Chapter 20: The Search for Rieka

'Riftan," she barked, her eyes blazing with fury. 'If your useless sister thinks she can run away and humiliate this family, she's gravely mistaken. I'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget!" Riftan nodded meekly, his shoulders hunched as he led his mother through the dense forest path that connected their village to Rieka's small cottage. The walk was tense, with Riftan keeping his distance to avoid another tongue-lashing. When they arrived, the cottage stood silent and still, nestled amidst wildflowers and thick trees. Its simplicity only fueled his mother's rage. "Here is where she has been hiding?" she spat, her contempt clear in her voice. "That thankless child!" Not stopping for Riftan to get a word in edgewise, she strode up to the door and pounded on it with her fists. "Rieka! Open this door, you accursed child!" No answer came. "Is she even in there?" Riftan dared say, receiving a withering look from his mother. "She is," she growled. "She is merely too afraid to face me." She banged on the door again, her voice rising. 'Open up now, or so help me, I'll break it down!" Still, the cottage remained silent. Frustrated, Riftan tried the handle, but it was locked. 'She must've gone somewhere," he suggested cautiously. His mother, however, was not willing to accept defeat. She stepped back and, with a sudden burst of energy, kicked the door. The wood groaned but didn't give way. "Break it for me!" she commanded Riftan. Riftan was taken aback by the serenity outside; the anger in his mother's eyes did not give him any choice. The two burst their shoulders into the door until it gave in, flying open with a loud bang. Inside, the cottage lay uninhabited. The trappings of modest furniture stood in order, and a whiff of lavender permeated the air. Where is she?" his mother growled, storming through the small space and opening cupboards and drawers. "She can't have gone far!" Riftan, looking thoroughly embarrassed, muttered, "Maybe she's just out for a while. We could wait." His mother whirled around, her fury undiminished. "Wait? I didn't come all this way to wait! I'll drag her back by her hair if I have to! Ranting, her voice carrying through the silent forest, she was heard by Phillip of the bakery. He had been passing by with a basket of supplies when the sound of splintering wood and shouting caught his notice. His curiosity and concern getting the better of him, he approached the cottage. "Who's there?" called out Phillip as he neared the open doorway. Riftan's mother, already on edge, turned sharply towards the voice. "Who are you?" she demanded. "I might ask you the same," Phillip replied calmly. Stepping inside, he took stock of the scene before him. His eyes narrowed at the broken door. "What are you doing breaking into someone's home?" "This is my daughter's house!" Rieka's mother snapped, her tone going on defense immediately. "We're looking for her." Phillip crossed his arms over his chest, his expression incredulous. "Breaking in doesn't seem like the best way to go about finding her." "She ran away from home!" Riftan interjected, his voice trembling lightly. "We just want to bring her back." Phillip's sharp gaze darted between the two of them. He didn't trust them, especially after seeing the storm brewing in the pot of the woman's aura. "Rieka isn't here," he said firmly. "Where is she?" her mother demanded, stepping closer. Phillip did not back down. "She's moved out. You won't find her here anymore." The lie came smoothly enough, but Riftan's mother was not so easily placated. Her face twisted in anger. "You're lying!" she accused. Her voice rose. "You know where she is, don't you? Tell me!" Phillip kept his expression neutral, refusing to rise to her bait. "I don't know where she went. I only know she doesn't live here anymore. Now, if you're done destroying someone's property, I suggest you leave. His calmness fed her ire. In an instant, she began to shift, her body twisting as fur sprouted along her arms and face. Riftan stepped back in alarm as his mother's wolf form emerged, her snarls filling the small cottage. Phillip's heart was racing, but he didn't budge. She sprang past him, displacing her anger upon a stray rabbit that had wandered too close to the chaos. The poor thing never stood a chance, and her vicious attack sent the surrounding wildlife scattering. When she finally shifted back, her breathing was rough, her hands smeared with blood. She plunged a heated glare at Phillip, her eyes still wild. "This isn't over," she snarled. Phillip returned her glare steadily. "I'm sure it isn't. But you won't find Rieka by terrorizing everyone you meet." Her lips curled in a sneer, but she did not say another word. She turned to Riftan. "We leave." Riftan vacillated, his eyes staying on Phillip as if trying to gauge his intent. "Are you certain she has gone?"   Phillip relaxed his expression with a hint of softness. "Yes. She is gone."   Riftan nodded reluctantly and followed his mother away from the cottage into the woods. Phillip let a deep breath slip free, tension easing from him. He looked at the ruined door, shaking his head. "Rieka, wherever you are, I hope you're safe," he said to himself before turning back towards the bakery. --- Riftan walked silently with his mother and whispered, "She's hiding," his mother said at last, her tone bitter. "That man knows where she is. "Perhaps," Riftan conceded, looking back over his shoulder. "But what if she really has moved? What if she doesn't want to come back?" His mother whirled on him, her eyes flashing. "She doesn't get to decide that! She's my daughter, and she belongs with us!" "But why?" Riftan asked uncertainty. "Why do you even want her back?" Taken aback by the question, her anger deserted her for a few seconds. "Because she's part of this family," she concluded, but the words did not ring with much conviction. Riftan left it at that, though his mind was not at ease. He was somehow sure that Phillip had lied, and he made up his mind to go to the cottage alone later and try to catch him out. For now, though, he followed his mother back home. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Phillip went back to the bakery, his mind contending. He couldn't help but think of Rieka; the rage in her family's eyes was intimidating, and he was afraid of what they would do if they finally found her. "I need to warn her," he thought to himself.