A very happy welcome and greeting to you all! :)

I am so excited because it's the beginning of summer break for me! :D I don't have a whole ton planned except for working a part-time summer job and then a couple small trips or events here and there but, other than that, it should be a pretty relaxing summer :) I DO plan to do a lot of writing for my stories in this time as well ;D

Sorry this took a little while for me to get up xD I was unsure of how to make things go in this chapter and I had a couple of ideas, but eventually nixed a couple of them. But otherwise, I hope you guys enjoy it :)

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Bard woke up early the next morning, having slept pretty soundly during the night. He had wanted to be up early so he could get to the mainland quickly and get there before Hanna did. For some reason, he just wanted to get there before her and surprise her.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was just something about the girl that interested him; he wanted to spend time with her. He noticed how timid she was at first and another time or two during their conversation, which made him think that maybe she didn't have very many friends. That was something that made him a bit sad. Everyone should have a friend, which was his belief. Granted, Bard didn't have hardly any friends himself either, having been kept at home so much as a child because he was ill so often. Not many of the other children in the town were very familiar with him yet. So he felt that he and Hanna were a bit alike in that way. He felt that perhaps the two of them could be friends. At least, if she wanted to.

He figured he would find that out if she chose to actually meet him on the mainland.

Quietly, he got dressed, filled his bag with some food and also grabbed his bow and quiver of arrows. A couple years past, he had told his father he wanted to learn to be an archer, so his father taught him first how to craft his own bow, bought him some arrows and then taught him how to shoot. Part of what Bard did when he went on land was he practiced his shooting. He practiced on trees, birds and even some targets that he made himself. If he got there before Hanna, he thought he could get in some practice while he waited.

Bard snuck silently out of the house while his parents were still asleep so as to not disturb them. After putting his things in his boat, he hopped in and started rowing across the lake. He could see the sun was starting to rise on the horizon and the birds were chirping merrily like always. He enjoyed the sounds of the morning when everything was so serene outside. It made him feel calm inside.

After some minutes, he got to shore and he jumped over his boat into the shallow water, splashing his boots. He jogged up to shore and looked around for Hanna. He could see no sign of her around. Then he remembered what she had told him the day before: "Look to the trees".

However, just as he was about to look up, he spotted something on the ground just in front of the trunk of a tree. He walked to it, bent over and picked it up.

It was a brown apple core.

"Thank you again for the apple!"

Bard heard the voice above him. He looked up and found Hanna sitting on a branch just over his head, grinning down at him. She was wearing a lavender dress with a dark blue jacket and her hair was done up in a braid.

"It was delicious, in case you wanted to know," she added.

Bard's mouth hung open in bewilderment, astonished that, even at this early hour, Hanna was actually there. He had been so sure he would be the first one there!

"Oh, blast!" he exclaimed. When Hanna gave him a puzzled look, he said, "I thought I was going to get here before you!"

Hanna laughed. "It seems you and I both had the same idea," she told him.

"How long have you been here?" he asked, tossing the apple core over his shoulder.

"Not very long," she answered.

He looked up at her, grinning to himself still about the fact he hadn't beaten her there. "Are you coming down or shall I come up there?" he asked.

"Which would you prefer?" Hanna asked in return.

Bard didn't answer, but simply gave her a crooked smirk in reply and began to climb the branches up towards her. "I was wondering if you were even going to come," he said.

She responded, "Why wouldn't I have come?"

As he pushed himself up onto the branch parallel to hers, he said back, "I don't know...we barely know each other and I thought that you might have felt uncomfortable meeting with someone you don't know."

"I felt that way just a little at first," she admitted, "but I came around to the idea. You're young like me and you seemed decent enough, so I saw nothing wrong with coming."

"Well, I am glad you thought so," said Bard. Then he asked politely, "Did you sleep well?"

For some reason, Hanna thought that was somewhat of an odd question to ask, but nevertheless she answered, "Aye, I did. How about you?"

Bard stretched out his to arms to his sides, brought them up behind his head, closed his eyes and sighed, almost proudly, "I slept like a little baby!"

