"Lisana?"
I could see the deep emotions swirling in her eyes as she looked at but for so reason, I could feel that instead of my face she was seeing soone else’s face in mine.
"Um... Tanya?" I spoke up making her blink out of her trance and she stepped back.
"Ah... I’m sorry." She spoke as her eyes glistened with tears.
"It’s all right," I spoke with a smile and she avoided my eyes.
"Who is Lisana?" I asked, "Your daughter?"
She pursed her lips before nodding and I looked at the dress I was wearing.
The dress was a perfect fit with the faint sll of jasmine, there were maroon designs of people hunting and flowers on the white fabric. It had no sleeves and stopped right above my knees with a split in the skirt like pants.
"Is this her dress?"
Tanya nodded again making brush my fingers over the smooth fabric.
"Where is she?"
I saw a tear drop slide down her cheek before she sniffled, I gently placed my hand over her shoulder feeling her trembling and then more fresh tears flowed down her cheeks.
I gently wrapped my arms around her and she sniffled and clutched at my dress digging her face in my neck. I patted her back letting her cry her heart out.
After a while of crying she cald down and wiped her tears, her eyes were bloodshot and puffy with her face flushed.
"Are you all right?" I asked and she nodded.
"I’m sorry... I..." She sniffed wiping her eyes.
"It’s all right, but... is your daughter..."
Maybe she passed away in this plague or sothing?
Tanya shook her head as her eyes t mine, "She’s alive!"
I nodded with a smile as I kept a hold on her shoulder, "I’m sorry for misunderstanding..."
Tanya pursed her lips and I asked, "Then, where is your daughter?"
Tanya stared at the ground with a hard gaze and I squeezed her shoulder gently.
"Tanya... Where is Lisana?"
Her lower lip quivered before she looked at and opened her mouth, "She... She was..."
"Aunt Tanya!" I and Tanya turned around in unison to look at the small girl who shouted from a distance.
"Leader is looking for you!"
"I-I’m coming!" Tanya shouted back and then looked back at .
She gathered her overflowing emotions and concealed them behind her face but her eyes still had the intense anguish swirling in them.
Tanya led back to their small settlent where the people were waiting for us with the sll of mouthwatering food wafting in the air.
Lyall had also changed out of his outfit and was dressed in the bear skin tunic and loose fitting pants. He walked over and stood at my side when I ca up.
The small girls in the settlents skipped up to and grasped my hands with giggles and smiles as they looked at with awe and touching my long hair gingerly.
"You’re so beautiful, Saintess!"
"She’s a Saintess, of course she’s beautiful, silly!"
"Your hair is so blue!"
"So soft."
I chuckled as they were praising and I looked at the people around who were looking at and then at the ladies who were stirring the food in the large pots on one side.
"The flowers will look so beautiful in your hair."
"Saintess, can we decorate your hair?"
The girls asked looking at and I smiled.
"Sure,"
Their faces brightened up and they dragged over to the nearby tent while ordering each other to bring stuff.
"Master?" Lyall spoke up and I looked at him.
"Take it easy." I assured him with a smile and he stood in his place.
The girls made sit on a stool before they started brushing my hair and gasping as my hair was quite long and soft.
"Saintess, your hair is so smooth!"
"It’s like waterfall!"
The girls started weaving my hair and braiding them before picking up the flowers that were in the basket and after so ti they stared at with silent faces but glowing eyes.
"How do I look?" I asked gingerly touching my hair.
One of the girls brought over a mirror and I smiled as I saw the flowers placed in the intricately woven strands of my hair.
"You’re so beautiful, Saintess, almost like a Goddess!"
"Thank you," I chuckled and then the girls looked at each other before looking up at .
"Thank you, Saintess, for coming here and saving us... everyone said that we will all be dead when big sister Lisana was gone." One of the girls said and my eyebrows twitched before the girls gasped.
