Chapter 25 - The search

Putt’s hands clenched into fists as he stood before his grandmother, his face flushed with frustration. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“You’re not being fair!” he shouted, his voice cracking under the strain of trying to hold back tears. “Jadoog is a good master, and you know it!”
Avia, sitting by the fire, didn’t even look up. She was sharpening one of her swords, the steady scrape of stone against steel only fueling his anger. Her silence was unbearable.
Finally, she sighed. “You don’t understand, Putt,” she said calmly, not meeting his eyes. “Jadoog isn’t the right master for you. I know what’s best. I’ve lived long enough to see the mistakes others make, and I’m not about to let you make one.”
“But it’s not your decision!” Putt burst out, stepping closer to her. “I’m the one who’s supposed to choose! You don’t get to just decide my life for me. Jadoog has already taught me more than I’ve learned from anyone else. He believes in me!”
Avia’s hand paused on her sword for a split second before continuing its deliberate movement. “You’re just a boy,” she said, her tone hardening. “You don’t see the world as I do. You have too little experience. Jadoog isn’t what you need. He couldn’t even keep you safe when those men came for you.”
“That wasn’t his fault!” Putt snapped, his voice rising. “He tried to protect me! You act like you’re the only one who knows anything!”
Avia finally looked up, her eyes narrowing. “Do not speak to me like that, Putt. I’ve been fighting and surviving in this world longer than you can imagine. You think you know what’s good for you, but you don’t. I’m a legend for a reason.”
Putt scoffed, his frustration spilling over into anger. “So that makes you right about everything? Just because you’re some legendary warrior doesn’t mean you can decide what my life should be!”
“Enough.” Avia’s voice cut through the air like the sharp edge of her blade. She stood up slowly, towering over him, her presence commanding. “You will listen to me because I am your grandmother, and I have seen more than you ever will. You are still a child, and I will not have you ruin your life by following some wizard who couldn’t even defend you.”
Putt glared at her, his heart pounding in his chest. “You think I’m a burden, don’t you?” he spat, tears stinging his eyes. “You never wanted me around. You didn’t care about me before, and you don’t care about what I want now!”
Avia’s jaw tightened, her grip on her sword hilt firm. “That’s not true, and you know it. I’ve protected you since the day I took you in. But this—this is bigger than what you want, Putt. You’re too young to understand the danger you’d be putting yourself in if I let you go.”
“You’re wrong!” Putt shouted, stepping back, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. “You don’t know everything! You don’t know what I need!”
Avia snapped. “Be silent, Putt!” she barked, her voice echoing through the camp. Her eyes were fierce, and the weight of her authority fell on him like a mountain. “You don’t know what you’re saying. Now, go to bed. This conversation is over.”
“But—”
“Bed. Now.” Avia’s voice was final, leaving no room for argument.
Putt stood frozen for a moment, his face burning with resentment. He wanted to fight back, to tell her that she was wrong, that she was pushing him away. But the command in her voice was undeniable. He turned on his heel, storming off to the edge of the camp, his thoughts a whirlwind of rage and disappointment.
He lay down, curling up with his back to the fire, biting back the tears that threatened to spill. Avia might have been a legend, but right now, she felt like a stranger.