"Is that so?" Hanna asked, chuckling, fiddling with a leaf she pulled from the branch.

Without opening his eyes, he replied, "Yes, indeed."

The two of them then sat silently for a few moments, not sure of what to do or say next.

Bard then opened his eyes, turned his head to face Hanna and asked, "Do you have parents? Forgive me if that may seem rude...I ask because I know not everyone does and I do not wish to assume or say anything wrong."

Hanna nodded in understanding and then responded, "I do, yes. My father is the town bargeman and my mother is a seamstress."

"Oh, yes, I've seen your father at times when he arrives with the cargo from the Woodland Realm," Bard told her.

"Aye, that's my papa," she said, looking down at the leaf in her hands and smiling gladly. She loved her father and knew he did well in taking care of their family. He was paid decently for his work and he always did what he could to provide for them. He loved his wife dearly and he cherished Hanna above all other things.

"Does he enjoy being a bargeman?" Bard then inquired.

She shrugged. "Most days, he does. When there are storms or the river rises from heavy rainfall; those are times he is not always fond of his work."

"That, I can understand. And your mother? Does she enjoy what she does?"

"Very much so. She enjoys sewing and knitting already and will do it in her spare time, but she loves it even more when she can do it as a service for others. My mama loves helping other people when she can; she is very selfless. She will make clothes and blankets, patch a hole in someone's shirt or trousers; whatever anyone needs done, she can do it."

"She sounds like a very skilled woman."

"Aye, I would say she is."

"And what of you? What are some things you are skilled at?"

Hanna was a bit reluctant to answer. She didn't like to talk about herself in that way because it made her feel like she was boasting about herself.

Noticing her hesitation, Bard tried again, "Come on, there must be something you are good at!"

"I don't know...," Hanna muttered.

"Well, are you good at sewing like your mother?" he asked, thinking he could try listing some things to get her to talk.

"She's teaching me how to, so I am learning," she said back. "I wouldn't really say I've excelled at it yet."

"That will happen with time," he said encouragingly. "What about things like singing or dancing, drawing, any sort of craftsmanship?"

She thought about it for a moment and then finally said with slight timidness, "I do like to sketch sometimes..."

"You see? That's something!" he exclaimed. "May I see your work?"

"I didn't bring my sketchbook with me," she told him.

"Then perhaps another time," he suggested.

Hanna then noticed the bow and quiver of arrows on Bard's back. "I take it you do archery?" she asked him, motioning to the bow with her head.

Bard nodded proudly. "I like to practice my shooting when I come here," he told her.

"How long have you been doing that?"

"A couple of years now."

"May I see you shoot?"

Bard grinned. "I will let you see me shoot...if you bring your sketches for me to see next time," he told her with a witty wink.

Hanna couldn't help but grin and shake her head at him. "You're clever, I'll give you that," she replied. When he just chuckled in response, she relented and said, "I suppose I can bring my book next time and show you."

"Then we have made a bargain," Bard proclaimed, extending a hand out to her. They shook hands and made the deal official. Then Bard swung his legs over to one side of the branch and said, "Come on, then!" With that, he pushed off and dropped from the tree with Hanna right behind him.

Once they both landed with their feet firmly on the ground, Bard looked at Hanna and told her excitedly, "Follow me!" He took off further inland through some more trees, Hanna following in tow. She had to admit, she was getting kind of anxious—in a good way—about going further on land with Bard. She knew hadn't gone very far in the past, so she wondered how far he had ever gone.

Soon they came to a clearing and she noticed that there were painted targets on wooden boards spread all throughout. Each one had holes and the wood or the paint was chipped or scratched, clearly from being used quite frequently.

"This is where you practice?" she asked as she looked around, even though she was pretty sure of the answer.

"Aye, this is where it all happens," he answered, withdrawing his bow and then an arrow. "There isn't anywhere hardly to practice back in the town, so I come here where there is space aplenty for me to do my shooting."

"How often do you practice?" she asked.

"A few times a week," he answered her, prepping the arrow on the string of his bow. "Because someday...I want to be the best archer in Laketown. Or perhaps in all of Middle-Earth!"

