As they faced the house, Arthur seemed to hear something at his side and only noticed the lake that was quiet and without apparent movement except for the wind.
The silence in the place was strange, there was no sign of birds or other animals even with a water source nearby, just a wooden house in front of the side.
Christopher noticed Arthur's insecurity and commented on it.
"What do you think, Arth?"
"Does it look like… someone rich's house?"
"No way…a simple wooden house for someone rich?"
"But it looks like it's been visited recently, it's well kept and clean, someone must live in it."
Christopher squinted his eyes to see better and managed to notice these details with difficulty, but then he raised an eyebrow and questioned.
"Should we go there?"
Arthur stared at the house still apprehensively, but soon they both saw the door slowly open and from there emerged an adult woman with light skin who was wearing a long light green dress, with white ruffles and a strong green vest, her long hair went to the end from her back and were also light green in color, but a little greener than her dress.
She came out with a broom in her hands and seemed smiling, but soon her expression changed when she saw the young people, showing an expression of doubt and amazement, the two looked at the woman who put her hand on her mouth while she watched the two.
The woman's presence made Arthur squint as he stared looking a little more serious, then he touched Chris's arm and spoke.
"Let's go, before this becomes a problem."
He tried to push, but he noticed that his friend didn't move. Noticing such a reaction, Arthur looked at Christopher trying to understand what had happened, but soon noticed the blonde with wide eyes and rosy cheeks as he kept his mouth open, still looking at the green haired lady.
Christopher seemed paralyzed or at least distracted enough not to notice Arthur pushing him, the swordsman put his hand in front of the blonde's face, but it was useless, he didn't even blink and looked in a daze.
His eyes were fixed on the girl in green who looked back at him, but she looked with a certain pity.
He was still paralyzed and while he saw that, but noticing the woman's look of sadness, he soon returned to his normal expression and turned his face with the burned part to the side, hiding it while his expression showed a little shame.
The woman continued with her sad look, but soon left the broom aside and walked closer to the end of the wooden part to be able to see them better.
Arthur stared attentively and leaned his body, leaving his leg beside the scabbard a little higher, showing the sword in a threatening tone to scare it away and keep it away.
Seeing the behavior of the young swordsman in front of her, she stopped walking towards them and Christopher looked back at the corner of his face, seeming to want to understand, but soon the woman spoke.
"Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you, you don't look like thieves and you also look injured… what happened?"
Soon Chris turned a little more of his face to see the lady in the green who was still watching the two, but soon Arthur still with his sword slightly raised, but he felt a touch on his shoulder and turned around, seeing Chris who was with a calmer expression and spoke.
"Hey Art. At least let's explain ourselves, we who are invading..."
Arthur noticed that Chris still looked troubled, but he understood that she could help and spoke.
"We came from a village a few hours away, we just wanted to fill our canteens and not be a nuisance, the house caught our attention so we stopped for a bit, but we're on our way out, we're looking for a certain someone and we still don't know who it is, please understand our distrust, but I ask you to stay there, we're just going to get some water and leave."
He lowered his leg and returned to his normal posture, removing his hand from the hilt of the sword and soon after Chris also removed his hand from Arthur's shoulder.
The woman continued to watch the two, but soon showed a serene and slightly smiling expression.
"Okay, but please, not from the lake, I can fill yours, but first..."
She turned her eyes to the blonde as her expression changed to one of concern and continued.
"I know you're scared about me, but this burn looks a little fresh and pretty serious… doesn't it hurt?"
Hearing the woman's question, Chris then took his hand close to the burned part, feeling a slight heat in his hand that emanated from his face, after that he lowered his hand and looked at his burned part, still crestfallen, but soon he he squeezed his fist still feeling a slight pain.
"Yes, very recent and still hurt a lot. Even the wind hits it hurts a little, but I know it won't let up anytime soon and what's left for now is getting used to it, haha... urgh..."
He grunted again feeling the pain in his face due to the sudden movement, some parts were still peeling and sore, but soon after he returned to his normal expression as he looked down, still half crestfallen as he spoke.
"But I'm alive, at least that will remind me what happened for a while..."
The words came out with a slightly painful tone, Arthur lowered his head and the woman squinted her eyes slightly as she looked at the blonde's face that forced a smile, then he continued.
"I'm fine, let's fill our canteens and continue our journey if you don't mind. We need to find a friend."
"Where are you going?"
The woman questioned and immediately Chris answered.
"A town farther north, at least I think... it is..."
"Hey, stop."
Arthur interrupted, but soon after Christopher showed a look of doubt and soon realized what he was going to say, covering his mouth in a nervous gesture.
Seeing that act, the woman stared with a certain ease and laughed right away, placing her hand on her face as she leaned slightly.
"Okay, I asked too much about you guys, but if I know where you want to go I can help you get there."
