~I decided that I wasn't very comfortable in the clothes of the Aryan's.

They were more revealing than even my old clothing in Fiore had been, although I could appreciate the fact that the clothing was much easier to move in- especially since it was dry.

 I was still completely covered, but the soft, leather leggings I'd been given felt so different than wearing a dress. In even the summer's heat, most of my clothing had long sleeves, but the bodice I'd been given now cut off just past my shoulders, bearing my arms for all to see.

It laced up at the front, which at least helped it fit well, since Talia and I differed in both size and shape. Still, I was thankful she'd assisted me getting dressed, as leather wasn't a popular material for woman's clothing back home and I was unused to it.

"Leather's good to wear in the wilds. It keeps us warm and the insects from biting. It also offers us a little extra protection from some of the more dangerous things that exist out there. You'll need these as well," she continued, handing me some gloves, made of the same, soft brown leather.

"Gloves now? It's not winter yet." I wondered aloud, though I put them on despite my question.

"They will help you climb the ropes and trees in the village without hurting your hands. We've grown up with the exercise, but for you, it will be difficult. Chafed fingers will make it worse." Her explanation made sense, but it forced me to wonder about something else.

"But why would I be climbing in the village? I thought Jooheon had all but forbidden me to enter."

Talia glanced at the entrance to his cave and grinned.

"Did he tell you to leave just now?" she asked, though it was clear she already knew my answer.

"I guess not, but-" I began, though Talia quickly interrupted me.

"If he was at all serious about keeping you out of here, he would have told you so, wouldn't he have? To be honest, I think his decision was more about protecting you than isolating you. He was well aware that there are many in the village that aren't thrilled with your presence here, and the less you come in contact with them, the better off you'd be." I suppose I hadn't thought about that angle, but after my encounter with Yura it actually made quite a bit of sense.

"You might be right. I've already had enough unpleasant encounters here to last a lifetime- first with him and now Yura," I sighed exasperatedly. Talia's face scrunched together and she looked slightly pained.

"You met her?"

"Just after I'd finished bathing. She threatened to eat me actually, which can definitely count as a new experience for me."

My friend looked a little upset at the idea, and so I assured her that I was alright, and I wouldn't hold one person's behavior as an accurate account of the whole village.

"Ever since we were children she's had her sights set on Jooheon. She used to hound after him day and night until he grew quite sick of her. She's lucky he's been patient, since if it were me I'd have told her exactly what I thought of her much sooner."

I had to admit that I was a little confused by Talia's words when she'd said Yura was pursuing Jooheon, since as far as I could tell unlike the rest of the Aryan's he was a wolf all of the time.

Maybe that didn't make a difference to her emotionally, but I wasn't quite sure about how she would plan on pursuing a family with him. When I asked Talia about it she simply shrugged.

"I doubt she cares much for any sort of relationship with him. It's his standing and power that she'd like to have here. She could just desire to have the strongest member of the clan belong to her. There are woman like that in Fiore as well I'm sure."

I had to admit that there were.

 Taehyung had implied it was the fact that I didn't behave in such a manner that had drawn him to me to begin with.

 (Like Jooheon he was in a powerful position, and I could understand why many women would desire him for marriage.)

 The fact that he was very attractive also didn't harm his appeal. I guess that deep down though, I couldn't understand the girls who thought that way. My sisters certainly had, at least to a degree, but the idea of marrying someone for prestige never made any sense to me- granted the idea of marriage at all made no sense to me either.

I had always enjoyed the feeling of being independent and free with the decisions about my life. My father had certainly never restricted me as some do, and my mother had passed away before she could ingrain in me the instructions for proper etiquette.

There must have been a strange look on my face, or I must have been silent for quite some time, since Talia patted my shoulder and laughed at my reaction to her words.

"Have you never really thought about such things? Jooheon told me that in Fiore, women are always thinking about who the richest and most powerful person to marry is. Was he wrong?"

I shook my head no.

"Most woman are. I guess I'm just an exception- as can probably been proven by my presence here right?"

Talia handed me some tall leather boots that laced up tightly from the front to keep them on my feet. They were a little large for me, but not so much that they would make it difficult for me to walk.

 Her face was pensive as she thought about what to say next. I hoped I hadn't offended her with my honesty. She cast another glace at the entrance to Jooheon's cave before speaking, as if she was making sure that he wasn't listening. Just in case, she lowered her voice to a whisper and grabbed my hand to lead me back towards the pasture.

"To tell you the truth Rose, I feel sorry for him. He thinks and feels like the rest of us, but he will never be like us. If someone, even someone as awful as Yura, would at least keep him company, maybe it would help relieve his loneliness."

(Her words made my heart ache a little bit, and I began to sympathize for the wolf even more.)

 They also made me even more curious as to how he ended up in such a situation in the first place.

 What had made him different than everyone else? I pondered on that thought as we walked back towards where Kyungsoo was waiting with his sheep. I could see relief written all over his face as he saw me return, and I was touched that both he and Talia worried for my well being.

"Well you're still alive!" He teased as we were within earshot.

"I am. Thank you for sending Talia after me with the clothes. I feel much better now."

"And pleased I am to hear it. I've taken the liberty of watering your rose for you while you were gone, so you needn't worry about it for a while."

I thanked him profusely again, making him blush pink in response.

After a while in the sun, Talia had to leave us for the time being. She told us that Jooheon hadn't wanted her to go back out into the wilds yet, but she'd told him to hush up and stop being overly-protective. Still, I could see where he had been coming from. My breathing finally relaxed when I saw her return as the sun was beginning to set.

We were all hungry by the time she returned, and I was surprised when I was invited to her home for dinner.

"My mother would like to meet you very much, and now that it doesn't seem as if Jooheon will protest, she asked if you would join us,"

"I'd love to!" I said, realizing that this might be my first chanc