Despite the economy, the tavern she visited was full during the day. Even if they could only afford a single jug of beer for a whole afternoon, they still wanted to come and chat, as it was the hub the gather gossip and sometimes reliable information.
"Oh, miss, I haven't seen you around. You new here?"
Behind the bar stood two women. One was bubbly with a notable huge chest asking a lot of questions, the second one was elderly who kept on knitting, ignoring the full house.
"Yes, I arrived today and will be staying here for a while… Please take care of me."
"Of course!" The younger woman laughed. "As long as you patron here, we will take care of you!"
The tavern was busy, and everyone kept talking loudly. Arianell sits by the counter across from the elderly woman.
"Mama, can you help a bit? We have so many guests tonight!" The younger woman asked.
"No," the elderly woman has not lifted her head at all, she continued knitting. "I worked here for over 50 years, now it's your job to keep running this business."
"Have been here for so long, madam?" Arianell asked curiously. People referred to the west as a place close to hell, no one was living there willingly, but leaving was almost impossible.
"This is just how it is," the woman sighed bitterly. "None of us wants to be here, but once we are here, we are determined to die here… Maybe it's part of the curse."
Arianell wasn't sure, whether the woman joked or not, so she decided to not ask any more questions. The unspoken rule among Westerners was to never ask anyone where they come from or what they are doing there unless they reveal it by themselves.
"But wait…" the elderly woman finally lifted her head. "You… Have I seen you before?"
Arianell avoided her eyes immediately and made sure her hair was covered under the scarf that Luan had bought for her. She hadn't taken it off since the festival in the last city before they went to the mountain range.
"I'm new here… you must be mistaken."
But the woman peered at her sharply.
"My face… I'm sure my face is very common!"
"Common?! You should buy some mirrors, miss!" The woman chuckled. "You should hide your face properly before any of those idiots get a wrong idea." She added much more quietly.
Arianell tried to calm down, but her heart still beat strongly. She focussed on her stew avoiding any attention. But when she looked up again, she met with a pair of deep dark eyes.
The elderly woman had stopped knitting and was watching her every move intensely.
"Uhm… Is there something on my face?"
"Your face… Hmm… I'm sure I have seen a similar face before… Those purple eyes… They are very rare, you know?"
Arianell's face was drained of colours. She was afraid to say something but being silent would make her even more suspicious.
"Well… Actually, I heard one of my distant aunts live near here… But we weren't close or anything, I only hear about her at family gatherings…"
"Around here… Hmmm, could it be?! When I was much younger, a woman with silver hair came to live at the house by the forest… Yes, it's hard to believe, but there is a small house located at the edge of the Forest. Not many people know about it as no one dares to come near it," the woman seemed to be lost in her memories.
"The woman had a daughter who looked just like her. After some years, she passed away leaving her daughter alone. Hardly anyone knows about it as they didn't come to the village often, but I remember both of them were real beauties just like you…"
Arianell was hooked with the interest immediately. The woman with silver hair… Could it be her mother? Or grandmother?
"What happened to her daughter…?" She asked pretending to be nonchalant.
"The younger one also passed away some years ago. Could it be 10? No, maybe even 15 years ago? I think she lived there until she met some passing soldier. They fell in love, but he had to leave for the battlefield again. He returned two years later, and she died shortly after. It was rather a tragic story, but at least she was able to meet him for the last time. I remember this because he has gone to the village to buy a coffin. Never hear about him again…"
"Mama! Don't you see the full house?! Why can't you help a bit?!" The owner lady yelled impatiently.
"Shut up! I'm too old to be working again! I made enough money already!"
Two women started the argument not caring about customers. Some of them even thought that the bickering added to the joyous atmosphere and cheered on them loudly. Arianell put two silver coins on the table and retreated quietly before anyone noticed.
The tavern was bustling but outside streets were deserted. It was silent, as not even bugs or birds could be heard. The sun was low, so not much time was left for her to look for her house.
Butler at Randel's estate did a great job figuring out her new home location according to official documents and even marked it on the map for her. From the look of it, it would take her about an hour by foot.
She departed the Deneb without anyone knowing. The same gate's guard who collected an entry fee from her was dozing off by the wall. He only cared about people coming in, but whoever left the city was unnoticed by him.
"I'm sure entry was just one silver, the other one went straight into his pocket," Arianell complained to herself.
As soon as she passed by the fields, she found a small path overtaken by dry grass. It was hard to walk on, but she had to get to her destination before it got dark.
Visiting the tavern was a good idea. She was able to get some valuable information. The silver hair and purple eyes seemed to be traits inherited from her mother's side. If in the future she wants to look for her family, wouldn't the uncommon colour make it easier? The soldier who fell in love was probably count Randel. Arianell was somehow relieved, that her parents seemed to be in love.
But he still cheated on his wife. She hates cheaters.
She pondered about hero Randel as she made her way closer to the Forest. The walk took much longer than she expected, as she also carried a suitcase and several supplies bought in the city. The sun had set by the time she finally saw the silhouettes of the trees.
The Forest everyone was talking about finally revealed to her the beauty and the charm of the curse.