The Bird's Nest

by RavenWriter8

It was a normal childhood day for England, the little country who lived in the forest, until a chance encounter changed his life forever. Though not in the way one might expect-not even in the way he could expect, until several hundred years later. *A one-shot, told from the POV of young!England, about the history behind his decision to join WWI on behalf of Belgium.*

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, this is the most recent of my fanfics. I think it's absolutely wonderful, but then, I may be biased. May or may not be set in an AU, depending on your personal headcanon, but it is basically a tale created as the backstory behind why England chose to enter World War I on behalf of Belgium after she was attacked by Germany. It does contain possible EnglandxBelgium, though I like to think of it more as a close friendship because of this meeting rather than because of any special feelings. It is told from England's POV. Please enjoy thoroughly! :3
(Also, I have to thank xSilverLaviniax from YouTube for providing the inspiration for this fanfic. I can't tell you how many times I watched her video with the quote at the beginning in it, while trying to set the mood for writing this. Also, the quote itself is a wonderful piece of history-apparently it is one of the oldest pieces of this particular language, found in an abbey in Kent, though the language is an early version of Dutch/Flemish. In other words, it connects the two countries c:)

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"Hebban olla vogala nestas hagunnan, hinasa hic enda thu; wat unbidan we nu?" –Anonymous

- All birds have begun their nests, except for you and me -

- What are we waiting for? -

I was very young, still, the first time I met the girl who changed my fate.

Just as many stories begin with such an event, so does mine. But this time, and with my tale, things do not turn out as one would expect. That is for certain.

What happened that day was completely and utterly unexpected, especially for one like myself. I was only a boy of about nine or ten, though I had hundreds of years of experience. But none of that experience would ever be quite enough to prepare me for the most important years of my life. The years that began with that very same girl.

It began like any normal day, for me. At that age, I was unaccustomed to human contact, for the most part. I did what I had to, as far as the townspeople went, since I was still in the fairly early days of civilization as the rest of Europe knew it. I dealt with the trade, every once in a while, taking advantage of the Romans who came across the Channel for the exchange of their goods. I successfully fended off attacks, with the help of my older brother, Wales, and I had earned my steady place in the world as it was. Having done so, I could choose any way to live that I pleased.

And the way I chose to live by was in the forests. Just how I liked it. Just what I had grown up with.

I had always been a boy of the forest. The trees knew me better than anyone else, even the fairies. They offered more companionship, of course…but there's really no substitute for the calm, gentle rustling of deep viridian leaves, casting shade on my solitude and providing me with the shelter I had received from no one else, as long as I had been alive. At least, when I was small.

It was where I felt the most comfortable. So, even when I was given the choice to live in town, among others, for the first time, I decided not to. Instead, I stayed in the little stone home I had built for myself among the trees in the densest part of the woods, the place I had spent most of my childhood, as soon as I had been able to do things for myself adequately.

And this is where my story begins.

As I said, it was a particularly ordinary day for me. Or, at least, it started out that way. I was perfectly happy to be alone in the shifting forest, strolling down the subtle paths I knew by heart, accompanied only by the muffled sound of my footfalls on the leaf mould. Even under the trees, the mid-morning sun was enough to warm the air, and it kept me comfortable as I walked, smiling quite openly as I so rarely did, as I only did where I was at the moment. I gazed up at the trees, taking in the breathing of the forest around me as it chittered with life, surrounded by rich greens and dense browns, absolutely cheerful in my beautiful home.

And then, I saw something new—and now that I think about it, it was the something that, arguably, changed my life.

For some reason unknown to me, I suddenly felt the urge to look up. Not around and up, as I was doing a moment earlier, but directly up, right above my head. And, lo and behold, in the tree branch just over me, sat a perfectly round bird's nest.

It wasn't particularly conspicuous or special, even. It just was. It perched in the mess of twigs at the end of that branch like it had been born to be there. And, technically, it had been. Carefully, meticulously crafted of little bits of leaves and twigs, animal and even human hair, littered with downy light brown feathers as if a bird had died there rather than been born there. But, for some reason, it was enough to catch my attention; and I, as a result, halted below it, gazing up at it for a long few moments, before deciding to investigate further.

