Complete Private ✪ Finweald Different People, Different Priorities

[Amy]

"Well, I can relate to wanting to get things done shortly after waking up." Better to not waste too much time idling around when you don't know when you need to be on the move... "As long as it doesn't harm him or those close to him, of course." Amy gave out a faint smile. There must be a reason why Magnolia dislikes his behavior, but it was not her place to pry.

Either way, with Magnolia's help, Amy got up from the bed, picked up her cane and carefully went downstairs. After asking for a simple meal, and sitting down, they continued their conversation, "I'll get a wagon to take me back to the northern portion Falderen. From there, it isn't too hard to get back to Zalra for as long as I stay close to the shore. The fishermen in Ilmea's Lament know me, as I visit from time to time." Amy explained. They had a nice enough relationship. She helped them catch some magical fishes, they gave her some free fishes to take home, "My family should still be close to the border between Zalra and Falderen, unless something happened, so I should be able to find them there... If not, then it will take some searching, but I know they will be looking for me too, so it should be alright." It was her first time going so far away from her family, so there were some uncertainties, but she was prepared for that when she chose to leave.

"Help in finding a ride would be appreciated though, if you don't mind. I am not comfortable with walking around the streets of Finweald." And she honestly wanted to keep her interaction with Starcalled to the minimum... Just hearing their chit-chat as they talk about their stats, this game, and "IRL" frustrated her to no end. The less she had to deal with those people who did not even understand the divine duty they had received, the better.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

Magnolia relaxed listening to @Amy's confidence regarding being able to get home safely. Of course, she would never underestimate the faerin just because she was blind, but she was aware that this posed as a big obstacle in a travel. Or perhaps, she was just overthinking and Amy was so used to her condition that she could go to beyond the horizon without a sweat.

"Of course, Amy. I will assist you in anything within my reach to make your travel as safe as possible." She said, and as their order came to the table, she added: "In fact, I'm not certain how letters and such work, but if you ever need assistance or someone to escort you, you can sent a letter so you can know where we will be. If we are by the area you plan to visit, you can certainly stay with us, in case you don't have any other trustworth friend nearby."

She said, waiting patiently for Amy to have her breakfast.

 

[Amy]

Amy was still a bit awkward with hearing Magnolia say she would do anything within her reach to help her... It was too much kindness with nothing being offered in return.

It's not like she hadn't received kindness like that before though... She received a lot of it when she first met her family. When they took her in while she was lost in Zalra, and continued taking care of her after they needed to take out her eyes... But it was different back then. They were all people of the same kin who were fleeing from Falderen and trying to find a safe place to live in... They all understood each other's circumstances, related to them too well, and chose to help each other out of a sense of camaraderie.

This didn't really exist with Magnolia, so Amy couldn't help wondering why she was going to such lengths to help her... Amy didn't believe Magnolia had ill intents towards her at this point, but it still felt like a recent friendship like this one shouldn't lead to this kind of outcome.

... Or was this just how friends behaved around each other...? When was the last time Amy had made friends? She didn't really remember... Had she ever had friends, even? She also didn't remember... Perhaps it was because of this that the current situation felt so alien to her... For now, Amy figured it was best to just accept Magnolia's kindness though.

"Thank you for the kind offer, I will keep it in mind." There wasn't an easy way to send letters out of Zalra though... But if she could travel to Falderen, sending a letter shouldn't be particularly hard, "Neither me nor my family have many contacts outside of Zalra, never mind friends, so... This is truly much appreciated." Amy elaborated.

Although she was a bit confused by the fact that she wasn't hearing any chewing sounds from her immediate surroundings... "Are you not planning on eating?"

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

Magnolia nodded at @Amy's gratefulness. "Having contacts outside of your homeland is always important, Amy. I will be happy to assist you on that. Lord Trevor does know many as well, if you ever need." Despite the fact he was a bit eccentric, even as a noble, and not one of the highest blood. But, he was still a noble, and rather wealthy thanks to his unique 'hobbies'.

When questioned about eating, she shook her head.

"I've already had my breakfast, Amy." She said, pausing for a moment, realizing that because of that, she was letting Amy eat alone. "My apologies, I wake up very early, so I have my breakfast earlier as well. But I should've waited to eat with you."

Generally she didn't have breakfasts with Lord Trevor, since he took way too long to get ready for the day. She was more used to share a lunch or a dinner with him, and it was an habit that ended up sticking to her through all these years of her 'Lander' life.

