CHAPTER FIVE
IVORY's POV
"Ivory" my father called out, from outside.
I was still in bed, sleeping because I slept late at night yesterday when I went inside with my father. It was so fun as we played and he told me a lot of moonlight stories.
"Ivory" the voice called out again but it was so louder this time around.
I grumbled and murmured without opening my eyes as I was enjoying my sleep.
After some time, I decided to open my eyes and the morning sun flashed into my eyes, making me to close my eyes and then opened it back again.
"Yes! I'm coming!" I shouted back in my sleepy voice, at the voice that had been calling me for a while now. I stood up, scratching my head with the tip of my left hand while stretching the other right hand at the same time.
"Oh, it's morning" I whispered and stood up from my bed, and strode towards the window. I peeked out of the window and watched the morning sun shining so bright like time has already passed that time when it was still morning.
It was then the thought of Ava struck my mind. I couldn't wonder what to say to her if I missed seeing her today.
"I just have to apologize to her" I shrugged my shoulder pitifully before continuing "Or what can I say when my father insisted to stay with him for today?".
I made a sigh and threw my hands towards the sun while peeking from my window. I formed an arrow with my hand and stretched it across the sun like a gun and shot it with my mouth making the sound.
"But I will miss her" I uttered and went back to my bedside to wear on my slippers. I walked towards the door room and flung it open so wide and then went out, closing it behind me.
I searched for my father everywhere but he was no where to be found when I saw one of the maids who was sweeping the floor, so I decided to ask about his whereabouts from her.
On seeing me, she hurriedly bent over and greeted me before I even said anything. I wasn't surprised because that was how everyone respected me in the house and that was because my father was the Beta of our Pack.
Every time they did this and I was greeted like this, I always felt like a Princess but I wasn't definitely a match to Ava. I never took it up because she was my best friend and I liked her so much.
"Good morning, my lady" she greeted, jolting me out of my thoughts.
"Oh my, Good morning" I answered her politely with smiles.
"Hope you had a great night" she asked, raising up her head and it was then I saw her face clearly.
"Yes… I…I …did" I stammered on seeing her face. She was so young and the way I saw her, she might be in the same age with me. I decided to ask her when I couldn't clear off the thoughts but stopped on the way, instead I asked another thing.
"Oh, you are pretty" I complimented her.
"Thank you, my lady… You are much prettier than I am" she bent over her head to show her respect.
We were still talking when one older woman shouted from afar, calling a name.
"Ashina! Ashina! Ashina!" the older woman called out, walking up to meet us.
"Yes ma" the girl that was with me answered and before I could comprehend what was going on, the woman has already reached our side.
"Oh… Good morning, my lady" the older woman greeted me, bending her head over to show her respect.
"Good morning, ma'am" I replied so calmly and looked at both of them and it was then I saw that they looked alike.
"Yes, my lady" the older woman answered and slapped the girl lightly on the back while uttering silently alongside "Why did you stop sweeping or won't you sweep again?".
"No, I will ma" she replied with her eyes fixed on me.
"Oh, so sorry. You both resembled each other a lot. She is your mother, right?" I asked, out of surprise.
"Yes… She is, my lady" she smiled at me.
"Oh, that's nice" I grinned from ear to ear.
"Thank you, my lady. If you will excuse us now, she wants to continue sweeping the compound" the older woman told me.
"Yeah. That's true… So sorry about that" I bent my head to both of them to apologize.
"No, it's okay my lady" she bent over to greet me at the same time as a tradition while I decided to take my leave but I turned back when I remembered I haven't asked my question yet.
"Sorry please. Do you know where my father is?" I asked, looking straight into their both eyes for an answer.
"Oh, the Beta! I think my lord is in his yard" the other woman hurriedly answered.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes, my lady… I saw him passed to the yard a while ago" the girl which is her daughter joined in.
"Okay, thank you… I will take my leave now" I greeted them.
"Okay, my lady" they both answered at the same time and bent over their heads till I walked out from their sights.
"I wonder why he is still shooting arrows in the early morning when he asked me to stay at home with him today?" I asked myself rhetorically while rolling my eyes up.
On seeing me from afar, the guards already opened up the door to the yards with their heads bent over to greet me. I waved my hands at them and walked inside, after which they closed the door back behind me.
Immediately I went inside, I saw my father shooting arrows and hitting the pointer in the middle. I lifted my clothes up for easy and convenient walk to meet him where he was.
"My daughter" he called out with smiles written all over him.
"Dad! You asked me to stay with you for today and you are here shooting arrows, forgetting me?" I folded my arms together, boiling up inside.
"Is that the way to greet your father or have we seen each other this morning?" he asked, ignoring my question.
"I'm sorry, Dad… Good morning but I must say, what you did wasn't right. I also have things to attend to but you didn't allow me, saying I should stay with you and you are here shooting arrows" I retorted at him.
"Mmm… This is a part of our outing, my daughter. I called you this morning but I think you were still sleeping then because you didn't answer me" he informed me.
"But I told you I don't like shooting arrows, Dad!" I exclaimed with a stern look.
"Well, I don't agree. Everyone has their speciality in our pack so this is what we do in our household and you must also know how to do it like shooting arrows OK" he told me and then called out to the maid who was standing a few mile away from him to come over.
"Yes, my lord" she replied and within a twinkling of an eye, she had already been with us.
"Collect her clothes" he told her, signaling to me to let her perform her duty.
Yes, my lord" she said and walked to meet me saying "Welcome, my lady".
I murmured and ignored her but I couldn't stand it anymore, I asked my father. "But why collecting my clothes, Dad?".
"For easier shooting, you know you can't shoot so well wearing this long robes. You took of those before joining me" he answered hurriedly, pointing at my clothes before I could even land.
"Oh, I see" I rolled my eyes up as my clothes were being collected by the maid so I could join him.
"Done, my lord" she said, taking a step back away from me.
"Okay, you can go back to your spot" he answered and the maid left with my clothes while it remained only a light dress on me.
"Here I am" I told him, without glancing at him for a second.
"Good. Have it" he took out an arrow from the table and handed it over to me.
"I guess this is what I am doing today till evening" I murmured and collected the arrow from him.
He came behind me and held me by my back. He stretched his hands out and positioned my posture so well as for me to shoot conveniently without stress.
"Take a deep breath, then stretch the arrow head and fix your eyes on that pointer so it can hit your targeted spot. Don't rush it, aim it so well" he explained while waking slowly behind me and when he saw I was in good position, he stepped behind.
"Hit it now!" he screamed and the shout made me shiver in fear as I dropped the arrow, scratching the pointer without hitting the targeted spot and it even pierced me.
"Ouch!" I let out a cry on hurting myself.
"Take it easy, Ivory… Now take it up from there again" he said without blinking his eyes at me like a warrior in a war field.
I couldn't help but to sob inside of me. "Why shooting for Moon Goddess sake? I am a girl for crying out loud!" I flared up inside of me, without showing out to him.
I was still doing it for some minutes when a guard came to call him that he had a visitor.
"Tell him to wait… I'm coming now" he told the guard and turned to face me. "Don't stop… Continue shooting the arrows until you hit the target before you can rest up" he glared at me and walked out.
I dropped to my feet when I saw that he left already but immediately I heard his voice from outside the yard, I stood up to continue practicing shooting the arrow while I aimed at the targeted pointer and passed all my anger on it.