The Researcher's Journey

Chapter 6: Who Are You ?

Stella walked for hours until she got tired again, and sat down to lie under a tree, wondering why she had not yet met any living being other than these men.
“Is it possible that they hunt all the animals of the forest too ? Huh, that’s not out of the question either.”
While she was distracted by her thoughts, suddenly she heard a voice coming from the other side.
By the sound she knew it was someone, he was singing, or rather she was singing.
Stella hiding behind the tree and silently watching, the person is a girl.
The young teenage girl stood by the riverbank amidst the dense forest, her little frame adorned in a simple dress, olive green in color, long, with short sleeves.
With her rosy cheeks contrasting against her fair complexion. Her wide, dark eyes sparkled with innocence and curiosity, framed by long, wavy black hair cascading down her back.
As she joyfully washed the clothes in the river, her melodious voice echoed through the trees, adding a serene harmony to the tranquil scene. The sunlight danced through the foliage, casting a warm glow upon her as she immersed herself in the simplicity of nature.
Stella watched her quietly behind the tree, the girl continued to wash clothes quietly without knowing that someone watching her. Stella opened what could be called a purse or a briefcase, which she quickly made with the old fabric she found in the hut.
There was no food, just a bottle of water about to be emptied and her phone, which was still only half-charged.
“Well, since this girl is here, there must be a group or a family living around here, then …"
Without hesitation, she came out from behind the tree and walked towards the girl, showing herself.
At first, she did not pay attention to her, but as Stella got closer she could hear her footsteps, so she turned around to see who, and  let out a cry from the sight.
Stella’s appearance was terrible, her face dirty, with clothes torn and patched in places, resembling a street urchin. She held her eyes, though weary, with a glimmer of flexibility,  looked like a homeless boy, or like a bandit who would do anything for money.
Stella was about to talk to her, but she didn’t want to hear, and she threw wet clothes and a stone at her.
One of the stones fell on Stella’s foot, she screamed, “Aaah, I just wanted to talk to you, please stop it !”
When the girl heard her voice, she calmed down, and after a few moments of staring, she spoke up, “You’re a girl ?”
Stella, holding her injured foot, replied, “Yes, will you calm down a little, I didn’t come to hurt you, believe me.”
The girl asked, “What brought you here ? And why are you in this situation ?”
“I’m lost so I just came to ask for help from you to figure out the way, that’s all, but look what you did, ouch !”
The girl looked around well, but no one else was in the place.
“My god, my leg is almost broke, I hope I can walk.”
Stella tried to stand up with difficulty, the stone thrown at her foot was a bit big.
After much hesitation the girl approached Stella, saying, “I apologize to you, I did it out of panic, please forgive me.”
“Yes, very well, now I’ll be able to at least find out where I am.”
Stella speaks to the girl with a smile on her face, “It’s okay, I also have to apologize for scaring you, you can’t be completely blamed either.”
The girl smiled, “So, you said You were lost, right ? What region are you from ?”
“Which area will I choose, I just came a day ago !”
Moments later she replied, “I am, from the North.”
“North ? and what exactly brought you here ? Is it possible that you came to hunt ? or to trade ? did you come with your family and get lost ?”
Stella quickly replied, “Yeah, that’s exactly what happened.”
“Uh, that’s a pity.”
“Very well you have found me an argument without thinking.”
Stella felt relieved after the girl put this argument to her, she didn’t even have to think about it.
“It’s good that I chose the northern region, I think it’s far away, as I know, the area of this continent is a bit vast. So you should not know anything about the inhabitants of the north, as long as there is no technology and airplanes.”
Stella was very careful not to make mistakes in front of her.
The girl continued to talk to her while she was doing the laundry.
“By the way, what is your name ?”
“My name is Alina.”
Surprised, and replied, “Alina ? I have never heard of this name before, is it common in the North ?”
“I don’t know, actually it was my grandmother’s name.”
“Oh, I never heard that name before, what does it mean ?”
“I think it means beautiful and bright women.”
“Beautiful name.”
This is already the name of Stella’s grandmother, her father’s mother.
