Willows head ached; it took a moment to register where she was. Then panic that she didn't know. She lurched up. A woman's old hands grabbed her and held her steady. The woman looked to be seventy at least. Her hair snow white, and face wrinkled. She began speaking to Willow in a language Willow didn't understand. Willow protested, asking where she was, but the woman only gave her bread that Willow took and began shoving into her face. The woman slapped Willows hands and motioning her to slow down. She passed a bowl that was steaming full of meats and noodles. Willow thanked the woman bowing her head some and then began slurping it as fast as she could. The woman put a hand to her head in exasperation, but Willow kept on. Willow didn't realize how hungry she actually was.
The soup was spicy and Willow choked on it from the unexpected taste. Hacking the woman took out a thermos pushing it into Willows hands encouraging her to drink. Catching her breath Willow took in more of her surroundings. She knew they were moving, felt it as the cart took them along, but the cart had a covering over the top of it. The white fabric glowed from the sun that must have been high in the air. Another wave of panic overtook Willow. They were looking for her. Then came the memory of the rest of the night, the fire, Lupin, the magic she conjured.
She fell back against the cart. She took a sip of the soup and bit off a small portion of the bread. The older woman smiling now at Willow. She held a hand to her chest and said, "Issla"
Willow repeated the word, "Issla" The old woman smiled and nodded and put a hand on Willows chest, Willow wasn't certain what the woman wanted. The woman put her hand back on her chest and repeated, "Issla" Then moved it to Willows chest, Willow said, "Willow." The old woman smiled and sat back against the wooden cart watching Willow satisfied with their conversation.
Willow kept eating, but again coughed at the spices in the soup. The strong flavor unnatural to her. Willow looked to the woman, "Issla," and then motioned for the water. The woman smiled and handed the thermos to Willow who drank deeply from it.
Willow could see the road from the back of the cart. It wasn't a stretch of road that she was used to, or recognized. That wasn't saying much, Willow had no way of really knowing how far they were from the estate. The thought was disheartening. Lupin had thrown himself on Boshin, bought her enough time to get away. Willow struggled with that, struggled at how she had set the estate on fire. It made her shiver thinking about what they must be doing to him, to the others. What would happen to them all? Willow sat the food down. She didn't deserve it didn't deserve anything not while they suffered. She could feel a lump in her throat. She shouldn't of ran, now they would take the punishment for her.
The old woman touched Willows leg, "Willow" She motioned for Willow to eat more. Willow held up her hands trying to dissuade the pressing of the woman. Issla slapped Willows hands, and continued to gesture for Willow to eat. Willow attempted a few more times not too, but the Issla now wielding a wooden spoon and spitting fire pushed Willow to keep eating. The old woman was muttering in her language what sounded like chastisement as Willow ate the food.
The cart pulled off the road and began making its way across a dirt path. The bumps became larger and the old woman took what was left of Willows soup tossing it out the back. She took the empty bowl lifting up a part of one of the shelves inside the cart, and stuck the bowl inside. Willow bounced in the back the cart that launched her up at times to only fall back down with a thud on the hard wood. Issla tapped Willow pointing to how she was sitting. Willow mimicked the woman and the bouncing became less even over the larger bumps. The terrain smoothed out some, and the grasslands turned into forest similar to what Willow had run and hid in. They traveled for a few more miles, Willows only reference came from the back of the cart. All the while they traveled her emotions came in waves of relief, and guilt. During one fit Issla rested a hand on Willows shin singing a song. It reminded Willow of the song she would sing to the newly arrived soulless to calm them down. Did she appear so broken?
After several hours the cart stopped. Willow could make out the calls of others as movement began to occur all around. Willow went to stand up, but Issla put a hand on her shoulder encouraging her back down. The woman yelled out something, and then began to unpack an assortment of dishes and cookware. Once Issla had the things she wanted from the cart she hopped out the back with the energy of a much younger person. Willow eased herself to the edge of the cart when a different bag flew inside. Willow ducked narrowly avoiding being hit. A woman in a green wool coat hopped into the back. Her dark hair was in braids and her face adorned with various piercings. Her neck bore a kraken tattoo, and she wore a bandanna over her hair. Like the Issla the woman had a darker complexion, a tone Willow had never seen before.
The woman rustled through the bag pulling out a folded and crumped up pamphlet that Willow recognized from the day before, "What is this exactly?" Her accent was heavy, and sounded foreign. Willow didn't know any foreigners. She was about to answer when the woman pulled out a large knife and stuck it into the wood near Willow leg. Dumping the rest of the contents of the bag revealed a potatoes and cloves of garlic. The woman took another knife and began to peel the potatoes.
