Rin took a step forward, a calming smile on her face, as she addressed the wary archer girl.

"Hey there, I'm Rin, and this is Xhez," she motioned to the water sprite floating beside her. Then, she gestured at the girl holding a hand up like she planned to throw fire at the archer's face. "And this is Alea. We're just a group of explorers passing through this region. That's all."

The girl's grip on her bow didn't loosen, but her gaze flickered between the three of them.

"... My name is Jany."

"Jany, nice to meet you!"

Despite Rin's friendly demeanor, things were still quite tense. Alea and Jany were glaring daggers at each other, both clearly not having any trust in the other.

"What is the purpose of your exploration?"

Rin scratched her head, a nonchalant grin on her face.

"We're just trying to gather some information about the area. We're-"

Before she could continue, Jany said:

"If that is all, you are better off heading right back where you came from. This place is dangerous."

"We know," Rin said.

Jany's eyes narrowed, her suspicion not fully dissipating.

"Hm... Then, by all means, keep going wherever you're heading. I warned you."

On that note, she stepped back a bit and began looking through the corpses. She still had one hand on her bow, but she inspected the ravenous beasts for... something.

"What are you looking for?"

"Nothing," Jany responded.

"Forget her, let's just head back," Alea told Rin.

Xhez also looked particularly uninterested.

Rin knew it probably did make sense to simply leave things here. But, something told her to press a little.

Perhaps it was the way Jany's hand desperately turned the bodies over. Even though her face was calm, her movements were twitchy.

Clearing her throat, Rin asked:

"Anything we can help with?"

"That is unlikely."

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

[Well, that isn't a "no."]

"Try us," Rin replied. "I mean, not to intrude, but it seems important."

The girl's hand stopped. Her eyes lifted up to meet Rin's. The adventurer could see the gears working in the archer's mind.

Eventually, she asked, with a much softer tone:

"Is any of you trained in healing?"

"Xhez is a healer," Rin pointed at her friend. "Is someone hurt?"

Finally, Jany sighed.

"Yes."

---

The moonlight filtered through the dense foliage as Jany led Rin, Alea, and Xhez deeper into the woods.

The crunching of leaves under their feet echoed in the silence. After a brief walk, they reached a small clearing where a makeshift camp lay hidden beneath the shadows of towering trees.

There, laid out on a mat of leaves, was a young boy, his face contorted in pain even in his sleep. Jany gestured for them to lower their voices as she explained the situation.

"He got injured during a monster attack. I tried my best to tend to his wounds, but I lack resources."

Rin nodded, looking at the boy with a sympathetic gaze.

"We'll do what we can to help."

With a motion, she signaled Xhez to approach. The water sprite knelt beside the injured boy, her hands glowing with a soft, azure light. Xhez began weaving her magic, directing the healing energy towards the wounded areas.

The magic worked swiftly, and soon the boy's features relaxed as the pain faded away.

Jany watched in awe, a mix of shock and relief evident in her expression. Rin couldn't help but notice the conflict within Jany's eyes.

Once the healing was complete, Rin turned to Jany, genuine concern etched on her face.

"Is everything alright?"

Jany hesitated, her gaze flickering between Rin and Xhez.

"I... am not used to shamans like yourselves."

[Shamans?]

Rin nodded slowly.

"Uh, I see..."

Jany sighed.

"Being set in my ways wouldn't help at all, though."

Rin placed a comforting hand on Jany's shoulder.

"I'm sure your friend is going to appreciate you being open-minded when he wakes up."

"I hope so."

As they settled into a cautious camaraderie, Jany turned the conversation to the reason behind Rin's exploration.

"Why are you really out here?" Jany asked, her eyes probing for the truth. "Simple exploration feels like a very odd reason for three outsiders to have come such a long way."

Rin took a deep breath, deciding to be transparent.

"We're part of a larger group aiming to pave a path to Cardana. Our goal is to explore and connect with the isolated city."

Jany's eyes widened, a sudden alarm flashing across her face.

"A... group?"

"Yeah."

"How large is your group? How many people have you brought with you?"

Rin furrowed her brow, sensing the urgency in Jany's voice.

"It's a significant number, many individuals. Why? What's the matter?"

Panic gripped Jany as she exclaimed:

"Where are they!?"

"Why in the world would we tell you?" Alea answered for Rin. Rin wouldn't have phrased it so callously but she did share the sentiment.

"They could be in danger! Where are they?"

Rin's eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively took a step back.

"Danger? What do you mean? Why would they be in danger?"

Jany clenched her fists, her voice urgent.

"I will explain on the way, but, for the sake of your own people, we cannot waste time! Look," she said, placing her hands on Rin's shoulders, "I do not particularly care about them, but you helped me. I want to repay you. Now, tell me!"

Rin's mind raced, processing the unexpected turn of events.

"Why? What dangers are we facing in Cardana?"

"There is no time!"

Rin considered those words. Finally, choosing to believe this was as urgent a situation as the girl made it seem, she said:

"Okay, fine, follow me."

"Rin, what?" Alea looked baffled. "W-What if she means to set up an ambush!?"

"By myself?" Jany countered. "Ignore this idiot. Where are they?"

Spurred by those words, Rin turned and began running back to the camp. Jany and Xhez followed.

"Ugh!" Alea basically growled, doing the same.