Metamorphoses II: 432

[cinefactus]

Quā vēnāta foret silvā, nārrāre parantem
impedit amplexū

This one has me a bit confused. He asked her where she had been hunting, so why does he then say foret, rather than esset, or sit?

 

[Pacifica]

Although it's been theorized that foret was initially used in future-in-the-past contexts, in practice it can occur as a variant of esset in any situation where you could find the latter.

 

[cinefactus]

OK thanks