No place like home

NPLH part: 10 (19-20) "Understand me.."

I've tried so many times to hit that annoying red circle, but I can't seem to hold the bow right. "Your arm has to be elevated by your head, and your hand has to be slightly touching your chin. You'll never hit the target like that." I knew she was trying to help me, but hearing her say what I was doing wrong, reminded me of my father, and I didn't want to think about him at all. I'm not sure how, but I think being irritated helps my aim, because when I thought about how angry I get when I think of my dad, I got really serious and focused on the target like my life depended on it. Aletheia seemed to notice it too, and instead of telling me I did it all wrong, she told me I was doing, good? The sound of accomplishing something was a sound I hadn't heard before, and it was rather confusing. "Why do you look so cross?" asked the chief. I wasn't really sure if I felt comfortable telling her what happened to me, but she had such a calming aura around her, that I felt like I could tell her anything, and she would understand. "What you said about me doing it wrong, reminded me of my father, and I don't want to think about him right now." I felt my face weigh down, but I tried my best to not show it. Aletheias expression was nothing like how I imagined someone would react, I thought she would ask me a million questions and bother me about it. But, her face looked so sincere, It looked like she cared, and there was an understanding smile on her face. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it, I also had issues with my father. Would you like to try again?" I had only just met her, she had only met me, why was she so nice to me.

I had only hit the target a few times when we moved on to the next lesson. "You may not be the best for self defense, but maybe you are better at recovery." She looked at me trying to make me recall the bird incident, though that's all I could think about. "You think I would be better at that?" I asked, trying to read her face, and curious as to what was going through her mind. "You looked really worried for the bird, and you looked like you were helpless when you saw it's wing." Unlike before, I couldn't read her face after she said that, but part of me could sense that she saw herself in me. I could tell she was concerned, the sight of her gave me a funny feeling, I've never been concerned for. "Sure! I want to be as helpful as I can, it's the least I could do if you're helping me get back" I could feel my face light up as I said that, my feet felt lighter, and I wished I could stay here as long as I could. For the next lesson, we went back into the main fort, and in an empty room with a few tables and tools. "Would you mind staying here a moment? I have to get a few things." Once again she looked very concerned, I had slightly gotten used to it, but I wanted to reassure her I would be fine. " I'll be fine, i'm just going to look around the room" she seemed a bit relieved, like she thought I would run away.

I didn't know I badly needed to be understood, for someone to relate to me and know how it feels. I started to feel a knot tie around my throat, and my eyes started to fog. No, not now, not again. I shuffled to the window, closed my eyes, and now my thoughts would blur away, and I could hear the chirps echoing in harmony.

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( I felt that last part, it came from my soul.)