Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading my fanfic and giving such wonderful reviews! They made me feel all squishy and eager to write more. Also, never try to write Fable fanfiction while listening to "Eye of the Tiger." It just doesn't work, trust me.

Also, please forgive me. I know that this chapter is short but I had to make it short so I could dedicate an entire chapter to her meeting Twinblade.

Blood had formed such thick scabs over her eyes that Theresa could barely shut them. With each surge of pain that seethed through her senses, the girl inwardly cursed at the man who had done this to her. Her days were filled with aimless crawling, and her nights with nightmares of her mother being tortured to the brink of death. Those dreams were so vivid that Theresa felt like she could reach out and stroke her mother's cheek. But as soon as she tried to, she felt herself being pulled to the waking world again.

On one such morning, Theresa felt tears trying to break through the scabs.

"Mother. . ." she moaned as she rested against a tree, wrapping her calloused hands around her dirt-covered legs. Her once-beautiful birthday dress had become smeared with dirt and was torn in various areas from sticks and sharp rocks that had cut into her soft skin. Her hair had become slick, and stuck to her face that was caked with mud and sweat. Theresa had become the very image of anguish. As she started to give into her hunger and pain, Theresa thought she heard voices nearby.

". . . It makes you wonder what he was looking for," said one voice, a deep and raspy voice with a terrible lisp.

"If Jack of Blades personally went to look, it must be very important," said another voice, this one wasn't as deep but even raspier. Theresa felt her heart go a bit lighter. She peeked around the tree, and though she couldn't see anything she felt the warmth of a fire and heard it crackle into the night sky. These were different flames than the flames in Oakvale. They were warm and inviting, and was that a cooking goose she smelled? As energy started to flow to her limbs, Theresa stood up and started to stumble towards the warmth.

"Hey Cliff, you can see well in the dark, what's over there?" asked the one with the lisp. The one called Cliff looked over as Theresa clambered towards them and blinked once, then twice. After a pause where Theresa fell onto her knees from lack of strength, Cliff sighed, "It's just a kid, probably a survivor from Oakvale. Just ignore it, Elliot, maybe she'll go away and die somewhere else."

"Please . . ." choked Theresa, "Water, food, warmth . . . anything . . ." Cliff rolled his eyes before kicking some dirt on the girl and muttering, "Scram, kid. We don't run an orphanage." Elliot, however, was a kinder bandit than Cliff. He took a pot of water that was sitting next to the fire and sat it in front of Theresa after saying, "Drink this. It's just water, but it should help."

"Hey Elliot! You know how long it took me to boil that?" growled Cliff as he watched Theresa gratefully hold the clay pot to her lips. After she had her fill, she offered the half-empty vessel out in front of her. Cliff shook his head and grumbled, "Clean yourself up. You stink, kid." Elliot was too busy watching Theresa to say anything. The way her hair hung over her face, the way she groped around . . .

"Can you see us?" he asked. Theresa lifted her head up after washing her hands and moved her bangs away from her face for him to see his answer. Cliff made a vocal sound of disgust while Elliot rubbed his balding head and whistled.

"Well, Glennis could probably help at least get that nasty clotting off," he said as he watched Theresa wash the dirt off of her face.

"You're not seriously considering bringing her to Twinblade's Camp, are you?" Cliff's eyes narrowed as he stroked his moustache. Elliot looked at Cliff and raised his eyebrow before standing up and taking the goose off of the fire. He tore one of the legs off, and forgetting that Theresa was blind, tossed it to her. The pre-teen squeaked as it conked her on the forehead and then fell into her lap. Elliot laughed, but it wasn't a mocking laugh like Jack's. It was good-natured and kind, not a laugh that you'd expect from a bandit. Theresa actually put a smile on her face as she tore into her dinner, though it was a smile of gratitude instead of happiness.

"Finish up quickly, kid," ordered Cliff as he rubbed one of his arms, "These woods give me the creeps." Cliff should have spoken sooner, for even as he finished his first sentence Theresa was already licking the bone. Elliot laughed as he kicked dirt over the fire, causing it to smolder. Cliff glared at his companion as he stomped on the embers a few times before saying, "Don't tell me you aren't afraid of Darkwood?" When Theresa heard this, she practically choked on the goose bone. She had somehow wandered into Darkwood Forest without being eaten by a Balverine? Elliot pat Theresa on the back a few times before grinning, showing that a few of his teeth were missing.

"Aye, you're a lucky one you are," he chuckled, ignoring Cliff's question. The other bandit rolled his eyes at Elliot as he rolled up the dishes into a spare sack that had not made contact with the dirt. Cliff was quite the clean freak, always thoroughly washing his dishes no matter where he was, always boiling his water to get rid of the diseases, and always neatly folding his bandit gear after scrubbing them until holes were practically worn from the abrasive soap.

When they were packed up, Elliot heaved Theresa onto his shoulder, and shrugged as Cliff rolled his eyes yet again.

"It's faster this way," was his excuse. The truth was actually that he had grown quite attached to the girl in the few minutes that he spent with her. As Theresa held onto Elliot's shoulders with all her might, she heard Cliff ask, "So, we gonna show her to Glennis or Twinblade first?"

"Glennis," replied Elliot, "She's got to look somewhat presentable for the Bandit King." Theresa mouthed the words 'Bandit King' in wonder as the two men started on their journey.