When Avia awoke the next morning, Putt’s bed was empty. A chill crept down her spine as she realized he wasn’t just off wandering—his belongings were gone too. Panic surged through her, and she shook Osapi awake with a sharpness that betrayed her fear.
"Get up! We're leaving. Now," she ordered, her voice tight. Without waiting for him to respond, she was already moving, packing up swiftly, her heart pounding in her chest. She refused to believe that Putt had left on his own. He would never do that, not without someone putting the idea in his head.
Jadoog.
She stormed down the path with Osapi close behind, moving as fast as their legs would carry them. Avia’s pace was relentless, but she barely noticed Osapi struggling to keep up. He’d mentioned being tired, but she ignored him. Her mind was consumed with one thought: *Jadoog had taken Putt*. Her obedient, sweet grandson would never leave without someone convincing him it was the right thing to do.
By the afternoon, they finally caught up with Jadoog. But when she confronted him, he stood there alone, his expression one of genuine confusion.
"I haven’t seen Putt since I left the village," Jadoog said, his brow furrowed.
Avia’s mind raced, too exhausted and overwhelmed to comprehend that Putt might have left on his own. How could she believe that? She had raised him, she knew him. He wouldn’t run away. Not from her. She couldn’t accept it.
It was Osapi who stepped in. Quiet until now, he moved between Avia and Jadoog, his hands gently resting on her shoulders as he spoke in a steady voice.
"Master," he said firmly, "Putt left you. Jadoog would’ve waited for him if he had known. But Putt ran away on his own, and we need to find him."
Avia blinked, her anger momentarily faltering. "No... we would have passed him if he was on the path," she muttered, still unwilling to grasp the truth.
"You weren’t looking for him," Jadoog said softly. "You were looking for me. A wizard learns to stay hidden. If you weren’t searching for Putt, it wouldn’t take much for him to remain unseen."
Avia’s stomach churned with frustration. “He’s been with you for seven days! How could he already know how to do that?”
Jadoog shrugged, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "He’s talented."
Avia didn’t want to hear it. She turned, ready to charge off again, but Osapi caught her arm gently. “Master, wait. Wouldn’t it be better for Jadoog to search for him? He can find Putt faster than we can, especially if Putt’s trying to hide.”
Avia hated the thought of relying on Jadoog, but she couldn’t deny the logic. She nodded reluctantly, watching as Jadoog disappeared back up the path. Her mind still swirled with doubts. She couldn’t trust the wizard, not after everything that had happened.
"I’ll go hunting," she muttered, needing space to clear her head. Osapi wisely didn’t try to stop her. She stalked into the forest, trying to shake the gnawing ache inside her. *Putt ran away from me.* The thought echoed like a dull throb in her mind. Her sweet boy, the one she had sworn to protect. How had she let things get this bad?
When she returned to the camp, Osapi had a fire going, and Jadoog was pacing, waiting for her.
"I found him," Jadoog said, his face serious. "He said he won’t come back unless you let me be his master."
Avia stiffened, her heart sinking. "Where is he?"
"Just up the path. Please, talk to him."
Avia handed the rabbit she’d hunted over to Osapi and set off up the path again, her legs aching, but her mind too restless to care. Soon, she came to a clearing, and there he was—Putt, standing alone, his figure silhouetted against the fading light.
“I won’t follow you anymore, Granny,” Putt said, his voice breaking the silence. “I love you, but you don’t know what’s best for me. I do.”
Avia’s heart cracked, hearing those words. She stepped closer, sitting down heavily on a nearby rock, feeling the weight of her years more than ever.
“I do know what’s best for you,” she insisted, though her voice had lost its sharp edge. She sighed deeply. “At least, I thought I did. But... maybe I was wrong. I’ve spent so long trying to keep you safe, trying to protect you... but that’s not the same as knowing what’s right for you, is it?”
Putt stood there, tense, unmoving.
“I’m sorry, Putt,” she said, her voice trembling with the rawness of her emotions. “I was just... afraid of losing you. I thought keeping you close was the only way to protect you.”
For a long moment, there was only silence between them, the forest still around them as if holding its breath. Then, slowly, Putt stepped forward and collapsed into her arms, burying his face in her chest.
Avia held him tightly, feeling the hot sting of tears in her own eyes as she hugged him close, trying to hold onto the love they shared. They sat like that, wrapped in each other’s embrace, until the world felt a little less broken.
“About Jadoog...” she whispered finally, feeling Putt tense up. “He can be your master. I’ll let him.”
Putt pulled back, staring up at her in disbelief. “Really?”
Avia nodded, her heart heavy but certain. “Yes.”



Avia stood by the edge of the road, watching Jadoog prepare to leave. The tension between them had eased somewhat, but the weight of their decisions still lingered. Putt stood a little way off, trying to hide his emotions, but Avia could see the conflict in his eyes. She had agreed to let Jadoog take him, but that didn’t make it any easier.
“You know I’ll keep him safe,” Jadoog said softly, fastening the last strap on his pack. His tone was careful, understanding that Avia’s trust had limits.
“I know,” Avia replied, her voice steady but tinged with sadness. “But it doesn’t make it any less hard.”
Jadoog gave a small nod, as if to acknowledge the weight of her words. He glanced at Putt, who was still hovering nearby, clearly reluctant to leave his grandmother’s side.
Avia stepped forward, placing a hand on Putt’s shoulder. “You’ll see me again soon,” she said, her voice firm. “When the fields are ripe and ready for harvest, we’ll meet again. It’s not as long as it seems.”
Putt looked up at her, his eyes full of a mix of emotions—hope, uncertainty, and a bit of fear. “Promise?” he asked, his voice small.
Avia smiled, though it was tight with the effort of holding herself together. “I promise.”
Jadoog gave them a moment, respecting the bond they shared. When Putt finally took a step toward him, Avia felt her heart tug, but she held back any sign of hesitation. She had made her choice, and now it was up to Putt to begin his new journey.
“We’ll meet again after the crops have grown,” Jadoog said, as if to reinforce the timeline. “And by then, Putt will have learned a great deal.”
Avia nodded, her gaze fixed on her grandson. “I expect you’ll be stronger, smarter,” she said, her voice soft but filled with the love she struggled to show. “But you’ll always be my boy.”
Putt hesitated for a moment, then rushed into her arms for one last embrace. Avia held him tightly, her rough hands gently stroking his hair, memorizing the feel of him before they parted ways. She had to let him go, even if it felt like tearing a part of herself away.
When Putt finally pulled back, there was a new determination in his eyes, something that told Avia he was ready—perhaps more ready than she had realized.
With a final nod, Jadoog turned and began walking, Putt following close behind. Avia watched them until they disappeared from sight, the road stretching out before them. She stood there long after they were gone, the promise of their reunion marking the horizon of her thoughts.
When the fields were ready for harvest, they would meet again. And until then, Avia would continue her journey, carrying the hope that Putt would thrive under Jadoog’s guidance.
With the path ahead unknown and the past behind them, they parted ways, knowing that time, like the land, would shape them in ways yet to be seen.




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