Once the boy was done, Mr. Scott crumpled the note in his fist and started to bark out new orders. He had decided to follow traced of Aria's wind bending.
For that, he was going to take some of his best wind bendors and follow the traces, and leave the others to follow on horseback.
The sudden changes in the plan took quite some time to execute, because now the party that would be leaving the Scott mansion was one of soldiers, not scouts.
Dawn had already broken by the time everything was ready.
Almost all the people had gathered out of the mansion as some of the best bendors of the water kingdom tried to find traces of Aria's bending around the mansion. But however much they tried, all they found were dead ends.
Aria had been staying at the Scott mansion for a few days now, so it wasn't surprising that traces of her bending lingered almost everywhere.
Joseph was walking around the garden, helping the bendors. "Come on. What would Aria have done? The people knew she could use wind bending, they wouldn't have let her mark her presence that easily. Think!!" he muttered to himself as he walked towards the main gate.
Suddenly, Joseph's head snapped up in the direction of the main gate. He stood transfixed, trying to believe what he had just sensed.
Aria's wind bending! Was it really her!? Was she coming back!?! Was she safe!?!? Joseph's mind boggled with thousands of questions as he bended wind and flew upwards. He barely had time to reach the main gate before something swooshed past him with lightning speed.
The figure slowed down a few metres in the garden, and Joseph saw that it was just one person in a broken earth armour. His heart was filled with dread as the figure, whoever it was, landed lightly in the garden.
And as soon as the figure landed, all traces of Aria's wind bending considerably reduced.
Joseph already knew who the person in the armour was as he landed back and rushed to the figure. He knew he should have felt relieved, Helen was safely back, but Joseph's heart couldn't help but sink a little. Had he really lost Aria forever?
Would she escape that hell-hole alive? Would she want to come back even if she did?
Helen's armour melted away as soon as she landed and just as Joseph was about to reach her, she let out a warm piercing shout.
Joseph winced and grabbed her, holding her close and muttering, "It's okay Helen. You're back. It'll be fine."
He had assumed that Helen was disturbed or traumatized, and it would take a few moments for her to calm down. But she immediately sat upright in Joseph's arms upon hearing his voice. "Joseph? That's you right?" Helen asked as other people rushed towards them, drawn by Helen's scream.
"Yeah it's me. You'll be fine. You're safe." Joseph began to console her once again, but was very surprised when Helen shrugged him off and stood up.
"Father? Father!?!" She called around. Mr. Scott walked over as he spoke, "Yes dear. I'm here. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Helen said dismissively, "But you need to save Aria." she continued.
"Calm down Helen." Mr. Scott put both of his hands on her shoulders and spoke, "Explain everything to me. Quickly and briefly."