Grandma Meldra shook her head with a tired sigh escaping her lips, as she withdrew back her hands, and turned her head back towards Fifi.
"See," Grandma Meldra muttered.
Fifi frowned and then gestured to Grandma Meldra to hand her the kalna fruit. She walked around the mat, knelt in front of Gina, and held the fruit.
Gently, she began to massage and stroke Gina's smooth, long black hair.
"Gina, haven't I told you that Orion will be back home soon? What do you think he'll do when he recovers and finds out you've starved yourself sick?" Fifi said, her voice filled with concern.
Gina shook her head vigorously, lifted her gaze to meet Fifi's, and responded with a stubborn determination, "No. I won't eat until Orion returns. I can't enjoy myself while he might be suffering and in pain. It's not fair!" She sniffled with teary eyes as she spoke.
Fifi let out a long, exhausted sigh as she withdrew her hand, her gaze refocusing on Grandma Meldra.
Grandma Meldra shook her head in defeat, clearly conveying her helplessness, having tried everything to get Gina to eat.
Turning her attention away from Gina, Fifi observed the other women in the room. Some had starved themselves to the point of sickness, just like Gina, and were wide awake.
Others had cried themselves to sleep after hearing about Orion's current condition and how he had been found.
Fifi wished she hadn't said anything at this point, but she remembered the pressure from her sisters to share the information.
She knew that hiding the truth wasn't an option, so despite her regret, she realized she would have done the same thing.
'No, this can't continue like this!' Fifi thought, shaking her head forcefully and gritting her teeth in frustration. She immediately stood up from her kneeling position and walked toward the centre of the room.
Grandma Meldra watched Fifi with a curious gaze, wondering what she was planning to do to resolve the situation. Seeing the decisiveness in Fifi's expression, she realized that Fifi had reached a breaking point and was eager to put an end to all of this. She anxiously awaited to see what Fifi's plan might entail.
"EVERYONE, LISTEN TO ME!" Fifi's voice thundered through the hut as she swept her eyes across the room, where some were lying down and others were sitting up on mats. Some had even fallen asleep in their positions but were now stirring and looking at her with furrowed brows.
"GOOD! NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, LISTEN CAREFULLY, BECAUSE I WILL ONLY BE SAYING THIS ONCE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SICK – DERRY, AYLA, FIONA, AND LASTLY, GINA – IF YOU CONTINUE TO STARVE YOURSELVES, I WILL MAKE SURE TO TELL ORION ONCE HE RETURNS THAT YOU'VE CHOSEN TO TAKE YOUR OWN LIVES BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE HOPE HE'D COME BACK. I'LL MAKE HIM UNDERSTAND THAT NONE OF YOU ARE WORTHY OF HIS PRESENCE IF YOU CAN'T EVEN DEAL WITH HIS ABSENCE!" Fifi's words were stern, intended to jolt those who had fallen into despair.
Fifi's voice quivered with emotion, and she took deep breaths to regain her composure before continuing, "ORION IS A WARRIOR, I AM A WARRIOR, AND URSA, AND SURA, YOU HAVE BECOME WARRIORS TOO. TELL ME, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU CAME BACK HOME FROM THE BORDERS ONE DAY, AND FOUND OUT THAT ORION HAD STARVED HIMSELF UNTIL HE WAS SICK BECAUSE HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU?"
The hut fell into a heavy silence as all eyes turned toward Ursa and Sura. Under the weight of that collective gaze, Ursa and Sura, who had just awoken, lowered their eyes to the ground.
"I would be angry at him because it would mean he doesn't trust my strength," Ursa responded.
She hadn't starved herself to sickness like some of the others, but she and Sura had pushed themselves to the limit with their training.
They had been so dedicated that even Fifi had to advise them to take a break. Ursa directed her anger and frustration towards herself, fully grasping what Fifi was trying to convey.
"Me too. If he doesn't trust me after all the effort I've put into earning my strength to take care of myself, especially when we're apart, I would naturally feel hurt and angry," Sura replied.
Just like Ursa, Sura acknowledged that they had both been overly zealous in their training.
Fifi, however, immediately discerned their understanding from their words and appreciated their comprehension.
"GOOD," she shouted once again, ensuring her words resounded in their ears. "SINCE YOU'VE ALL HEARD THEIR ANSWERS, I'M GIVING YOU ONE LAST CHANCE TO REDEEM YOURSELVES BEFORE ORION AWAKENS!"
She swiftly turned to Grandma Meldra.
"Help me gather the fruits so we can share them with those who want to redeem themselves," she said with a faint smile.
Understanding Fifi's plan, Grandma Meldra concealed the joy in her heart and promptly nodded. She rose and hurried to fetch some kalna fruits, stored in another room.
In just a few minutes, she returned to the room with a basket filled with both kalna and lipry fruits. She distributed them not only to those who were unwell but also to those who had just woken from their sleep and were utterly fatigued, offering them a chance to regain some of their strength.
As she observed each person hesitantly selecting a fruit and slowly nibbling on it, Fifi nodded in satisfaction and muttered to herself, "Good."
She continued, addressing the pregnant women. "Now, Celeste, Reena, Celia, Ingrid, and Vivian, I don't mind if you choose to stay awake or sleep throughout the day, considering we're all pregnant. However, idleness won't be beneficial for you or the baby. How do you think Orion would feel if he returned and learned that something had happened to either of you due to your own negligence?"
Although her voice had regained its calm tone, it was still assertive enough to cut through the air and penetrate their consciousness.
Thus, every one of them felt their bodies tense as a sudden realization struck them.
