Evelyn walked in the woods, holding a basket full of different herbs she harvested for Nettle. She was just a few meters away from the cave she woke up in.
Since escaping from the Adderhead and being discovered by Nettle, she worked as an apprentice for the medicine-woman. She respected the lady; aside from her brutal personality, she was a really hard-working woman who always gave her 100% when curing her patients.
"So I guess that makes her a kind person, then." Evelyn thought out loud.
Upon her arrival, Evelyn received a not-so warm and welcome grunt from Nettle. "Not bad. You're faster than I thought."
"I could be helpful at times, you know. It's just like my father used to say:" Evelyn began, continuing with an impression of her father, "'Never judge a book by its cover!'".
Never judge the Inkheart book by its cover.
"Where is your father, then?"
The thought of what to answer startled Evelyn. Oh yeah, I could just say that I'm from another world…
"And what about your mother?"
The best answer: stay silent about it. Nettle, though, was not amused.
"How many times have I asked you that question? And you say silent about it? Fine. Have it your way." she fused.
As Nettle continued murmuring about how she got an apprentice with such attitude, Evelyn wondered where's going to start looking for a way back home.
"I'll be leaving now; watch the cave while I'm gone."
"Do you have another patient?"
"It's a different one; not the man that looks like the Bluejay."
"Nettle, you never did tell me what happened to him."
Nettle looked up from her cauldron; she had stopped making another of her miracle potions. Why did this girl have to disturb her so much?
"A woman was with him. Claimed that a weapon called a rifle did the wound, whatever that was. Really, weapons these days. It was quite fatal; I had to cauterize it. I had them stay at the Secret Camp, but I've heard news that the Adder's men have abducted them. Wonder what happened to them. Hopefully, the Bluejay man could move by now. Can't guarantee that for sure now; who knows what those knights did to him."
Oh no, more people affected by the Adderhead. When will this chaos end?
…
WAIT. A rifle! A rifle, a rifle…. they have guns here? No, that's kind of impossible. Yeah… it is. There is no way anyone would have that here… so they must be from my world too! But…HOW did they get here…?
She needed to know. They may be her only hope of going home. She had to find a way; and this is it.
"Nettle! I…uh…need to go somewhere for a few days…"
That's where she'll start. And this…is where her story in the Inkworld begins.