Arelle watched as Moren sat beside her in front of the small fire. It had already been a week since Moren had decided to teach Arelle magic, but so far Moren hadn't taught her any spells, and they hadn't really worked specifically on control of magic, either. He had so far only taught her some of the basics of magic. In the time she had known him, she had found him to be like a caring older brother. It felt good to have someone who cared about you so much. She began to realize, though, that her own family in Felwithe really had always cared about her. For so long it seemed to her that no one cared for her. Now she realized it was herself who was pushing everyone away, and not that they had just left her. But she would continue training until he had control over her magic. It would be better that way. She wondered how long it would be before she could return home.

"You did very well today, Arelle. If you keep making so much progress, I'm sure you'll be able to control your magic by the summer of next year!" He said, as if he had read her mind. But she knew that that could never happen, although she was improving quite a bit.

"Winter is not long away." She mumbled under her breath. "It's certainly cold, here in the forest."

"Aye, it is." He sighed. "Winter is a hard season. It's difficult to find food, and it gets quite a bit cooler than this, in the winter."

"Moren, have you ever traveled out of Greater Faydark?" Arelle asked.

"When I was very young, my mother and father took me to Felwithe and Kelethin occasionally. They kept hoping that someday their people would forgive them and one of the cities would let them live there. But it never happened. We were forced to live in the forest.

"My parents taught me quite a bit of magic in my younger years. Even though I really couldn't use it, since you don't get your magic until ten or so, they had me memorize all types of spells for when I was able to use more magic. They were afraid for my safety, living in this dangerous forest. They tried to teach me how to defend myself with weapons, too, but since they had both lived in large cities all their lives, they didn't really know how to survive in the forest alone. My father was the son of a respectable magician, and all my father really knew was lore and magic, for he hoped to be a magician like his father. My mother was the daughter of a tailor, and although she was learning the trade of her father, she also taught herself magic from books. When my mother and father met, they found each other intriguing, but later they began to love each other. Their families, though, never excepted each other, and they had many quarrels among each other. Eventually, my mother and father were asked to leave both cities, as the constant quarreling among the two families was causing tension among them. But my mother was now pregnant, and my father dared not to travel far, for it might strain her. So they decided to stay in the woods of Greater Faydark.

"My mother always stayed in a tent my father had made her. She cooked and cleaned clothes and did that sort of stuff, while my father hunted. One day my father was training me on how to shoot with a bow, while my mother had stayed in the tent a ways off, as she usually did. When my father and I came home for dinner, we found my mother lying there, dead. The rest of our equipment had been stolen or destroyed, as well. A large number of orcs had apparently taken her by surprise. Father was so enraged, he swore vengeance on them. Three days later, he left me beside the wall of Felwithe, telling me to go to the gates and ask for admittance into the city. 'Surely they would take pity on the boy, even if he is half Wood Elf', he must have thought. He never returned. I have no doubt that after dropping me off at Felwithe, he went to Crushbone, the orc city, where he met his fate.

"Naturally, I was very upset. Both my parents were now gone. I started heading for the gates as my father had instructed me after while, but then changed my mind. In my mind, the people of Felwithe and Kelethin were both my enemies. I had never wanted to be part of them, it was my parents who constantly tried to live there. The only thing Kelethin and Felwithe did for me was make my mother cry every night. As for myself, I was content with my home in the forest. I have never entered Felwithe or Kelethin since my parents died, and I have never wanted to. They are a cruel people. They're heartless." He finished, looking away from Arelle, into the setting sun.

Arelle wondered if he meant that she, too, was cruel and heartless. Had he forgotten that she was one of the people of Felwithe? She felt sorry for him, with such a sad past. It made her sad that he hated her people so much, too. She had hoped someday she could take him to see her family, but now she doubted he would ever enter Felwithe to see them.

"I'm…sorry. I'm sorry, Moren." She said. "It must have been very hard for you, all alone in this forest. No one to talk to, no one to care for you. You spent your entire childhood alone." He looked at her now, and saw tears welling up in her eyes. It touched him that she would cry for him. He smiled at her now, but she could see the smile was half forced.

"It's all right, Arelle," he said. "Thanks for listening to my story anyway, though." He paused. "Now, I think it's time for some music." He reached into the pack he carried slung over his shoulder and took out a lyre and began to play it. The song was a happy, fast-paced one, and when he began to sing along to the tune, Arelle smiled. When the song was over Moren looked at her to see her reaction.

"You could've been a bard, Mor. That was truly lovely!" Moren laughed heartily.

"Thank you, m'lady." He said.

As days went by, Arelle found a great companion in Moren. He was always so jolly, and he now played the lyre for her every time she asked him to (which was nearly every night). He also sung for her for her entertainment, though he was a bit shy about it, which amused Arelle even more. But he certainly had a serious side. She saw sometimes how he looked out into the sky with such a sad look when he thought she couldn't see him. She could tell also that he still held a deep hatred for Kelethin and Felwithe, though he didn't show it often.

"Arelle, are you concentrating?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, the candles! Right." she replied, as she began concentrating on the five candles sitting on the ground in front of her. She squinted her eyes and furrowed her brows in concentration. Suddenly the three in the middle exploded. "Oops! Oh no, I did it again!" she sighed in frustration.

"Ah, but look at the candles on the sides, Arelle!" She looked, and both the candles had been lit. "See? You're making a lot of progress!" He said enthusiastically. He was right. When they had started this exercise, everything within a two-foot radius of the candles had gone up in smoke. Now she had successfully lit two of the candles.

"Alright, let's try it again! This time I'll get them all lit!"