On the Westside Island of Mobius is where we lay our scene. In the great forest of which borders the Kingdom of Acorn, a trading caravan makes its way through the largely unexplored territory. The only evidence of habitation, Mobian and Human alike, is a rough trail that cuts through the forest. A hum of some tune emanated from the trader; a routine stop he has made for several years. Our hero of this story has not yet appeared, for he dwells further along the trail. But the trader was partially hoping that he wouldn't see he-who-dwells-in-the-forest today. He was carrying a sad bit of news that wouldn't sit too well for the awaiting recipient. Eventually, the trader stopped in front of a large shelter, where a small fire was still burning with a pot of water boiling above it.

"Young Isaac, are you present?" The trader announced, attempting to get his attention.

With no warning, a loud thump made its way on the caravan. The trader turned around, seeing Isaac had leaped from a tree branch and landed on his wagon. He was wearing clothes made from leather, being a tunic, pants, and boots. His hooded cloak, on the other hand, was an old Ranger's cloak that was given to him by the trader when he was still a young lad. He had grown well into it. Isaac removed the hood, revealing himself to be a hedgehog. His maroon quills, while long and grown, were kept neat.

"Hunting?" The trader asked.

"No. I had intercepted another of the winged creations. I suspected that it may be scouting the forest for a possible invasion. I was keeping look for more of them." Isaac responded.

The trader nodded, trying to find a way of relaying the upsetting information to Isaac.

"Well, I have wares for trading today. Would you like to take a look?" The trader offered.

Isaac nodded, hopping off the wagon and landing on the ground. The trader brought bolts of fabric and ingots of ore that would possibly interest Isaac. Isaac, while had studied them intently, moved onward to the next round of wares. This time, goods and spices that come from distant lands. Isaac traded a few pelts from small game for a few bottles of peppercorns and sea salt. As they traded, items exchanging to hands, Isaac could feel tension in the surrounding air. Call it a gift, but he knew that the trader wasn't telling him something.

"You can trust me with anything, Talion. Even your life. What is it you do not want to tell me?" Isaac asked.

The trader breathed in, and then out.

"This… this will be the last time I'll be able to trade with you, young Isaac." The trader confessed.

Isaac was taken aback by this.

"I'm sorry, Talion. Was it something I traded you? If it hurt your income, I can give you more." Isaac offered.

Talion shook his head.

"It's not that, Isaac. It's just… The Kingdom of Acorn has been revolutionizing. It means to advance into Industry. For months, a railroad has been under construction, and just yesterday, it had been finished. All trade will be transported to the kingdom within a few hours instead of a day." Talion explained.

Isaac was blown away by this revelation. He had always thought that Talion would be able to provide him with what couldn't be provided by the forest. But now, his hopes have been dashed by a twenty-ton piece of metal that runs off coal.

"But… the forest cannot provide everything! The land is full of rocks! Only the hardiest of plants can grow here! I cannot sustain myself from meat alone!" Isaac pleaded, hoping he could change Talion's mind.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a decision that Talion could overturn. As a trader, he works for a shipping company. The company that he works for has unanimously decided to implement the railroad to cut down on transportation costs and time. If it were Talion's decision, he would keep his route through the forest.

"I'm sorry, young Isaac. But the decision is not mine. I guess it's true what they say. Money is truly the root of all evil. The Mobian Trading Company has decided on the railroad to cut cost. I'm sorry to say, but you… may need to emigrate." Talion suggested.

With a heavy heart, Talion reached behind himself and pulled out a small bag. He tossed it to Isaac, which clinked in his hand. Isaac opened it, finding it to be full of rings.

"Take what you can and buy a ticket. You may be able to find work in the Kingdom. Establish a new life for yourself." Talion said, before storing his wares back in their boxes.

"But… but I have lived on this land for over 7 years! This is my home!" Isaac said.

Talion only grabbed the reins on his caravan.

"I'm sorry, Isaac. Hopefully, one day, we may be able to trade once again on this trail." Talion said, before whipping his reins.

The caravan lurched forward, continuing towards the Kingdom. Isaac, taking his traded items, walked back to the shelter. He was looking down on the ground, not knowing what to do. He plopped himself at the fire, feeling forlorn. A rustling came from his shelter. A little girl hedgehog with white quills, no older than 7, crawled out. She was wearing a child's Celtic tunic. It was made from a single deer hide. Isaac prided himself in his tailor skills. It was maneuverable enough that she could run without tripping but insulated enough that she could tolerate the cold mornings. Because of the conditions of the forest, it had long sleeves. The skirt part of the tunic reached to her feet. She walked to the fire, noticing Isaac was upset.

"Brother, what is wrong? I have never seen you so sad!" She observed, walking up to Isaac, wiping a stray tear from his face.

He reached for his little sister's hand, holding it in his.

"Talion isn't coming back anymore, Lily. The trading company he works for has abandoned us. They are going around the forest on something called a 'railroad'." Isaac explained.

Lily was visibly saddened, but not as much as Isaac.

