"I have told you, Leila, be careful." Jaleh snapped as she closed up her bread shop. "You aren't even veiled properly, how do you know someone wouldn't recognize you?"
"There are hundreds of girls walking around here, how do you think someone will recognize me?" Leila asked with a morsel of bread stuck in her mouth, her words muffled. "Perhaps, they wouldn't be worried about me, you see this."
Leila said pointing to the night sky, and towards the beautiful white moon that hung majestically on the night sky, a soft wind blew across their faces, and Jaleh rolled her eyes, they had been friends since childhood, but Leila liked being reckless even though her family was banished and she was a criminal, she keeps sneaking back into the village recklessly.
"You never take anything seriously," she complained further, anger evident in her voice, but Leila was too carried away to notice that emotion, the bread in her hands was the first meal she'd had that day, and being scolded over her meal didn't seem right with her so she shut out her thoughts. "The royal guards aren't the only ones I want you to beware of, there are also dangerous animals in the forest. You're not even safe if you're home, yet you'll roam around so carelessly."
"You worry yourself too much," Jaleh snapped still angry that she wasn't taking anything seriously. "I will be okay, I promise, those beasts have nothing on me."
In an attempt to sound confident she said with a big smile on her face and Jaleh rolled her eyes.
"I forgot, the almighty Leila don't care about anyone." She let out a sigh. "You completely disregard everyone else, feelings, Father has always told you, he would help you sell those fragrances and he will always get you the drugs and the money that you need but you refused."
"Because I did not want to be a burden." Leila said with a small frown on her face, Jaleh's family had helped her so much, and she didn't want to bother them anymore, associating too much with a criminal like her could get them the death penalty too."
"And who said you were? You were never a burden," she explained. "Father took you as his other daughter and not some stranger that you are trying to be."
There was a brief silence between them, and Leila drew in a sharp breath
"I am sorry, Jaleh," Leila apologized finally as she swallowed. "There is nothing I can do since mother's condition is worsening."
Jaleh was quiet for a while, as the words sank into her, she understood what Leila was going through as she was aware of what it is like to lose a mother, she was barely five years old when her mother passed away, and her sickness had been so critical, and her father had gone to ask Leila's mother for help but it was already too late then.
Leila's mother, Roxana was not able to heal her, and eventually, she succumbed to her illness and died, that was when Jaleh saw Leila for the first time and they had been good friends ever since.
"I don't mean to sound obnoxious, I'm just worried about you." Jaleh's voice and expression softened, she held Leila's hands and pulled her into a hug, tears welling in her eyes. "And I want to help you, my father wants to help you, the Shah is not very kind to criminals."
Leila pulled back abruptly from Jaleh's embrace, pushing her away slightly.
"You don't have to keep reminding me, I know I am a criminal, and I know what my fate is if I am caught breaking the rules, but I need to get medication for my mother because she is my responsibility and I would hate to drag you or your father into this."
"Leila, please." Jaleh tried to reach for her again and Leila pushed her away.
"Please don't bring this up again, and if I am ever caught, I want you to act like you don't know me," she sucks in a deep breath. "Thank you so much for the bread."
Leila stormed off going as fast as she could, she didn't want Jaleh to try to convince her, not because she was angry at Jaleh, she was just equally worried for her. She did not want to drag her into the family in the crisis.
If she were to be caught today, she would have to bear the punishment alone and not drag innocent people along with her.
At least her mother still has Arman, but if things go south, Jaleh's only family is her father, and she would hate for her to lose her most beloved family because of her, but thanks to her, there was enough food for them throughout the week.
Jaleh was truly a great friend.
A small sigh escaped her lips as walk through the forests, she had been walking for a while now and it was becoming tiring, she could hear the sounds of smaller animals chirping, apart from that every other thing was so calm and she found it eerie, is this because of the full moon? She questioned herself internally.
Her ears twitched slightly when she heard waves crashing softly against rocks, and her face brightened, she had become very worried about the journey seeming longer than usual, but hearing that river meant that she was close by, her home was just a little across the river.
She needed to get the hell out of the forest, everything was just creeping her out, she hastened her steps, and then she heard twigs snapping and howls in the distance, her heart raced in her chest, what was that? She stopped for a while, looking around, her green eyes trying desperately to find the intruder.
They were close, she could hear them, she could hear them growling they seemed to be travelling in packs, were they dogs, wild dogs?
"Oh no!" She gasped as she took to her heels, running as fast as she could but it was too late, they were already behind her and they were fast, she could hear them even more clearly now and she realized that they were not wild dogs but wolves.
Leila's heart raced in her chest, as she ran away from the direction of her house, she didn't even know where she was going but she was running as fast as she could, trying to save her life, and regretting every bad decision she had made up until this point.
She should have bought that amulet, she should have listened to Jaleh and left earlier, she screamed loudly when she feel to the ground, bruising her knees and her hitting her stomach on the rocks.
"Ugh!" She tried to scramble up but it was already too late, she had been surrounded by the wolves, they were grunting angrily and growling, saliva dripping from their snoot, but she noticed something weird, even though they chased her like there was no tomorrow and now they were just inches away from her they are not getting any closer to her.
Tears welled in her eyes, she was also going to end up like those fishermen, and the many other people that were found missing, but instead of grunting and growling the wolves were whimpering now.
She picked up a stick and got up, it seemed they were scared of her now, she checked around and grabbed a large stone and threw it at them.
Half of them fled but two remained stubbornly, growling and snarling, Leila became confused she didn't understand why they became so afraid, she was nothing but an harmless girl, the wolves started barking and growling even more aggressively than before, ready to attack, but they were not looking at her.
Just when she was trying to find out what was happening, she heard a deafening but majestic roar behind her, it was as if the world shook, and the stone she gripped tightly in her hands for defense slipped and fell to the ground.
The wolves stood there ground, the air became heavy and goosebumps peeled from the exposed parts of her body, a much bigger animal jumped out of the shadows, since she was deep into the forest the tall and imposing trees had blocked the moonlight, the only things she could see was the bright golden eyes that glowed menacingly.
The wolves were ready to attack, she could hear their animalistic growls as they battled each other.
Instinctively, Leila dashed in the other direction of the forest, in an attempt to run back to the village, no one needed to tell her that this animal was no ordinary animal.
This was the king of beasts, Shahkhur, she hadn't even gone far when she heard the whimpers of the wolves and the traumatizing sounds of bones snapping and organs ripping.
Leila ran as fast as her legs could carry her, crying as she went, but it didn't take much before she heard the large animal coming after her.