Alice nodded and armed herself with her shield and sword, just in case a scout did spot them. Then huntress quietly walked on, moving towards the edge of the orc's path so she wouldn't be totally exposed in the open area the orcs left behind. Her eyes scanned around, trying to catch any trace of a scout before he caught theirs.[i]"Who is this person that Veo is so insistent about getting this stone for?[/i] Alice wondered. [i]"Here we are. About to try sneaking into an orc camp without getting caught all for some jewel? Hmm, don't recall any rumors about him and any of the girls having any sort of relation. OK, there might be a few, but all of them were perfectly groundless in the end. Heck, some people were trying to match him up with Mom for a while.[/i]

With that, the village girl's thoughts rested on her mother,[i]"I hope she isn't too worried when she finds out I went bandit hunting with Veo and two strangers. That wouldn't be good for the baby. She really has been happier though since her marriage. I really should look into leaving the village soon. Mom has a new family now and I just remind her of Dad. I would eventually fade out of the village memory and maybe a fleeting remembrance would remain for her. But the baby and anymore to come would occupy the remainder along with Jonathan and she would finally be completely at peace. It would be better though Alice if the cause of your leaving was not a careless death by orcs who surprised you, so get back to the present and focus."[/i] Which the huntress did, making all her thoughts be occupied with the trees, the silence, the distant campfire, and the possibility of orc scouts around.