 

[Amy]

"Yes, it certainly is. It's just..." Amy faltered a bit... It's not like she was talking about a secret or anything, but it was still awkward to openly talk about it... Or perhaps what was awkward was that she had to actually say it, as all of her family understood this quite well... But perhaps it wasn't the case for Magnolia when considering neither her nor lord Trevor seemed to have any issues with Amy, "Well, people like me and my family aren't viewed well in Falderen. There are very few people there who are fine with us, and who are willing to trade with us.

"And Astorea..." Another pause, Amy took a deep breath before continuing, "Is a bit far from our home. On top of all the issues that come from it being a Starcalled country." Namely, that they don't really seem to care about anything or anyone. Because even after all those years, they still think that our world is a 'game'... It's infuriating.

No point in voicing any of those thoughts though, so Amy continued, "So... Well, your offer for aid, as well as lord Trevor's" Since Magnolia was speaking for him, he was probably fine with her representing him, Amy supposed, "is truly appreciated." Amy gave her a slight bow.

Then, she continued eating as she heard Magnolia explain why she wasn't having breakfast right now, "There is hardly a need to break your habits just because I imposed on you and lord Trevor last night. An apology is unnecessary.

"I was just..." Amy thought for a bit, trying to find the right word for what she was feeling... "Worried? Yes, I suppose I was... Starvation is quite painful, and I would not wish that upon anyone, especially not a friend... So, I suppose I was worried." Of course, nobody starved from a single day without eating, but any level of hunger was already quite unpleasant as is.

Amy's thoughts digressed as she thought of hunger, I wonder if one day we'll be free from our hunger, lady Rhiannon... I pray you may bring us peace when the right time comes... But as she finished her prayer, she too finished eating.

"Thank you very much, Magnolia." She had thanked her many times already, but she felt like she had to do it again... Having a meal paid for meant having the money saved for a future necessity... This was not something to take for granted, "If it is alright with you, I would like to get moving and go to the toy store to see what was it that the shopkeeper was offering... Although I am afraid I do not remember the path there..." Not like she remembered her way anywhere in this city... She needed familiarity to find her path, after all.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

For a moment, Magnolia allowed her Starcalled side get on the way of her words. Of course, @Amy was a Faerin, and that combined with the fact she was directly from Zalra, and had her disabilies which were still a hurdle for the closed mind of the average Faldareni it could cause several type of issues.

"Starvation is indeed a terrible thing. But Lord Trevor would be furious if I inflicted this to myself." She explained.

He already hates seeing famine caused by war and politic intrigue, so if he saw me doing it to myself due to carelessness he would be genuinely angry at me." She already had done that once, and she didn't plan to do that a second time. Her master had a big tolerance, despite his eccentric personality, but he could scold and even 'punish' Magnolia if needed.

Standing from her seat, she nodded. "Correct, the Toycrafter most likely opened his shop already. He is an early bird, after all..." She said, approaching and and offering her arm, and assistance to move out of the inn, whenever she was ready to do it.

 

[Amy]

Amy smiled as she heard Magnolia talk about Lord Trevor... It just didn't feel like it was a standard master-servant relationship. There seemed to be something special about it.

Granted, Amy didn't know much about master and servant relationships, as her attempts at working in Falderen either led to people attempting to kill her, for the 'sin' that lady Rhiannon committed in saving her kind, or trying to enslave her.

Still... A master that gets angry at their subjects when they don't care much for themselves? He must truly be a wonderful master.

... For a moment Amy wished she could have actually found lord Trevor all those years ago, and found a way to serve him instead of trying to find a safe haven in Zalra... But well, if she had done that, she might have not found her family, so perhaps it was for the best that it didn't happen.

... Or maybe it was for the worst, because never meeting her husband would mean never losing him...

Amy shook those thoughts away before her eyesockets starts spilling tears, "Lord Trevor sounds like a truly wonderful master, Magnolia." Amy forced herself to smile.

"Oh? Is it still too early in the morning?" Amy asked after Magnolia mentioned that the toymaker was an early bird, "Well, it shouldn't be an issue if he opens his shop early.

"In fact, it's actually a good thing. It means the ride to Falderen will be able to cross a good distance today." Amy thought she had overslept when considering how she woke up after Magnolia and lord Trevor, but... Perhaps she didn't oversleep as much as she thought she had. It was a bit of a relief.

