You decide to go in an easterly direction.

After some thought, you decide to take the eastern direction. The reason for this choice is that you think that the mysterious attackers who want you dead will rely primarily on the testimony of witnesses in their search for your person. However, in a sparsely populated and extensively wooded area, such witnesses will be much more difficult to find than in a large population center such as the city of Skelweerd. You imagined how residents of the city of Skelweerd were asked about your person. Finding you was obviously quite easy due to your many years of work at the tavern and your memorable appearance.

Because of the memories of the tavern that was destroyed in the fire, you felt the bitterness of loss. You let out a small sob, a lump forming in your throat. However, you managed to hold back your sobs.

You walked for about an hour along the main trade route, which goes in a northerly direction. You then turned onto a minor road that heads east into a wooded area. For two hours, you continued to walk along the road in an easterly direction until you were so tired that you were **** to sit on a large roadside cobblestone to rest.

You thought about your current situation: “I have no food and drink... I have nothing except a dagger, an amulet and the women's clothing that I am now wearing... However, I will need to walk for many days... Perhaps even several weeks... I have no money at all... I can’t call my situation anything other than shitty..."

While you continue to sit on a large roadside cobblestone and indulge in sad thoughts, life around you goes on as usual. The foliage of roadside trees rustles due to gusts of wind, beetles fly around flowers, grasshoppers chirp, the rays of the sun warm the surface of the stone on which you are sitting.

You rested for about half an hour. When you were finally about to get back on your feet and continue on your way, you noticed something strange. Moreover, you heard a distant strange creaking coming from the side of the road...

You looked closely and you saw in the distance the silhouette of some kind of covered wagon, which was drawn by mules. The cart was moving along the road from the city of Skelweerd. That is, the cart was clearly moving along the same path that you had already walked. You anxiously grabbed the hilt of your elven dagger, which was hidden under the fabric of your feminine dress.

You looked at the approaching carriage with apprehension.

You thought: “If there are criminals in this cart who want to kill me, then I will have to prepare for resistance... But I’m not very confident in my own abilities...”

Ten minutes later the cart caught up with you and stopped. The coachman who was driving the cart quickly jumped off the cart. This tall, muscular guy was dressed in an old camisole made of light brown fabric, trousers made of gray cloth and old worn leather boots. The face of this young human guy suggested that he was about 20 years old. He had a small mustache, dark brown eyes, a large chin with a dimple, and tangled dark brown hair on his head.

You almost pulled out your elven dagger to start swinging your weapon if this human male was trying to approach you with bad intentions.

However, this guy ran past you towards some distant bushes that were about 20 meters from the road (next to a small ash tree grove).

You only let out a faint feminine squeal as he ran past you.

Because of this scream, a second human male poked his head out of the covered wagon. He looked a little older than the first guy. He was dressed in a gray cloth shirt. The second guy had a small dark beard and mustache of the same shade on his face. This human male was shorter than the guy who ran into the bushes. However, you noticed that the facial features of these guys had similar features as if they were relatives.

The guy with the beard looked at you and said, addressing someone inside the cart: “Everything is fine, mom! This is some girl who was sitting on a stone near the road. Elbart probably scared her when he jumped out of the cart and ran headlong into the bushes to take a shit! Ha! Ha!"

You were relieved to understand the true reason for the first guy's actions.

Then, you heard a faint voice coming from the carriage: “Irvon, invite the girl to join me inside the carriage... Perhaps she needs help...”

The guy with the beard replied: “But we’re in a hurry...”

A voice from the cart said: “Don’t argue... Do what I tell you...”

The guy with the goatee sighed and looked at you.

He smiled welcomingly and said: “While my brother is busy fertilizing the bushes with his shit, if you so desire, you can climb into our cart and chat with my old mother. By the way, my name is Irvon.”

You looked shyly into his dark brown eyes and you said, “I don’t mind... I’ll be glad to chat with your old mother... My name is... My name is Jermina.”

Irvon extended his hand to you. You took his hand and let him help you climb onto this covered wagon and climb inside the wagon.

It was a little dark inside the cart. You looked closer and you made out the small silhouette of an old woman. This woman was short (about 160 centimeters), she was slightly hunched over, her face was covered with many wrinkles. The woman was dressed in a worn gray cloth dress, and on her head was a scarf made of dark green fabric.

She was sitting on a small bench. You saw bags with some supplies next to her. You also noticed that in one hand she is holding some herbs, and in the other hand she is holding some kind of closed small bottle. Another important feature that you were able to notice: this woman’s eyes have a dull white tint.

The old woman smiled welcomingly at you and said: “My name is Bertha the Herbalist. I collect medicinal herbs, make potions and elixirs. I usually travel through the towns of the Forest Reach Duchy. But sometimes I need to travel to big cities like the city of Skelweerd to sell my goods..."

You politely introduce yourself: “My name is Jermina...”

Bertha the Herbalist asks, “Where are you going, Jermina?”

You answer: “To the east. To a wooded area..."

Bertha the Herbalist says: “My sons and I are also going to the east. In the east are the lands of the Duchy of Forest Reach... I have a proposal for you... As you probably noticed, I have problems with my eyesight... I can at least see something if I only bring this thing within the distance of my little finger to my eye... Therefore, when making potions and healing infusions, I have to use mainly my sense of smell. I have to use my sons to find herbs. Of course, I taught them to distinguish the most useful herbs by external signs and I told them about the places where such herbs can be looked for. But the help of a girl like you clearly won’t hurt me... Do you agree to go with me and my sons to the east? We will share supplies with you. And you will help me in collecting herbs and making healing infusions and elixirs. If you want to leave us, you can do it in any village you come across..."

This proposal from a human old lady, whom you met for the first time in your life, took you by surprise.

However, you understood that the complexity of your current life situation requires you to take decisive action. Therefore, old Bertha's proposal should clearly be considered.