I walked over to the trunk of the tree—luckily, the branch wasn't particularly high off the ground, and the one below it was low enough for me to climb onto fairly easily to get a better look. Normally, I might only take interest in such a thing as a bird's nest in order to acquire my breakfast, but there was something about this particular nest that compelled me to take a look for another reason. Instead, I carefully balanced on the lowest branch, holding my arms out on either side of me to steady myself, then slowly straightened up until I could wrap my fingers around the branch with the nest on it, craning my neck to peer over the edge of it and get a closer look.

What I saw there made me smile, for the second time that day (a rare feat indeed). A little brown ball sat among a small pile of light blue eggshells scattered about the floor of the nest, its beak gaping in a tiny, shrill cry of hunger as it took its first few breaths of air. Its two siblings were still dormant inside their eggs, just beside him, and crowding him, but the first little one didn't seem to mind being alone—he looked for all the world as if he only cared about one thing, and that was food.

I couldn't help but let out a little giggle at the sight of the ball of fuzz, its downy baby feathers just beginning to dry out and fluff up, but just as I did so, something startled me so hard that I almost choked on my own laugh.

"What're you doing up there?"

And suddenly, before I could do anything to prevent it, my foot slipped right off the branch, and for one wild instant there was nothing between the majority of my weight and the ground below. I gave a yelp as I gripped the branch with my fingers until my knuckles were white, holding on for dear life as I shifted downwards, dragging the branch backwards with me. And in another instant, the nest also shifted—the little bird's cries grew more desperate as gravity threatened to pull it down, the nest teetering dangerously as it came partially detached from the twigs it was fastened to, but before I could see what happened to it, I was forced to look down at my dangling foot, trying to reunite it with the wood below me.

I breathed a little sigh of relief as I was, by some miracle, able to regain my footing, and I readjusted my grip with my hands before twisting my head around to glare down at the one who had startled me so badly, intending to give them a sharp word for their crimes.

"You idiot! What on earth do you think you're doing, going around yelling at people while they're halfway up a tree?! Use your brain, stupid!" I had a much more choice idea of a reprimand in mind, but I had recognized the voice to belong to a girl, so I had no choice but to restrain myself.

But, despite my tempered response, I had at least expected some sort of reply. When none came, I strained my neck again to try and get a better look at my opponent, surprised by this stranger for the second time.

"Did you hear me, you fool?! I'm speaking to you!"

The answer came almost before I had finished my call.

"S-sorry—but you'd better come down here…! There's a little bird on the ground…"

Instantly, I realized the frantic chirping had stopped, and my breath caught in my throat when I looked up to confirm what she had said: the two unhatched eggs were the only occupants of the nest.

Suppressing an irritated groan, though secretly I was more concerned than annoyed, I carefully dropped down to my knees on the lower branch before sliding down the trunk and landing safely on the ground, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves at almost falling before turning to assess the damage. I didn't even bother to look at the one who had caused this mess, more worried for the bird, as I stepped over to take a look, crouching beside the little bundle in its new nest of leaf mould.

At first, it lay motionless, and my heart rose into my throat nervously as I prepared to embrace the worst outcome, but after a moment it twitched, and I released another sigh of relief as it righted itself in the debris and stretched out its neck to look around, as if groping for something to hold onto with its little beak. Then, after another moment, it began its high-pitched crying again, this time with a note of distress. Though this was good news, I knew it would not survive long now that it was out of the nest—its parents would not come back for it. Something all too familiar pulled on a string within my heart at this thought, but I closed my eyes to the little shape on the ground in order to push it away before declaring my judgment on the situation: "It's alive. But it won't live long now, thanks to you."

I finally raised my eyes to my new company, coldly at first, but I couldn't help but widen my eyes a little innocently at what I saw. She was a girl that could not be described as anything other than simply pretty: she had slightly wavy blonde hair that fell just short of her shoulders, which were clothed with an equally simple, yet clean white commoner's dress with a green bow at the collar, the lower half a slightly dirt-streaked maroon. Her eyes were the brightest of green, much like my own—the colour of the summer sunshine as it filtered through the forest leaves, the colour I so loved. And her smile was just as bright, and warm, and pleasant—I couldn't help but be taken aback, my hostility waning instantly.

