"Not at all!" Aelin’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I had so many good times while staying here! If my brother hadn’t forced me to go back, I might not have left."

Roxanna stayed quiet for a moment, thinking about the mission first. Then she smiled. "Your brother just loves you a lot, so he doesn’t want you to get hurt." She added softly, "To be honest, he makes me a little nervous. I feel like he would tear me apart if his beloved sister didn’t return safely to the Golden Mountain."

[Now that she’s really going back to the Golden Mountain... sending only two of my husbands still feels like not enough,] Roxanna thought. [Should I just send three?]

"Of course, I’ll be fine!" Aelin said quickly, as if she already knew what Roxanna was thinking. "I believe Calen and Cyrus can protect me well. I know all of your husbands are stronger than they look!"

Since Aelin had come to the Vixeria Tribe to help Calen, he wanted to take responsibility and escort her back. As for Cyrus, he went along because he already knew the path well.

"Should I send more people to escort you?" Roxanna asked at last.

Aelin waved her hand. "For what? My brother and the others will be waiting for me near the foot of the Golden Mountain. Your husbands don’t even need to take me all the way up. Besides, my people won’t like it if too many outsiders see the Golden Tribe."

Roxanna let out a soft sigh because Aelin clearly didn’t want more than two people going to the Golden Mountain and seeing her tribe. Roxanna had even needed to persuade her several times before Aelin agreed to let Calen go instead of Luan.

Well, since Cyrus and Calen were strong, Roxanna just needed to trust them completely.

"Don’t worry," Aelin said with a gentle smile. "One day, when things are better, I’ll let you and the people of the Vixeria Tribe visit my tribe whenever you want."

Then she looked at the people of the Vixeria Tribe one by one, feeling sad because during the past three weeks she had stayed here, everyone had been so kind to her.

"Aelin!"

Skiv’s voice suddenly rang out from afar. He ran toward her with his chubby cat, Lilo, in his arms. Tears were already streaming down his face. "Why are you really leaving?! Why didn’t anyone wake me up?!"

Roxanna and Aelin both sighed at the same time.

Earlier, they had agreed to leave without telling Skiv because ever since a week ago, he had kept saying he didn’t want Aelin to go. There was even a time when he hid her things so she couldn’t return to the Golden Tribe.

[No matter how happy I am that Skiv has finally formed an emotional bond with someone, I still wish he wouldn’t get this attached,] Roxanna thought.

"Skiv, calm down." Roxanna took his hand before he could reach Aelin. "Aelin also has a home, so she has to go back, or her family will worry."

Skiv looked at Aelin and Roxanna with teary eyes, but he didn’t struggle much to break free from Roxanna’s grip, probably because he also hoped someone would stop him from chasing after Aelin.

"But there are still so many things I don’t understand!" Skiv said loudly. "I-I haven’t even read all the notes you wrote for me!"

"It’s alright," Aelin replied quickly. "Roxie can teach you too."

"B-But the Leader will be very busy taking care of the tribe, so I don’t want to trouble her," Skiv said softly.

On the other side, Cyrus finally spoke, "Skiv, you’ll be alright if you learn little by little."

Even after being reassured by so many people, Skiv still looked reluctant. He even held Roxanna’s hand tightly, as if he was trying to find an anchor to keep him steady.

[I heard Skiv once had an older sister,] Roxanna thought softly. [But she died before his parents made the blood oath with the Vixeria Tribe.]

The evil Roxanna didn’t care much about Skiv or his parents, so she had never asked or tried to learn about their past. But Roxanna was different. She spoke to several people and finally learned something important she had never known before.

Grandma Mia had told her that Skiv’s parents made the blood oath with Loba for one reason: to protect Skiv, their only child, in case something happened to them.

After all, mouse beastkins wouldn’t be able to protect themselves in a world filled with demon beasts.

And maybe that was one of the reasons why he was so attached to Aelin. Maybe she reminded him of his older sister who had long passed away.