The boy certainly had great ambition, Hanna had to admit. "That is quite a goal you have for yourself," she pointed out.

"I can dream, can't I?" he inquired with a teasing smirk on his face.

Having said that, he raised his bow and pulled back on the arrow with his arm twisted around so that the inside of his hand was facing outward; a slightly different form than most archers used. He hardly needed any time to aim at his first target. Within seconds, he released the arrow and it soared to the target, striking it dead in the center. He then pulled out more arrows and proceeded to shoot three more targets with the exact same speed and accuracy. When he finished, he turned to Hanna and found her wide-eyed with amazement and her mouth was open yet covered with her hand.

"Bard!" she exclaimed in astonishment. "That was amazing!"

He bowed respectfully and replied, "Thank you."

"I must say...," she went on, "if you keep this up, you very well may be the best archer in Middle-Earth!"

"I'm pleased that you think so," he said back. "I do hope I can be great someday."

"Anyone can be great," said Hanna encouragingly. "It just takes hard work, dedication and sacrifice...and, from what I just saw, you are well on your way."

Bard was touched to hear that Hanna was so impressed. "You know, for a girl who is fairly timid and doesn't like to say much, you speak some excellent words of wisdom," he informed her, giving her a grateful smile. "I don't think you should hold any of that back. You should speak your mind more freely because it seems that you would have many great things to share with others."

Hanna blushed at his comment and looked down to her feet. Not many people ever complimented her and it surprised her to hear such nice words from this boy she still barely knew. She thought that he was just saying all that to be friendly and didn't really mean any of it, but then again...her mother once told her that the compliments of strangers were sometimes more honest and genuine than the compliments of colleagues.

"Do you really think so?" she asked, pushing some hair behind her ear.

He nodded. "Aye...I do think so."

She grinned shyly and replied, "Thank you, Bard. That is sweet of you to say."

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure," he said. Then he held his bow out to her and asked, "Would you like to try it?"

Hanna looked at the bow, contemplating whether or not she wanted to, but then she shook her head and answered, "No, thank you."

Bard gave no argument or insistence that she at least try it; he respected her wishes and simply said, "As you wish" as he put his bow away. He was a gentleman and would not pressure her into doing something she chose not to do, especially considering he still barely knew her. He wanted her to be his friend and he wanted be her friend and acting in such a way would not help that happen in the least.

Instead, he removed his quiver and his satchel from his shoulders and said to her, "Are you hungry, Hanna? I have some food for us here; some fish, bread and fruit. Would you like some?"

She couldn't help but smile at his offer. This boy was just so thoughtful. It was almost unbelievable that someone as young as he was could already be so polite and gentlemanly.

"Yes, I would love some, thank you," Hanna replied graciously.

"Wonderful!" Bard exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "I will go find some wood and get a fire going to cook the fish and then we will feast!"

Hanna simply giggled.

The two of them spent the remainder of the morning and afternoon eating and enjoying the food that Bard had so delicately prepared and getting to know each other even more. They asked each other simple and basic questions to start off that would be easy to answer. Hanna found herself beginning to feel more comfortable with Bard. On some questions she didn't know how or want to answer, he did not pry, but simply accepted whatever answer she gave and moved on or answered it himself. He showed genuine interest in her life and what she had to say, just as she was equally interested in his life. After only two days, she could already start to see herself being good friends with him and having a great friendship with him.

A friendship that in the years to come, unknown to either Hanna or Bard, would soon catch fire.

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Hopefully that wasn't boring or anything, just kind of a filler/"get to know you" type chapter, which there will be a few more of as time goes on and Bard and Hanna get older and their friendship progresses.

If any of you have anything you'd like to see Bard and Hanna do together just as anything fun or something they do to get to know each other even more or whatever, PLEASE feel free to tell me! I'm gonna need a lot and I would love to hear if any of my awesome readers have any ideas or requests :) I'm always open to suggestions and input, so if you think of any, message me! :D

Please review, also, or PM me with any thoughts, questions or concerns :)

Stay tuned!