Now, I know what you're thinking—something along the lines of cliché, yes? Now, bear with me here. I will tell it as it was, nothing more, nothing less.

"I—I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean it, honestly! I-I didn't even see the bird, I-I didn't think…I-I just saw you up there and I was curious…I-I'm sorry…!"

Such a sweet voice. I straightened up, getting to my feet calmly, and without another word, I turned away, stuffing my hands in my pockets, taking the first couple steps back towards my home.

Her voice was stunned as she called after me. "W-wait! Where are you going? Y-you said so yourself, he's going to die if we leave him here! Aren't you going to help me put him back?"

I slowed my pace a little, hoping it wasn't enough for her to see, trying to make my voice as blunt as possible though I was fighting that uncomfortable pang of sympathy threatening my heart. "I don't see why I should. He could've been injured in that fall, easily. He probably won't last long anyway. And I'd rather not almost break my neck twice in one day, thanks very much."

Now she was almost in tears, an obvious note of desperation in her voice. Typical girl, I thought, hoping for disgust that never came. I couldn't bring myself to feel it. "B—but…! It'll die…! D-don't you care…? I-it was our fault it fell i-in the first place…!"

I couldn't help it. I halted in my tracks, closing my eyes begrudgingly as my emotions favoured the sad little girl crouched in the dead leaves beside the pathetic little bird. My voice cracked a bit as I spoke, "W…well, save it, then, if you want to. But I'm not gonna risk my life again. Good luck."

I started away once again, willing myself not to look back, repeating the phrase over and over in my head: Don't turn around, don't turn around, don't turn around. But do you know what I did?

Yeah. Now that's cliché.

Heaving the most gruff sigh I could possible conjure, I swung my body around and strode back to her stiffly, almost throwing myself down into the crouch again.

"Alright, alright. I'll help you. But you'd better be grateful. I have a ton of things I gotta do today, and it's all your fault I'm not gonna get to them." In fact, I had nothing to do that day, nor most other days, besides find a bite to eat now and then. But I wasn't going to let her know that.

Luckily, the girl didn't take my harsh words the wrong way, or rather, for real; perhaps she recognized that my mask of irritation was just a ruse. But either way, she suddenly lit up in a smile as bright as the aforementioned sunshine, the expression suiting her face well, and gave a little laugh of relief. "Yes, sir! Thank you!"

Screwing my face up into the best scowl I could come up with, just to show her how put out I was about the whole situation, I bent a little to scoop the tiny bird gently into my hands, standing up again carefully just in case he decided to make a dive for it. He was much fluffier now than when I first saw him, and the fine, warm feathers tickled my palms as he snuggled into them, still cheeping pitifully in his hunger and confusion. Sighing again, more for show than anything, I glanced up at the girl as if for reassurance, but didn't wait for a response from her before turning back to the tree and stepping up to the base of it, hesitating a moment to think.

"Well…if you're going to help me, then you'd better get up there. I'll hand you the bird, 'kay? Just try to be useful."

She straightened up suddenly, giving a military salute in response with her winning smile, and recited a "Yes, sir!" for the second time. I wondered briefly if she was mocking me, in her own way, while she scrambled over to the tree and carefully pulled herself up onto the first branch. Then she began edging over towards the end of it with one hand on the higher branch to steady herself before turning her head back to me and holding out her other hand. Her eagerness, and lack of caution while climbing, surprised me, to say the least, but I recovered my irritable expression only a moment after she looked back at me, just in time, I hoped.

Wordlessly, I stretched my hand up to deposit the little bird into hers, and then grasped the trunk with both my hands while gazing up at her, unable to suppress my worry as she scooted further along the branch to get at the nest just above her, her perch bending dangerously with the added weight on the weaker part, and before I could stop myself I was calling up anxiously, "Be careful, okay?"

The blonde-haired girl didn't bother nodding, probably to keep her balance, and I was grateful for it as well as a little impressed at her forethought. And here I thought she didn't have any, I mused, still peering up at her in concern as she reached up to finally attempt to place the bird in the now-lopsided nest. I was only able to let out my breath once she had safely secured the little creature, not even knowing I had been holding it until I did so. Then, I finally relaxed as she dropped down to her knees on the branch before jumping down onto the forest floor, the bright smile returning to her face as she let out her own breath.