"Do not worry, brother. Elohim still watches over us! He will help us!" Lily said.

Isaac smiled; his eyes still full of tears.

"You speak wisely, young Lilith." Isaac said.

As the day went on, Isaac gathered supplies and such that he would need in case he decided to take Talion on his offer. Lily continued practicing the techniques and methods that Isaac had taught her so as to survive in the forest. After tying knots and sharpening her brother's knives, she moved onto preparing dinner for the night. She had to start early in the afternoon for the stew to be done in time for dinner. Taking venison her brother had cut from a deer he hunted earlier that week, she sprinkled it with fresh pepper and sea salt. She cooked it on a cast iron pan, searing it with fresh thyme and wild garlic. After searing, she dumped it into the pot, which was full of bone broth. She added different meats and vegetables, including wild carrots, burdock, and chicory roots. She was even able to find wild potatoes this late in Autumn. With all ingredients in the pot, she stirred it quick and put the lid on top. The stoked the fire, making sure the coals would stay hot.

As night approached, Isaac stored the rest of the supplies in the corner of the shelter, making sure that everything had been taken care of. As he crawled out of the pelt-lined shelter, the smell of dinner hit his nose, instantly making his mouth water. He got up, walking to the pot. Looking around, he made sure Lily wasn't around. While he was the elder sibling, Lily was a dictator when it came to who had control over the cooking pot. Isaac took the lid off, the steam hitting his face.

"Just a quick taste." Isaac said to himself, grabbing a spoon hanging off of the utensil rack.

Dipping it into the stew, he made to bring it to his mouth. But the force from a wooden spoon knocked it out of his hand. Isaac shook his right hand, a reaction from being hit. He looked to where the spoon came from, seeing it was Lily, who didn't look too pleased. Isaac had a sheepish look on his face. Lily held up a finger and wagged in front of his face.

"Dinner is not done, yet. Needs more time." She said, hanging the spoon on the rack.

"Hmmph. Last I checked, I am the one to test what you make. After all, I did teach you how to cook." Isaac said, reaching for the pot lid.

But as quickly as he went to grab the lid, he retracted his hand, narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon. Lily gently pushed Isaac back with the spoon, wanting him to get away from the pot. Isaac obliged. As Lily stirred the stew, Isaac grabbed his quiver full of arrows and his longbow. He walked to the westside of the site, eyeing the target he had put at about 100 yards. Isaac had been hunting all of his life, ever since his father had taken him when he was only five. To make things more interesting, his father was blind. But his other senses made up for it. His father was able to hear the target from a mile away and knew how far to pull back the bowstring just by where the target could be heard. Isaac notched an arrow in the bowstring, pulling it back as far as he needed for the shot. He emptied his lungs of air, steadying his shot. He released the string, the arrow splitting the air. The arrow hit the target dead center.

"Still got it." Isaac told himself, readying another arrow.

Isaac practiced his aim for about half-an-hour, at least until Lily said that dinner was ready. Isaac placed his bow and quiver inside the shelter before sitting at the fire for dinner. Lily plated the stew into a deep plate, and handed it to Isaac, also giving him a spoon. But before they ate, Isaac and Lily bowed their heads.

"Ellōhim, eṅkaḷ jepattaik kēḷuṅkaḷ. Inta uṇavai eṅkaḷukku muṉ ācīrvatiyuṅkaḷ. Eṅkaḷ kaṣṭaṅkaḷ eḷitāka vaḷaraṭṭum, avaṟṟaik kaṭakka viṭāmuyaṟciyuṭaṉ irukkaṭṭum. Āmeṉ. (Elohim, hear our prayer. Bless this meal before us. Let our difficulties grow easily and we will be diligent in overcoming them. Amen.)" Lily prayed.

After the meal, of which Isaac was quick to devour, they put out the fire and began putting away their supplies so as not to attract unwanted attention. After putting away their cooking set-up, he crawled into the shelter, tired. Lily did the same. Isaac took off his boots and changed his socks. He crawled into his bearskin bedroll, planning on getting up early. His mind was decided. He was going to purchase a train ticket for him and his sister to go into the Acorn Kingdom to establish a new life. All he had to do was tell his sister.

"Lily… are you asleep?" Isaac asked.

"No. Why?" Lily asked.

"I have decided on what to do about the trade route changing." Isaac said.

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"Well, we are going to Kingdom Acorn to establish a new life." Isaac said.

"But… you always told me Mother and Father wanted us to live as Elohim intended, one with the land." She argued.

"I know that is what they wanted, but… things change. But it is only until I can find us another place to settle, somewhere where we can have everything we need. We could find a plot of land that we'll be able to grow our food, instead of foraging for it!" Isaac explained.

Lily nodded, still feeling unsure about the change.

"When I find work, we'll live in the Kingdom for a while, at least until we can afford ship fare to go to the mainland. Then, we could live anywhere we want to." Isaac explained.

"But I want to live here." Lily argued.

"I'm sorry, little one. But that is not an option anymore." Isaac said.

They bid each other good night, drifting off into their realms of slumber.