Upon reaching the tavern, the two of you have a seat at the bar whilst Maebh makes an inventory of the bottles. The silence is intense, Sigmundo's skin is lightly blushed and his eyes aim statically at the surface of the bar's counter, almost as if a literal war is being waged inside his head. You don't know why of this sudden crisis but hazard to guess it has something to do with his struggles with socialising.

  The intermittent clicking of bottles hitting one another and Maebh writing on the ledger echoes lightly throughout the tavern. Though it all is too in favour of you zoning off, your mind can not help but to focus on how she seems to – secretly – pay attention to your every move with great apprehension, fear even but the logical part of your brain soon dismisses it as mere paranoia and lets your attention to disperse.

  Soon, the relaxing clicking and humming of the fireplace to your right bring you peace along with the comfort provided by its flames, random thoughts prosper and eventually, something of interest spawns among them: Although you feel rather well both in body and mind – excluding the amnesia, of course –, ever since waking up you have been struggling to focus, and, have been dispersed in a way that you – feel to – never have been before...

-        Voltamos!

  After the creaking of the doors, Jorge's words echo instantly snapping you out of your thoughts. He and Lord Édouard head right to the bar to seat by you and Sigmundo as Thaís goes behind the counter, informing:

-        Lunch will be ready in five minutes.

  As she stores her rifle away, Jorge volunteers merrily:

-        I'll help you!

  Thaís and Maebh instantly look at each other with worry and, soon after, she responds:

-        No, no, amor... You almost set the kitchen on fire the last time you tried to cook. But don't worry, Maebh is going to be more than enough help already~.

  As Thaís and Maebh leave, Jorge offers no protest, instead just grins embarrassed at – probably – the memory of his last attempt at cooking, making room for you to ask:

-        So, how was the hunt? Did you find the Beast?

-        No, but we found something interesting... The tracks that we followed today were a mess and led to nowhere, it seemed as if the Beast was running from something else…

  Jorge responds rather enthusiastically, as if he already has a theory on what the Beast might be running away from. However, Lord Édouard's silence steals your attention, his lack of words as wells as the way he does not seem to be even listening to the world around suggests that he is thinking about something concerning, something that – for some reason – you suspect that no one else knows... Your mind urges you to confront him but at the exact moment your mouth opens, Jorge notices Sigmundo's state:

-        Are you alright, Sigmundo? You look like someone who's about to make a love declaration, Hahaha!

  Sigmundo's face instantly shifts to a strong shade of red whilst he snaps out of his thoughts and desperately begins denying it –  in quite the incriminating manner – :

-        No, no, no! I-I... I was just thinking about something, t-that's all!

  But it only provokes Jorge to tease him more:

-        I know that Maebh is very pretty but don't you think you're a little too young for her? Haha. But don't worry, Age is the type of thing that you gain no matter what, unfortunately... But hey, the advantage is that you really don't have to do much, you just need to not die, Hahahahahaha.

  Jorge laughs loudly whilst Sigmundo shoots him words trying to explain himself, almost oblivious that it was just a joke. But even with the commotion of the two, Lord Édouard continues staring at the fireplace, sinking deeper and deeper into his thoughts.

  Whichever intuition you had about him hiding something before, now it is a certainty, yet, as you begin to muster enough courage to inquire him about it, Thaís and Maebh begin bringing trays and plates full of food instantly resulting in you and the others starting to set the table. When everything is ready and lunch is practically served, all have a seat, except for Maebh:

-        I have a few yokes to take care of, so… I fear I won't be joining you today...

-        What? But I thought you would lunch with us...

  Thaís protests, presenting an expression that mixes surprise and worry.          Maebh then responds:

-    Sorry, I really can't stay... But I promise we'll lunch together another day.

-    A.... Are you sure? But no excuses next time then, ok?

-    Aye, next time is for certain. See you.

  She nods and quickly says goodbye, prompting Thaís to offer:

-        Let me walk with you to the gates then...

-        No, no need, I'll be fine...

  For a second, Thaís stands still watching her friend leave but after Maebh has left, she seats again, still carrying a worried expression. Yet, as if such event occurs often, soon after all begin eating. It is noticeable to you how heavy the air is, especially how it seems as if there is something about Maebh that no one has told you, a delicate subject, most likely.

  After the meal, whilst Sigmundo leaves and Thais and Jorge prepare the tavern for the night, you have a seat at the bar, beside Lord Édouard and then gives into your curiosity:

-        I-Is Maebh feeling well? I mean... What's her story?

  After a brief silence, the lord questions you whilst still staring melancholic at his glass of wine:

-        Tu aimes poser des questions, hein?