"Phew! That went smoothly," she commented, perfectly cheerful again as she beamed at me, as if hoping I would share the success with her.

I almost smiled. Almost. But I did manage to curl one side of my mouth up a little in response before giving another sigh in feigned irritation, folding my arms in front of me. "Yeah, luckily. But seriously, be more careful next time." Then, without another word, I spun around and started away for the second time.

This time, I was surprised when she hailed me again, trotting after me to catch up and then staying at my side with her wide green gaze fixed on me. "Hey! Where are you going now? I haven't even said thank you yet!"

"Yeah, well, no thanks needed. You did most of the work." I secretly wondered why she was following me, but I only allowed myself a glance at her before focusing on the path in front of me again.

But she didn't seem deterred; instead, she followed willfully, a little bounce in her step that simply screamed "girl", and a cheery one at that. She kept pace easily, even overtaking me a little with her irregular gait, and beamed at the world as if she thought it were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. "Sure, but if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have fallen in the first place! I would've never gotten him back up there if it weren't for you!"

I stayed silent this time, trying to put up a wall of indifference in hopes of her giving up the pursuit and turning back. But she didn't even seem to notice, and she followed my example, even slowing her pace a little so we walked side-by-side through the forest. We stayed that way a while, silent but for the soft rustling of the leaves under our feet as we made our way down the path. Gradually, though, very gradually, I found myself relaxing, growing more at ease with this unexpected company, and after a while I actually found myself back to the little smile I often sported while walking in my forest. I had to check myself so she wouldn't look over and accidentally see, but I couldn't bring myself to even frown; instead, I settled for a neutral look, and, as always, she seemed perfectly content with it.

Eventually, we found our way back to my little stone house. As expected, the girl reacted in such a way that it would have fit more appropriately with seeing a castle for the first time rather than a makeshift rock hut in the woods. But once she had gotten over the initial awe, she happily followed me up to the front door, which I had fitted from a piece of sanded wood I had been able to pick up in town, and made like she was going to tail me inside. Instead of allowing her to do so, I made a half-turn and fixed her with my best warning look from narrowed green eyes.

"You wait here, okay? Nobody invited you inside."

The girl seemed quite taken aback, and opened her mouth as if she was about to protest, but seemed to think better of it, and instead kept her position at the door as I entered the shady room, peering into the shadows after me curiously. "What're you doing in there?" she called after a moment or so, fidgeting a little uncomfortably as if she wondered if I was even going to reappear.

I didn't answer her, but after another minute I emerged, a couple of apples in my hands. I made sure not to meet her eyes, and simply grunted a "Let's go, okay?" as I brushed past her, trying my best to ignore her delighted outburst.

It wasn't long before we arrived at my intended destination. Without a word, I lowered myself onto the feather-soft grass in the forest clearing, inhaling the fresh scent of the breeze for a moment appreciatively before remembering my company was there, and quickly replaced my unimpressed expression before holding out her apple to her. She situated herself obediently beside me on the patch of grass, for once staying silent as she looked around my favorite lounging spot wide-eyed, that bright smile perpetually on her face. Only once I found myself staring, just for a moment, and I quickly looked away before she could notice, luckily for me. It wasn't that I was attracted to her, no—but I myself had not enjoyed the company of others my age at all, and to have some girl, especially one as handsome as her, practically dropped in front of me like a gift was a scenario I had no way of preparing myself for. I probably would have been shocked at any stranger's sudden company, and hers was no exception. The fact that she was so pretty, well…that was a lucky, or unlucky, factor on my part.

For a while we sat in silence, finishing our meager lunch without even looking at one another, which was much welcomed on my end. However, afterwards, I ended up stretching out on my back in the soft green grass, folding my arms under my head like a pillow and donning my slight smile as I gazed up at the patchy sky showing through the leaves above; and, as I could have predicted, she did so as well, following my example with a pleased sigh and mimicking my pose. I turned my head a little to look over at her, one eyebrow raised questioningly, but when she didn't seem to notice, I myself let out a quiet sigh and returned my gaze to the sky stubbornly, still pretending I didn't care whether she was there or not.