Then, as Amy felt Magnolia's touch, she figured that Magnolia was probably offering her an arm, so Amy slowly got up and hooked arms with Magnolia, making sure to hold her cane the whole way, "I suppose I will be in your care today too." Amy said with a smile. It was still a bit strange to be offered help so easily by someone she met such a small amount of time ago, but it was also nice in a way... It made Amy feel like she was not a bother, not a burden... A very rare feeling for her, despite she knowing that her family doesn't think of her like that.

So for now, she was smiling. She felt like today was going to be a good day.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"He truly is..." Magnolia said, only not elaborating because it would mean opening herself a bit too much for now. Besides, they had to hurry to not make @Amy be any later to her travel. Especially living so far from where they were.

When Amy took Magnolia's arm, she waited the faerin to be ready, nodding at her words. "It is my pleasure, Amy." She affirmed, leading Amy out of the inn and walking through the steep streets of Finweald.

---

It wouldn't take long for them to reach to the shop, that as Magnolia expected, was already open and with its toys and crafts to display. There was a loud humming coming from inside, and as soon as they stepped into the shop, they were greeted happily.

"Top of the morning to you, miss Amy and miss Magnolia~♪" He sing sang.

"Greetings, sir Henry. I see you are in a good mood this morning."

"Yes, yes. Just interesting supplies that have finally arrived this morning. Also one of the Knights came to update me about the Lions for Cubs efforts. It seems like is going well~" He sing sang.

 

[Amy]

A pleasure to help me out, huh? It still feels awkward... But not in a bad way, I suppose. Amy thought to herself as she left the inn with Magnolia.

Going out early in the morning was certainly much more pleasant than Amy's arrival in Finweald the previous day. Very few Starcalled were around at this time, so the chit-chat in the streets made her almost capable of forgetting that this was a city in the heart of the Starcalled Country. It was truly delightful to not hear mentions of 'game', 'IRL', 'party', 'dungeons' and all those other things Starcalled spoke freely about without realizing that they were in other people's world and should be respectful of it.

So... Not having to deal with that definitely made Amy happy. She would have probably hummed a children's song as they walked if she didn't feel too embarrassed about it... Still, she made no effort of hiding her good mood.

Then, they arrived at a door, as the door opened, Amy heard Magnolia's greeting that confirmed her suspicion that they were once again at the toy store... And this time, Amy noticed something that she had missed on their last visit... 'Sir' Henry. That was how Magnolia referred to him.

I have made a mistake... Amy thought, "A good morning to you too, sir Henry." Then, she did a slight bow, "And I'd like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I should have been more mindful of my actions near someone of a higher station than mine." To hit a noble with a cane... Amy berated herself for her foolishness.

His next words did not elate her either, to think this man was affiliated with the Lions... Well, it was too late to choose another store to shop in, she had already gotten the gifts for the children, and she was planning on leaving Finweald soon.

So, Amy decided to move to the next topic at hand, hoping that sir Henry wasn't one to hold grudges, "Then... May I ask what was it that you had planned on preparing?" Whether it was ready or not was another matter altogether, but it was still something she wanted to know more about.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"Higher... Station? Aaah~~?" He pressed his index against his temple, trying to put the pieces together. "Missy, I may have some sum of gold, but I am as much as a peasant as you are. Honestly it flatters me that Magnolia insists to call me 'sir', when she is obviously above me, being so favored by a nobleman whom she courts all the ti~~ACK?!"

A not so subtle stomp that could break the feet of a gorilla nearly crushed the toymaker's foot, and he hopped on one foot a couple times holding the stomped foot, wincing and chuckling nervously and apologetically.

"My friend is waiting for your surprise with great anticipation, sir Henry."

"R-Right, the thing I was preparing for you, miss Amy~ O-Ow..."

He hopped away, with Magnolia's expressionless face only being betrayed by the fiery glare she was giving him.

Taking no longer than half a minute, he would hop back, carrying with him a small box, showing to both of them and clicking it open. When it opened, curiously, Amy would be able to see an outline that would resemble... A pair of hands? That felt off.

"Those are pretty gloves, sir Henry."

Magnolia's words revealed the true nature of the outline. A pair of gloves, cream and with three opaque and earthy colors coloured gems encrusted on the sides.

 

[Amy]

Amy was a bit confused at sir Henry's words initially, but as he continued talking, it became clear that Amy had misunderstood something.

The following loud noises were beyond Amy's understanding though... Well, mister Henry did shout, so something probably happened to him, but it was not something Amy had to ask him, specifically, "I see, my apologies for misunderstanding." Amy told him as he chuckled.

