A short distance later, the road split into three different directions. There didn't seem to be anything indicating which path led to a settlement. Perhaps the only indication of life in this place was a cluster of buildings built against the side of a hill at the end of the first path she took.

As much as she hated admitting it, the village did appear to be very primitive. The homes consisted of wooden shacks constructed from logs with crudely carved doors and windows. No chimneys rose above any roofs, and smoke came from open holes cut near the center of every structure. All of the dwellings appeared to have an attached lean-to, probably used to store extra foodstuffs when needed.

All of the structures were surrounded by fences fashioned from branches bound tightly together with rope. Each fence stretched to the tree line surrounding the entire valley, which meant they were easily ten feet high. Most of the fencing was bent inward, suggesting it had been damaged recently. It also suggested that whoever lived here knew their property could be invaded.

She wondered if those who worked outside the home ever encountered anyone else out there. If so, then perhaps the inhabitants of this place weren't as isolated as she originally thought. They may not even know there were other places beyond them.

What was the point? Why live like that, anyway?

Despite her curiosity, Serena couldn't linger long. She'd come looking for information, and she intended to get answers.

If she stayed longer, she might find herself getting caught up in whatever drama played out within those walls.

With Mint secured, she set off toward the largest building among the group. As she drew closer, she saw several women sitting outside on woven mats. One of the older ladies waved enthusiastically at her approach and beckoned for her to join them. Serena hesitated briefly, wondering why they might want her company. Then again, maybe it wasn't polite to enter another's house uninvited.

When she finally walked up the front steps of one particular dwelling, the matron smiled broadly at her. She was quite pretty despite being dressed in simple cotton pants and a blouse. A pair of leather sandals rested beside her chair, along with a basket full of vegetables. The vegetables were fresh, but they looked rather wilted.

The woman stood quickly and extended a hand. "Welcome!"

Serena shook her head. This was the strangest welcome she'd received yet since arriving in this strange land. But then, she supposed that was fitting considering where she now found herself.

"Thank you…"

"You're welcome! My name is Ella."

Ella gestured for her to follow, and Serena did. When she reached the doorframe, however, something inside made her pause momentarily.

She glanced back over her shoulder to make sure no one followed her. With Mint safely tucked away under the folds of her cloak, she turned around and stepped forward once more.

At least he was safe…

After entering through the doorway, Serena noticed a small table just past the entranceway. On top of the tabletop sat a clay jug filled with water and two cups. Another cup lay empty next to the pitcher.

It seemed odd that someone would leave such things out in plain view. Did they expect people to stop by and visit often enough that they wanted visitors prepared before they arrived? Or was it simply some sort of joke? Maybe they expected guests to drink the contents without realizing how dangerous they were. Either way, she decided against touching anything until she knew what it was.

As she passed by the table, she took note of the objects atop it: an assortment of knives and forks, plates, bowls, and spoons. Some appeared old, while others bore signs of use. All were dirty and grimy.

A few feet farther down, the room opened up into a spacious living space. Shelves lined every wall, holding all manner of items. Books, pots, baskets, jars—there was everything here except food. And yet, somehow, it didn't look half bad. It had been cleaned recently and smelled faintly sweet.

To either side of the fireplace hung tapestries depicting scenes from ancient history. Most depicted battles between armies of men. Others showed gods fighting demons or dragons. There were none of the fanciful creatures she'd seen in the forest, though.

One large wooden cabinet dominated the far end of the room, its doors wide open. Several shelves lined the interior, each stocked with different sorts of tools. Scissors, rakes, hammers, shovels, and axes were arranged neatly upon them.

This must be the workroom, she realized. No wonder everyone keeps the rest of their home clean; they spend most of their time here working.

Then again, the lack of furniture and personal effects suggested that these people rarely entertained guests. Perhaps they only ventured out when necessary, which meant she wouldn't have much luck finding out more about the world.

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"You're welcome to sit down. Would you like some water?" she offered, gesturing to a pitcher resting on top of a table next to her seat.

Serena shook her head. "No thank you, ma'am. I'm fine right now."

"What brings you here today? You look tired, and we haven't seen many travelers come our way lately," the matriarch inquired, looking curiously at Serena's face.

Serena shrugged uncomfortably before answering. "I don't know exactly, ma'am. I lost my map and compass and have been wandering for some time. I'm lucky that I managed to reach a village. Otherwise, I would've died out here."

"It truly is a lucky break for you to reach us. The gods must have blessed you."

Ravana couldn't suppress his derisive snort at the comment, but unfortunately for the entity, only Serena could notice him.

