Tobi walked toward the woman as she laughed mirthfully; the sounds of battle faded as they walked further; the husks lay still. Even as more corpses rose once more, they were easily pinned in place as the cohort advanced towards her.
"My, my, no need to be so rash. I meant no harm; rather, I was just trying to fix you. After all, you've been so broken already, haven't you?" she said honestly. And she wasn't wrong Tobi had been through hell but he had survived it with scarce wounds; even now he didn't care; he just needed to find out who she was.
"Is every woman so cryptic?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, of course, dear," she replied with another mirthful laugh.
"H-How do we fight that woman? She must be far stronger than these undead soldiers, right?" Vaenera asked hesitantly.
"You don't need to fight; just run past her, and I'll handle it," Tobi whispered quietly in Elvish.
"That woman, you said, said my sister became undead, so it was she who killed her. Why should I run?" Vaerion yelled, moving to attack, but Tobi stopped him.
"Calm down. That woman isn't normal. Besides, if your sister stood no chance against her, what of you?" Tobi told him bluntly," The boy gritted his teeth before halting. The man was right.
"But..." he said, his voice breaking, "S-She killed my sister." His hands trembled as he spoke, raw with emotion.
The hunter nodded understandingly. "Yes, but your sister did not die without cause. After all, you are all alive, no?" he said honestly, then turned to face the woman and stepped toward her.
"Oh my, what a charming young man you are," the old woman chuckled. "Very well, run along, children. I'll give you the chance." She laughed once more.
"Hunter, are you sure?" Alariel asked cautiously.
Tobi simply nodded.
"You are just human," Vaenera said bluntly.
"And you are children," he replied.
The elves hesitated as the woman watched, her laughter fading.
"My patience is wearing thin," she said flatly, waiting.
Tobi glanced back at them. "We just met. Think of me as a stranger; whether this is pride or something else, I am not someone of your concern in this moment."
"Thank you, Hunter Sir," Alariel said quickly, and with that, they all descended further into the maze.
Now alone, Tobi took in the full view of the woman. She was thin so very thin, like the silk she wove. Her stick-like limbs moved fluidly as she hummed, her focus entirely on her weaving as each of her four arms and hands moved tiredlessly. Unlike earlier, there was no anger, no hostility. She paid the children no mind, as if their presence had never mattered at all.
Tobi watched as she gestured toward a chair on the other side of her. Her face remained hidden behind a mask that, like his, bore a smile, though hers was far more pleasant. If she were to stand, she would easily tower over him, but for now, she remained seated, engrossed in her craft.
Tobi was confused. He had expected a fight, yet the woman just sat there. In fact, she even made tea. He watched the steam rise from the kettle sitting atop a table she had seemingly crafted herself. With careful, deliberate motions, she poured the water into two cups before looking at him.
"My, my, are you just going to watch, or will you sit?" she asked curiously in English, stirring the tea before lifting her mask just enough to take a sip.
Tobi hesitated before sitting down, his gaze fixed on her.
"Have some tea; it calms the mind. And boy, your Elvish is so poor it's quite embarrassing," she said with a mirthful laugh.
"It is," he admitted, taking the cup. "And thank you."
"No problem, dear," she replied as they drank in silence.
Tobi placed his empty cup on the table, the warmth of the tea lingering in his hands. The brief moment of calm faded as he looked at the woman once more.
"Do you want more?" she asked curiously.
"Weren't you trying to kill me?" he asked, confused.
She laughed before nodding. "Yes, yes, I was. Though you don't seem to want to die," she chuckled.
"Why did you let the children go so easily? Are you going to kill them?" Tobi asked, watching her closely.
She laughed mirthfully. "You are a child too, no?" she asked politely.
"No," he replied honestly.
"Oh, but you are. Otherwise, I would have continued trying to kill you too," she said, her voice light and amused. "But if you must know, I had no intention of harming them; I was only after you."
"Why?" he asked, confused.
"Well, I hoped to give you an easy way out. But you are so very, very persistent," she sighed, laughing again.
Tobi's expression hardened. "Drop the act."
The woman halted her weaving and looked at him. "How ignorant of the hunter to defy the strands of fate even now. Have you not learned your place yet, child?" she asked sternly.
"No, but do tell me what I have done," he said, curiosity lacing his voice.
She resumed her weaving, her fingers moving fluidly. "Have you truly forgotten?" she asked, studying him when he did not respond.
Then, she laughed softly. "How hilarious. Even after forgetting, you still insist on this path. It is a gift, really; you can live however you want. So why not?"
"This is how I want to live," he said simply.
A heavy silence settled between them. The woman sighed, her fingers momentarily pausing over the strands.
"Why must you always...?" she murmured tiredly before looking at him again.
"Foolish man, just die then," she said coldly.
From behind her, a figure emerged; a grin stretched wide across its face, its eyes crackling like static. It waved excitedly at Tobi as a portal of light appeared behind the woman.
"Foolish men and their foolish ideals. If only you had stayed, you would have learned more sense as a boy," she said somberly. She turned toward the portal, stepping closer to it. But just as she reached the threshold, she hesitated. With a sigh, she turned back to him, dismissing the shadow. The creature frowned before vanishing.
In a blur, the woman was suddenly before him, her cold hands resting so very gently on his cheeks.
"Please, just rest now, dear. An eternal sleep, be at peace," she whispered, sorrow slipping into her voice.
A strange feeling overtook Tobi. It was sorrowful yet confusing. He did not understand why this woman treated him this way, nor why something within him responded to it. It was utterly vexing. His vision blurred, the world around him fading as he fell into unconsciousness.