"We-We an that thank you for coming and saving us, Saintess!"
"Yes, thank you!"
"Our mothers are preparing a huge feast for you!"
"We-We will even sing songs and dance to celebrate today!"
"It’ll be great fun!"
The girls quickly changed the topic and I could see the hint of fear and nervousness on their faces before they led out of the tent.
The people who turned gasped as they saw , I could see the pinkish tint on the faces of the young n who saw and the ladies smiled in awe.
"So beautiful!"
"Like a Goddess!"
I could hear their whispers as the girls proudly marched over to the seating area which was decorated specially.
I sat down on the soft cushions and then looked at Lyall who was standing quietly staring at .
The feast was served and the people asked various questions ranging from where I lived to what my parents did for a living. I cooked up and interesting story that I was from a small noble family and that when I discovered my healing abilities I set out to help people and Lyall who had sworn to protect had to leave his wife and daughter behind and co with .
The people were moved after hearing the story and they looked at and Lyall with tearful eyes.
Well, it wasn’t a complete lie though but the n who were ready to hurt us just a day before were now happily indulging us.
The songs and the dancing started and I was pulled along to dance with the girls, Lyall wasn’t spared either. It was quite a happy evening with everyone enjoying, drinking and dancing.
So of the n who got drunk passed out outside while the others were dragged by their wives into their small huts.
Lyall was given a separate hut which he refused at first but the drunk n who enjoyed his company dragged him away while I was led to another small hut.
I fell on my bed feeling the exhaustion of the day after enjoying the festivities but in the back of my mind I still had the thought of the girl whom I had heard about. Lisana, who and where was this girl?
Nobody talked about her, Tanya was distraught and the girls seed nervous and scared of talking about her.
Did sothing bad happen to her?
I was curious but if I tried to force the information out of them then it might give a wrong impression besides, it seed like Poras was trying to keep out of the matters of his tribe. He must have warned the people about not leaking information to the outsiders.
"Lisana." I mumbled, "What happened to you?... Where are you?"
I could recall the anguish in Tanya’s eyes when she talked of her daughter and also the way she had cried. She missed her daughter and she was alive but then what was wrong?
My thoughts weren’t allowing any sleep so, I sighed and closed my eyes trying to distract myself.
I wondered how Rune and others were doing. I was keeping tabs on how the things were going on the battlefield but now that I was here, I had no way of knowing about them except for Silas who said he would contact if things were overboard.
Denril was in a bad condition but the war was still going on, Sestia might not know of the plague or things would have been worse for this nation.
After tossing and turning and thinking for a long ti sleep ca over . I was awoken by the sounds of the birds and a middle-aged woman’s gentle greeting.
"Good morning, Saintess."
"Good morning," I smiled back.
She placed my clothes on the table and looked at , "Your clothes are ready and even the carriage is ready outside."
"Thank you," I said and got down from the bed as she smiled and left the tent.
I changed and walked out to see the entire tribe there to see off.
"Thank you so much, Saintess!"
"You were like a Godsend!"
"Thank you, Saintess!"
They thanked while I smiled and kept moving until I reached Tanya and Poras.
Tanya embraced as she said, "Thank you for everything."
I smiled back and then looked at Poras.
"Thank you for saving my tribe, Saintess."
I nodded with a smile before I looked at the kids who were staring back at with teary eyes.
"You’re leaving already?"
"Stay with us, please."
"Don’t leave us too."
Too?
"The Saintess has a lot of things to do, brats!" Poras snapped making them flinch.
I looked at Tanya’s face again, she had the sa anguished look in her beautiful eyes which made a little uneasy.
"You will be going to the next town from here, right?" She asked and I nodded.
"Yes,"
"Please... be careful." She said as she held my hand in both of hers.
Her concern seed genuine and I placed my hand on hers.
"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine."
With the farewells done, I got onto the carriage and we hit the road once again leaving the tride with the crest of a boulder behind.
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