Two Rivers Isle ricochet

it might as well had been a dagger to her heart.

ines hated her, and certainly matteo is following in her same footsteps. but perhaps iseul always knew this for certain within her conscious. there is nothing but a hurt expression on her face and a small step back. she is not their mother, perhaps not even fit to be called a guardian of any sorts. so did she even deserve to feel hurt by what the boy said of her? "iseul thinks matteo does too." 

she could say a million things to him, many of them hurtful as he has done so. but there is dishonor in a lack of control, and iseul would not allow herself to cave in and attack a mere child who is a victim in the entire situation. and what would it matter to make what he would interpret as excuses? a child sees as a child, thinks as a child, behaves as a child. and while iseul was beaten for not holding her tongue once before, she would not be one to distill punishment.

"I stayed so matteo know he not left behind in isle." she let him go because he would no go far in her mind, and she stayed so that he would have someone to come back home to, whenever the time came. through all of these seemingly mindless acts, iseul has thought more than anyone. she could have vanished with colt into the next part over, but what would that have said to the children, to boone, to anyone who still tried to stand by her? "i would never leave matteo or ines behind." she would rather be left a thousand times before she turned her back on him.