[center][h2]Kochiya Sanae[/h2][h3]??? — Hunter's Lodge[/h3][/center]
The dead silence that hung over the group as they made their way over to the hunter's lodge left Sanae feeling rather awkward, but that feeling soon fell to the wayside once the group as a whole arrived. While the fighting earlier had shown but a fraction of what brutality had taken place, seeing a bunch of injured civilians in lieu of injured soldiers left the young woman at a loss for words once more. But with the others having finished saving all the people they could from the destruction outside (or, at the very elast, that's what she assumed had taken place), Sanae had no intention of being left behind.

A brief look around the room confirmed that the group that they had left behind had made it here, at least, and apparently none the worse for wear. The boy and his sister seemed fine physically, though the distressed look on the former's face suggested that the stress might have been starting to get to him. The older woman, who at this point had moved off to the side, seemed... Well enough, relatively speaking; if her condition when they had first arrived was anything to go by, though, she would probably need to be checked at some point or another.

But that was neither here nor there—at least, not with so many other people still injured and at risk of death. Excusing herself from the rest of the group, Sanae quickly ran off into the crowd to try and repeat the small miracle she had done for the girl they had just brought over to the ones most at risk. There were no small number who couldn't be saved, with their injuries too deep or having been left untreated for far too long, but at the very least she could try and make sure those who weren't lost could survive.

There was only so far 'miracles' could go before they became impossible, of course.

[hr]
Kendrick seemed a bit taken aback at Anne's jumpiness, but given how an injured civilian had spontaneously appeared behind her, the man couldn't fault her for reacting as she had. Regardless of that, though, the woman's words had a point; even if they stayed silent, the truth would come out eventually. The best thing to be done, then, was to do so with honesty in hopes that things wouldn't spiral out of control. With that thought in mind, the man's gaze hardened as he considered how to respond before ultimately deciding that a simple nod would be best in this instance.

"...Right. I'll be the one to tell him... When the time comes. He might hate me, but it'd be better than leaving him in denial," the older man said, glancing towards the still-anxious child before sighing. "I guess I should be getting back on guard duty; with everything as it is now, someone's gotta make sure we don't get bandits or something trying to capitalize off the Raven Herald's attack. If something happens, I'll be the first to come running, okay?"

After motioning to one of the people busy at work trying to treat the others who were injured to look at Anne when they got the chance, Kendrick simply waved farewell and left the lodge. With the sound of pouring rain now quite evident outside, though, one could only wonder if everything would pan out well enough.

[@VitaVitaAR][@Raineh Daze][@Drifting Pollen][@EchoWolff][hr]
[center][h3]??? — Town Outskirts[/h3][/center]
As the rain intensified and the sounds of his voice began to be drowned out, the man whom the others had been following seemed to grow somewhat disheartened. The thought of his family being in the middle of the forest, teeming with all manner of beasts at the worst of times, continued to spur him on despite his injuries. But those desperate cries, strained to them point where his throat was left raw and sore, seemed to amount to next to nothing. The growing fear and anxiety on his face would be readily apparent as every agonizing second passed without any results, but everything only seemed to come to a head when Rayne finally suggested that he return to town.

"Are you crazy?! I'm not going to leave my—" he began to say, only for him to clutch his side and stumble towards a nearby tree. Though he did not fall to his feet, the villager seemed to need to use the plant as support as he took a few heavy breaths before continuing to speak.

"...Damn it all. Fine, I'll head back. My wife, Elaine: she's got light brown hair and should be carrying our child. I pray she found shelter before the rain began, but... I'm sorry, I'll leave finding her to you. Please. Tell her that Marcus is alive and well if you find her."

With that explanation, the villager silently accepted Rayne's proposal and, without any further fanfare, was whisked back off to safety while the two resumed their search.

Further exploration of the forest for shelter in particular would mean soon bear fruit, as it became evident by the number of ruins that nature had reclaimed what was once here. The reasons for their presence remained to be seen, but at the very least the ruins, damaged and worn down as they were, would provide no shelter from the elements.

Or, rather, all the ruins save for one. Upon what seemed to be a long-decrepit foundations of a tower, the presence of a rotting wooden door that showed signs of recent use and that was cleared of any debris or fauna around it could easily draw the eye of anyone attentive enough for signs of human activity; further inspection would reveal that, though damaged, the hinges seemed to work well enough to allow for entry down a staircase that led into darkness. And deep, deep within, the faintest cry of a baby could be heard...

[@DracoLunaris][@Lugubrious]