“I couldn’t think of another old-fashioned name, the meaning of which is beautiful, but it never suited her, she was a terrible woman.”
“And you, what is your name ?”
Laughing, she replied, “Oh, sorry, I kept babbling and forgot to even tell you. My name is Helena.”
“Nice to meet you.”
"Look, I’m done with my job, we are leaving now.” ( Carrying washed clothes.)
“Where exactly ?”
“To our village, it’s close.”
“But I’m afraid I’m going to cause you some trouble.”
Helena, “What are you saying, what’s the trouble ? The only trouble is that you stay for another day in the forest, right ?”
“Well, since you insist, I will come.”
Helena (She is excited), “Very well, that’s what I want to hear, let’s go.”
The two walked on the way to the village, Helena still talking while Stella listened, the two were very different from each other.
Helena actively talked and laughed continuously, while Stella was quiet and only smiled sometimes.
“My god, she doesn’t stop talking. And also, where is this village, haven’t we arrived after all this walking ?”
“ls the village still far away ?”
Helena, “No, it’s getting closer, now we’re going to get out of the forest and you’ll see it.”
Already the exit to the forest was a few feet away, and right then the village appeared.
The small village located next to the vast forest is a picturesque and quiet place. It is surrounded by lush greenery and towering trees, which gives it a sense of serenity and closeness to nature. The village consists of quaint houses, each of which has its unique charm, scattered along winding roads.
The chirping of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves can be heard throughout the day, creating a calm atmosphere. The smell of fresh bread and the sight of children playing in the streets add to the charming atmosphere of the village. As the sun sets behind the forest, the sky is painted in vibrant colors, casting a warm glow over the village. It is a place where time seems to stand still and one can truly appreciate the beauty of natural life.
“Here we are.”
“I don’t know if I can handle it here.” Stella sighed internally.
The two of them entered the village, Stella noticed something at that time, most of the people in the village were light brown people, there was only Helena and some children with white skin.
Everyone passing by was amazed at Stella’s terrible appearance, especially two guys at the entrance to the village.
The two men engaged in lively conversation, their dark skin glistening under the sun. Both of them had warm smiles and seemed to be very friendly towards each other. However, their conversation suddenly stopped when something caught their attention. Both of them turned to look at Stella in surprise, their expressions full of curiosity.
Stella was a little upset that she had not damaged such a thing, everyone was staring at her.
After seeing her expression, Helena said ,“Don’t worry, despite what you see, they are very kind, once they hear what happened with you, they will all want to help, you will see.”
“No, no, please don’t tell everyone about it !”
“I told you not to worry.”
“Well, if everyone knew, the percentage of those people discovering me would be even greater.”
“Huh well I’m not going to tell everyone don’t worry, you’re too shy Alina.”
“Thank you.”
“I just hope I don’t get into trouble because of how much this girl talks.”
Stella worried that these men would be in the vicinity of the village, if word got out that a Lost girl had been found in the nearby forest, they might be suspicious.
The two of them continued walking down one of the narrow alleys, when they reached the last one there was a small house, a brunette woman sat on the chair outside knitting.
The woman is in her mid-thirties beautiful, brown-skinned with striking features. Her face is symmetrical and harmonious, with dark wide eyes. Her long, straight hair cascades down her back, reaching to her waist. She has a small and graceful figure, with a little height on the shorter side. Despite her stunning appearance, what sets her apart is her warm and welcoming nature. While she is patiently waiting for someone, she can be seen sitting outside, skillfully knitting.
Immediately after seeing her, Helena waved to her, “Mother, I am back.”
The woman calmly turned to her, but soon her calm expression turned to wonder, of course, because of Stella’s appearance.
“I think her mom is going to kick me out.”
“Mother, how was your day ? Have you finished knitting the dress ?”
Her mother replied, “Welcome back. Yeah, I am almost done with it. But Helena, who is this boy ?”
“The boy ?” After hearing this, Stella sight.
Helena laughed outright, saying, “Mother, she is not a boy.”
Her mother replied in amazement, “What ? Is it a girl ? But why is she like this ?”
“Come on, let’s go in first, we will explain the situation to you.”