Chapter 296 - New-old meadows
“What happened to you?”
Scarlett’s question lingered as they made their way through the dense forest, pushing aside the thick underbrush. Arlene leaned heavily on her, one arm draped over Scarlett’s shoulder for support. Although Scarlett had given her healing potions, they hadn’t been enough for Arlene to fully recover. Despite her general aversion to physical contact, Scarlett had offered her help, knowing the woman might collapse otherwise.
“I do not recall any monsters in this area that should be cause for alarm,” she added, glancing at Arlene’s pale face. Certainly none that could do this to the woman.
“It wasn’t a monster,” Arlene replied, her voice strained and low, gaze fixed ahead. “It was a person. Or something close to it.”
Scarlett frowned. “Who?”
Could it have been a member of the Tribe of Sin? She had no idea who they were at this point in time, but they must have some powerful individuals, or they wouldn’t be such a problem for the empire.
Arlene’s eyes flicked towards her, scrutinising. “…You never said what you and your sister are doing this far out in the forest. It’s a strange place to bring a child.”
“…Is it really the time to interrogate your benefactors?” Scarlett countered.
“And is it not natural to want to know what dangers might be nearby?” the younger Scarlett chimed in from the side. “We would not want to meet the same fate as you did, after all.”
The girl stepped carefully over the roots and stones, not hiding her less-than-enthused expression. It wouldn’t take much to recognise her as the daughter of a noble simply by her poise and the tailored green dress she wore — the same one Scarlett had seen her in during that first Memory they met.
Arlene glanced at the girl, then back at Scarlett. “Your sister is remarkably mature for her age. She reminds me of my own sister.”
Scarlett was silent for a moment, then nodded. “I often think the same.”