Lost and Confused [Open]

[Maraevaras]

When Maraevaras woke up she had no idea where she was. Where was she? And how did she get here? Try as she might the wood elf could not recall. The young elf took a good look at her surroundings as she tried to recall where she had been last. It was hard though, her head felt all clouded and groggy. Just sitting up made the world spin. The woman groaned as she held her head in her hands. Come on girl, think! she thought to herself. Why was it so hard to focus? It was as if she had drunken too much wine and couldn't remember anything but she knew she didn't drink anything before. While Mara liked the taste of wine she didn't much care for the strange buzzing sensation it gave when she drank too much. It was odd that that was something that she could remember. It wasn't much but it was something. Mara took slow deep breaths to help calm herself down as she tried to think back on things that she could remember. What could she remember? Well, she knew her name, and what she was, that was a given. She wasn't much of a drinker. She had figured out that much already. What did she do for a living? She was a hunter. That's right, she was a huntress. But where was her bow?

Mara lifted her head up to look for her weapon. The woman breathed a sigh of relief when she found her bow and her arrows laid out beside her. So she had come here with her weapon of choice at least, but what else did she have? Mara felt around herself to see what other belongings she still had. Her search turned out a dagger, a wineskin (half way filled with water), and a coin purse. The coin purse felt pretty full too. The purse brought back another memory with it. Hadn't she spent the past few days selling the game she caught, and fulfilling odd jobs to get it filled? Why did she do that? Oh right, Mara had been planning to leave the village soon to explore the world like she had wanted to do since she was little. She had spent so much time preparing for the long trip out of the forest into the wide open world. Was that the reason she was here?

It didn't quite look like she left the forest yet. Where Mara had woken up from was surrounded by trees. But they looked wrong. These weren't the trees she had grown accustom to from her homeland, even the grass was strange, it was too short, it was as if some stranger cut them down to short little tuffs of greenery. While Mara still couldn't remember how she ended up here, she could remember not having ventured far enough away from her homeland for things too look so drastically different. The elf slowly rose up on her feet, and picked up her bow and arrows before she started walking around. Her memories may not have fully recovered yet but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She needed to find out where she was somehow. If her memory would not help her then maybe someone else would. Who knows, maybe if she explored around a little bit something might trigger her memory?

[Deleted]

Allowing her feet to just barely swing, Sydnee watched from a nearby tree as the woman awoke. Sydnee seemed to find some form of entertainment in how the woman was acting, she seemed almost completely uncomfortable within her own skin. As the unfamiliar woman reached for her various items, a small smile curled upon Sydnee's lips. Who was this woman? She couldn't have been around when Sydnee was...But then again, Sydnee hadn't been around for years. Scratching the bark layered upon the tree with her nails, she kept completely quiet as she watched the woman rise. Something about her, something about her actions towards herself sparked a curiosity. And as she usually does, Sydnee would soon act on this curious nature.


Sitting up slightly, Sydnee extended her legs out more...Just enough to the point where Sydnee could jump down from the tree branch. As her feet met with the grass below, her knee's gave in just barely to stabilize her balance. Everything was silent besides the gentle rattle that came from her stepping upon the grass. Looking down at her own feet, Sydnee couldn't help but smile once more. She knew the various races located around the world enough to know what would signal them off...And from her knowledge, the woman looked the appearance of a hunter...meaning sound should set her off. Adjusting her own shirt for a moment, and brushing some hair strands from in front of her face, Sydnee then looked up in the direction where she had last seen the woman. Speaking up softly, Sydnee took a slightly step towards the woman.

"Now, Now, Now....We aren't lost are we?"

Giving a fake, but still sympathetic frown, Sydnee continued stepping towards the woman. Seeming much more confident at this point, Sydnee observed the various features of the woman. Was this woman actually from around here and just playing the part of ignorant perfectly....Or was there truly something wrong with this woman that Sydnee couldn't read? Giving a gentle, but almost reassuring frown, Sydnee was now close enough to the woman to get a better vibe of whom she could be.

"My Dear, You should know better than getting lost in this Neck of the Woods...People can be rather Dangerous."

