Jane Sterling couldn't help but shake her head and laugh. Just moments ago, the girls had looked utterly petrified—so much so that she worried their Martial Souls had been scared right out of them. And now they were saying they wanted to protect *her*. 'These kids.'
However, as Jane Sterling looked at the still-terrified girls, she knew she couldn't possibly take them to the scene.
If something were to happen, she couldn't guarantee their safety.
With this in mind, Jane Sterling patted the girls' hands.
"You all need to hurry back along this road now. Be good."
"Auntie, what are you going to do?"
"That's right, you're a stranger here. If you need to do something, you can tell us. We're pretty familiar with the area, we can at least point you in the right direction."
Jane Sterling thought it over. They had a point. 'Still, how much danger could there be at the house holding the funeral?'
'It's got to be much safer than the riverbank, at least.'
