They checked out of the tavern the very next morning and took a taxi to the airport. The tickets they had purchased were two way trips and they didn't want to waste the money by teleporting instead.
The chilly hair slapped Sous across the face making snot come out of her nose like Faye. She tried to hurry and get her belongings out of the taxi but her hands were becoming stiff. She bit her lip to try and get through it, and ignore Shadow making a 'I told you so' face regarding her not buying snow gloves earlier in the week.
While Kara and the adults moved ahead, Sous struggled a bit in the front entrance with her bags. A fairy passed her on the way and suddenly turned to look at the thirteen year old.
The fairy was an older man, probably in his fifties or early sixties. Like most male fairies, he was tall. He had a white beard that traveled past his chest. His hair was partially in a pony tail and partially down.
"Sous?" He said.
Sous looked up from trying to put her bag over her shoulder. She looked at the man and the two stared blankly at one another. They ignored the passersby, they were blurred out as Sous and this man made eye contact.
The man hadn't seen his granddaughter in years, not really since she was born but he knew that was her from the pictures Puimo sent of her. He wanted to ask what happened to his son and why he suddenly stopped responding to their exchangment of messages, but it would have been to abrupt.
He looked in the direction of the other adults and the little girl. He then looked back at Sous. Those weren't her parents.
When Sous looked at the man, his eyes held so much sadness to them. She looked closer at him, thinking that the man looked a bit like her father.
"Sous!"
Sous turned toward the doors of the airport and saw Monica waving at her. She took another look at the man and ran toward the airport doors.
Hearing the name 'Sous' said aloud told him all he needed to know. It was his son's daughter, but why was she with those strangers? Where was Puimo? Where was Elevyn?
Sultan followed after his granddaughter but stayed well behind so he wouldn't be seen nor sense. He got as far as he could go which was security. He stood to the side and watched Sous and the other three people she was with go through the security process.
He took his index finger and middle finger to his bottom lip. Picking at it just a bit. Sultan was going to have to tell his wife. Tell his wife that the granddaughter, Sous, was alive and blossoming into a mighty find Alpha but Puimo and his wife Elevyn were no where to be seen.
Sultan stepped out into the freezing air and expanded his wings. He took flight through the flurry of snow and ice to his domain. He would write a letter, no longer wait for his son's letter since he wasn't going to respond. Instead, he would address it to Sous.
It was Diamond that came and picked them up that evening from the airport. He drove the black van barely saying anything, not liking that there were two mutts his vehicle.
He kept his eyes on Sous by looking in the rear view mirror. Even adjusted it a few times when Sous adjusted herself in her seatbelt.
Diamond stopped the car on the side of the road no where near the train tracks and still in the human section of Red Woods. "You can walk," he said. He made eye contact with Shadow in the rear view mirror. "So can you."
"You can't drive them to Sous' house?" Monica asked.
"I was ordered by the Alpha to get you and Kara home, not those mutts."
"These mutts can kick your ass." Sous said as she and Shadow got out.
Diamon turned to her from his front driver's seat window. "Not for long," he retorted.
Sous adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder. Feeling over heated, she began to take some of the extra layer of clothes off, starting with her jacket. "Oh yeah," she said. "Did the shipment from the elves come in?"
She could see he visibly gulped. Sous smirked at him, saying nothing else knowing his mind would put the two together, probably how much she knew and of what.
"Can you not call them that?" Kara spoke up in the back seat. "That word. Please don't call them that." Because this also meant Kara and Monica were also both mutts to some degree.
Diamond, not wanting to get his ass kicked or lose a finger, held his tongue to the Alpha's daughter.
Once Shadow and Sous were out of the van and walking to their destination, Diamond put his foot on the gas and finished the drive to the Alpha's house. He inquired about Kara's trip to the science school, that was the ruse they used, and she kept the conversation short. She was starting to not like many of the elites, not with how arrogant they were. Although...Zhiliary was treating Kara differently, was listening to her more. It wasn't something she wanted to think about. It was probably all an act to get back into the good graces of the Alpha after the slap incident.
Diamond was quick to make his way back to the city hall to check in with Doureena. He jogged to her office, knocking on her door. Zhiliary was also sitting in one chair in front of Doureena's desk. Her hand had healed up nicely. Zhiliary had also learned that when she transformed into her wolf, she had all five fingers but back in her human form, just the four.
"This seems urgent," Doureena said.
"What does Sous know about our relationship with the elves?"
Doureena looked up from her paperwork, stopping her movements. "She knows nothing."
Diamond shook his head. "I don't think thats the case, Alpha."
Shadow rolled open his futon and called out to Sous from her living room. "Sous, come on! Time for bed! We got a mission early in the morning back in Nadia. Chop chop!"
"I'll be in shortly!" Sous sat on the roof of her shack and kept an eye out for Faye. She soon saw the thirteen year old priestess threading through the trees. She landed upon the roof with Little Poop on her shoulder and little baby basilisk around her neck. Sous stood up smiling at her pets being returned. Although it may be best to not call Little Poop a pet. She didn't take too kindly to that name.
"Wow, little baby basilisk is looking good." She took the three foot snake that was now about four inches in circumference thick from her friend's neck. It grew so fast within two years. "Any accidents?" Sous asked, holding little baby basilisk up toward the sky to get a good look at it.
"Nope." Good, no one was turned into stoned especially since it wasn't something they'd be able to fix. Both girls had a sweat drop at the thought of such a mishap. "Oh by the way, its a boy." Faye said. "They're ding dongs are inside. You have to put your fingers inside to feel for it. One of my older sisters told me." Sous wrapped little baby basilisk around her neck as he flicked his tongue at her. She patted his head. "Good thing you're here. Ma was telling me she was gonna chop em up and put him in the gumbo. Here, got ya some." Faye clapped her hands together and separated them to reveal a plastic container of gumbo. A little bit of drool escaped Sous' mouth as she took the container.
Little Poop jumped from Faye's shoulder to Sous'. "Whoa, she feels lighter!"
Faye laughed a little. "That's because she is. She's lost about three grams. Pretty good."
"How's Makala?" Sous asked, seeing Faye blush a little, and scratch the side of her face.
"She turned fourteen a week or so ago and...uh, she asked me out."
"What'd you say?"
Faye shook her head. "I said no. I told her I wasn't ready for a relationship. Plus Pixie Boy seems obsessed with her. She told me to not worry about him but nah." The girls looked out into the night, the crickets were starting to chirp and the trees swayed less from the wind. "Imma get going."
"You teleported here?"
"Of course, I learned it in the spirit catching club before quitting. Its not in the curriculum until we're fourth years though. Also Thibodeux's hearing is coming up soon. Ya know, about her bringing forth krampus. Thought I'd let you know." And with that, Faye threaded off back into the night. After she was out of sight, Sous jumped down with her animals in her arms and entered into house. Prior to going to bed, she and Shadow shared a bowl of gumbo.