But, just as I was beginning to really relax, my eyes closing pleasantly in the steady warmth from the patches of sunshine, once again, she took me by surprise. "It…it reminded you of yourself, didn't it?"

I was so caught off guard that I didn't even bother to keep up my irritable front, and I lifted my head a little to look at her with wide green eyes. "W…what? What are you talking about?"

She, too, turned her head to look at me, but her smile wasn't quite so bright anymore. Instead, it had gained a sort of sentimental quality, her green eyes dimming to a softness with a likeness to the grass beneath us. "Or…rather, us. The bird?"

I gave a slight grimace, and attempted to hide my confusion by lowering my head back down onto my arms as I replied gruffly, "What makes you say that?"

I couldn't see her any longer, but I could tell she was still looking at me, and I could just imagine that curious little tilt of her head as she tried to gauge my response. "Well, it's just…that bird…I mean, if we hadn't saved it, it would have been left to die, wouldn't it? Like you said…just because it wasn't in the nest with the others, it would've been shunned. It's just…well, I can't help but think it's kinda like us, like that. Don't you think?"

Halfway through her speech, I had already realized what she meant. It had suddenly dawned on me, although I had probably been too busy trying to appear indifferent towards her earlier to actually pay attention to the fact that she was different. She was not from England, or any native English-speaking land—and yet, I could understand what she was saying perfectly. But she was not speaking English.

"…Yes. I suppose so."

She brightened at that, and gave herself a long few moments to gaze at me before piping up again, in the language of nations, "Hey, y'know what? I don't think we've introduced ourselves yet! My name is Sarah Dupont—but most people call me Belgium."

She was silent for a few moments, as if she expected me to answer in kind. But when I didn't do so, she prompted, sounding a bit awkward, "…So, aren't you England? I mean, that's where we are now, isn't it?"

Finally I chose to reply. "Yes. Arthur Kirkland."

She seemed pleased that she had gotten a response out of me, and I could tell she was smiling radiantly again, becoming more relaxed again. "That's your name? It's nice! I think somebody mentioned it to me before—maybe it was my big brother? His name is Holland—I'm sure you've heard of him! He's very strong and brave. I owe a lot to him. But don't you have an older brother too?" she asked after her excited burst of speech, turning her curious gaze on me again.

I shrugged, grimacing again at the very thought. "Three, actually. They're not that interesting, though."

Sarah didn't seem to catch the note of disdain in my voice, and decided to keep rambling on cheerily. "Oh yeah! Well, my big brother takes care of me. I'm really lucky to have him! Plus, he keeps that stupid France away. He keeps wanting to take me for his own, but I don't want to be anywhere near him. My brother says its just bad luck that I was born a buffer state. That means I'm right in between everybody who likes to have wars, like that group of Germanic states and Prussia and yeah…it's stupid. But you're really lucky, you get to be all out on your own in the middle of the ocean, and you don't have to deal with all those crazy countries! It must be so peaceful here all the time."

I did my best to tune her out throughout her speech, but I guess I didn't end up doing a good enough job of it, because I couldn't help but tense at the end of it and let out another rough sigh through my teeth. That's just funny. This girl knows nothing about what it's like to be alone.

She continued anyway, apparently assuming my hesitation meant I didn't have anything to add. "But anyways, I came out here so I could get away from all that stupid stuff going on there on the mainland. Brother and I figured I could use a vacation somewhere neutral and all, like your place. So I'm staying near here—it really is beautiful here, especially in this forest! It was nice of you to give me a sort of tour, and everything. I didn't expect to actually end up meeting another country way out here! Especially with how big your home is—mine is just a little scrap of land compared to it. But I'm proud of it either way! One day, I'll be much stronger, so strong I won't even have to have big brother protect me. Then I can fend off France all by myself! Won't that be great?"

For all her cheerfulness, she was seriously beginning to stretch my nerves. I had to stop myself from twisting a clump of the long, feathery grass around my fingers before I tugged it right out of the ground, allowing it to bend back into place with only minor casualties. It wasn't that she was being especially offensive…but she was saying the wrong things, and in the wrong volumes. Even back then, my temper wasn't exactly the most controllable thing in the universe.

