However slow-witted she might be, she could still sense that something was seriously off about the situation. Yelena's earlier actions had clearly gone beyond the bounds of simple joking around. And that gave Miss Surtr an uncertain suspicion.
Could it be that she likes me?
Wait, is this how people act when they like someone? Why do I feel like she's throwing a tantrum at the Fire Keeper... But even a normal tantrum shouldn't look like this, should it?
Her fist tightened slightly, then relaxed again. Surtr glanced up at Yelena's back and noticed that the Frost Maiden's feet seemed to be trembling faintly.
She's afraid.
Why is she afraid?
Surtr felt that she might need to ask, if only to understand what had happened during those few minutes earlier. Ever since arriving in this world, one thing after another had spiraled out of control, and she felt she needed to sort out this tangled mess on the spot.
She stepped forward.
Section Five: The Hero Leaves the Lord of Fiends' Castle
She couldn't take a second step.
It wasn't because the Fire Keeper stopped her, nor because something suddenly fell from the sky, or an accident occurred outside Firelink Shrine. No, there was no external reason. This turn of events stemmed from an internal one—and that internal cause was Yelena, who had turned around the moment Surtr took her first step.
"Yelena?" She saw the little white rabbit running toward her.
"There's something I want to ask..."
She couldn't finish asking, because before she could say the entire sentence, the white rabbit pressed a finger to her lips.
"Shh, don't ask, and don't say anything. Even if you ask, I won't answer, because now isn't the time."
Surtr: ???
"The two sides of a balance must be equal for