  His words ring sense into your mind and so, recognising that you might be asking things that you should not be asking, you tame your curiosity and prepare to leave but, almost as if he simply does not care, Lord Édouard – still staring deeply into the dark-red liquid in his glass – begins:

-        During the Conqueror's War, I was hired by one of his commander's for a secret mission, a surveillance and reconnaissance mission at the isle of Érie before that his troops could invade. Me and a few other mercenary soldiers would covertly entre it through the south shore and collect information on the enemy forces and their formations. A week after, we would return to the shore to be brought back to the continent by a group of pirates that he had hired along with us, then we would deliver all the collected information and receive our pay. It was supposed to be a simple job, without complications. That was, until the captain of the pirates showed up...

  He lets out a short sarcastic laugh and then continues:

-        It was mon frère Jacques. Mon frère that ran from home ten years before that day, mon frère of whom I hadn't heard news since I enlisted in the Mercenary Army... But despite all of this, there he was. The same Jacques from the time we were children, but with the only difference that he was now a pirate...

  A subtle expression that mixes nostalgia and melancholy occupy his face but only for a mere second as he has another sip of his drink and then continues:

-        Not even ten minutes after we reached the shores of Érie, as we were unloading some supplies for the mission, the beach begin filling with people. At first, we thought that they were soldier and that, somehow, we were discovered through the night's darkness… But we were wrong. Those people were civilians and were preparing some kind of execution, it didn't seem to be a problem to our mission until Jacques saw the woman that was to be burnt... I suggested him and his crew to leave immediately, since the supplies we had unloaded until then were sufficient but mon frère was already lost at that point, he was shouting orders at his crewmen to prepare a rescue mission. Knowing him, any attempts at reasoning would be in vain, alors I joined in and together we interrupted the execution with weapons in our hands. She must have done something extremely bad given how bravely the people fought us, they did both the possible and impossible to keep us from taking the woman, chaos reigned. It was a bloodbath, some of them even used their last breaths shouting curses at her: “Bean sídhe!”, “Traitor!”, “Witch!”...

-        … It was when they were starting to lower our numbers massively that, probably as a signal that he and those who stayed at the ship agreed upon, Jacques threw a torch to the air and immediately cannon-shots rained down the beach, killing most of the civilians and almost some of us as well. It was his typical irresponsibility, however, I don't think we would have survived without it...

  He pauses one more time to have another sip and then resumes:

-        That woman was Maebh and, rather poetically, her control over the heart of mon frère was almost like witchcraft, and I don't say this lightly... Soon after we returned to the ship and they properly met for the first time, Jacques decided to desert the mission and come back to Sialav. I tried to convince him otherwise but to no avail, so in the end, I had no option but to come with them. Superstitions may not be for me, but I'm well aware of how dangerous it can be when mon frère falls in love. Until I could learn more about Maebh's story, I didn't feel safe leaving him travel with her alone...

-        We then said our goodbyes to the ship and Jacques' comrades at the Low Land's port and immediately begin journeying through the countryside, avoiding large or well-known villages due to our desertion. After three weeks we were finally home, ma mère was quite happy to see us again and actually liked Maebh, she even gifted her and my brother with the chalet by the pond once they got married. Maebh never told anyone except Jacques why she was to be burnt alive that day but since he wouldn't tell me either and she did nothing suspicious, eventually I stopped asking...

-        … For some months life was easy and nobody came looking for me and mon frère alarming us of our desertion but, one night, all changed forever: Me and Jacques were returning from a hunt – a little later than usual – when the Beast attacked us... Up until then we had only heard rumours of its attacks and simply thought it was just superstition, yet there it was and in a moment too quick to even be remembered well, it took mon frère's life before my own eyes.

  The way how his voice sounds at this point brings you the impression of responsibility, as if he blames himself for his brother's death. He then draws a deep breath trying to recompose and soon, continues, with the same tone of indifference that he usually speaks in:

-        After that, Maebh started distancing herself from the rest of the world, she wouldn't leave the chalet much and whenever you would walk past the trail that leads there, it was possible to hear her crying... Only a little while back, when Thaís showed up and the two became friends, that Maebh going out again, even if for just a little. From what Thaís has told me, singing here during the night has helped Maebh cope with the grief but she continues avoiding people...

-        En tous cas... She's a good person, she has just been through some turbulent times.

  And just like that, he dismisses your concerns whilst getting up and heading towards the exit. Confused, you ask:

-        Uh... Where are you going?

-        To check if the patrols are on schedule and if there is any news about the Beast.

  His words echo throughout the hall and then are followed by the shutting of the heavy door, the following silence invites several questions to you mind, along with a light sensation of disquiet, almost as if Lord Édouard's story is not complete.

  Regardless, you spend the rest of the day at the tavern doing nothing but ask yourself more questions without answers. After eating far more than you should at dinner, you lay down on your bed and mere seconds before blacking out, ponder:

-        “Could the woman from my dreams still be alive? Would she be able to help me recover my memories?”

  The howling wind outside of your wind soothes your – still not one hundred percent well –  mind making it shut down in comfort.