sswm - 526
Ares was gone, and for all anyone knew he was gone for good. It was a shock, and though she thought that it had settled in her mind, it had not settled in her heart. She had spent the conversation with Princess wonder what his real name was, and what he had been thinking as he left them. As he left his sister, the home that he had been given here, as he left her. She stole a moment to think; had it hurt to leave her? Had he thought for a second that she would be hurt at all by his departure? She was, though the anger for Tokyo burned through the feeble sad emotion and made her bitter with hate and rage. The woman was a menace in Mati’s mind, a liar. Her adoptive mother had taught her many things, the most important being honesty. No, she could not live without saying a few white lies. But not the dishonesty that had been lathered on by the Dahlian when they had spoken, not too long ago. All of it blinded her from the notion that Ares had left for good, never coming back.
She wished to help Princess, but that was likely another distraction from the truth. She could not settle on the idea, and refused to face it right this moment. And she took her offer with a small smile that Mati tried to return. Not sure if it came as an awkward grimace, Mati let her face turn back to the more nature frown brought on by her internal feelings. Looking down at her hands Mati listened with an ear turned towards the other. Her brow tipped upwards at the suggestion that she too should be careful. Of course, it would be foolish for her to go off and avenge the loss of Ares. But in a way Mati thought it would keep her from feeling the true disappointment that would be crashing into her so very soon. But, the further she explained the more sense it made.
Meeting her gaze, and holding onto its intensity, Mati took the warning. As much as she wished to fight it, this was not her battle, not as rightfully as it was Princess’s. The brown wolfess would give her that, even if she could still not understand why she wore what she did, or all of what Haven saw in her. Still, Mati would let her live this and do as she saw fit to deal with her mother. As Mati saw it, she would be disappointed if in the reverse roles and Mati had not been able to confront her mother. Taking a breath Mati simply nodded, the smile that came to her face less forced then before and spoke with a tone softer then she had ever shared with the Chance girl,
“Okay.” Mati would not go looking for Tokyo, but if she happened to step upon Dreaming soil nothing would save her. A fighter at practice and experience she was not, but Mother Nature had given her instructions for the teeth and claws she had been born with. Instilled in her instincts.