Chapter 296: A Search Permit
Inside the holy 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 ho glowed with a natural light that filtered in through the leaf-patterned curtains. The wooden interior embraced a simple elegance, adorned with floral arrangent, 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 Carla 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 n had no intention of helping her, their wariness had been keen towards her, but after ntioning 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 ca from? Samantha pursed her lips at the intrusive thought.
anwhile, 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 erald 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 na was Elara, accessed the young lady’s plight with keen understanding, and from what Brian and Woodluck had inford 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 lodic voice, gaining back the attention of the disoriented Samantha, "I’ll find you sothing 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.
Stealing a peek at the window, she could see the elderly woman returning, and in her hand was a bundle of soft fabric. Samantha took note of the silver-white hair that emphasized her age, and those deep, wise eyes that carried no malevolence. Slight wrinkles were etched onto her face, and her ears, slightly longer than that of her own, denoted the wisdom of epochs.
’We can trust her.’ her pet plant assured Samantha before going back into hiding. When the elderly woman stepped inside, Samantha rose to her feet and accepted the soft garnt handed to her.
"Thank you." Her euphonious voice held sincere gratitude, and the elderly elf led her to a bath within the cottage, whilst the bath was infused with the essence of the forest.
She let Samantha soak away the weariness of her journey, giving her so privacy, and since Samantha considered Viney to be just a pet, she didn’t have a problem taking off her clothes in front of the little plant, but Viney, as if sensing sothing inappropriate happen in front of him, simply turned away, and when it heard the splash of water behind it, it knew that its master had gotten into the tub.
Samantha let out a sigh as the steam embraced her, and when she closed her eyes, she couldn’t think of anyone else but Ivan. The scent of lavender wafted through the air into her nostrils, and her heart skipped many beats when the mories of Ivan invaded her mind, but she knew the scent she perceived was part of the essence added to the water.
"Viney?"
’Yes Master?’
"Do you think Ivan is alright?" She opened her eyes, but she didn’t turn to look at her pet plant. "I can’t feel his presence like I normally do. It never mattered if we were distant apart, I always sensed him as that was the effect of the bond we shared. Is that normal or am I getting worked up for no particular reason? It scares
that I no longer sense him."
’Master misses the vampire... a lot’ Viney concluded succinctly, ’we’re past the Northern borders, that’s many Kingdom’s away so Viney will consider it abnormal if you sensed his presence in calculation to the distance.’ it admitted. ’Viney believes he’s fine, my only hope is that he finds us sooner.’
"Sooner?"
"Yes, before Marius does." It dropped, and Samantha could feel the skin on her hair stand at the ntion of Marius. Her pupils dilated, and her breath hitched in fear upon knowing that the Demon was actually Marius. No wonder his presence had a subtle effect on her, and the way he kept staring at her– now she understood why there was a familiarity concerning the way he gazed at her.
"He’s Marius?"
’Master should try her best to keep away from him. Master is not safe in the hands of Marius. Viney is afraid he will take control over Master when he finds her.’ her plant poured out its concern, still keeping its back turned to Samantha, and for a mont, Samantha couldn’t hold back a smile upon realizing how much her pet plant really cared for her.
"Then we have only one option, Viney." She took a deep breath, "we’ll have to tell these people about where I co from. They can help us return to GreenHollow." She suggested, her voice laden with hope, but regardless of how hopeful she really wanted to feel, she was still curious about why they showered her with this much hospitality, and shouldn’t saving her be going against the orders of their Queen?
When she was done, Samantha stepped out of the water and quickly dried herself up with a towel. She put on the dress the elderly elf had kept for her, and as she followed the direction she rembered the elderly elf had taken, she successfully found her way to the living room where the elderly elf remained seated.
She was sitting at a wooden table adorned with wildflowers. On the table was a feast of forest bounty– berries, nuts, and hearty bread. On the right side of the table was the taller elf man who had brought her here, and they seed to be indulging in a conversation before she walked in.
As if her presence was sensed, the two Elves lifted their heads to see her walk in, all dressed in the soft leaf-green garnt, ethereal in their simplicity. Her slender figure moved with grace as she approached, a shimring aura of tranquility surrounding her. With all the mud and dirt gone, she was actually a beautiful woman, with erald eyes that glead, and hair akin to that of a glowing sun.
The young man couldn’t help but cough, whilst he averted his gaze elsewhere.
"Have a seat, you must be feeling hungry." The elderly elf beckoned Samantha to join them, and she smiled in gratitude before taking her seat opposite the two of them. The elderly elf’s eyes glead with kindness as she observed the young lady indulge in the nourishnt of her body and spirit. But to Samantha, she didn’t feel shy doing this because she needed the energy.
"How are you feeling now?" Asked Brian, as he tried to keep his voice steady, and Samantha offered him a polite smile.
"I feel... better, thank you for coming to my aid in the forest." She expressed her gratitude towards the kindness they had shown her so far.
"What is your na, child?" Asked the elderly elf, and Samantha wiped her lips before answering.
"I’m Samantha Chevalier." She introduced herself, and the elderly elf smiled warmly at the na.
"I’m Elara, but the people here know
as the healer of the forest. This is Brian, he’s one of the Guardians of the secluded forest. He was on patrol when he found you wandering the forest." Elara introduced themselves to Samantha, "we do not offer help to those who we believe will bring problems to our small village. The reason why we helped you is because of two things, my dear."
"Two things?"
"Yes." Brian answered this ti around, bringing Samantha’s attention to him. "The first one is that your abduction and flee from the Palace will prove to the people that Carla is making use of dark arts by kidnapping innocent lives so she can opt her powers. The second reason behind why we helped you is because we feel you are the last Forest Fae to exist... what you did in the forest, the fruits you conjured...they all prove to one thing."
"What’s a forest fae?" Samantha cluelessly asked, as she was hearing soone aside from Viney ntion it to her. Before Brian could respond, a knock on the door disrupted them, followed by the heavy gruff voice belonging to a Palace guard.
"We need all residents to step out. Orders from the Queen herself! We have been given the permit to search every Kingdom for a traitor from the North! Open the door."
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