Before I get this chapter started I want to send out a couple of thank yous. Thank you to everyone who is sticking with me, thank you to everyone who leaves reviews, and thank you to that wonderful beta who cleans up my silly mistakes.


Eldwin led Link through the forest. As they walked, he was able to observe the steady decay of the forest around them. The magnificent trees and variety of creatures gave way to a dead world.

Grey pillars filled the place. Some far off canopy filtered the light, casting a somber hue on the realm below. Leaves crackled beneath their feet, throwing off ominous noises like that of snapping bones.

Aside from the chilling sound of the leaves, there were none. No noises, no chirping, nothing. A completely still world, empty and desolate save for the two people immersed in it.

Then it burst to life.

All around them there were shades of green, red, orange. The plants seemed to thrive just beyond the border of that dead area. Each tree was covered in colorful leaves and the bushes were coated with flowers and fetal buds that seemed on the verge of blooming.

In this beautiful place, the crackling leaves seemed like music.

Though Link hesitated to break the place's spell, he finally spoke.

"What happened," he asked, "Why did they make you leave the town?"

At first she was silent, just looking ahead of them, admiring the foliage. "I, I'll tell you when we get to my house. It's not much farther."

So Link waited, instead inspecting the passing scenery. No matter how long he watched it, the forest here could never seem to lose his attention.

One aspect of the place escaped his enthralled gaze.

There were no animals to be seen.


Just as she had said, it was only about ten minutes before they discovered a small wooden hut. Smoke billowed from one of the chimneys and floated away in a rough grey pillar.

Eldwin led Link up to the front door, pushed it open then continued inside.

"No lock?" Link asked, intrigued by the lack of security.

"No need," she said simply, "No one comes this far out, and even if they did, I've got nothing worth taking."

"Oh."

Eldwin led him a few steps into the house before showing him to a small wooden table with a pair of chairs on either side. She sat down and Link took the chair opposite her.

"So," Link asked, "What happened? Why are you out here?"

Eldwin took a deep breath before beginning.

"It was a witch that started it all."

Link's breath stuck in his throat. His thoughts jumped back to the night he had been cursed. Cursed by a witch. In the dead of night when he was all alone, she came to him. Whispering in his ear though he couldn't see her anywhere. Promising him something that had seemed worth it at the time, but Link was never sure now.

"What're you thinking so hard about?"

With a jolt Link returned to the present, leaving behind his memories for the time being.

"Uh, nothing. Sorry, go on."

"Thanks. Well when I was young, the witch killed my parents."

Link's thoughts flitted back to his years spent in the orphanage.

He hadn't always lived there.

"I lived with some other family members for a while, but one night they disappeared. No one ever found out where they went. So after that I went to the orphanage."

"Me too," Link said, "I lived there since I was seven."

Eldwin's lips curved into a thin smile. "I was five."

Reflexively, Link matched her smile and something of a friendly air fell over them.

"Okay, you win" Link said, "But what happened after that? Why did they drive you out?"

"I killed people."

Link stared at her, perplexed. He couldn't imagine this girl killing a person or even hurting them in any way.

"You, killed people?" Link muttered with disbelief.

"Well, that's what they thought. I guess I was the only one who knew the truth."

"What was the truth?" Link asked.

"The witch again. It was always the witch. She killed people and led others to believe it was me. I woke up one morning with an angry mob outside the orphanage. Do you know what that's like?" she asked with a haunted look in her eyes. "I woke up and all I could hear was people demanding my head, or worse."

That had never happened to Link, but he had always expected it. Waited for it. Always known he would have deserved it.

"They didn't catch you, did they?"

"No," Eldwin looked down at the table and closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. "No, they didn't catch me. When I heard them coming up the stairs, I panicked and climbed out the window. When they got there, it was like I just turned to smoke and disappeared. I left right after that, none of them ever saw me again."

"Wow," Link muttered, feeling the weight of the events as if they had been his own. They almost were his own, so similar in so many cases. Link realized that he had more in common with this girl than just their mutual exile.

"How long ago was that? How long have you been out here?"

Eldwin looked up at him, a slightly puzzled look in her eyes. Then it disappeared and she said, "It was, five years ago. I was twelve."

"You've been alone out here," Link said, "For five years? When was the last time you talked to someone? Had any kind of human company?"

"Years before that. I didn't get along with the other kids in the orphanage."

Neither had he, always on the edge of their world. That strange kid, the one who nobody talked to.

"But I've got a feeling that we'll get along," she said with a small smile.

"Yeah," Link said, "I think we will."


2/26