Greatwater Lake A careless wanderer

When he pointed out the absurdity of her situation, Raven's ears and cheeks burned with embarrassment and her eyes dropped. She could tell that he was only teasing, yet this was a tender issue for the young woman. She had never meant to wander so far or get so lost. She certainly hadn't planned on being gone for so long and essentially abandoning her entire family. It was a source of great regret and pain, though she didn't necessarily want to reveal that to a perfect stranger. That would be awkward.

"Yeah," she replied, forcing a quiet laugh. "It's stupid, isn't it?" She huffed another false-sounding laugh before sobering and trying to explain, "But I'd never left home before and I lost my way. I didn't realize I had no sense of direction until it was too late." Raven shrugged, still embarrassed and sad about what was probably the biggest mistake of her life. "I've been gone almost a year," she admitted.