Upon arriving back in town, Larea split off from the rest of the group. She wandered around town for a while, taking in the sights, from the steady clanking of the blacksmith's hammer, to the fresh scent of bread wafting around the bakery.<br/>Eventually, she made her way back to the hill where everything started. It was there that she first heard a cart rolling into town, and shortly after met her current companions. The thought brought a smile to her face, as she realized how lucky she was. Out of all the possible courses of action at that moment in time, she picked the one that lead here, to a point where she was happier than she had ever been. She stood on the hill for a time, reminiscing about it, a permanent smile glued to her face. She didn't even remember the painful attacks she had been subject to, as the good memories she had did a fine job of removing them from her thoughts.<br/>After a while in her reverie, Larea noticed the sound of rushing water. She looked around for the source of the noise, and noticed it fairly quickly; there was a decent-sized river running into a small lake just a few dozen meters away from her. She wondered why she had never noticed it before, but quickly realized that it was hidden from view by the hills surrounding the small town. It was raised on almost every side, just enough to block it from the view of anyone who wasn't looking for it.<br/>She stared at it for a few moments in contemplation, and realized it had been quite a few days since she last bathed. The river was fairly calm, the water was clean and crystal clear, and the surrounding area seemed completely unpopulated. She made her way down the hill, being careful not to trip as it was fairly steep. She walked over to the edge of the lake and kneeled down, setting one of her hands into the water. It was cold, but not unbearably so, probably thanks to the warm climate of the surrounding area. She took a quick look through her surroundings, making sure there was nobody nearby, and began the process of undressing.<br/>Her outfit was simple, comprised purely of a robe and undergarments, so it didn't take long. Without her robe on, it was as plain as day to see the numerous scars along the entirety of her body; the ones that were normally hidden by her outfit. Her upper arms, legs, chest, back - everything was covered in them. It was obvious they were old, as many of them were faded somewhat, but it would be impossible for someone to not notice them if they were looking at her, even from a distance. It was a stark and unexpected contrast from the soft, smooth texture of her face and hands. Their range in size was rather diverse as well, but the majority of them were surprisingly large, especially those on her upper body.<br/>She stared at the ones on her arms for a while in silent contemplation, her memory still failing her, just as it had these past many years. She couldn't remember where they came from. Every time she tried, every time she thought the memories were returning, something in her mind told her she didn't want to remember. After a time she gave up, sighing her resignation out loud as she finished undressing, laying her clothes out nearby before stepping into the lake.<br/>The unexpected cold sent shivers through her; holding her hand in the water was one thing, but it was a big difference having her entire body submerged. After a while she got used to the temperature, and it didn't take her long to finish bathing. The gently moving current and cool water soon became a relaxing experience, and instead of getting out when she finished, she chose to shut her eyes and sink further into the water, until everything from her mouth down was fully submerged. The feeling of floating completely relaxed her, and she soon found her mind drifting off into a daydream.