"So, anyway, the bird! I'm glad you couldn't leave it alone, either. Somehow, I knew you wouldn't." That stopped me in my tracks. She continued, her happy tones growing quieter again in reminiscence. "Yeah…I guess there's just something about you. When I look at you…well, I just get the feeling that you couldn't leave anything that was suffering alone. Even if you don't look like the sort of person to care…I don't know why, I just get that feeling."

I stayed silent for a long minute, the gears in my head spinning slowly. Then, I spoke again, in a low tone, "I…I suppose you're right." That was all. I couldn't find anything else to say, though I knew I should.

And for once, she too seemed like she didn't have a response. Her energetic presence slowly retreated into itself even more with each passing minute, until both of us were as serene as the shifting forest around us, lying quietly in the grass as if we were part of the earth itself. It seemed the quieter she was, the more I enjoyed her company—and yet, there was something about her cheerfulness that stirred something new within me, something that hadn't surfaced throughout my entire life. It was something that was alien to me, and yet, it would be probably one of the most important things I would ever feel. I myself was barely aware of it, lying in the little field below the trees with the strange girl beside me, sharing a part of my life with a kindred stranger for the first time. But it was aware of me, and it would not soon forget the host it had stayed with for so short, so sweet a time.

Eventually, the sun began to sink lower in the sky until it was barely a streak of light through the branches, casting a dull pinkish-orange light on the world around us. I had dozed for quite a while, drifting in and out of a sweet, hazy sleep, until finally I allowed myself to awaken enough to realize the time of day. I rose soundlessly, stretching my arms high above my head, and then turned to the girl still beside me in the clearing. To my surprise, she had fallen deeply asleep, and was curled up on her side in the grass, eyelids fluttering every moment or so as she dreamt. The sight of her so peaceful, surrounded by the soft glow of nature, stirred that unfamiliar feeling inside my chest, and I was puzzled by it; I had to force myself to push it away, though it wasn't enough to get rid of it completely, and I felt my eyes soften as I bent down to gently nudge her shoulder, shaking her a little to rouse her. She responded immediately, to my surprise, and her eyes flickered open drowsily before she gave a wide yawn. She then turned her eyes upon me as I stood over her, confusion replaced quickly by her smile of recognition.

"Arthur…is it sunset? The light's almost gone," she mewed in a sweet, sleepy tone, blinking a few more times to wake herself up before pushing herself up into a sitting position, stretching her arms much like I had with another accompanying yawn. I waited for her to finish, shifting my footing a little uncertainly as I debated a thought in my mind, then after a moment leaned down to extend a hand towards her, my eyes averted as my cheeks seemed to be stained slightly by the red light of the sunset.

"Yeah," I mumbled, keeping my hand outstretched in my offer, still shifting my weight back and forth awkwardly. "I…it's not really the place to be at night, out in the forest like this. You should, ah…why don't I walk you back to town? You have someplace to stay there, right?"

I could feel her curious gaze trained on me, and my hand, as she stared for a long moment, then I felt her hand graze mine, and I pulled her to her feet easily. As soon as she was on her feet, she dusted off her dress, that bright smile returning to her face with only a little less joy, due to her sleepiness, I figured, and then turned to me with a little huff of a sigh that only spoke of regret. I was puzzled by it, recognizing the emotion behind it: Did she really enjoy my company that much?

She nodded, as if in response to my silent question, even though her words spoke differently. "Yes, I do. Big brother arranged for a hotel for me. But…I'd like that. If you walked me home, I mean."

I braced myself for her to begin another one of her excited rants, but none came. Instead, she turned back to the trees in the direction we came, and though I couldn't see her face, I sensed she didn't want to leave. Almost instantly, I couldn't help but allow a smile to spread across my face—she liked the woods as much as I did. Despite our differences, we could both appreciate the place we had shared, for this brief moment in time.

And it was brief, considering all the time we both would have ahead of us in our lives. So much more than the people we were around every day, the people we worked to protect. We were different—and yet, this girl would grow up alongside me, and would have to deal with wars, and trade, and everything else that came with the burden of being a nation. She and I…we really were not so different. Not so different at all.

And perhaps this is the first way in which this girl changed my life: for the first time, I realized, I really was not alone.

