"Do you know this girl?" Kaelith asked at last, his voice steady but carrying a cautious edge. He could sense the woman's nerves from the way her hands trembled faintly at her sides, though she tried to mask it.
Their presence alone, the overwhelming aura Zevryn exuded and his own looming stance in armor was enough to frighten anyone who stumbled upon them in the middle of the forest.
"Yes… she… she is my friend's daughter. I have been searching for her the whole night," the woman finally replied, her words rushed yet sincere. Her voice cracked on the last syllable, betraying the exhaustion that weighed on her body.
Despite her fear, she forced her feet forward, each step bringing her closer to them. Perhaps it was the sight of Elara in Zevryn's arms, alive and breathing, that gave her the courage to move.
Her eyes never left the girl, her gaze locked as though afraid Elara might vanish if she dared to blink.
