Cedric moved toward her without hesitation, his instincts telling him she was no threat. "Are you hurt?" he asked, kneeling beside her.
The girl shook her head weakly, her hands trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself. "No… but they are."
Cedric's brow furrowed. "Who?"
"My village," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's just beyond the hills. We were attacked… I… I couldn't save them."
Maeve crouched beside Cedric, her usual playful expression gone. "What happened?"
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. "Bandits. They took the children. I tried to stop them, but… I'm not strong enough. I'm a healer. All I could do was heal the wounded, but… it wasn't enough."
Cedric's heart clenched. Another village, another group of innocents caught in the crossfire of a lawless land. He glanced back at Lira, whose expression remained unreadable but tense. "We'll help you," Cedric said firmly, turning back to the girl. "We'll get your people back."
Lira stepped forward, her eyes scanning the horizon. "Where did they take them?"
The girl wiped her eyes, trying to steady her voice. "North, toward the mountains. There's an old ruin there… that's where the bandits hide."
Maeve looked at Cedric, a gleam of determination in her eyes. "Guess we've got a new mission."
Kellen crossed his arms, his smirk returning. "Rescuing kids from bandits? What are we, heroes now?"
Cedric stood, offering the girl his hand. "What's your name?"
"Tamsin," she replied softly, taking his hand and pulling herself to her feet. "Tamsin Whitestone."