Ralla's blood had chilled when she heard the pack Anathema be mentioned. She did not hate the pack, but she was not pleased with it, either--not after her last visit. She had not been thrilled when she had learned that Leon had gone there, but Leon was not her daughter--Ayasha, going to that place...how she wished she had been taught how to discipline children better; perhaps things would not have come to this...!
Ralla did not respond after that. Although her tears brimmed silently, without a quiver of a lip or scrunch of the brow, Ralla only turned her head to the side as if she was not acknowledging Ayasha was there. It was clear where Ayasha's heart was, and it wasn't with her family; it was with this boy who posed as much of a threat as a catastrophe. Ralla was ramrod stiff as her daughter embraced her; she didn't acknowledge it or give it a return of any sort. If she was going to follow through with what she had said, she had to do it then...or risk breaking down and showing a weakness she herself did not want to acknowledge. Finally her eyes shut, and as she turned away she motioned her arm horizontally with the palm open towards Ayasha--a gesture meant to say: 'Leave; you are not welcome'. The white woman had had enough of this heartache, and if her daughter could be so set on her own destruction, then she would have no more part in it...
Without another word, Ralla walked the planks to the observatory and shut the door silently so that her youngest three would no longer be disturbed by their bickering. There were no windows in the observatory, so Ralla had only her ears to listen for if Ayasha descended back down the rope ladder to perhaps J'adore's or some other place... Only when she was absolutely certain that her eldest daughter had gone did Ralla fully cry, slumping against the door of the observatory and burying her face in her palms. Only twice had she cried like this--it was because of this heartache that she had said what she had... She hadn't wanted to, but it had been for Ayasha and her... Still...to her heart...
...it had not made a difference...
Moon walks. Moon talks. Moon thinks.
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