Kaya

Part 6. Thank you

After my first training the day had already progressed well into the afternoon. Valeska and I sat in the centre of the camp to have a late lunch with the others. Fen was sitting opposite of us, talking and laughing with his family, which Sága apparently was part of.

Valeska and I didn't talk much while eating, just a bit of chit chat, pointing out things about the training. She had really watched my every move carefully. I mainly listened in on Fen's stories. Recognizing a few of them from my history lessons in school, I couldn't help but smile. There was no way he had been involved in some of those events.

"Hey Val, do you want to take a walk with me?" I asked her after lunch, wanting to see more of the area around the camp.

"Sure! I can show you around some more." We headed out of camp and entered the forest in which I had been reunited with Valeska just yesterday.
Thinking about it, it felt as though I'd been here for at least a few days, not just one.

As I took in the nature around me, I quickly noticed where I had sat and met Val and even recognized the route where I had run away from Sylen. I was lucky to not have led him to our camp.

"So.. the blood on your claws. I can‘t just ignore that." Val began.

I sighed. Of course she was going to ask at some point, but why now?

"Who's blood is it?" She looked over at me as she walked with her hands behind her back.

"It was from a man I didn't know... but he is dead now."

"Did he harm you?" Her voice clearly showed her concern.

"He tried but I managed to react in time. I should have left the park much earlier anyways..."

"The park?" Val asked confused.
Shit. They didn't have parks here. I needed to come up with something. "It's...a place... where I come from. It's pretty popular... Anyways-"

"Where do you come from? You never told me when I first asked."

"Oh..I'm from Neroja."

"Didn't you say you weren't from there, when I met you?"

She didn't believe me. "Oh.. I'm- I just meant I wasn't from that area. I'm... from a pretty unknown city...there.. You wouldn't know it." I scratched my head nervously which certainly didn't make any of this better.

"Oh really? I've been to quite a few places, I think I would. What's it called?"

"It's called Attra, you probably don't know it." I begged internally that Attra hadn't been founded yet at this time and Valeska really never had heard of it.

"Attra, no, I've been there. But I wouldn't call it a city, more of a village, quite a small one."

Shit! "Oh, you know, cities... villages... aren't they all the same?"

"Right..Kaya, what are you hiding from me? You are part of the pack now. No secrets." Valeska's suspicion was at its highest as she leaned towards me to get a good look at my expression.

I waved my hands in front of me defensively, running out of lies. "Oh no I'm not hiding any-"

"Kaya! I am your alpha. Tell me the truth." Val raised her voice which made me flinch a little.

"Val I can't tell you the truth..." I said quietly as I looked at her with pleading eyes.

She tried to relax her posture, not having intended to intimidate me. "Why not?"

"It's complicated... I don't know if I should tell anyone. I fear what it might cause."

"You can tell me, Kaya." Valeska took a step towards me and held my shoulders gently. "No harm will come to you when I am with you. I won't think of you differently, no matter what it is you are hiding about your past. You belong to my family Kaya."

I sighed. I would have to tell her. I didn't see a way to get myself out of this. As I searched for the right phrasing to tell her the truth, I quickly cursed myself as the words escaped my mouth unwillingly. "Valeska, I'm from the future."

She pulled back a little and looked at me confusedly, at first thinking it was a joke, though as she saw my expression and realized I meant it and I wasn't lying either, her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape.
"You..? So.. Sylen is..?" She spoke more to herself as she retracted her hands from my shoulders and her eyes wandered the forest around us, trying to make sense of this and connect the dots.

"Yeah... Sylen‘s portals send us through time." I pressed my lips together awkwardly, not sure how she would take it.

Val nodded slowly. "So the bag... and Attra... how can Sylen travel through time? I've never heard of such magic."

"His magic stems from a different source, it hasn't even been discovered yet here. Not until the current prince of Viveterra takes over Neroja."

"The prince does what?"

"Nothing! Forget what I said! I shouldn't be telling you any of this!"

"No, you're right. You shouldn't."

"So you believe me?"

"Of course I do, pup." She smiled at me and I felt a wave of relief rush over me as I smiled back.

"Thank you."

"So without the wizard you can't go back home, because you need a portal made of magic that doesn‘t exist yet." She explained to herself as she walked on and I followed her.

"He might come back to try and find me..."

"Then we will force him to let you go into your time and live in peace."