I walked her back through the woods as the sun gradually sank below the horizon, and the world had faded to a dark purple by the time we reached the outskirts of town. I stopped at the edge of the first of the buildings in this direction, for the first time feeling my own pang of remorse as she too halted and turned to face me, her eyes reflecting mine. Both greens were sad.

Her voice came softer than I had imagined. "Hey…you, ah…you sure you're okay to be walking home alone? I mean…you said so yourself, that…"

She didn't finish, but she didn't have to. I intercepted her with a solemn nod. "Yes. I live in the forest, remember? I know it by heart. I'll be fine."

She nodded as well, and there was one more stretch of silence before she managed one of her sweet smiles, this time holding out a hand to me. "I guess…this is goodbye. F…for now. Do you…do you think I'll see you again, Arthur?"

The question was so innocent, I almost found myself agreeing blindly, nodding before I even had the chance to think. But then, once I had, I smiled in return. A proper smile. "Yes. I expect so."

She grinned even wider, and I think she was as surprised as I was at my smile. Or perhaps she had hope that, maybe, we would see each other again.

Then, without a word, she turned and walked away for the last time. I gazed after her, my heart beginning to ache dully as my first friend began her journey away from halcyon and into the anonymity of the years to come. The years I would spend alone, as always. Of that, I was certain.

But, for the countless, and last time that day, once again, she was able to surprise me. Just as soon as I was prepared to turn away and head back into the woods, a movement caught my eye, and I looked up again to see that she had turned around. And she was not far enough away that I couldn't hear her last words to me.

"Thank you."

And, of course, that was not the last time I saw Sarah Dupont of Belgium.

It was several hundred years later, 1914, to be exact, when the name returned to my waking ears. It seemed to resonate with my distant memories and echo within my head, never tiring of its game; from the first time I heard it spoken again, it would not leave me. And I knew the reason for this, the culprit, as it were. As I had said, that old feeling, the feeling I had not been able to name, had barely been able to acknowledge, was not finished with me yet. It remembered that time we had spent as innocent children, roaming the woods together in a simple day, at a simple time. And so did I. Between the two of us, the memory could not leave me if it tried.

It all began with the letter. I walked into the halls of the palace, and the first thing I noticed was that there was a strange absence of people about. But before I could even be confused about such a thing, the din hit my ears, a rigid wall of noise. Instantly, a gaggle of people burst from one of the hallways, and the air of urgency about them was unmistakable, their faces masks of worry, fear, even anger. I froze in my tracks, gawking at them in astonishment at their sudden alarming appearance—I couldn't fathom anything having happened that would cause such an immediate, drastic reaction from the Parliament members.

But I didn't even have to ask. As soon as they saw me, Asquith stepped forward with a document in his hand, his expression grim and his movements tense, and held it out to me unceremoniously. "Sir Britain. Presented by the Kingdom of Belgium. Grave news from the mainland."

I didn't even have time to wonder what was in it. As soon as I heard the name, my fingers were opening the slip of paper of their own accord, and only a moment later I was reading. The letters were shakily written, scrawled on the page in blotchy ink; it was obvious it had been written in a state of distress, and my heart rose sickeningly into my throat. I had to almost force myself to focus my eyes on the actual text rather than the tantalizing blur of ignorance.

To the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:

There was nothing I could do, I am sorry. I must ask you to uphold and act upon the 1839 Treaty of London, for I have been invaded by Germany. It is as we feared. The Germans are beginning to take over. Please, do not leave me to this fate. France will not ask you for assistance, you know very well—but please, do not leave me like this. I am begging you on behalf of the people of Belgium. I will hold them off as long as I am able, but please. Help me.

Regards,

The Kingdom of Belgium

There was no question about it. The treaty had been put in place for a reason. I would not let her suffer.

It was not long after when I found myself on the front line. The crimson haze of war had already descended upon my vision, my entire body, creating a heaviness in my heart that was contradicted by its frantic beating, the suspense looming like a dark thunderhead on the horizon. The air was thick with it. Even the sky seemed to reflect the mood below, the clouds blocking out the sun and its familiar cheer, casting their gloomy shadow on all of Europe. It was the beginning of the end, for us. I think all of us knew that, somehow, deep inside us. It was the sort of feeling one gets instinctively, that nagging doubt in one's mind that is more felt than thought. And, whether we were prepared for it or not, it was coming. Quicker than anyone could have expected.