"You're going to want to be careful with that blade it's sharp." She looked up to Willow who only sat there uneasy. "You don't peel potatoes?"
"I've never tried before. I don't think I've ever held a knife." Willow said.
The woman cursed in her language, "Ah, soulless, they teach you nothing don't tey. Give ya shovel and you likely run circles around the men, but peeling a potato and now that's a bridge to far." Taking her knife, the woman held out the vegetable and started to slice the skin away from her body. "See just like this not so bad, yeah?" Taking the knife from the wood the woman held out the handle for Willow to grab. Willow felt the weight of the blade in her hands, studied the metal, how it looked. She brought up her finger to the blade when the woman grabbed her hand, "Sharp, eh? Maybe don't do that."
Willow picked up a potato and began to slice it. The woman spoke as she pealed the potatoes "I'm Mimi, that woman who rode with you Issla, my grandma. Heard her cursing you something bad, no worries, Willow, she's just a cranky old woman. Not much for traveling with her age and all."
"How do you know my name?" Willow asked.
Mimi looked to Willow with a crooked grin, "Likely everyone knows Willow of the Tree now, you didn't see, but all Trivale was in an uproar. Even to us Ullimon out in the woods yeah? You're something special."
Mimi watched as Willows eyes dropped down to the potato. She reached out and cupped Willows shoulder, "It's okay, not looking for anything from you, everyone has a place here, but them," Mimi pointed her blade at the pamphlet, "They want something from ya, likely that company too, all of them want want want. Never giving."
Willow finished the potato handing it to Mimi, "Look at this, a potato cut by the divine." She gave Willow wink.
The two of them continued to cut potatoes with Mimi talking ever so often. The stories of the camp of refugees that smuggled themselves from Poshin. S'no place left for the Ullama. Don't like us in the Poshin, or the Rulied, don't like us here. Hells where do they think their gods come from? Ulliama's that's who. Never heard of Calibans Ullima, unthinkable. Willow laughed. She laughed with the woman who put her at ease. Mimi felt like genuine, a kind person. Willow wasn't use to that.
A man from below the cart called out, and Mimi looked up from the back of the cart. "Kay den Willow, some riders were spotted yeah, likely look'n for you so you's just going to stay in here yeah?"
Willow grabbed Mimi's wrist as she was stepping out towards the back of the cart, "Mimi, I can't ask you to protect me." Thoughts of Lupin crossed her mind. Willow hoped that Lupin was okay, that maybe he got away. Willow was worried about all of them at the estate, the fire. Did they get out okay, were they being punished for her? She couldn't another person to protect her.
"Nah, we all pull our own here. Ullima's way, you give without expectation." With that Mimi hopped out the back and Issla had came back in. The camp was a mix of emotion as Willow could make out many voices, that was followed by the sounds of horses trotting down the same path that had brought them here. The voices of many people began yelling as an exchange was being had. A gunshot went off.
Willow could hear Mimi's voice that rang out loudly, "We have a lease on this land, and you are all trespassing upon it. We are within our rights to shoot you if you don't leave."
A deep voice called out in reply. "We ain't here to disrupt your business, we're looking for lost property. Soulless escaped last night. We are certain that she dangerous, she burnt down a house with people still in it. Your camp was up near those parts last night, just checking to see if you saw something"
"Nobody's 'ere rider, get lost." Mimi called back.
"Don't suppose you mind us searching the place?"
"Not if you were a sheriff, or magistrate, but you ain't. Your company property, and I've spoken enough on this. Get lost, or get shot."
The sound of horses trotted off into the distance, as the normal sounds of the camp began to resume. Mimi hopped back into the cart. She spoke to Issla in their native tongue, and then to Willow, "Sorry, but likely going to have to keep you in the wagon a few days or until dark. They will post a watchman, or if we are really unlucky, they are going to get a magistrate. If the story we heard about you is true I imagine that we will be very unlucky indeed."
Willow shook her head, "I don't know what to say Mimi, why are you bothering with this."
"Ullima's twelve covenants. One should always help an elf in need."
"I'm not an elf." Willow said.
"I think you're a lot closer to an elf than has been seen in centuries."
Issla put her hands together with Mimi and they both bowed their heads. Willow was taken aback by this grabbing hold of Mimi's hands, "You cannot do this, please let me leave. I'll wait to dark and go."
"Go where? To them?" Mimi pointed at the crumpled-up pamphlet in the cart, "No, Willow of the Tree we will protect you here. Calibons will. You will decide your fate when you have the time, we will find a way to give you time." Willow sat back against the cart as Mimi took a knife and resumed peeling the potatoes. Issla crushed the garlic bulbs against the floor of the cart peeling off the skin. Willow hesitant, took the knife and resumed cutting potatoes.