I'm wondering this: Since half of us here are women, do you think that they might target us next?"

"…"

Sadie: "I… well… I can't really answer that question and I don't want to lie to you either, but from what I know for the most part during this predicament, they've been targeting namely wolves, foxes, bobcats, and wolf fox mixes, namely females at first before they converted to targeting males as well. Chief CrookedSoul is honestly mental if he had some sort of demons inside his head, telling him to kill their mother before going on to kill their father later on down the line making him just turn into a blood-thirsty, sexist tyrant who's using his mother's decision to stay as a loner to justify his reasoning as to why he's doing all of this to begin with. But to answer your question, I don't think he would come for us, but I think that we should be careful off the back of our heads because there may be a chance that he and his little allies might go after DawnHeart, her brothers or sisters, or anyone in her family. Maybe even Chief ArrowHeart at that."

Scarlett: "Oh, okay. If you say so."

Sadie: "Now just because I said we shouldn't worry about what's going on too much doesn't mean that we should just let our guards down that easily; we still be cautious about what goes on in the Forest as days go by with each passing second. But I can assure you that everything will be okay in the end, Scarlett."

"…"

Scarlett: "I guess you're right, Sadie."

Sadie: "I'm not always right about everything, but I try to be."

Scarlett: "Well, that's what makes you you and what makes a person a humanbeing, inside and outside."

We talked quietly for the past hour or two and at some point, we fell asleep.

***
D

ate: August 13, 2020.

I woke up and looked around to see that everyone was still asleep and that it was still nighttime and I was shocked to see that Scarlett was… sleeping on my chest? I was about to ask myself how did this even happen, but then I remember that she came over to my mattress to talk to me about her concerns and we had fallen asleep and she just happened to fall asleep next to me and to be honest, I didn't really mind any of it and I didn't want to disturb her by moving either and so I stayed still and I could feel myself blushing all the while. I don't really have a problem with any of this, so I am just going to stay right where I am right now and deal with it; it's still nighttime but I am not going to move from this spot. And so, I stayed in place and made sure to not over or stir around much or any sort of movement that would disturb her and wake her up. And so I stayed still and went back to sleep from there.

And I still remember that moment, otherwise I wouldn't be telling you about it if I didn't remember it off the top of my head.