Elend is five years old when he meets the girl he's going to marry.
Zane is being mean again. He refuses to play. He says Elend is being childish, that he should grow up, that he should stop disturbing Zane because Zane is not a child.
Elend just wants to play. No one wants to play with him since they put mummy in the ground.
He leaves the house with his picture book and goes to the woods behind the house to his favourite tree.
He loves that tree. His mummy would hold him and read to him when she came home from work.
No one ever bothers him but today there's someone else there too.
"Hi."
The girl is sitting on a branch of the tree. Elend doesn't know how she got there. He's never been able to climb.
"Hi," he says back. "I'm Elend. What's your name?"
His mummy said you are always supposed to introduce yourself.
"I'm Vin."
Her voice is so quiet he barely hears her. She seats with her knees to her chest and her arms tight around them.
"I have my picture book," he holds it up. "Do you want to read it with me?"
She looks down at her lap sad. He doesn't like her looking sad.
"I don't know how to read."
He smiles. "That's okay. I'll read it to you."
She smiles and he knows he'll do anything to keep it there.