"I just don't think she's old enough to go out in the world on her own. Especially not all the way to Dom Wafkon!" Lying in bed, Kala could hear her father's worried voice down the hall.

"She knows how to take care of herself," her mother replied. "And when I was pregnant, didn't you always say that you hoped one of your children would become a warrior?"

"Yes, honey, one of them, not our only one! I always thought someday we'd have a son to do that."

"Well, we haven't-" her mother started angrily, but her father interrupted, soothingly.

"It's not your fault, honey. The midwife did all she could. Remember? She said we were lucky to still have Kala."

"Of course I remember."

"Well, that's why I don't want to lose her now."

"We won't lose her, honey. She's just going to go train at Dom Wafkon."

"What if she doesn't make it?"

"She will. Didn't she always have the best teacher?" She grinned at her husband, for he had been the one to teach their daughter.

He smiked back weakly. "But do you think that will be enough? I may have taught her all the hunting skills I know, but I was never a warrior."

"She's always wanted to do this. And she's at the age where we would have to apprentice her to somebody. It would break her heart if we made her stay here for the years it takes to learn a trade. We have to trust her. We have to let her go."

"But she's so young!"

"You know how stubborn she can be- if we don't let her go with our blessing, she'll probably just slip away on her own." Down the hallway, Kala nodded to herself. She would go, whether her parents let her or not.

"I guess you're right, honey. I'll give her my blessing tomorrow morning."

A big smile spread across Kala's face in the darkness, and she slipped contentedly into sleep.

To be continued....

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