Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 152: A Pack of She-Wolves (2)

"Training? Is that even necessary? What can you teach me that I don't already know?" The bluntness of Suzume's words struck Natsumi like a hammer causing her to stagger. "Probably how to hold a sword, cause if I remember correctly the last time you held one, you died."

Suzume's thin smile narrowed into a pearly frown. She contemplated retorting back, but immediately remembered Natsumi's threat. "I'd rather not..." Suzume sucked her teeth in trying her hardest to quell her anger. "That wasn't because of my lack of skill, it's because Feather is about as temperamental as you Wolfe's."

"That's ironic coming from you." Natsumi growled. "Y'know I don't know if you've looked in the mirror recently, but from what I can see you look like one of us!"

Sarah's eyes beamed back and forth, noticing the flaming expressions from the two Wolfe girls. Suzume on the left hand as the glare that burned as cold as ice. At the same time, Natsumi's scowl scorched itself into Sarah's mind like volcanic ash. 

Seeing that this argument was going nowhere, Sarah clapped her hands together loudly, directing the conversation's path back to her. "Can we go a day without arguing?" Sarah pleaded, "Please, it's so exhausting hearing you two bicker like little girls. Forgive each other and be done with it, like what we discussed before, and like what Arthur told you. We no longer have time for this."

Sarah raised her hands, making small gestures before displaying numerical values. "We only have a month and some change. We can either spend that time preparing like the rest, or doing nothing but arguing. It's your choice."

Sarah looked at the two girls with eyes as hard as amber. Natsumi was the first to concede, knowing full well she was too old to be arguing like this. "Fine. I already promised Arthur I wouldn't stir up anymore problems..."

"Good, I'm glad you've managed to reel yourself in." Sarah then looked to Suzume, who didn't seem nearly as willing. "I don't-" before Suzume could continue, Sarah stopped her. "Suzu, before you speak I'd like for you to hear what I have to say."

Suzume only responded with silence, a cold silence that could only be found deep within the night. Sarah cleared her throat and gave Natsumi and awkward stare before returning her gaze to Suzume. "I've mentioned it before. Arthur has repeated, and Natty has as well. Many people are putting their differences aside to go through with this mission. Because all of this, raiding home, saving Ren, usurping Michael. All of these things are greater than us. Greater than any of us!" Sarah gradually raised her voice, clearing her words like a clean filter.

"So you need to stop this." Sarah waved her left hand in an unpolished way. "All of this. The arrogance. The hard-headed attitude. Just stop it." Sarah gripped her to handle and shook her head. "It's rude, and I don't like it. All it does is seclude you from the rest of us when we need to be united. We're all fighting for the same thing you know."

Sarah's silver stare glimmered when looking upon Suzume's silent face. Her expression had changed very little, hardly emitting any emotion outside of her lonely frown.

"Suzu." Sarah called, "You understand that don't you?" Sarah made a circular motion with her fingers. "All of us are fighting for the same thing. Destroying home. Stopping Michael. As well as saving Ren."

"I understand." Suzume said softly. Her voice didn't possess the same tenderness or warmth as Sarah. It was stiff and cold, like a harsh winter.

"Do you? Do you really?" Sarah focused on Suzume with unchanging eyes. Large and bright like pieces of molten copper. Sarah held Suzume's hand and peered into her eyes deeply as if looking directly into her soul. She didn't blink once or pull her eyes from her a single time. "It is one thing to say something. But it's another to actually mean it."