The words twisted off Sydnee's tongue as if she had practiced a million times in the mirror to perfect such wording. But, this was a natural skill of Sydnee. Even though she seemed to feast on individual's souls...She still knew how to be a "people person"....that was at least until she decided to consume their very being.  

[Maraevaras]

Everything seemed to be in order as far as Mara could tell. She still had her weapons, her coin purse, and wineskin with her. All the things that she could remember taking with her at the start of her trip she still had. But what about her food? Now that she thought about it Maraevaras couldn't find the food that she had backed for herself. Though not all her memories had come back to her yet the elf could remember taking some food with her before she left. It was suicide to not pack some kind of provisions if you were planning to travel. Even though the young woman was more than capable of getting her own meals she wasn't stupid enough to rely on her own hunting skills right off the bat. Did someone steal her provisions while she was unconscious? It wasn't likely, if a thief had gotten to her then why would they steal only her food when she had a purse full of coins? Maybe she had misplaced it sometime before she passed out. If that was the case then she was screwed. Who knew how long it would take for her to regain her memories?

It looked like Mara would have to put down getting food among her growing list of things to do. At least she was in the forest. Or at least what she thought was a forest. There was something about this place that felt off and for the life of her she couldn't figure out what that was. Strange or not a forest was a forest, which meant that there was plenty of food around for those that knew how to look for it. A plan was already starting to form in the elf's brain. First things first she would try to figure out exactly where she was. Maraevaras still had some resources and water to keep her going for awhile, and since she just woke up she didn't feel hungry which meant she didn't need to worry about food for awhile. Once she got her bearings down she could set up some small traps to catch a few rabbits and squirrels to fill her belly in the mean time. Hopefully by the time she managed all of that she would be able to find some kind of water source. She maybe fine with water now but that could change very soon. The last thing she needed was to get thirsty while she was lost.

With her plan set Mara rose to her feet and started her journey. She had only moved a few steps ahead when a sound caught her attention. Mara was quick to act. Within seconds of hearing that sound she already had her bow out, aiming her arrow out in the direction that the noise had came from. The elf didn't say a word, instead she chose to wait for whatever was out there to come to her. She wasn't about to let any potential game catch her and take their chance to run away since she was short on food supplies. There was also the chance that whatever was out there was something more sinister. There were plenty of monsters out there in the world that loved to dine on elven flesh, and she was not about to let any of them get the best of her.

Soon enough something came up in her line of sight. Mara remained still, waiting for the creature to show itself as she stood at the ready. But to her surprise the thing that came to her was not an animal or even a monster but a person. Maraevaras lowered her bow as the strangely dressed woman spoke. Mara looked a little surprised as she looked the other woman over. Who was this person? She didn't look like another elf, so she had to be a human. Odd, humans didn't venture out so far into the woods especially on their own. The most Mara ever saw humans was the few times traders showed up in her village. She could remember watching those strange creatures with wonder as a child. Those times were rare though, so why was a human here? It took her a moment to remember that though she seemed to be in the woods right now she didn't actually know where she was. This place might be a long way from home than she thought it was, if that was so it wouldn't be as surprising to find more humans in this area. Maybe this woman lived nearby? If that was the case then she might be helpful.

“I'm afraid so mi'lady.” Mara replied. The elf lowered her guard somewhat as she spoke. This human woman seemed friendly enough that she didn't need to worry about her. Mara was not the kind of person who would start a fight with a complete stranger over nothing. Especially now of all times. What she needed was a bit of direction. It was a little shameful for a wood elf to admit that they were lost in their own element but there was little point of lying to save her pride. Today was a confusing mess on its own, the last thing she needed to do was make things even more complicated for herself. “I am not sure how I came to be here honestly. I just woke up here a moment ago. Can you tell me where we are?”

