As soon as Anatefka was well enough, her lessons began. Nefaltia was convinced she could teach the child to communicate. But first she had to show her the ways of humans. That meant manners, reasonable hygine, and self control. Anatefka possessed none of these virtues.
The first task was getting the girl's attention and establishing a sense of trust.
One morning while Anatefka was exploring the healer's ward, Nefaltia approached carrying a bright red ball. Quickly Anatefka darted under her cot with Demone following suit. But she never took her eyes of Nefaltia. Ignoring the child, Nefaltia began to play with the ball by herself. As she tossed and rolled the toy about, she was well aware of the little creature's growing curiosity.
"It's about time you're awake" Nefaltia said softly.
It took almost an hour for Anatefka to inch herself closer to the healer. Her eyes fixated on the ball.
"Here. You want it?"
With gentle ease Nefaltia let the toy fly from her fingers. In a snap the wild child bound after the ball. Taking a seat, the healer watched the scene with much amusement. Like an excited puppy Anatefka batted the ball around the room, enchanted by its movement. But slowly her play ground to a halt. The stranger was still in the room. Cautiously the little girl rolled the ball back to Nefaltia, trying to see what she would do next.
"Oh thankyou" Nefaltia chimed.
With exaggerated motions, the healer tossed the toy about in the air before rolling it back to Anatefka. The exchange took place several more times between Anatefka and Nefaltia. The healer glowed from the inside. In a primitive way, the wild child had grasped the idea of sharing.
The next morning, Nefaltia decided to tackle Anatefka's eatting habits. She prepared a sumptuous breakfast of porridge and baked apples, along with forks, spoons and a napkin. It didn't take long for the the savory aroma to attract the wild child.
At the sight of food Anatefka lashed out a hand but Nefaltia calmly pulled her wrist away.
The wild girl let out a loud growl and tried to continue eating. This time the whole plate was pulled away.
The cheif rule of the wild was never take food from animal while it's eatting, and Anatefka knew this well. She bared her teeth and snapped at the woman. Her ferocity even reached a point where Nefaltia had to hold the girl back with a chair.
"BAD GIRL!!! SIT DOWN!!!"
She delivered a sharp pinch on the back of Anatefka's neck.
The child became still. She had been subjected to such punishments in her pack. The adult dogs often used harmless nips as a way to discipline the pups.
To set an example Nefaltia took a seat and tucked into her own meal. Anatefka watched closely how Nefalita ate with the utensils.
Though her fingers were unused to such movements, Anatefka copied her every move. Though despite her newfound skill, she still managed to make a mess. Her face and hands were smeared with food.
"My, my, you learn quickly."
Slowly and carefully Nefaltia crept over to Anatefka in order to dab away the mess with the napkin.
With a sudden screech, the wild child squirmed away and hid for the rest of the day.
"Okay" Nefaltia mused. "We'll work on hygeine another day."
Weeks passed as Anatefka regained her strength. Nefaltia continued to observe her behavior but only from a safe distance. The wild child did not appear as frightened of The Court as Nefaltia expected. Perhaps as an oportunist, she found the underground haven a source of heat, food and security. But at the same time, Anatefka's curiosity was piqued by the comings and goings inside secret city.
That afternoon while Anatefka played in the catacombs, Nefaltia met with Quasimodo to discuss her plan.
"She's fully recovered. You can take her back with you if you wish, but on one condition."
"Yes, ofcourse" agreed the hunchback.
"She seems to have bonded with you." Nefaltia noticed. "I'd like to see how she acts when in your custody."
"Alright. But I'm not sure how she'll like it."
"I know she probably thinks I'm a ghoul after the breakfast incident. But hopefully in the belltower she'll be a little calmer."
After some thought, Quasimodo consented and the four of them made the long treck back to Notre Dame.