Chapter 9: Clara’s Where About.
Words : 1103
Updated : Jun 30th, 2025
She walked to and fro in the garden, not far from her mighty castle. For hours now, Ferahon's mind has not been settled. Clara's long stay away from home was beginning to give her some concerns. She hasn't been away from home too long like this. She tried to comfort herself with the thought that Lora would tell her exactly where Clara had gone.
"Zana!" She called. "Zana, are you there?"
Zana appeared before herand, almost immediately, Ferahon had finished calling on her. "Yes, mistress! I'm here at your service. What can I do for you,u ma?"
Zana, an orphaned girl who was found by Ferahon in a village raided by unknown bandits some years ago. She was only thirteen when Ferahon found her lying on the ground and crying beside the corpses of her dead parents. The powerful witch mistress took her in and raised her as her own. She also taught her the art of magic and sorcery. Because she was good at it, Ferahon made her one of the important witches in her castle. Despite her humble beginning, she was respected and feared by everyone because of Ferahon. To this she owed her stepmother, with some gratitude. The only way she could repay Ferahon is to stay loyal and serve her as long as she is alive.
"Have you seen Lora? Maybe, she is the only one who can tell us where Clarawento."
"No, mistress! I haven't seen her. There has been no sign of her all day at this castle. You know,w Mistress, her job is to watch over Clara, who knows if she had gone out with her? I believe you when you said she could be the only one who could tell us the whereabouts of Clara."
"What about yesterday? Did you see her?"
"Yes, mistress. That was in the morning yesterday. I can equally tell you that her body language was suspicious."
"What do you mean by that, Zana?"
"Ye,s mistress. I didn't mince my words when I said that."
"Hmmm! Could that have had something to do with Clara's sudden disappearance? Is that what you are insinuating?"
Zana's statement on Clara came as no surprise to anyone who knows the history between her and Lora. While Lora had grown closer to Clara, Zana distanced herself from her mistress's real daughter. The
rivalry between Zana and Lora stems from jealousy, bitterness, and anger. Zana sees Lora as her main rival in Ferahon's home. Ferahon knows about this but has, over time, refrained from addressing the
issue.
MMymistress. Wherever she goes, there Clara goes too. If only we can find him, then we will have a little problem in determining his whereabouts."
"Hmmm!" Ferahon began to walk back to the castle while Zana followed her along. They climbed up the long stairs until they came to a part with a balcony.
"Great mistress!" Zana called. "I think she is seeing someone."
The witch mistress paused to listen to the strong accusation Zana had brought. "Who are you referring to among the two girls, Clara or Lora?"
"Clara," Zana answered.
"Hmmm, I see. How sure are you about this?"
"I'm not very sure, but I have been noticing some suspicious movement for quite a long time now."
"Any idea, Zana, of whom she could be sneaking out to see?" Ferahon continued.
She knows, of course, about Clara's movements in and outside of the castle. She also knew who her daughter was always going out to see. Thanks to her undercover witch, Lora. She had charged
Lora with the responsibility of watching Clara's movements. It was during one of Lora's secret reports that she learnt her daughter was going out with a Werewolf. It took her some time to verify and to know
the true identity of the Werewolves going out with her daughter. He was no other person than Kane, the son of the Witch's greatest oppressor, Alpha Conri. The wolf-lord also personally saw the death of her
husband during the great wars of the wolves and witches many years ago. The drum of revenge kept beating in her heart anytime she remembered that ugly incident.
To this, she had devised a plan that would see her make her way through the wolf lair in the countryside, de and have the wolf-Lord Alpha Conri killed. This was the reason she had her eyes on Clara
and her enemy's son.
Zana tried to be cautious and avoid making things too complicated at the moment. "No, my mistress. I don't think I have any idea of who she is seeing. Believe me, if I had any idea, I wouldn't
hesitate to let you."
Ferahon smiled silently. It pleased her to find out tha, no one knows the villain her daughter was going out with. "Have you made any effort to find out, or are you just assuming?"
"I will do that, my mistress." After walking past the balcony, they both came to a passage in the castle that led to many directions. Ferahon seemed to be ready to part ways with Zana. She stood at the
doorway to her chamber. The witch mistress wanted to go inside her secret chambers, but their conversation was something she could not easily let go of. "I will keep an eye on her from henceforth".
"No, you don't have to. Lora is doing a terrific job of watching over her, except, of course, this one time they were both far from home."
"Yes, mistress. I will do exactly as you have said. I will only find and bring them home," she bowed to her mistress.
Feraho forced a smile on her face. "That's all I want you to do," she pushed the door to her chamber and attempted to walk him, but abruptly stopped and turned to Zana again. "We could have
determined her location a long time ago with our powerful spell. What do you think?"
"Yes, mistress, but that was a long time ago, and we don't even have her recent belongings with which to cast a spell that will help us locate her."
"Oh, you are right!" Concurred Ferahon. A few seconds after she had opened her door, she had a strange feeling as Zana looked on. "I can feel it. I can feel her presence. She is back!"
"Who?" Zana asked anxiously. Just when Ferahon was about to reply to her, the sound of footsteps of someone was heard approaching their direction from the steps.
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