[Deleted]

Sydnee hadn't gotten close enough to go on the attack just yet, when the woman raised her weapon. Pausing for a couple of seconds, Sydnee looked the woman over for possible threats, and theories to be concerned about. It had become obvious that she wasn't from around here, but that merely raised the question...Where was she from? Her clothing and obvious way of speaking told Sydnee that woman was indeed an elf, but what was she doing in a place such as this? As the woman lowered her bow, Sydnee then continued walking towards the woman...Observing each detail of her obvious physique. It has become obvious that the Bow and Arrow would be an obvious danger, along with hand to hand combat possibly. Sydnee couldn't read her entirely just yet...but she knew with time that all could change. As a slightly breeze pushed through the branched and rattled the leaves, Sydnee felt her hair tickle against her face. Taking a moment, Sydnee brushed her own hair from in front of her face and pushed the strand behind her ear. Looking up at the sky for a moment before returning her glance towards the woman, several thoughts passed through Sydnee's mind...but none more so that the mystery of who this woman truly was. Once getting close enough, Sydnee gave a gentle smile and spoke in a careful tone.

 "New Orlands..."

As Sydnee spoke, she watched the woman to see if she would get any reaction. It became obvious that this woman was genuinely lost, and Sydnee almost felt obligated to help her in some way. This woman obviously thought that Sydnee was a human like most of the population here...And for now, that was probably best. Most didn't know what succubi were in the first place, and once they did....The trust was slightly lacking. Leaning to her side slightly, Sydnee looked rather vulnerable to the world around her...Like a human would look.

"Where are you from my Dear? I would be careful...People around here...They aren't the most trusting of folks."


Strangely enough, at this point Sydnee was actually genuinely  concerned for the woman. Sydnee knew how it felt to be new in this town...and once again she was new to this insane town...So in the end, it seemed they were in the same vote. They were alike, beyond the fact that Sydnee was here to tempt various individuals...And, well, this woman seemed rather confused.

"My names Sydnee..."

[Maraevaras]

Mara had expected many possibilities on what was coming in her direction when she first heard some noise, but out of all the possibilities she hadn't expected what she saw. A human? This far into the forest? It was a little strange. Mara wasn't too use with humans, the few that she saw were merely traveling merchants that knew where to find her kind. It took a special kind of human group to venture out as far as they did to trade with elves. Most weren't willing to do it. In fact as far as Mara knew most humans lived in their own large settlements of land far away from the kinds of places her kind chose to live. So seeing this human woman here by herself and unarmed no less caught her off guard. At least she didn't seem like a threat. This strange human female didn't have any weapons as far as she could tell, she didn't act like a hostile, and as far as she could tell the human seemed to have no intentions of robbing her. It was obvious that she had nothing to worry about, so Mara lowered her weapon. With no need to be cautious anymore it just felt rude to be pointing an arrow in the other woman's face.

Once Mara began to relax she turned her focus more towards her current problem. There was a lot going on at the moment, Mara was lost, low on supplies, and no recollection of how she got here. Some of these problems would take awhile to solve or might not be fixable at all. But now that she had run into someone else here maybe one of her problems could be fixed? The human didn't look like she had any supplies, and the elf would feel bad taking anything that she might need just for her own sake. But there was something she might be able to help her with, finding out where she was. It would save her a lot of time and energy if she could at least get that much information out of the human. She had to know right? For all Mara knew this woman happened to live nearby. If she did she could lead her to a village or a town where she could find food and shelter till her memories returned. It was something at least, a lot more than what she had in mind previously. So Mara asked away and got an answer.

“New....Orlands?” The name felt awkward on her tongue. What was New Orlands? She had never heard of that place before. Then again what if she did and she couldn't remember? It wouldn't be much of a surprise if she did. Either ways that name did not help her in figuring out her location. If only she had a map...wait...did she have a map? Another memory flashed through her mind. Yes she had brought a map that showed her the way to the nearest human settlement she had planned to start her journey from. Maraevaras put her bow behind her back before rummaging through her pockets. The elf searched desperately through her things but came out empty. “Oh no....did I lose my map too?” What a tragedy. Not only did she lose her provisions but her map as well. How was she suppose to find out if New Orlands was the place she was heading for?