Following that, as he started moving away, Amy asked Magnolia, "What are those loud noises? Is he stomping his feet on the ground as he walks?" If true, that would be a very childish behavior.

Either way, Amy heard him return shortly after... And after a clicking sound... Amy could... See something? That was unnerving.

"Gloves?" She repeated Magnolia's words... Then, after a small while, sighed.

Amy did not understand why this man wanted to offer her magical gloves... Either they had something very useful in them, or he had somehow noticed the traces of Amy's magical sight.

Regardless of which one was true though, Amy's answer was already set, "I apologize, mister Henry, but I am afraid I cannot afford such a valuable tool."

... It took Amy a moment to realize that she shouldn't have been able to assess the value of gloves without touching them first... She just sighed again at that, I'm not used to hiding information. It was an unnecessary skillset near her family, but one that could be quite valuable when dealing with a person you didn't really know.

Not much she could do about it now though. Amy just prayed to lady Rhiannon that he wouldn't overthink it, and tried to move the topic away from that, "I'm also not sure of their purpose... Certainly gloves are valuable to protect one's hand from crystallized Zalrisis' dust, but I do not understand why those were prepared specifically for me."

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"It is a bad habit of sir Henry to stomp on the floor when he says something silly. Unfortunately it is a condition he has acquired in an accident where almost fell downstairs to his demise." She obviously lied, but her tone was so unexpressive, that unless someone knew the context of the situation, they would believe she was being serious.

Henry listened to the explanation, but decided to not retort. After all, if he had his other foot stomped at, he would have to start crawling around to move.

"Oho? It seems like miss Amy has a very keen eye for magic. Are you sure she isn't related to lord Trevor?"

"I am very certain of it, sir Henry."

At @Amy's words, he blurted out a laughter.

"Ho ho ho ho ho! You are very right, miss Amy. Gloves are valuable to protect one's hand fro Zalrisis dust, but they are far from flawless... This one, however? It is no ordinary glove. It is the Ever-Clean-Never-Wash-Protective-Yet-Fashionable-Gloves!"

He struck a pose, that faltered a bit with his trembling foot.

"This Glove is enchanted with a Geomantic charm that makes it completely 'particle', 'dust' and 'dirt' phobic. Which means that anything smaller than a pebble of the size of a thumb can't get attached to it or sneak under it. It is perfect to handle Zalra crystals, or to just not get your hands dirt while doing manual labor! Hazard proof, no spreading dust, no spreading Zalrisis!"

Henry waved his finger back and forth.

 

[Amy]

So he really was stomping his feet? Amy was surprised that this was indeed the case... Although the rest of the explanation was a bit... Unexpected. Amy couldn't help wondering if Magnolia was serious or if she was joking... If it's the latter, then we both truly need to improve our joke-telling skills. Amy concluded.

Then, mister Henry replied to her comment, and Amy had to hold herself back to not click her tongue... She really had said too much.

And the following laugher confused her... What was he laughing about?

As for his explanation... Amy only kept quiet throughout it, until she eventually sighed, "I believe I already made my stance on this clear. I cannot afford it." It would probably be a nice gift for mother though, but that fundamentally didn't matter, "Thank you for taking the time to prepare this though." Amy gave him a slight bow, before turning her face to the direction she last heard Magnolia's voice come from, "May I ask you to escort me to the wagons?"

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

As @Amy bowed, Magnolia nodded at her words. "Of course, Amy. If we are lucky, we will find a wagon going to Falderen quickly. After all, there has been a lot of back and forth movement between here and there."

Mostly trades needed for a Capital that needed to be rebuilt, but there was also the exodus going on.

"I am not sure why miss Amy loves to brag about not being able to afford something, but since you are already escorting her to the wagons, take the box with you, just in case she changes her mind about keeping it. If not, well... Keep it yourself, it would look good on you too, HO HO HO HO HO!"

Laughing heartily, he waved them a goodbye, with Magnolia taking the box with a brief head bow. "Thank you, sir Henry." She turned around, offering an arm to Amy so they could leave whenever she was ready.

 

[Amy]

"That would be wonderful. I will be in your care for a little while longer, then." Amy replied, deciding to leave mister Henry to his own business.

Except... The words mister Henry said next were not what Amy expected, which forced her to stop and turn to the general direction of mister Henry's voice... "So are you saying that this is... A gift?

"Why? This is definitely more expensive than the toys I bought. Why would you give such a precious thing away?" Amy suddenly became very wary of the gift... This was someone that Magnolia knew and supposedly trusted, so she wanted to not assume ill-intent, but... This did not make sense to her. It felt wrong.

