Niella glanced at her younger sister, who, since meeting Leanbow, hadn't shut up about him and how wonderful he was. The two would often sit and practice spells together. Sometimes, Leanbow would spar against one of his friends to impress Udonna.
The next day, Udonna skipped into her sister's room and said, "Niella, isn't Leanbow a perfect gentleman?"
Niella hugged her younger sister and said, "Yes, he is."
Udonna grinned and asked, "Can I go play with him?"
Niella nodded, reluctantly.
The weeks passed and the two friends—Udonna and Leanbow—grew up together.
One day, Udonna asked, "Leanbow?"
"Yes, Udonna?" he replied.
"We'll always be best friends, right?" she asked.
Leanbow shrugged and said, "Yeah, we'll always be best friends."
When Udonna turned thirteen, her parents both died, leaving twenty-one-year-old Niella in charge.