Serena gave the old woman a wan smile, deciding to not comment. She knew nothing about any kind of higher power here, and it would be best to be neutral and keep an open mind. At least until she knew more.

Ella rested her hands on her hips and Serena paid her a little more mind. The wizened old woman had a gauntness to her and looked like she hadn't been eating well. There was a strange glint in the way she looked at her that put her on edge.

Perhaps there isn't anything special going on after all. Maybe the old lady just doesn't want me disturbing things while she works, she thought, trying to shake off the feeling of unease.

The matriarch nodded slowly, still studying her carefully. Her eyes seemed to flicker around the room as if searching for something, then finally settled on the door leading deeper into the wooden house.

"You aren't the only one who stumbled across this distant village in the last day or so. They are resting here in the village chief's house. It is all we can provide a visitor's from afar." Ella said matter-of-factly. "If you will follow me a bit further, I will lead you to them."

"Oh! Well...thank you very much," Serena replied politely, her mind racing as she tried to piece things together. Was there another traveler here beside herself? If so, where were they? Had someone else already found the village and taken shelter within its walls? Or did they even need protection since there didn't seem to be anyone nearby?

"This way please!" Ella called out cheerfully, heading toward the back of the house. As she walked away, Serena followed closely behind.

Once inside, Serena noticed how small the building was compared to what she'd expected. There wasn't much space between each wall, and there weren't any windows. Instead, lanterns hung from hooks above the doorway. Serena wondered why the villagers needed so few lights when the sun set quickly outside.

As Serena continued walking along, she became aware of voices coming from a room at the end. Entering the room, she saw three men sitting at a table talking quietly amongst themselves. Each wore simple clothing consisting of rough pants and tunics. Two of them had their heads bowed low over their plates, but one man sat straight up with his chin jutting forward defiantly. He was tall and muscular, sporting short-cropped black hair. His piercing blue eyes looked her over in a way that made her uncomfortable.

His gaze lingered briefly upon Serena's chest before returning to meet hers. A sneer formed on his lips as he smirked at her. "Well met, missy. What do you think of our humble abode? I hear the food is quite good. Do you plan on staying for supper?"

He spoke enough that everyone in the room turned to stare at her. Serena felt her cheeks flush angrily and glanced away nervously.

"Look at me in that way again and I'll rip out your eyes and force-feed them to you," she answered curtly, unsure whether she should answer his question or not.

A look of surprise flashed across his face, then it disappeared just as quickly as his smirk reappeared. "I'm sorry ma'am. Did my rudeness offend you somehow? My apologies."

"It doesn't matter now anyway, because I don't intend to stay here long," Serena added coldly. But she couldn't help herself; he irritated her greatly.

"That's too bad, dearie," the third man interjected softly. "You're going to wish you stayed after seeing the trouble we've seen recently. We could use your assistance right about now if you want to see us through until morning."

Her curiosity piqued, Serena returned her attention to him. This time, instead of staring at her chest, the man stared directly into her eyes. For some reason, this unnerved her far more than the first man did.

"What sort of troubles have you encountered lately?" Serena asked carefully, trying to keep her tone neutral despite feeling slightly uneasy under the other man's gaze.

"We found a body earlier today. It looks like someone killed another villager last night. And yesterday, we heard screams from somewhere nearby. Nobody knows where they came from, though, since nobody ever ventures anywhere close to the woods anymore. If only people would stop hiding behind those walls!"

At this point, the other two men began laughing loudly at the absurdity of the statement. As soon as their laughter died off, however, the man who seemed most serious leaned back against the wall beside his plate. He gave Serena an appraising glance.

"So what brings you to town? You seem young to be traveling alone. Where are your parents? Or maybe you have no family left at all, hmm? That must make things so much easier when dealing with strangers, wouldn't you say?" His voice was smooth and deep, yet there were hints of sarcasm in every word. She didn't know how to respond to him—he wasn't exactly making himself easy to talk to either.

"My name isn't important. I am merely passing through."

This brought forth even louder chuckles from the others. The man next to him snorted derisively.

"Oh come now, sweetheart, surely you can tell us something about yourself. Maybe you need a place to rest tonight, or perhaps you simply require directions. Whatever the case may be, I'm sure you won't mind sharing your story with us while you dine, yes?"

She knew she shouldn't let these men get to her, but she also couldn't deny that she wanted desperately to leave this wretched village already. They weren't going to give up easily, she realized, which meant she might never find anyone else willing to take her in. It seemed unlikely that any travelers passed through here unless they happened to stumble upon this settlement by accident. So why hadn't she taken her chances elsewhere?

Serena sighed heavily, knowing full well that she had been foolish to believe she'd run into anything resembling kindness around here.