Mara sighed, this was going to be a long pathetic day. Before she could try to think of what she would do now her newfound companion asked her where she was from. Mara opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out. Wait....where was she from? Now that she thought about it she actually didn't know the name of the place she had grown up in. She could remember bits and pieces of her childhood but what she could recall were just small bits and pieces of the past. They were too small and insignificant to give her much of an understanding. “...I...don't remember mi'lady. Please forgive me. I can't seem to remember much after I woke up. I don't remember the name of the place I came from, but I know it was a small village deep in the woods. Judging from what I can see around me I must be a ways away from my old home though.”

What the woman said next pulled the elf out of her sad thoughts. Mara didn't quite understand why the woman was telling her to be careful. Why would anyone be so untrusting? “That sounds unfortunate.” the elf said. “The world is a cruel place when one can't trust their fellow being. Is there some kind of problem in New Orlands that has caused its citizens to mistrust each other?” From what the human was telling her New Orlands must be having some kind of problem. Maybe it was a problem she could help solve? Whatever the problem was it sounded like it was quest worthy. Mara never had dealt with any quest bigger than hunting certain monsters that plagued the area but that wouldn't stop her from taking on something bigger if it meant helping others. She loved helping people in need, and who knew, maybe she could get a rewards as a bonus for doing a good deed?

Soon the other woman introduced herself. Mara smiled at the woman named Sydnee. Much like her dress, and the name of her town it sounded strange to her ears but she wouldn't question it. Mara didn't know enough about humans to know how different their names and culture were, she had left her village to find that out for herself and it looked like she was just starting to learn. “It's a pleasure to meet you Sydnee. Allow me to introduce myself.” Mara bowed before Sydnee. “My name is Maraevaras, but my friends call me Mara for short. You are free to call me that as well if you so wish.” Mara rose up and smiled at Sydnee again before she spoke once more. “Would you mind if I asked a favor of you mi'lady? To my knowledge this will be my first time in New Orlands and without a map to guide my way I am afraid I will be terribly lost. I would love it if you could help lead me to this village or town of which you speak of. Maybe even point me towards the nearest inn, weapons shop, or food shop available as well. It would be nice to have some company while I get my bearings. It would do well for you as well. The forest can be a dangerous place, it would be best if we travel together in case something were to happen. I would feel terrible leaving you here weaponless as you are.”

[Deleted]

A tad bit of relief brushed over Sydnee as the woman now lowered her weapon. It wasn't that she feared a fight, but more so that she wasn't in the mood for a pointless ordeal. And seeing as Sydnee had already fed just earlier that day within a smaller town several miles away, she felt no need to become hostile towards anyone. Plus, if things were to turn hostile...The woman would surely figure out that Sydnee was no mere human...and what fun would that be?t never hurt to come off weak and defenseless in the beginning stages...and then show an entirely new side of herself as needed. Humans were a delicate race, that seemed to certainly wear their heart upon their sleeve. Some races would even argue they lack the intelligence that other races have mastered. Sydnee could agree to a extent seeing as human merely used ten percent of the brain, but Sydnee also felt that what humans lacked in strength and intelligence... they made up for with vast numbers.

The woman still seemed a tad bit off, but Sydnee wasn't certain if this was just how all elves acted...or if there was something else going on. With excellent instinct with tracking, Sydnee could tell that no other elves were around...So this wasn't a trap...Was this women sincerely lost? That wasn't the most interesting part to Sydnee...What seemed even more intriguing was how the woman almost remembered absolutely nothing about herself. Why was this woman in the forest on her own? And why couldn't she recall almost anything that would be of importance to anyone else... It seemed Sydnee questioned the woman's memory just as much as the woman questioned herself.

As the woman repeated the name of the city Sydnee had spoke of, she couldn't help but smile on how awkwardly the name rolled off her tongue. It was almost like a tongue twister as the woman attempted to pronounce the name correctly. Sydnee had been the same way the first time she had come here...Everything was so new and strange. But at the time Sydnee had someone to explain how things worked here..Maybe this woman just needed the same? Sydnee thought so, at least until the woman began to recall more about herself and where she had come from. 

