[center][h2]Anne Mayer[/h2][h3]??? — Forest Outside the Village[/h3][/center]
[i]"You're super strong too, right?"[/i]

Innocent words, so expectant and full of hope. They settled upon Anne's shoulders like a leaden weight, and she had to take a long breath, averting her eyes, so as not to fall to her knees there and then. It wasn't just her physical injuries, but psychological wounds as well, bad memories bubbling to the surface after what Alvin had said.

"I... Used to be." Even looking away, she couldn't quite hide the hurt in her expression. "If it were ten years ago, then maybe I could have solved this all on my own. But right now, the best a tired Knight like me can do is protect you while the others fight." She wished she could have given a better answer, but anything more hopeful would have been a lie. The current her was little more than a washed-up ruin of the hero from her glory days.

And still, time and time again, people chose to put their faith in her.

Not wanting to bring the kid's mood down, Anne tried her best to look optimistic. "They're all powerful warriors, so I'm sure they'll be able to win. And if you're out of harm's way, then they can fight to their fullest without harboring any worries." She made a show of glancing about, at the gnarled tree trunks and bristling shrubs, shadows that might provide her group with cover or conceal an enemy ambush. "In the meantime, we can search for a good place to hide. Your eyes are probably better than mine, so can you guide us from here?"

A safe place, somewhere they could sit down and rest for a bit. Hopefully just until the other 'heroes' finished mopping up the remaining invaders.

If they failed, however... Anne didn't intend to break the promise she'd made to Alvin earlier. [i]If it's just one fight, then I should be able to at least clear the village before my body gives out for good.[/i]

[@PKMNB0Y]