Ivy kept her gaze averted down towards the stone walkway as she moved briskly through the streets, avoiding any passerby's who might be inclined to talk. -just keep it together- she kept repeating to herself under her breath. -just get out of this crowd, you're fine.-

Ivy slipped into a back alleyway hoping it would provide a shortcut away from the bustling people in the main street way. The alleyway was very narrow and ivy had to squeeze precariously through at one part where the building on the left protruded out farther than the rest, while a rusty, wet rain barrel blocked the walkway on the right side.

Ivy finally stepped out from the alleyway and was blinded by the now evening sun glaring in her eyes. Still practically holding her breath Ivy lifted her hands to shield her eyes and hopped down into what she thought was a dried up ditch just to the right. Her boots squished when she landed at the bottom and ivy grimaced as she tried to quickly scramble out without getting stuck in mud. Upon arriving on the opposite side of the ditch Ivy angrily kicked at the grass attempting to remove the mud from her boots.

When she had gotten as much off as she could she stood up with a sigh and surveyed the area, looking for the ideal direction to go. Behind her was the ditch with deceiving looks, her footprints in the shallow mud at the bottom. Beyond that was the back of the buildings and the entrance to the alleyway she had just exited. To the right the sun shone blindingly through the tree trunks and branches, and on the left the ground was open for a ways, and then the forest wrapped around, clear up to the ditch, which was at times a creek bed.

Straight ahead was where she wanted to go. The trees were dense and the forest floor untouched. With a sigh of relief she began foraging her way into the underbrush, stopping only to unsnag her shirt when it got caught on a thorn bush, which left only a small scratch on her forearm. Finally after a few minutes of fighting with sticks, branches and stubborn bushes she turned around and was glad that the town was completely out of view by now and she was finally alone.

Exhausted physically and emotionally ivy cleared a spot to sit on a fallen tree and plopped down putting her head to her knees and slowly rocked back and forth. She finally abandoned her goal of defiantly keeping the tears back as one glistening drop spilled from her eyes, and then another until her sleeve was thoroughly wet from wiping them away. Her mind was too muddled to reason clearly through anything, she only knew it felt good to cry. "Well you sure didn't let down the female stereotype now did you" she laughed to herself, mixed with the tears. "Blubbering like an idiot, you sure got it together don't you." She said to herself sarcastically as she tried to regain her composure.

When her tears had run dry and she was too exhausted to cry anymore she took a deep breath, relaxed how she was sitting and watched a beetle on the ground a few feet away struggling to lift a leaf that was much too large for him.

Ivy's mind had cleared a bit and she could now think more reasonably. She tried to focus on what she was going to do now that she was on her own, but her thoughts kept drifting back to memories of Brom.

"What, are you a scaredy cat?" Eight year old Brom shouted from the branches above, his brown curls flopping in the breeze. Ivy stood below at the base of the tree, hands on her hips looking towards the sky.

Defiantly she replied, "Am not!"

Matter of factly Brom leaned against a branch and said, "Well if you won't even climb a measly little tree I think you are." Laughing he continued, chanting "scaredy cat, scaredy cat! Ivy's a scaredy cat!"

Angrily six year old Ivy stomped the ground and glared at Brom who was happily sitting aloft in the branches above. "I'm not a scaredy cat! Just you watch, I can climb higher than any boy can!" She finished, emphasizing the word boy condescendingly . With that she marched over to the tree trunk and jumped for the lowest branch, determination in her eyes.

Brom watched amused as she struggled to grasp the branch that was just out of her reach. When she realized her efforts were futile due to her small stature she ventured off to find something to stand on. Brom just smiled and relaxed back into a crook in the tree, perfect for sitting in, and rested his hands behind his head.

A few moments passed before he saw ivy return, huffing as she partly carried partly dragged a big rock along with her. With a look of satisfaction she positioned it under the branch and stepped on top of it. Brom watched with curiosity as she grabbed the branch wich was now within her grasp and walked her feet up the trunk and scrambled around until she was sitting upright on the branch.

Ivy, obviously pleased with her success immediately began scooting to the next branch, making her way up to where Brom sat nonchalantly, offering no assistance.

Ivy was breathing hard when she finally arrived at the fork in the tree where Brom sat. He slid over making room for Ivy and said sarcastically, "Well would you look at that, you actually made it!"

Ivy just scrunched her face at him and answered, "Well of course I did. I'm not a wimp. Now move over more, I don't have any room!" She finished, pushing on his arm with her foot and blowing the hair from her face. Brom begrudgingly moved more and Ivy squeezed in beside him with just enough room.

When Ivy had caught her breath and was situated comfortably Brom looked towards the tree lined horizon and spoke. "What do you think is out there?"

Ivy followed his gaze and contemplated a moment. "What, beyond Kuasta? Well I mean there's the rest of Alegasia. You know that."

"Yeah, I know that. I mean like what do you think it's like?" Brom answered. "You've heard the stories of the elves, and dwarves, and the dragon riders of course. Do you really think its as exciting as they say?"

Ivy thought about his question and replied. "I don't know, I mean, I've never been out of Kuasta, and neither have you, but I guess I never really thought about it. I suppose at least some of the stories are true. What do you think?"

A smile spread across Brom's face as he replied. "I think they're all true. I bet it's all full of adventure! The riders fly in skies day and night protecting people and fighting evil." Brom's eyes gleamed as he continued to tell Ivy all about how he imagined the outside world to be.

Ivy listened contentedly as Brom depicted stories of heroic riders swooshing through the clouds on magnificent dragons with shining armor saving villagers from enemies and saving the day.

Brom was just finishing when the two heard someone yelling their names from somewhere down below. They peered through the branches looking for who was calling them and after a bit of searching Brom announced in an unhappy tone, "It's my mom. We should probably go."

Ivy slumped her shoulders as she drearily nodded in agreement. Brom yelled out to his mother that they were coming and the two began descending the branches, this time Brom helping Ivy, until they reached the ground where Brom's mother Nelda was waiting impatiently.

"I told you not to go running off!" She said angrily as she grabbed Brom's arm and pulled him alongside her as she marched back to their house. "You know we have company coming for supper, and now look at you! Covered in filth!"

Brom managed to turn to Ivy and mouth the word 'sorry' before he was dragged away by his mother who was now attempting to wipe the dirt from his face. Ivy understood and quietly slipped away and headed towards her own house where her own mother was most likely wondering where in the world she was.

author note: okay so as I've mentioned before I'm quite behind as I still haven't read the fourth book.. (If only school would stop trying to smother me) but I just found out today that there is going to be a fifth book! jnsdimnefvdijfdinjedfi yes I am slow but dang how did I not know this! Freaking toadstools Spider-Man... Now I'm going to fall into the deadly fandom spiral of doom all over again. I don't know how I feel about this. Oh wait. Yes I do. I FEEL INCREDIBLE. LIKE BATMAN. BUT BETTER. LIKE...LIKE...LIKE THE DOCTOR. *insert happy dance*

side note...I also found out it is supposedly going to be about Brom's life. Apparently this fanfic is then an alternate to the fourth AND fifth books. O.o hermmm...

okay..fangirl rant is over. Sorry bout that...