This is my first time writing fanfiction for the Chronicles of Prydain, and for me it's a sort of character study more than anything else. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and, while I know the Prydain community is small, I would appreciate any reviews you have. Thank you!

I suppose I should begin with what it's like here. Llyr knows there's enough to say about that.

Days here are long, but satisfying. There's an awful lot of cleaning to be done, but it feels good somehow, like solving a difficult riddle. It's a shame Dallben isn't younger, for maybe then he could help us, but Coll, Taran, Gurgi, and I manage fine.

With Achren, I didn't know enough about cooking to butter a piece of bread, but traveling in a forest for weeks teaches one a thing or two about making food, especially out of next to nothing. I've gotten pretty skillful when it comes to eggs, and just yesterday Coll told me my omelets were better than anything he had ever tasted. Well, I simply glowed when he said that, and hoped to receive praise from Taran as well, but instead Gurgi said something about crunchings and munchings and a suspiciously snore-like sound came from the next room where Dallben was meditating.

Taran is just the sort of person who doesn't give you compliments when you want them. And if he does give you a compliment, you may be sure he'll add "for a girl" to the end of it, and it's like ruining a beautiful story with a miserable ending. Well, I can tell you, I lose my head anytime he says that. We have a good, screaming argument, and at least one of us storms off within a few minutes.

In fact, we had one of our rows a few days ago. It was cold both without and within, and Taran and I were chopping wood for the fires that are necessary in the evenings. I often make it a race in my mind to see who can chop the most wood, but of course Taran always wins. That day I was really doing my best to beat him, and he happened to notice my determination and say, "You have a lot of strength," and then of course he added that stupid, "for a girl."

Great Belin, I was mad. "What does me being a girl have to do with anything? A girl could be ten times as strong as any boy."

He looked up at the sky impatiently. "That's not what I meant. If you'd take the time to listen—"

I really whirled on him then. "What did you mean, then? Taran of Caer Dallben, I swear, you are the most inconsiderate—"

This got him mad. "Now look here, Eilonwy. Use your head, if you have one."

"It's always 'Look here, Eilonwy' this or 'You're a girl, Eilonwy' that. I can't stand it!"

"Eilonwy—"

"I'm not speaking to you!" This time it was me who stomped off. It's a stroke of luck for Taran that I had put down my chopping axe, for I felt I could have hacked him to bits.

I was rather red in the face by the time I reached the scullery. I saw then that I had overreacted, but that just made me feel much worse. I threw a plate against the wall, but it was one of our good, strong ones and didn't break, which rather defeated the purpose. In the end, I threw myself down on my cot and screamed, which is the best way to get rid of a tantrum. I hadn't had any supper, and the fire was out so it was terribly cold, but I somehow fell asleep anyway.

The sound of my door squeaking woke me up. I looked over just in time to see Taran leaving and shutting the door behind him.

What had Taran been doing in my scullery? I wondered. It was then that I realized there was a fire blazing on the hearth, my quilt was wrapped around me, and there was a small plate of supper lying next to my bed. Immediately all of my remaining anger flew out of my body like a bird, and if I hadn't been so cozy I would have run after him and made a formal apology. That's the funny thing about Taran; I can never stay angry with him for long. I simply don't have it in me. I suppose one day I could sit myself down and say, "I will be angry at Taran and nothing can stop me." It wouldn't work, of course, but perhaps it would be worth a try. It's remarkable how many things I tell myself I should try someday. I'm sure I'll never get around to any of them. That's just the way life is I suppose.