Taking a couple steps closer, Sydnee was now only arms length from the woman, and she merely watched as the woman seemed to scavenge within her belongings once more.  This woman was certainly lost. But it took Sydnee by surprise when the woman spoke once more of the trust issues within New Orlands. Taking a slight step back, Sydnee couldn't help but frown as she contemplated on how she would answer such a question. Would she be honest of the population within this town? Or would she play it safe but leave this woman vulnerable to anything and everything this town holds as a surprise. Sighing softly, Sydnee finally looked back to the woman.

 "You're not human, yes?" Sydnee watched the woman for just a moment in order to read her reactions and body language before continuing. "I just think it's best to remember that life comes in all shapes and forms. And it is best to never dismiss the creatures we have heard in story tails..." Sydnee allowed her voice to trail off slightly as she looked around them but only for a moment. A small smile fell upon her face as the woman spoke once more. Mara, seemed like a rather strange name...but that was probably due to the culture differences.  Sydnee nodded, and looked back the woman with a gentle smile. "It's is a pleasure to meet you Mara, and I would be happy to accompany you into town. I must be honest though, I have just returned to this town myself after years of being gone...So I might get a little lost myself. And I need to find housing myself as well....Maybe we can help each other out with this..." Sydnee's voice trailed off once more as she fought back a small chuckle within the back of her throat. Mara's final words seemed to humor Sydnee, weaponless. It seemed what Mara didn't know at this point of time wouldn't hurt her. 

Turning ever so slightly in the opposite direction, Sydnee then looked back over her shoulder. "Ready?"

[Maraevaras]

Maraevaras felt like a fool having to admit that she couldn't remember anything about herself to this human. What would the other woman think of her? It wasn't like memory loss was a common occurrence, especially one as severe as this. She was having such a hard time answer such simple questions and it was beginning to frustrate her. How could she have forgotten so much about herself? At least she knew her name, what she was, and what she did for a living. She even remembered the skills she had and how to use them. It was enough to survive on but not enough to answer basic questions. All of this blank space in her head where her memories should have been was starting to worry the poor elf. What if she never remembered anything at all? That thought had been swarming around in the back of her mind once she realized what was going on. Mara had tried her best to ignore those feelings for the sake of keeping calm and doing what she needed to do to ensure that she could at the very least make it through the day. But it was hard to drown out that doubt. It could very well be the reality of her situation. Mara might never remember these basic things. If she couldn't do that then what would happen to her?

It was a hard thing to think about and she didn't have much time to think it over. Now was not the time to freak out, not in front of the human. The last thing she wanted to do was to scare the poor thing off or creep her out by losing her mind in front of her. So Mara stayed calm and tried to turn the conversation to other things. Like this town for instance. Based on what the other woman had been saying it sounded like New Orlands was a dangerous place, but why was it so? The elf was curious. She had heard plenty of stories growing up about humans and their wars amongst themselves and other creatures of the world. Though there had long since been peace with mankind and the other races of the world it was possible that this whole trust issue that the human spoke of could be a direct result of some kind of conflicted around the area. Whatever the case was Mara needed to know about it. Having some information on current events could at least help her stay out of trouble while she tried to figure her own situation out.

The woman seemed to be thinking about Mara's question for a moment before she asked her something else. “No, I'm not.” the elf answered, looking a little confused by the sudden change of topic. “I am a wood elf, a person of the forest.” She was a little surprised that the woman had to ask her that. It wasn't like Mara had been trying to hide what she was. Then again maybe it was normal for humans to make a mistake with her kind. In all honesty elves and humans didn't look too unlike from one another. Both races had very similar physical traits. There were some select differences between them but to an outsider those differences would seem insignificant. If Mara tried a little she could probably pass herself off as human if she wanted to. The other woman spoke again, this time telling Mara to keep in mind that there was more in this world than just humans and elves. To that the young elf nodded.

“Yes I know. I may have lived in the forest all of my life but I have seen my fair share of monsters and beasts of legends to know that we aren't alone.” There were plenty of things that Mara was ignorant of but this was not one of those things. Most legends had truth to them. Mara didn't need to see things like griffins and dragons to know that such creatures existed. Why was the human telling her all this? She wondered. Perhaps there was a point to this warning. Mara's thoughts went back to the town ahead of them. Read between the lines Mara thought to herself. Maybe the point to this conversation lay within that one. Maybe what the woman was trying to say that there were things in this town that the general public did not know existed. Could those beings be the thing causing such tension there?

