Her smile carried a faint, ancient patience. She sat as though time did not press her, lifting her tea with ease. Her attention returned to Ludwig, watching him closely, as if the struggle inside him mattered more than geography or suspicion.
"I don't understand how we got here," Tull said, "But this doesn't feel right, something's missing… this forest is inhabited by the dark witch… and I doubt she'd let you remain here for free… this must be an accomplice of hers…"
Tull's suspicion sharpened into a structured accusation. Something's missing, he meant it in the way a trained soldier feels when the air is too quiet, when a trap is too clean. He didn't believe in free safety, not in places with reputations like this.
Redd was also worried that this might be the case. The Witch of the Mare, who lives in the Dark Forest, wasn't so kind as to allow something with this much 'power' to live here for free.
