Chapter 296: A Search Permit
Inside the homely cottage, the air was filled with the soothing scents of fresh herbs, inexplicably calming Samantha’s nerves as she stood at the center of the room.
The elderly elf woman’s home glowed with a natural light that filtered in through the leaf-patterned curtains. The wooden interior embraced a simple elegance, adorned with floral arrangement, and Samantha bowed her head in gratitude when the elderly woman ushered her to a cushion near the sunlit window, whilst she sat down, her eyes gazing wondrously at the people who moved about outside.
Samantha knew she had taken a risk by seeking help from the weird people staying in the south, but it was either this, or she continues to wander through the forest till she gets caught by Carmela and her knights again. Just thinking about what would have happened to her if her pet plant hadn’t been with her, she would have been ruined– completely. From the start, she could guess that the two elf men had no intention of helping her, their wariness had been keen towards her, but after mentioning the Queen of the south, they offered her shelter without further explanation.
Was that a good or a bad thing? Would their hospitality change if they knew about where she came from? Samantha pursed her lips at the intrusive thought.
Meanwhile, the elderly woman who had ushered Samantha into her cottage, took note of the young lady’s appearance. Her golden-blonde hair looked matted and tangled, a stark contrast to her emerald green eyes clouded with uncertainty. The ragged remnants of her cloth clung to her like echoes of a turbulent escape– she looked like a lost soul in the mysterious land she had found herself in.
The elderly woman, whose name was Elara, accessed the young lady’s plight with keen understanding, and from what Brian and Woodluck had informed her about, she knew that the lady before her held a destined fate that would change the rules of their Kingdom. She could sense it, and now, she knew that the heavens did not ignore her prayers.
"Rest here." She spoke in a melodic voice, gaining back the attention of the disoriented Samantha, "I’ll find you something more comfortable to put on."
Samantha silently nodded, and the elderly woman stepped out. When she was gone, Viney recoiled from its hiding place and perched itself on Samantha’s shoulder, its growing tendrils folded like a regular arm, and it turned slightly to look at Samantha whose face was painted with disorientation.
’Master’s blood pressure is likely to shoot up at this rate. You need to stop overthinking, be grateful we didn’t get caught by those Palace guards instead, and you’re alive.’ her pet plant tried to make her view things from the brighter side of the picture, but Samantha couldn’t bring herself to feel better even if she wanted to. There were so many things that bothered her at this critical point, and she hardly knew where to begin from.