[center][h2]Kochiya Sanae[/h2][h3]Aventon — Forest Outskirts[/h3][/center]
With how fast Youmu had dispatched the boar earlier, Sanae found Remilia's and Lewa's swift return somewhat surprising. There wasn't anything inherently wrong Lewa's inclination towards trying to nonviolently pacify the boar when they had first split up, but given how the one the three of them ended up staring down was more than ready to send them flying, the shrine maiden had expected them to at least take a while longer in their efforts.

...

Or maybe they had come to a similar resolution to theirs?

Remilia's recounting of the events that had proceeded on their end, however, proved counter to her beliefs—a fact that did leave Sanae at least a bit surprised. What was concerning here, however, was the mention of venom. Putting aside the possibility of the boars themselves being venomous (which didn't exactly seem likely due to their prodigious size), the fact that the injured boar the other pair had encountered was left debilitated from something that wasn't physical exhaustion or injury was worrisome at best.

Any immediate desire to see what it was that Remilia had found, though, was quickly overtaken by the arrival of yet another somewhat-familiar face. Though she wasn't exactly any sort of acquaintance towards the white-haired woman who began proceeding by immediately pointing fingers, that immediate reaction towards both Youmu and Remilia meant that she had to have been a resident of Gensokyo, too. The half-ghost's reaction only further cemented that fact, though absolutely nothing in this situation gave her any indication of who the person in question [i]was[/i].

"Well... That makes four now?" she asked, slowly landing on the ground before giving the newcomer a brief once-over. "Either way, I guess quick introductions are in order, just so we're all on the same page. Kochiya Sanae, resident of the Moriya Shrine. I'm going to guess you're [i]not[/i] part of some rescue force to try and get us back home, right?"

It wasn't as if she had expected such a quip to result in anything meaningful, nor did she really want to head back [i]quite[/i] yet—not with so many unknowns and so many more threats looming overhead. As long as Kanako-sama and Suwako-sama knew she was safe, she could work without worry.

While all of that was playing out, however, anyone wishing to examine the area further would find that there were more than simply traces of something being simply [i]present[/i]. Sifting around in the nearby underbrush would eventually reveal a rather strange cluster of shallow ruts carved into the earth. Further into the forest than that, though, would only further emphasize what it was that had driven the boars out.

After all, the sight of the corpse of an earthmane boar that was no more than skin and bones lying among the underbrush, body hollow and eyes empty, would be more than enough reason for [i]most[/i] things to flee. A very notable, roughly-shorn hole in the center of where the boar's stomach had been was front-and-center for all to see, but beyond that...

[@VitaVitaAR][@EchoWolff][@Izurich][@Lugubrious][@Raineh Daze]
[hr][center][h3]Aventon — Hunter's Lodge[/h3][/center]
While displeasure was evident on Kendrick's face as Anne mentioned the possibility of the contents of the box being a peace offering, any further considerations of what deeper meaning they held was promptly thrown out the window as Millie began to stir for the first time since she had arrived. In the same instant that his eyes met Anne's, the guard gave a quick nod before rushing over to the young girl's side.

Millie herself seemed to be in stable condition despite being left in a comatose state for the better half of the last sixteen hours, though that might have been more due to how miraculously everything up until now had lined up. Regardless of that fact, though, the young girl shifted ever so slightly where she lay as Anne tested for her pulse. The woman's words, however, seemed to have a bit more of a profound effect. Hearing her name called, Millie unconsciously pulled her arm back before her eyes opened for the first time in what felt like ages.

"Who...?" she asked, voice weak and raspy as her eyes panned from Anne towards Kendrick. "...Uncle Ken? What happened...? Where's Al?"

"Alvin's... At home right now. He went to go pick something up," Kendrick responded, lying as best he could to cover up what had transpired the night before. "But he'll be back soon enough. Are you okay? Nothing feeling too out of place?"

"Mmgh... My arms and legs hurt, and I'm really thirsty..." she responded, to which Kendrick responded with a nod.

"Well, sleeping on the floor'll definitely do that," he spoke simply, nodding his head before turning towards Anne, then back towards Millie. "This person here—Miss Anne—helped you and your brother out yesterday."

"She saved us from the bad guys?"

"Yeah, she and her friends saved... A lot of people yesterday," he said, slowly rising back to his feet. "...Sorry, but do you mind looking after Millie a bit longer? I want to make sure Alvin... Didn't get distracted."

[@Drifting Pollen]