link Ashe volume_up
Hey, what's wrong? Something on your mind?
link Shez volume_up
Kinda, yeah. Remember before when we were talking about my mom?
link Shez volume_up
The more I think about it, the more I'm realizing she really was a strange person.
link Ashe volume_up
What do you mean?
link Shez volume_up
Exactly that. Everything about her was kinda just... a mystery.
link Shez volume_up
I've spent hours trying to puzzle out how she might've ended up in that remote village, but I keep coming up empty.
link Shez volume_up
I mean, someone that smart is rare even in the biggest cities, right? She practically knew everything.
link Shez volume_up
Even using magic was a breeze for her.
link Ashe volume_up
Hm. She may not have talked much about her past, but can you think of anything she mentioned that could give you a clue?
link Ashe volume_up
Maybe something about the people she knew, or unique things she owned.
link Shez volume_up
If she did, it's not coming to me. She's been gone so long now.
link Shez volume_up
So, yeah. Nothing really springs to mind. I don't even have any mementos to remember her by.
link Ashe
...
link Ashe volume_up
Then we'll just have to investigate. I'll help.
link Shez volume_up
Investigate? As in, my mom? Where'd that come from?
link Ashe volume_up
Well, both of my parents died in an epidemic when me and my siblings were still very young.
link Ashe volume_up
I still have some hazy memories of them—food they used to make, that kind of stuff—but that's really all I have left.
link Ashe volume_up
And since they were commoners, there's almost no record of them. All my searches came up empty.
link Ashe volume_up
I know how much that hurts. So it's not hard for me to sympathize with what you're going through.
link Shez volume_up
Huh.
link Ashe volume_up
Really it's just so I can get my own closure. We don't have to do it if you don't want to.
link Shez volume_up
All right, I'm in. I'd love to learn some more about my mom.
link Shez volume_up
I dunno. I'd love to know more about my mom, but I'd feel kinda weird dragging you into it.
link Ashe volume_up
Don't worry about that. I want to help, and I can learn more about you while I do it.
link Shez volume_up
OK then, how are we doing this thing?
link Ashe volume_up
The most sensible place to start would be talking to people who knew her.
link Shez volume_up
I doubt anyone in the village really remembers her, though. We weren't exactly the most social family.
link Ashe volume_up
Still, someone must have known her. It's impossible to stay completely unnoticed in those small mountain towns.
link Ashe volume_up
It's entirely feasible one of the villagers can tell us something. Or, oh, what about the village chief?
link Shez volume_up
If anyone's gonna remember her, it's him. But for all I know, he could be dead by now, too.
link Ashe volume_up
Then we'll just have to send a letter and find out.
link Ashe volume_up
And if we never get a response because no one there can read...well, in that case we can go ourselves.
link Shez volume_up
Guess it's worth a shot.
link Shez volume_up
I feel kinda bad sending a messenger out that far, but we might as well see what happens.
link Ashe volume_up
Great. Now come on, let's get started on that letter!