And that was what was wriggling in the back of my mind as I crept gingerly out into the dim gray light that should have been that of mid-afternoon. My boots sent up little puffs of ash as I made my way down the stone-paved streets of Visé, the clouds drifting low over the ground in the slight breeze until they settled again. I gazed wide-eyed all around me, solemn, silent, in shock as I took in the scene: buildings reduced to piles of pale gray and black rubble on either side, smoke still gently rising from their mutilated remains. The entire town was a funeral pyre that had never meant to be.

A deep hatred had already begun to broil within me, from the moment I had first heard of Germany's advances on the other nations of Europe. I knew it was a bad sign of even worse things to come. But this? I had not expected such a barbaric outcome as this. I could feel the rage burning within my chest, threatening to melt the marrow right out of my ribs—but the destruction, the pure shock of what was all around me, was enough to keep it dormant inside me, suppressed only for now. It was lucky, for me.

But not for Belgium.

All of a sudden, I felt a sharp stinging sensation behind my eyes, and I blinked quickly to rid myself of it. I suddenly wished I hadn't left my companions—I had travelled here with a troop of soldiers on their way to the thick of the fight, but I had only stayed with them for transportation. They had dropped me off on the outskirts of town, and wished me luck. And then, for the first time since the war had started, I was alone.

But I have a job to do, I reminded myself, swiping my wrist across my face in an attempt to keep myself calm. The utter destruction all around me was enough to put anyone off, besides the Germans, I added to myself with clenched teeth. I forced myself to keep walking through the empty streets, stepping over chunks of debris and piles of unknown matter that were strewn over the stones. Once or twice, I even thought I saw a limb poking out from under a stack of rubble, but I didn't look back. I couldn't. All I could do was do what I had come here for. It was all I could do. Had I known just how much of a foreshadowing the landscape was, perhaps I would have stayed longer. Prepared myself for what was to come. But all I could do was move on.

I trod carefully, trying not to disturb the remains of the once-peaceful village as they rested beneath my feet. And finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, I lifted my gaze to the street ahead of me, and spotted what I had been looking for. What I had been asked to look for. Relief flooded my body, and no matter how much I could have tried, I wouldn't have been able to help it; it was not me who was living this hell, enduring these attacks as part of my own body, but being at the site of such atrocity was simply unbearable. I guiltily admitted this thought to myself as I hurried forward a little more, only halting when I had reached what had caught my attention: a little wooden cross on a stand, about one or two feet tall, standing on its own in the middle of the square amidst the rubble.

I reached forward, my hand acting as if on its own, and gently ran my fingertip over the edge of the top of it, feeling the smooth, lacquered wood, realizing it was the only thing left in this massacred city that felt this way. No flames had licked over its surface, no bullets had ricocheted off it and chipped away at its form; and this would have been ironic, had I not known that it was not one of the victims of this attack. In fact, it had not even been here at the time of the invasion.

And then, finally, I heard a sound.

There was a sound in the darkness.

And just as I had begun to move, to turn around in the ashes beneath my feet, I was suddenly in someone's arms.

They closed around me, shamelessly, and their owner was crying, with dignity, trying their best to stifle their sounds, chest heaving against mine, trembling despite their best efforts. It was a sensation I had never felt before, one I had never expected, one I probably would have never even thought of as ever happening. I couldn't help it…my face suddenly wasn't cold any longer.

But, after what seemed like a lifetime, slowly, I raised my arms, and rested my head on her shoulder. And I smiled. I smiled, ever so softly, as I held her close, and I murmured words of comfort that could not be heard. My heart stuttered in my chest as I suddenly became aware of something, something I had not experienced in so long, I had almost forgotten it had ever existed. It was the feeling that had followed me all the way from that time, back in the beauty of the forest and the simplicity of that life, so long ago.

But, this time, I knew what it was. And I welcomed it. While that life had ended, other things hadn't. And I knew they never would.

It was only the beginning of a dark time for Europe, and the entire world. The Rape of Belgium would not go unpunished. But we would face it together. All of us. We knew we would. We would not give in. And as we stood there together, in the middle of the ashen city, the only two people in that calm before the storm, two familiar words finally broke the silence.

"Thank you."