"I hope you went easy on her, Ripha. My mother is a gentle soul." Lith sat on his bed, sighing in relief.
"Of course I didn't. I had to hit her as hard as a sack of bricks." Menadion scoffed.
"What? Why would you do that?" Kamila was flabbergasted.
"Because there was no roundabout way to make Elina stop." Menadion replied. "She needed the harsh truth delivered by a friendly voice."
"So not by you." Lith groaned.
"Very funny. The next time do it yourself, smartass." Menadion said. "For what is worth, Elina thanked me after. She can't have taken it too bad."
***
In the following days, nothing changed in Elina day-to-day behavior so Lith assumed that once again his paranoia had played tricks on him. When the day of the departure arrived, everyone assembled in front of the Warp Gate in the barn.