"You’re a smart kid," Aelin said gently. She knelt down so they were at the same height, then smiled and softly patted his head. "You always understand what I teach you, so I know you’ll remember my lessons. But if reading feels hard, you can ask Roxie for help or maybe Azul."

Skiv’s lips trembled as he spoke, "But... it won’t be the same." Tears kept falling from his eyes. "Can’t you stay just a little longer?"

Aelin simply gave him a warm smile for a moment and said nothing, because the words were stuck in her throat.

Roxanna knelt beside him and spoke in a gentle voice, "Skiv... sometimes, things don’t go the way we want." She paused, then continued softly, "Every meeting comes with a goodbye. But as long as you both remember each other, this goodbye won’t last forever."

Skiv lowered his head, his shoulders trembling as he tried to hold back his tears. His grip on Roxanna’s hand slowly loosened, though he didn’t let go completely.

"Then... will you come back?" he asked in a small voice, looking up at Aelin again.

Aelin’s expression softened. She reached out and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Of course," she said. "If I have the chance, I’ll come back and visit you."

"Promise?" Skiv asked, his voice shaking.

"I promise."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Skiv sniffed and nodded, even though his eyes were still red. "Okay," he murmured.

Aelin gave him one last smile before pulling him into a tight hug. After spending so much time with him, she knew he had lost his entire family.

And she knew that this child had been lonely for a very long time, especially when the evil Roxanna took over the tribe.

"Don’t you dare forget me," Aelin whispered softly. "I won’t forget you either."

Skiv hugged her back, clutching her clothes tightly as if he didn’t want to let go. He nodded slowly, unable to say a word.

They stayed like that for a long time before Aelin finally gathered the courage to let go.

"Take care of yourself, Skiv," she said with a bright smile. "So we can meet again someday."

Skiv nodded again, his eyes still red. "You have to take care of yourself too."

After that, Aelin slowly stood up.

Roxanna watched them for a moment, then stepped forward. "Aelin."

Aelin turned to her, her expression soft. "Roxie?"

For a second, Roxanna hesitated. Then she let out a small breath, as if steadying herself. "I’m really glad you came here," she said honestly. "You helped us more than you know. Not just with knowledge, but with everything."

Her gaze lowered slightly, then lifted again, clear and sincere. "And... I’ll miss you."

The words felt simple, but they carried more weight than she expected. Aelin blinked, a little surprised, then smiled, her eyes warming. "I’ll miss you too."

Roxanna stepped closer and took something from her storage space, a small pouch tied neatly with a string. She placed it in Aelin’s hands.

"These are dried herbs and seeds from our fields," she explained. "They grow well here. Maybe they’ll be useful to you or at least remind you of this place."

Aelin and her tribe already have their own farm, but since the land they use is probably not as fertile as the one in the Vixeria Tribe, the seeds they produce may also have different quality.

On the other side, Aelin looked down at the pouch, her fingers tightening slightly around it. "Oh, Roxie... I’m truly appreciate this gift."

"And one more thing," Roxanna added softly. "If you ever need help... or if something happens... you can come back here. The Vixeria Tribe will always welcome you." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

For a brief moment, Aelin didn’t say anything. Then she suddenly stepped forward and pulled Roxanna into a hug. "Thank you," Aelin whispered.

Roxanna stiffened for a split second, then slowly returned the embrace.

"I mean it," Aelin continued softly. "You’re not just someone I met along the way. You’re someone important to me now."

Roxanna’s eyes softened. "You are to me too."

They pulled apart after a moment, but Aelin still held the pouch close to her chest.

"I’ll take good care of this," she said with a small smile. "And next time we meet, I’ll bring you something from the Golden Mountain."

Roxanna let out a soft breath. "I’ll be waiting."

[Ding! Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! Side Mission Complete: Strengthen the Bond of Sisterhood]