This human had given Mara a lot to think about, and think about it she would when she had more time to herself. For now both her memory issues and the new town's problems were left further back in her mind to mull over later. At the moment introductions were being done so Mara focused her attention on that. Now Mara finally had a name to call the human she met. Sydnee, a strange name but that was likely due to cultural differences. Maybe her own name sounded odd to the human as well. Oh well, it wasn't a big deal. She was just glad she could call the woman something other than her race. After she introduced herself Mara asked if it was alright with Sydnee to assist her into getting around town. Sydnee was more than happy to agree. “Thank you mi'lady. It means a lot to me that you are willing to accompany me.” Humans really weren't bad after all. Not many people were willing to help out someone of another group as openly as this. That was just what she heard in the past, but it looked like her elders were wrong about that. Mara fell in step beside Sydnee as the other woman started to head out of the forest.

Mara kept her hands on her dagger as she walked next to Sydnee. Just in case some monster decided to sneak up on them. It never hurt to be cautious in land that you weren't familiar with. The elf couldn't help but be extra cautious of her surroundings now that she was not just keeping an eye out for her own safety, but was also trying to keep another person safe as well. “So you have lived here before Sydnee? How long has it been since you were away? Why did you leave? And why come back?” the elf asked. It didn't hurt to find out more about her companion while they made their journey to town. Sydnee seemed like a nice woman and she wanted to know a little bit more about the company she was with.

[Deleted]

As the two women fell in step with one another, Sydnee kept watch of their surrounding's in a more sly manner than Mara had. Her obvious Hunting techniques truly proved obvious as Mara's hand kept rested upon her dagger. Sydnee felt silly actually, did she really look that vulnerable and weak? Did she actually look the part of a human? Well, she knew of course she did. After all, if she had been in her succubus form she probably wouldn't have hit it off as nicely as she had with Mara. Though her true appearance still came off attractive in some ways...the dark eyes, pale skin, and black wings usually didn't make many friends. On top of that...people usually didn't comply well with Sydnee in fear of their souls being drained from their very bodies. Which meant for now...Sydnee would be human. She knew she wasn't particularly weak with having a pair of daggers hidden upon her, strong forms of empathy, emotion-control, flight, and having the strength of a demon....But that wasn't the point currently. The point was...not drawing attention just yet.

There was an enjoyable moment of silence before Mara spoke once more. The question this time actually took Sydnee a bit by surprise. Her mind started rattling with everything she could finally vent to someone...Was this finally someone she could spill her heart out to? Someone she could trust? Everything that had happened with Mato....Everything that had happened within this mixed up town in general...About the actual emotions...the affairs...The town falling to destruction with the fight between the Death Dragon and the man she had an affair with.... Of course she could not...Sydnee couldn't seem weak ever again... But maybe telling only a little wouldn't hurt anyone.

Opening her mouth ever so slightly as if to answer the woman, Sydnee then paused once more and closed her mouth. Looking forward at the tree's growing further and further apart, Sydnee contemplated on what her next move would be. They were just about out of the deep forest area of the region, but not close enough that Sydnee could just completely change the subject without it being completely obvious. Not a lie. Just an edited version of the Truth. Repeating this thought within her mind several times reminded her what the truth was, and how she could twist the truth just enough to still fit the story...But not be a lie. Sydnee sometimes thought if she changed the story in her head enough...Then maybe that would become the truth. But at this point, Sydnee knew more than anyone else what she had done, and that there was only one dark truth.

Smiling over at the woman after Sydnee had taken a couple moments to recollect herself, she finally spoke. "I want to say it has been about four years since I left this lovely town...But I may be off a tad bit....Time truly slips away when you are traveling around." A gentle wind passes by and pushed Sydnee's hair back in front of her face, allowing it to just barely brush against her cheek, this time she doesn't bother to move it. Taking a deep breath, Sydnee wasn't sure how to force out the next words she had lined up...But she knew if she didn't say something she would just come off strange. Looking over her shoulder towards Mara once more, Sydnee smirked slightly. "I hurt someone I cared about dearly. It caused a fair amount that couldn't be fixed at the time...So I did what I needed to," Shrugging slightly, Sydnee allowed her words to trail off into the cooling air.