"... What do the gloves actually do?" She asked warily... It was probably a good thing that Amy had not touched them.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"Of course, Amy. For as long as you allow me to keep you company." She said. Honestly, if she could, she would escort her all the way to Zalra. But it was something that she had already voiced against.

But their move out was cut short, and the shopkeeper that was already humming awa, came to a stop.

"A gift? Well, it is a surprise, but yes, a gift! It can be one too! Or is it a donation? ... Anyway! I've made this for an explorer friend that was going for an expedition at Zalra, but... Recent events made it all impossible. And no one comes to a toyshop to buy gloves, ah, non-ludic ones at least!"

And when @Amy asked what the gloves actually did, Henry's eyes sparkled.

"Ohoho~! I am glad you asked! You see, Geomancy can manipulate and alter some properties of gems and such, and because of that, it can alter the triboelectric effect and also make sure that no other dirt particles attracting elements are on the gloves, such as oils, humidity—"

He would go on, explaining as much as he could of the particularities of the enchantment on the glove.

 

[Amy]

"Allow you? You can stay next to me for as long as you would like." Amy replied. She did not understand what Magnolia was implying with that statement. Amy was the one imposing on her, after all, not the other way around.

Then, mister Henry replied... Amy did not know what she expected from his reply, but him happily chatting it out and pretending to not notice her distrust was certainly not it.

Amy sighed, tired of hearing him out, "I am sure there are other shopkeepers who would gladly buy a magical product from you, even if only to resell it."

Amy then turned her head back to the direction of Magnolia's voice, "I do not wish to question your judgment, but I do not think it is wise to trust this man. It is probably best to dispose of this item, or to at least request lord Trevor to properly examine it.

"If I wasn't confident that there was no magic in the toys I bought, I would dispose of them as well." She had already been outed on the fact she was good at recognizing magic anyways, so no point in hiding it anymore.

"I think we should leave."

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"I see, then I shall send a letter to Lord Trevor telling I will come back next week after escorting you to Zalra." Magnolia said. Whether she was jesting or being actually serious was unknown.

The discussion regarding the gloves then took another mistrustful turn, and after @Amy's retort, Henry watched the two, letting them speak and only opening his mouth again when they were completely done.

"Buy. Resell. Status. I didn't hone my craft just for coins. Much less for it to be carelessly considered to be disposed."

He lifted the counter's top to cross it, closing before reaching for the door knob.

"Anyway. I don't refund 100% off items, do with that as you will."

He opened and left into the back room.

Magnolia similarly turned around to guide Amy out of the shop. She placed the box by a shelf to free her hand to open the door before picking the box and pushing the door shut with her feet as they were outside. Having both of her hands stuck was an inconvenience, which is why she really disliked boxes.

"How is your route plan again, Amy? You didn't seem keen to let me escort you all the way back home, but I still want to company you to a distance that is as safe as possible for you. Especially as you mentioned going to Falderen, and knowing your concernes regarding the prejudice your kin is afflicted in there."

 

[Amy]

"All the way to Zalra?" Amy halted once more as she heard that... She did not expect this comment. It was both confusing and unexpected. Why would Magnolia want to go all the way there? Was it just to accompany her? Or did lord Trevor need something of it perhaps?

Seeds of doubt and mistrust started blooming again in Amy's heart... Had she been too quick to trust Magnolia? Was getting close a mistake?

Mister Henry spoke something, but at this point Amy was barely listening. He wasn't worth her attention right now.

Amy tried taking some deep breaths to try calming down as Magnolia guided her... She also heard some sounds that confused her a bit, but she decided to not pay too much attention to them, as they did not seem to imply danger.

Once the sound of her cane hitting the ground changed, Amy realized that they had properly left the store, and then Magnolia spoke to her again.

"Not keen on it..." She repeated Magnolia's words... Well, Amy's reaction now certainly a wary one, so she couldn't deny it.

"Let me... Think about it for a bit." Amy replied, "Is there a place where we can sit nearby? It is fine if we have to stand though."

Whether she was guided to sit down by Magnolia or not, Amy stayed quiet for a while, trying to think of the possible implications of Magnolia's suggestion.

If she wanted to harm Amy, she could have done so a long time ago, so that shouldn't be a worry... It shouldn't be.

Perhaps she could want more than just Amy? Capturing her family too could net them a lot of slaves... Was Amy just being manipulated this whole time?

