Renee patted the weapon at her side. Things are all changing here in this town, and maybe it's up to me to straighten things out.
But Renee frowned, because she wasn't sure who she was anymore.
Renee pressed her hands again her head. She ran rough fingertips and calloused palms down her face, trying to massage clarity into her thoughts. Her darkened palms and sharp nails were the hands of a hunter. The concept seemed so free, but not right either. What if Alisa was going through the same thing? If Alisa felt as confused as she did, how could she help?
Leaves stayed nearly silent as Renee's bare feet stalked out of the woods. She confidently strode onto the town's dirt road. The people around her seemed small like she had been. She almost felt contempt towards them. A scent she had not noticed before came from the villagers. It repulsed her. She imagined bearing her sword down on the first one who came too near to her. She grew excited at the thought of blood flowing down her blade from a cleaved shoulder.
The reverie snapped as Renee felt the stare of the villagers around her. She found herself stopped dead in the road, gripping her sheathed blade, and with what felt like a sheen of prespiration all over her body. She inhaled sharply and resumed her walk at a faster pace. She had to find out the truth of her situation and fast.
Alisa could not help her, not if she was experiencing anything close to what Renee felt growing inside her. The gypsies had belonged to the town for a long time. Renee was certain Ilynda would have some answers.