Chapter 162 - A familiar meadow
“You ever wonder who thought it was a good idea to build a village and hide it away out in the sticks like this?” Rosa asked, walking beside Scarlett as they trekked through the slightly overgrown forest path ahead.
“No, I do not,” Scarlett replied, reaching out to push away a branch blocking her way.
“Well, okay, silly question. I forgot you make it a habit to smother any signs of creative and inspired imagination the second it’s about to rear its head so that you don’t have to be afraid of having fun now and then.” Rosa shook her head. “Let me rephrase: don’t you think it would’ve been much easier if they hadn’t built the village in the most isolated spot in the entire empire?”
“This is far from the most isolated spot in the empire.”
“You sure? Because it sure feels like it every time we have to come here. Tell me one other place where you have to go out into the woods, go through a mystical tear in space that only opens up when you show it a fancy hairpin—a barrette doesn’t count—and then trudge through half a mile of bushes before reaching it.” Despite her complaints, Rosa wore a smile as she continued along the bumpy forest trail.
“Freymeadow was not originally located within this space, Miss Hale.”
“Excuses! I was not originally this fair and charming—I know it might be hard to believe; however, when I was first born I couldn’t even sing a simple ditty—but you don’t find me holding that against myself.”
Scarlett gave her a flat look. “No, instead you do not appear able to do anything but exaggeratedly boast about yourself.”
The woman waved her hand dismissively. “Poppycock. Only about one-tenth of what I say is bombastic in any way. I’ve counted.”
Scarlett simply chose not to dignify that with a response as she turned her attention forward. The bard was as talkative as ever today.
Her mind wandered back to what Fynn had told her the day before. Since then, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Rosa’s situation.
At times like this, it was difficult to discern anything from the woman herself. It wasn’t like Scarlett could just ask, so she was left trying to figure things out herself.