She spoke and caught the attention of both, Arthur looked still with a certain discomfort in his expression and soon Chris looked at the swordsman, who soon exchanged glances, still seeming undecided, but soon spoke.
"What will you want in return for that?"
The lady was taken by surprise, but then she partially closed her eyes with a smile and the calm expression that seemed to be her default, after that, she turned around, heading towards the house.
"I'd better show you boys. You can come in and take the opportunity to fill your canteens."
Slowly she walked and entered the house, disappearing from the view of the young people.
Chris took a step forward starting to walk towards the entrance of the house, but before going he looked back staring at Arthur as he said.
"You come?"
Arthur remained standing in her place, but soon he sighed, still uncomfortable, and started to follow Christopher who was heading towards the house.
The two walked and reached the wooden part that led to the woman's house, Christopher approached and observed the interior of the house through the door, entering it soon after.
Meanwhile Arthur remained apprehensive, but something made him look to the side, seeming strange.
He just saw all that accumulation of greenish water that seemed to move by the wind, he squinted trying to find what was bothering him, but soon after he heard a voice.
"Hey Art."
His attention was called and he looked to the side once more, but after that he followed Christopher, hearing only the sound of a bubble bursting as he entered the house.
The two were in front of the open door and could see the inside of it, there were some shelves that had clay pots with soil and some plants growing, there were some with green leaves, others red and others blue, it was an environment with little lighting having the feeling of being wet.
Entering a little further it was possible to see a corridor with some doors leading to places that appeared to be bedrooms, at the end of the corridor the two saw a slightly larger room with a table full of papers, also managing to see a part of the green dress through the door and then they approached.
As they entered the room, they saw that it was something similar to a kitchen, there were some shelves with pots and a bucket in a corner that seemed to serve for many things, but mainly they saw a lit cauldron with something seeming to boil while the lady in green was standing with his back to both seeming to grind something.
Christopher had his vision focused on the table, so he approached and tried to see what was on it, being followed by Arthur who was also staring at the table, Christopher questioned.
"What are these papers?"
Right after asking, he saw the woman lower her head a little, looking sad or thoughtful, then she turned around and revealed some ground leaves with red and green color.
She approached the cauldron and scooped up the boiling water with a ladle, filling a glass and then immediately pouring the leaves inside, starting to mix with a small wooden spoon.
Holding the glass in one hand, she took it to the table and let it rest while the herbs were still moving on its surface, right after that she took one of the papers and read what was written, something written, the two young people managed to recognize some letters, having a message, recognizing that they were letters.
Still thinking about Christopher's questioning, she released the sheet and dropped it under the table to join all the other letters.
Her eyes stared at that massive amount of letters and seemed to remember something, but then she took a deep breath and spoke.
"Before talking about the mission, I ask for a little confidence, after all I need to know where they are going to know if my information will be useful. Because what I tell you here is only about my family, so I don't want to involve them if I can't give something back."
Christopher looked surprised, then lowered his eyes and spoke.
"Miss..."
"Asmith."
Arthur interrupted before Chris could speak, he seemed to look at some of the letters while passing his eyes briefly to read, then he took one and hearing the name of the city, the lady in green put her hand on her chin looking thoughtful.
"Asmith…so the two of you are going to enlist, good."
She showed relief in her expression that returned to her standard smile, but soon after she showed a worried and pained look.
"But I'm sorry to say that they are a little far away, it will be at least three days' journey there, it will be difficult even if I guide them..."
Christopher had his attention drawn to hearing from someone who knew Asmith's location, so he smiled and spoke.
"If you can show us the direction, that's already a big help. We came north because we know we're south of Asmith, but going straight forever isn't going to help us much."
The blonde spoke with a slightly more animated tone while Arthur remained silent reading the letters, right after hearing Christopher's sentence, the lady in green smiled and spoke.
"I can't, it would be unfair to send them on a quest for me just to earn this..."
"N-No, I'm sure this can help us, what would be so dangerous or complicated that information wouldn't be worth it?"
A cough interrupted the conversation and looking towards the cough, Chris could see Arthur holding a letter in his hands, soon he started to read aloud.
"It's been a long time, Lirian, these last few days have been hard. Maybe we can visit you in a few days, I don't know, I don't want to hang around anymore, I miss you."
Right after reading the letter, he would gently return it to the pile as he spoke.
"Lirian, that's your name, isn't it? How long ago did you get that letter?"
"A few days ago, every day I received them by the postman, but something strange has happened in the last few days, the forest is quieter and I fear what may have happened to my family..."
"What happened to your family?"
The lady in green heard the swordsman's last question and lowered her head slightly, while the climate inside the house remained calm, outside, at the bottom of the lake, again an air bubble rose, being gigantic and raising a large amount of water while a shadow began to show approaching the surface.