[Maria; Gwyrddlas plains]

The next morning, we set out without incident. The trip back to Llygredd will take about three days should the weather keep, giving me plenty of time to bring up what I’ve noticed. Whether or not they’ll share my concerns is another matter, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I hope this turns out to be nothing, but with my luck… I don’t want to think about it.

The first day ends up uneventful, with the four of us making small talk to stave off boredom. Walter seems particularly interested in the reward money, which I can’t blame him for. Having to support three younger siblings costs a lot, and his father left them all at an early age. Why he’d take up such a dangerous profession is beyond me, especially seeing as there are better paying jobs where they live. Personally, I’m doing this in part to sate my wanderlust.

After some mid-afternoon hunting, we set up camp for the night. The hunt went really well, so we’ll have fresh meat for the rest of the way back. While eating our fresh venison beside the campfire, I decide it’s time to broach the topic of my concern.

“Does anyone else find it odd that, despite us having chased him for nearly two weeks straight, the target was somehow able to hand off the object making up our secondary objective? We know he had it, since we saw him holding it last week, and with our constant pursuit… I can’t help but feel that something fishy is going on.”

As I say this, the others immediately stop eating and look at me with shock.

Ivan is the first one to speak. “Now that you mention it… It is rather odd, isn’t it? Why didn’t I think of that before?”

“I also can’t help but feel something sinister is happening in Wedi. When I went back to the apothecary to check if it was open, I met a girl. She said that her big sister ran the place, and she seemed really proud about it, too. From what she said, it appears some noble’s goons kidnapped her because of something her mentor left. That’s not the odd part, however. When I asked about the name of the missing woman, she was unable to remember. The name of her big sister. From what else she told me, It can be inferred that the townspeople completely forgot that she even existed at all.”

Thomas then speaks up. “Whatever’s going on there, it’s definitely above our pay-grade. I say we report this to the guild, then wash our hands of the whole affair. Anything involving memory manipulation is something I want nothing to do with.”

After some back and forth on what we should do, we finish off our meal, then settle into our shifts. Seeing as I’m not tired yet, I volunteer for first watch, which would normally be Ivan’s. Not that he’s complaining about it, mind you. Nothing happens during my watch, and once two hours have passed, I wake Walter before going to sleep myself.

I dream of a massive tree, towering over the forest it resides in. The amount of life energy it radiates is so high that any person who gets near it should be overloaded by it. Despite this, I cannot help but feel drawn to the titanic tree. As I approach, a sense of warmth slowly spreads throughout my body, gradually getting stronger the closer I ger. Eventually, my body begins to feel like it’s burning, but I find myself unable to stop. Just when the pain begins to be too much to bear, I wake up in a cold sweat. Sadly, it’s still dark out, and I find myself unable to fall back asleep despite how tired I still am.

Eventually, dawn breaks. Despite how poorly I slept, I don’t complain and wordlessly assist in packing up our camping gear. The second day is much quieter than the first, likely because of last night’s discussion. Everyone is thinking about how much to report, and what the ramifications will be when we do. On top of that, I find myself constantly thinking about last night’s dream and how vivid it was. It definitely has a deeper meaning, but I’m currently unsure as to what. I decide not to tell the others about it, seeing as Seers don’t have much freedom here. Of course, that’s if they believe me.

More likely, they’ll laugh it off and question my mental state, but brush it off as the stress of recent events getting to me. Hell, I’d question my mental state if I didn’t see it myself.

Dawn breaks on the third day, with a now cloudy sky reflective of our current thoughts. Everyone is still unsure of what to do, and we’re running out of time to think. That afternoon, we see Llygredd’s walls on the horizon, its size standing as a monument to the city’s strength. Supposedly, they were erected when my grandfather was a child, when wars in the area were still frequent. Today, the wall serves little practical purpose due to three decades of peace in the area, but its historic importance means the walls are well maintained regardless.

Before long, we arrive at the city gates. After showing our IDs to the guards there, we are let in without incident. Despite there still being hours of daylight left, we all agree it’s too late, and to put off our report until tomorrow morning. Yes, it’s procrastination, and yes, it’s partially due to anxiety. With nothing else planned for tonight, we split up and head home.

I’m greeted at the front door by my little brother, now seventeen.

“Welcome home, sis!”

“Good to see you too, Leon. How has your sword training been going?”

Hearing my question, he begins a rant “Honestly, Beatrix has been really harsh these past few days. We exercise from daybreak to noon, then only have fifteen minutes to rest. After that, we duel until our arms feel like they’re about to fall off. Of course, healers are there in case of any serious injury, but they refuse to do anything about our aching limbs. If it weren’t for the fact that we alternate between that and academics, I’d have quit a long time ago. Anyways, mom’s making meatloaf, come on in!”

And with that he walks back inside. It’s at this moment that it dawns on me that I’m finally home.