The Reason

After too much bargaining, pleading, and finally demanding, Gertrude, the servant, was finally able to convince Gotthard to heal poor Eena. On one condition. "Fine! But if she disturbs my work, I'll exile her to the mountains myself."
He knew their part of the bargain would never be upheld. A girl doesn't just march all the way up to his cottage just because. We built it far from any settlements or roads to ensure this exact situation would never happen.
'The girl wanted something. And she'll no doubt disturb my work to get it. Women are pesky like that.'

Coincidentally, lunch was ready just as Gotthard ensured my daughter's hands would stay attached. And all her fingers. A service he deemed extra. At the dinner table, Gotthard whined and griped about the whole situation while his two servants ate alongside him. "Karma is real I tell you. I healed her fingers, though I didn't have to and look. Food's ready. That's why I don't do good deeds, you hear? What if my work was naught but the work of karma? Nothin' good, I say."

That couple likely heard that same sentiment about karma hundreds of times, but they listened all the same. Or at least they acted like it. Gotthard would spout on and on during their brief time together about anything and everything and only for that time. If he wasn't at the table, he was out researching spirits or upstairs overlooking his field notes and developing more hypothesis to test.

As soon as his bowl was empty, the old man placed it at the centre of the circular table and marched upstairs to continue his current thesis. Gertrude and her husband, Adam, simply shared glances and sighed. The couple is as average as humans can get. They're probably in their forties with styled brown hair, and light brown eyes. They're surprisingly well groomed for mountain folks.

If it weren't for Eena, the day would be as uneventful as any other. She was still pale, but no longer blue, praise the moon. Gertrude gently moved her head, and sat down, letting my daughter's head rest in her lap, being considerate of her long pointed ears. Gertrude began lightly stroking her golden hair. As Adam stoked the fire, he asked, "What do you think an elf like her's doing up here? Could she have been escaped bandits? Her cloak was bloody enough."

Gertrude shrugged. "Don't know darling. She's very pretty, so it's possible. But she was shouting master Gotthard's name while she was at the door."

Adam scoffed as he sat down. "Does Gotthard even know anyone outside the cabin? Sure, he's always sending those message pigeons to the queen of Getllvania, but no one else knows where we live right? Unless she's a friend of Ulrich or Ada. Last we heard they moved North. She couldn't have traveled all that way."
Gotthard really never mentioned me? I guess I should have expected that. He never was one to reveal his past.

After a full day, Eena's pink eyes finally opened. With the Sun safely tucked behind Dragon's Crest, the southern mountains, marking mid-day Eena sat up and investigated the cottage.
'Where am I? Where is Gotthard?'

Since it's mid-day, everyone else in the cottage is fast asleep. Even someone as fanatic about their work as Gotthard would be asleep at this time. I've raised my daughter well and warned her about Gotthard before I sent her off.
"Gotthard! I come from Alsfeld with a quest!"

Eena! I thought your mother and I raised you better than that! Now you're embarrassing me...
Heavy footsteps came running around the corner whisper-yelling, "Quiet quiet!"
Gertrude rushed down the hall in her sleeping gown, placed her hand over Eena's mouth and hugged her. "Oh sweetie, I'm so glad you're awake, but you really mustn't disturb master Gotthard! Why don't I make you some soup? You must be starving!"

She pushed Gertrude off her. "My name is Yaleena. I was sent here by my father to enlist the assistance of Gotthard. He must avenge my town!"

Oh, Eena, honey... That's not why I sent you here...