I carefully waited until the knights walked past me for me to cross. There must be another way around this. I went the back way instead; we'll have to move and camp here instead. I went back and called her over here. She followed me, quietly and carefully without making a sound. We camp in the back of the mountain, safely from the knights.

Davina camped and signs that it's safe to make a fire for they won't see. I continue searching a safe way into the mountain, but the way is up, climbing. I remember climbing when I was a kid, climbing trees, houses, and many other things.

It's getting dark soon and I don't know if they are sleeping or not, but I need to check it out. Davina, I tapped her shoulder, I'm going to climb, pointing at the rock.

"How are you going to climb the cliff, Masha?"

Is there a difference between a mountain and a cliff? That's not a mountain? I'm glad I don't have to ask a stupid question. I would need to read about the mountains myself someday. I was talking to myself when Davina began to worry for my safety.

"World to Masha."

Huh? What did you say?

"I said you need the proper equipment to climb."

A piece of equipment, I see as I bring out my two small knives while grinning.

"That's not what I'm talking about, Masha."

I playfully shrugged, I'm doing this whether you like it or not. I feel it's called when I get closer. I don't understand, but I feel the sword. I wish I could tell her that. I hear its cries and yelling, it's a strange sensation.

I want to tell her that no one could hurt me if they tried. Someone kept me safe, and I don't remember who, but it was the spirit of a woman. It's an aura of blue and white walking through the walls and such. There's always berries, bread, and freshwater. She put me in her arms, and I never saw her again. I never knew who she was or what she looked like. Davina looks worried when she looks up at me.

"Are you alright, honey?"

I casually nod, yeah, I'm fine. She asks me if I'm hungry, handing me bread and cheese. I thanked her when I took it from her hands and started eating. She refuses to fall asleep while I'm out climbing. I use my knife to help me climb and it looks like it's going to break. Oh no, my right knife broke off as I climbed midway. Within seconds, all my memories flash right before my eyes when I fall, slamming hard onto the ground. I groaned and grumbled as my back and hands were in pain. I didn't realize it was loud when Davina came running.

"Masha! Masha!"

"You're bleeding," Masha spoke in an agitated tone, helping me back to camp to nurse my wounds. I was glad that she bought an old tent when she put me inside, I have no idea what she put on my hands. Its leaves are creamy on my hands and arms. She took off my shirt, "Easy, honey. I'm going to check your back."

I swallowed hard when a bolt of electricity shot down between my legs when she softly touched my back. I squeal when she touches the large scratch on my back.

"It's okay. It's okay," in her consoling tone.

She wraps a blanket to cover my legs when she lays beside me, "you never cry when you get hurt. Few times, you would fall from the second floor trying to learn to land on your feet. Once you span your ankle and others break the bone in your arm. You would scream, but never cry."

I listen to her while slowly falling asleep when she tells me stories when I was little. She softly touches my face and hair then kisses my forehead to bid me good night.

It was a long and torture week; we take turns to watch the militias to see if they will ever leave. Unfortunately, they never do, so I must find another way to find the stones because I have no powers or sword to fight hundreds of knights. I studied the papers and the old book, word by word and page by page. Masha studied one of the maps, it's a picture, but it doesn't go with any map of Enchanted Forest. It's a drawing of a tree in the middle with a castle and farming in the background.

"Whose castle do you think this is?"

Davina pointed at the castle, but I never traveled to the Enchanted Forest. I only saw the Queen from a distance. I don't know. She made a suggestion, "why don't we go to a nearby town to ask if they are familiar with this castle?"

I shook my head because we cannot show the map. I pointed to the map, no show.

"Can we draw another one with only the castle?"

I read one story about Belle and her love for books, the so-called 'library,' is there one here? I asked her if she knew the location of a library? My hands hurt from writing, becoming stiff and sore.

"Let's not write, Masha until your hands heal," rubs the cream and leaves again on my hands while continuing, "there is a man who calls himself a bibliognost, a record-keeper. It's not close, he lives in the Northern Kingdom."

Where are we? I was glad to know that there are some things she could read in my mind when she nods in understanding.

"We are near the forbidden fortress, Xavier's Kingdom, and the Queen lives in the Dark Castle… in the East, Masha. The Queen has two castles in the East Kingdom, one is the Dark Castle and the other is greater for the homes of the villagers who side with the Queen. She makes a promise whoever lives there will be safe as long as they obey."

The Queen owns two castles, who would think. I really want to read the map properly. So which way will we go?

"We'll have to go through the Sherwood Forest, it's the dangerous part of Enchanted Forest." I shot her a look, asking why is it dangerous? Did something happen? "The Queen obliterates every house and brick looking for the home of Queen Regina. The Dark Palace, no one knows where it is, and she tried to find it many years ago… There's war too."

I read about it in her collection and all her memories are in that Dark Palace. The Queen stopped looking for the Dark Palace; doesn't she have magic to find it then why couldn't she find it? Magic is weird.

"We'll go in the morning."

Wait, how does she know so much about Enchanted Forest? Who was her ex-husband? I asked a series of questions about her knowledge of Enchanted Forest while bearing the pain of my sore hands. She heavily sighs while staring at the paper.

"umm … His name is Fred, Dr. Anderson. He is a doctor, and physician to the Queen. He travels throughout Enchanted Forest to attend royalties. Along the way, he had an affair with one of the princesses."

She refuses to name the princess, but all I can do now is, grab her body and tightly embrace her to apologize for what she's been through. I wish I could be there for her. Davina was careful not to touch my wounds when returning the hug.

"He was going to put me in prison, so I hid in the worst place where I know he'll never look."

She's crying, I keep my arms around her body when she cries on my shoulder. Now I understand why she chose that place, is not that she doesn't have a choice, but an ex who wants her head. Where else could she hide except the covert? No one looks for women in the awful place, no one cares to investigate that place. All they want is to bed the women.

She stays close to me through the day for me to comfort her. We ate and read in silence, she seemed lost in thoughts. Her red puffy nose and cheeks from crying, her eyes are a little red and watery. Even like this, she still looks cute. She went to bed early, but I stayed out near the fire to continue studying. I felt something in the wind, getting colder as I breathed out and I could see the smoke out of my mouth.