Ashes and Vestiges

Although they received the occasional visitor or merchant, the village Carolyn was born in was more or less isolated. Few merchants would come across it by chance, and it was rare for the same merchant to reach the village twice. Noral Village appeared to be even more closed off than that since not a single outsider had been seen in the year that Carolyn spent there, but that was a different matter. Because of how hard the village was to find, her father had ensured that she memorised the nearby trails and landmarks of the village in case she ever became lost. That was why, even though she rarely came to this section of the village, Carolyn knew what to expect. At least, she believed she did.

Before Carolyn's eyes were the stumps of hollowed trees and the burnt ruins of houses. There had obviously been efforts to clean it up, but the difference was too great to miss. She felt a mournful cry rise up to her chest as she remembered the old pair that loved in one of the wrecked houses, but she gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and suppressed it.

'Not yet.'

"Could I, walk around the village by myself?"

"...Sure. We buried the remains at the center of the village. You can find us here when you're done," said Adam.

"Thank you."

After a deep breath to prepare her heart, Carolyn slowly moved forward. As she walked through the village, memories of what should have been overlapped with the reality before her. An old man waving at her from his doorstep, a plump woman carrying her laundry home, a pair of children racing each other to the tree with a bird nest. It had been so long that some of their faces were no longer clear, but she still remembered their names.

'Ainsley, Sally, Rob, Josh... They're all...'

Their names came to mind as soon as she spotted some vestiges whole enough to serve as a hint. Sometimes it was the burnt ruin of a house, other times the scattered wreckage of a large piece of furniture. The first few times, her emotions almost overwhelmed her, but as she continued this 'walk down memory lane', she got used to the heavy feeling inside her chest.

There was no one here, but there was nothing she could have done. She repeated that line to herself over and over again, and she believed it. In a way, her powerlessness made her feel calm, but everything seemed so meaningless. What revenge? What search for truth? How could any of that matter when they were already dead?

While slowly burying her grief under rhetoric, Carolyn arrived at the grave marker Adam told her about. On a plank of wood that was as high as her chest was written 'In Memory of Riddly Village'. Based on what she heard, wild animals had reached the village before Hanson's secret soldiers, so some of the villagers' corpses were either partially or entirely missing. Still, Carolyn felt their prickly gazes on her skin.

If it were her parents, she could believe that they still loved her, but even for those who she had known since she was a child, how could they forgive her and her family for bringing such devastation? They hated her; they had to. Perhaps they were the ones who cursed her with nightmares, but even if they did, she would forgive them. After all, no matter how many comforting words she was told, the fact that her family's presence was the cause of this disaster was still true.

"Everyone, do you hate me? No, that was a stupid question. Of course you do. If it wasn't for me and my parents, those bandits wouldn't have come here. You would have all been alive, eating with your families, laughing together, and waking up to see another day. And there's probably nothing I can do to make up for that... But,"

After restraining the tears that threatened to break through, Carolyn went down on her knees before the plank and bowed.

"That's exactly why I have to go. As the one burdened with your deaths, staying in Noral Village and living my days peacefully, would be unforgivable. Void of meaning it may be, I have no other choice. If your spirits truly remain here and haunt this village, then I ask you to haunt me instead. See the truth through my eyes and strike me should my resolve ever waver. For as a sinner seeks redemption, I will use this life to seek justice for your souls. On my name, Carolyn Foyer, I make this covenant."

Covenants were important oaths on the continent, and it was said that breaking one would result in the offender's soul being cursed to wander the lands without ever finding peace. Carolyn knew full well of the significance of such oaths, but there had been not a hint of hesitation in her heart. For her to ever move forward to a brighter future, she had to right the wrongs of the past.

Carolyn kowtowed for over an hour before she eventually lifted her head. She was particularly sensitive to gazes, so even though she couldn't tell exactly where they were, she knew that she was being watched by her bodyguards, and she didn't want to worry them too much. Unsurprisingly, her legs had fallen asleep, so she struggled to get her on her feet, but she soon returned to the section outside the village where Adam and the other two were waiting.

"Thank you for waiting. I was hoping that we could camp outside the village. Would that be okay?"

"That's fine," replied Adam.

The sky had gained an orange shade, so there wasn't much time to waste before night fell. While only to a barely noticeable extent, Kathy showed her concern the most blatantly on her face, but Carolyn didn't want to go over the details, so she gave a smile to show that she was okay. Adam was very familiar with the area around the village, as he had scouted it on Hanson's request after the attack. This made it easy for him to lead them to a suitable camping spot.

Once at the campsite, which was a small clearing in the forest close enough to hear the river, everyone laid out their sleeping kits. Though it should have been obvious from the size of their luggage, Carolyn was the only one with a tent, which she had borrowed from Teri. The others only laid out sleeping bags.

"Will you all be okay without a tent? Won't you catch a cold?"

"You don't have to worry about us, young lady. We're used to it. In fact, if this was a normal mission, we wouldn't even have sleeping bags."

As uncomfortable as that sounded, Carolyn didn't think Adam was lying.

'Even then, I know they're protecting me, but I don't want to be the only one sleeping in a tent. Still, I doubt all four of us can fit. And there's the other three too. What should I do?'

It was at this time, having noticed that Carolyn was troubled, that Kathy approached.

"Young Mistress."

"Yes, Ms., um, Kathy?"

"I realise that you may feel uncomfortable with this arrangement, but as your guards, it is our duty to place your health above our own. While your feelings are appreciated, I ask that you please allow us to fulfil our duty."

"That's, very well. You're more eloquent than I thought, Kathy."

"Thank you. When you work with someone who has a glib tongue, you tend to pick up a few tricks."

"I, see."

The faint smile that Kathy showed was charming enough to swoon countless ladies and garner admiration from men. Even Carolyn had to steady her heart lest she become one of her admirers. Nonetheless, she understood Kathy's point, so she decided not to force her consideration on them.

"I'm glad that you have a good atmosphere and all, but was it necessary to jab at me there?"