Chapter 156: Facing Grief Head On
Before Lys reached the open guild doors, he stopped and turned around again. "Uhh, Mister Pell... Do you happen to know where that woman lives? The one who put up the herb quest. Outside the village, right?"
Pell looked up from his papers. Surprise showed clearly on his face. He hesitated for a second, staring at Lys with a blank face. "S-she lives in a small hut past the eastern fields, near the old mill. About twenty minutes walk from the gate. Why? You thinking of going over there?"
Lys nodded. "Yes. I have to."
Pell’s expression turned a little serious. "Lys... that might not be a good idea. The lady just lost her daughter. Who knows what she might do when she sees you? Grief can make people say things they don’t mean. Or worse."
Lys looked down at his bandaged chest for a moment, then back at Pell. "I know. But I still have to go. I need to apologize. I need to tell her I tried... even if it wasn’t enough."
Pell sighed. He studied Lys’s face for a few seconds, then gave a small shrug. "If you feel like you must, then go. Just... be careful and take someone with you if possible."
Lys nodded once more and walked out of the guild hall. The sun hit his face as soon as he stepped outside. He turned toward the main street and noticed Sara’s shop. The door was closed and the windows dark. He stood there for a while, staring at the closed sign.
Yesterday he had planned to visit her after finishing the quest. He had even thought about showing her the herbs he collected, if she could help him sell some. But none of that happened.
He was about to turn away when he heard footsteps behind him and a familiar voice.
"Lys!" Someone was saying his name out loud.
He turned. Sara was walking toward him quickly, her hair tied back and her usual dress looking a bit rumpled. She stopped in front of him and looked him up and down. Her eyes widened when she saw the bandages, the splint on his hand, and the bruises on his swollen face.
"Where are you going looking like that?" she asked, her voice sharp with worry. "You should be in bed!"
Lys gave a small, tired smile. "I’m going to see the woman who requested the herb quest that i had taken. She lives just outside the village."
Sara’s eyebrows drew together. "The one with the sick daughter? Why?"
"I need to apologize to her," Lys said quietly. "I need to tell her I’m sorry I couldn’t save her daughter."
Sara opened her mouth to say something to him, but couldn’t find anything at first. She looked at him carefully. "Lys... do you really think that’s a good idea? That woman just lost her only child, I hear. If the person who was supposed to bring the cure suddenly shows up in front of her, she might get angry. Really angry."
She realized what she had just said and quickly covered her mouth with both hands. "Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t saying you were the reason she died. I just...."
"It’s fine," Lys said. His voice stayed calm. "I know you didn’t mean anything bad by it. And you’re right. She might get angry. But I still want to see her. I want to say sorry for my incapability."
Sara stared into his eyes for a long moment. She must have seen the new determination there, because she stopped arguing. Instead, she let out a long breath and crossed her arms.
"If you’re really going, then I’m coming with you," she said firmly.
Lys blinked. "Why? I can walk by myself just fine."
Sara pointed at him from head to toe. "Have you looked at yourself properly? You look like you might collapse any second. Your face is swollen, your hand is splinted, and you’re moving like every step you take hurts you. Of course, someone has to go with you. Or do you want to fall down somewhere on the road and make your mother and sister worry even more? Poor two couldn’t sleep a minute last night, and let’s not talk about Selene."
Lys wanted to argue, but his legs did feel shaky. The walk to the guild had already tired him more than he expected. So, he gave a small nod to her instead. "Alright. Thank you."
"No need to thank me for something like this. Let’s go."
"Yeah," Lys said as he turned around.
They started walking together toward the village gate. Sara stayed close on his right side, ready to catch him if he stumbled. The morning sun was still warm, but the breeze felt cooler now. A few villagers glanced at them as they passed, but no one said anything.
After a minute of silence, Lys spoke first. "You said you heard what happened to me last night. How did you find out?"
Sara kept her eyes on the road ahead. "One of the hunters came by the shop early this morning. He said Vessa carried an injured adventurer out of the forest. When I asked who, he described you. I closed the shop right away and went straight to your house. I stayed there with Selene until Miss Elara and Mira came back from Miss Vessa’s house and told me you had gone to the guild."
Knowing so many people now care for his well-being, unlike his previous life, Lys felt a warm feeling in his chest. "You didn’t have to close the shop just because of this, you know."
"Of course I had to," Sara replied, her voice softer than usual. "You’re important to me, Lys. I don’t know how you feel about me, but I care for you more than you might think. So, don’t say something like this ever and worry us all like this."
Lys just nodded, giving her a warm smile.
They walked in silence for a little while longer. Lys’s thoughts kept going back to the woman he was about to meet. He imagined her face when she opens the door and sees him standing there, bandaged and beaten. Would she scream at him? Would she cry? Would she blame him?
He did not know. But he knew he had to face it.
Sara glanced at him sideways. "You’re really determined to do this, aren’t you?"
Lys nodded. "Yes. If I just go home and rest without seeing her, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep properly. I need to tell her that I tried. Even if it wasn’t enough."
Sara was quiet for a few steps. Then she said, "You know, most adventurers would just take the failure and move on to the next quest. They wouldn’t go out of their way like this."
"Maybe," Lys said. "But you are not telling me to be like most adventurers, are you? I thought you liked me because I was special. Or am I wrong about that?"
Sara gave a small laugh, but there was no mockery in it. "No. You’re definitely not most like an adventurer."
While talking, they had already reached the village gate. The guard on duty was another one, not Joren. He gave them a curious look but let them pass without question. The path outside the walls turned into a dirt road that led through the fields. The sun was starting to climb higher in the sky, painting the fields in soft orange light.
Lys walked more slowly than usual. Every step sent a dull ache through his ribs. Sara noticed and matched his pace without saying anything. She stayed close enough that if he stumbled, she could catch him.
As they walked, Lys thought about Vessa’s words again. The pain of losing people was part of being an adventurer. He was not supposed to throw that feeling away. He was supposed to carry it.
And right now, he was carrying it straight to the woman who had lost the most.
As if disrupting his inner thoughts, the small cluster of houses came into view in the distance, near an old, broken mill. Smoke rose slowly from the make-shift houses. Though the houses looked barely livable, people definitely live there.
Lys stopped for a second and took a deep breath. His heart beat faster. Sara put a gentle hand on his good arm.
"Ready?" she asked quietly.
Lys looked at the small settlement and then at Sara. He gave a small nod.
"Yes," he said. "Let’s go."