But she also knew that Amy was blind and that her family was nomadic, so Amy shouldn't be able to properly guide Magnolia to them. Not to mention that Amy had already told her that they should be near the border with Zalra... Magnolia didn't need Amy if she wanted to go after her family. Not to mention it would be hard to do anything against the whole nomad camp by herself, it would be more effective to just send a group of lord Trevor's knights if the goal was to capture slaves.

Amy continued thinking on it... Her heart was filled with worry and suspicion... But her mind did not find any logic behind the request... It did not seem like there was any ill intent behind it.

And also... Amy wanted to believe Magnolia. She was happy to have made a friend. She was even looking a bit forward to her mother-in-law's reaction to that. She would probably be astonished at it.

Amy wanted to trust Magnolia... But going all the way to Zalra just to escort someone you met just yesterday? Yes, they had become friends, but this felt so absurd...

... Amy was scared. Not for herself, but for her family... And this fear was not something she could simply shrug off.

She took another deep breath... I'm getting nowhere from just thinking... "Do you have any business in Zalra or near it?" She decided to ask that first. Sure, Magnolia could lie there if she wanted to, but that alone would already clarify a lot of things.

She waited for the answer before continuing, "I suppose I am not keen on you escorting me indeed... It is scary. There are too many risks involved with Introducing someone I just met the other day to my family... Even if it's a friend that I'm bringing." Amy explained honestly... At times like these, she really wished she could at least see people's expressions, to see if she hadn't hurt Magnolia... She hoped that she hadn't.

"At the same time, I truly do not believe you mean any harm. Nothing about it would make any sense... My mind tells me that there is no risk in going together, but my heart can't stop worrying that I might be making a mistake and putting my family at risk... They are everything I have. I cannot put them at risk." Amy took another deep breath after saying this far.

"I suppose I just do not understand it... Why are you being so kind to me, Magnolia? Why are you willing to go this far for me? A newly born friendship shouldn't be worth staying so much time away from your master and going to a desolate cursed landscape." That was essentially the crux of the issue, Amy figured... She did not understand Magnolia's actions, and as such, they elicited fear in her heart, "I am very thankful for your help, make no mistake... But I have also been a bit confused for a while as to why you have continued to go far and beyond what was needed to aid me."

One more deep breath, "I do not mind answering about the route though... I would mostly be traveling through the northern portion of Falderen. Providence may have its own share of dangers, but it is also less hostile towards me and my family than the rest of Falderen, so it ends up being a safer travel route.

"After that I would continue going east until reaching Dunnstads. To stop by a fishing village that doesn't seem to be bothered by my presence. I believe I mentioned it before... I help them get some magical fishes, and in exchange they give me a portion of those, which I intend to take home with me.

"Then I would just need to take the way back to Providence and head to Neridan. That is where I would start asking information about nearby nomad camps or where and when any camps were last seen so that I could figure out where my family currently is, and then I would head to Zalra and seek out my family based on the provided information... That is the planned route. Does that easy your worries about its safety?" It was strange to ask that when considering how Amy was currently feeling about Magnolia, but it was still a genuine question.

Truthfully, being escorted would make the whole trip safer without at doubt, but Amy couldn't help being worried at the current moment... She hoped those feelings wouldn't make this friendship become far more short-lived than Amy had originally expected though.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"Of course, Amy. Let's just be mindful of the wagon's time, at this time of the day it is easier to catch one, or to reserve it." Magnolia remarked, not wanting the faerin to miss any of the options. Regardless, Magnolia guided @Amy to somewhere she could take a seat, and finally on somewhere to sit down, Magnolia rested the box on her own lap, patiently listening to everything Amy had to say.

There seemed to have some misunderstandings, some very fair concerns, and a mix of both of them.

"I've joked about escorting you all the way to Zalra, not exactly to your family. But judging your interaction with Sir Henry, I am to assume this is just your default mindset." She said.

"You aren't wrong on being cautious on people you have met recently." Magnolia paused for a long moment. "I've had my life be completely ruined and destroyed by someone I knew for a very long time. And the one who took my hand and put my mind back to the right place was someone that I've met by chance."

She opened up slightly, without much details. "What I mean to say, is that there are as many people that will 'irrationally' do beneficial things as there are those who will 'irrationally' do ill. So I'm afraid I can't give you a logical answer that involves some profit on my side aside of 'it sounds unreasonable to leave someone with impaired sight alone to travel such a long distance'."

Magnolia then paused, staring to nowhere in particular.

"But I suppose I am underestimating you in the process. You clearly have it handled, listening to your route."