Why had she returned? Being back here already brought forth so many feelings and emotions that Sydnee had promised to protect herself from this point forward...So why was she leading the mouse, herself, back into the Lions Den? Sydnee had never actually planned on coming back here, but while traveling the world, something seemed missing. Sydnee awoke in Ireland one morning after feeding on a pair of brothers and felt a sign of pain...Most would recall this feeling as being "home sick", but Sydnee never knew a place such as home...Was there something still here for her? Or was Sydnee just losing her touch? With a small smile appearing upon her face, Sydnee laughed very faintly to herself. "Only time will tell why I am back..."

[Maraevaras]

Had she said something wrong? Mara hadn't put much thought in her questions when she had asked them. She had only asked what she did as small talk to keep the conversation going. It was rude to let a conversation die awkwardly Mara had been told, though for the life of her she couldn't remember where or when she had heard that phrase being uttered before. That and she was a little curious about this human named Sydnee. She had mentioned that she had lived here before, moved, and then came back. Why did she do that? Was Sydnee like her? A young woman seeking the taste of adventure, only returning once in awhile to see her friends and family and tell them of her ventures? That had been the thought she had pictured with Sydnee. But once the questions were brought out in the open Sydnee didn't answer right away. The elf was starting to get a little worried that her questions had rubbed the poor woman off the wrong way when the silence hit. She should have known better than to be so nosy with someone she had just met. Mara usually was more kind and thoughtful of others, but it seemed that today she was starting to slip.

Mara was just about to apologize to Sydnee when the other woman finally answered her. Oh so that was why she had seemed a little phased by her questions. The elf had thought that the reason Sydnee had moved away before was for simple reasons, but it turned out that her situation was a lot more complicated. Mara couldn't help but notice that Sydnee had been rather vague her answers. She had said she had hurt someone in the past and that caused her to move, but she never said who it had been or what she had done. She didn't even know why she had returned. Mara couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the human. She could hardly imagine what Sydnee had done to hurt someone. The young woman seemed to be a pretty nice and friendly person, she hardly seemed the type that could intentionally do something harmful to someone else. Then again it didn't have to be something done intentionally that could cause harm. Everyone made mistakes at some point in their lives, and sometimes those simple mistakes could cause harm to others. It was a natural occurrence that happened in the world that happened to everyone, even with nice people like them.

“I'm sorry to hear that.” Mara replied. “Maybe one day you can make amends with that person. Perhaps that's the very reason why you are here now. It may have been a few years but if you are sincere I believe you can be forgiven.” Mara sincerely believed that. Sydnee was a nice person, she might have made a mistake but she knew what she had done and from the sounds of it earnestly felt bad. Her feelings could easily reach the person she cared about. If they did then she would be forgiven. That was what Mara believed. As the pair were talking the forest suddenly cleared up. That was odd, they had only been walking around for a few minutes and already they were at a clearing? No, wait. This wasn't a clearing but something else entirely. Mara looked down at the ground looking a little confused at the hard rock-like surface they had stepped on. What kind of rock was this? The elven woman bent down to touch the surface of the strange stone. The stone felt as strange as it looked, it was hard as stone was but the texture was strange. It didn't look or feel natural either. Mara looked up and took a good look at her surroundings. The stone wasn't the only thing that was odd too. What the huntress had thought was forest had been nothing more than a small patch of trees within some kind of settlement.

There were quite a few people around, mostly children, and all of them human. The little ones were playing off in the distance on some area filled with sand, and strange colourful buildings fashioned out of tubes, chains, and was that metal? “What...is this place?” Mara asked as she looked back up to her companion. This by far was the strangest thing that she had ever seen. What had happened to the forest? Was this not really a forest after all but something else? Was this the New Orlands that Sydnee had been talking about?