The Adepts of Kolima Forest

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AU. Snow had always felt so alone since her mother passed away. Her father had gone to fight in the war, and her stepmother had never seemed to love her. Now, she wanted to kill her. So she escaped to a cottage hidden deep in the forest of Kolima, not knowing that among the seven Adepts, she would find true friendship and forge bonds strong enough to save the world.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Written for Raitei, this is a second tale from the collection of Golden Sun Fairytales we are going to make. Heaven help us finish writing our long fics that are always being left alone because we procastinate. ^^;

I don't own Golden Sun, nor do I own Snow White.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Maybe it's someone who got lost in the forest, and needed a place to stay."

"You think whoever it is is still around?"

"There aren't any footsteps leading out."

"So you think he could be hiding in here still?!"

"Is it a burglar? Is it a burglar?"

Snow stirred unsteadily as she heard the unfamiliar voices. It was so warm. So comfortable.

Where was she?

She opened her eyes and blinked, just as a startled face appeared above her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter II: One of Us

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Who are you?" the stranger asked. Snow blinked again. The room was half dark, illuminated by bright moonlight from the windows. Where was this?

"I… I…"

In a flash, it came back to her. The Queen, Piers, the Mauler, Laurel, and the cottage she was now in. The young man in front of her was, no doubt, one of the owners of this place, and had come to berate her for trespassing.

"I'm sorry for intruding!" she apologised, sitting up quickly. The stranger had to pull backwards quickly to avoid having their heads collide. "It's just that I…"

She broke off at the sound of fast and heavy footsteps, and soon six other people were standing in the room, staring in silent astonishment at her.

"Who's this?" one of them spoke up. He had dark hair tied in a ponytail over one shoulder, and a grim, serious face. Worry lines creased his young face, an illusion that made him seem older at first sight.

"Our mysterious uninvited guest. She must have left that jewelled bracelet," another said. She was the only female in the group, and she eyed Snow with undisguised curiosity. Dark red hair was caught up in a high ponytail at the back of her head, and her fingers were clutched around a lantern, which had brightened up the room instantly when she entered.

"She's not dressed like those nobles though. You think she might have stolen it?" The third speaker also had red hair, but it was fiery crimson in colour, and stood up like fire on his head. He was the tallest of them all, and his arms were the roughly size of a blacksmith's.

"Well, I think she's pretty," the youngest announced. He bore a striking resemblance to the tall one, except that he was a lot shorter and smaller in stature. His bright eyes were friendly with interest as he surveyed Snow.

"I think we should let her speak for herself." The first person who had found Snow in the room had blond hair, blue eyes, and just a little bit of suspicion written across his face. Snow was not offended; she must seem like a thieving intruder. But surely his words were giving her leave to explain.

"I was lost in the forest while having a picnic. I mean, I came to have a picnic, but a Mauler attacked me and my… my escort, so I ran. Then I got lost, and… and I spoke to a talking tree, and it told me to come here for help, so…" The words sounded silly even as they came out of her mouth.

"Laurel spoke to you?" the sixth asked. He, too, had blond hair, but it was longer, and his eyes were violet in colour. Apparently, they knew about the talking tree.

"Yes. Yes, she did. I told her I no longer have a place to go to, and she told me to seek this place, deep in the forest. I really didn't mean to cause any trouble," Snow insisted, clutching the bedsheets nervously. Now they were all staring at her strangely.

The seventh, an old man with long white hair and a bushy beard of the same colour, spoke. "You are an adept?" His black rounded spectacles quivered dangerously as they perched on his nose, threatening to fall.

"Yes, I… How did you know?" Snow gasped.

"Laurel speaks because she has psynergy. Only those with psynergy can hear her speaking," the old man explained.

"Oh…" Snow bowed her head. Did this mean that, if she were a normal human being, Laurel would not have helped her? Would Laurel have left her to starve in the forest?

"What do you mean, you no longer have a place to go to?" the young violet-eyed boy asked. "You mentioned an escort. Surely he would come looking for you, and bring you home."

"I'm afraid it's not possible. I…" Snow was about to tell them about the Queen, but she remembered Piers. He saved her. He had not wished to kill her, and it had brought him pain to be involved in the Queen's plans. She would not involve these innocent bystanders if she could help it.

"Someone is after my life. She is… she's rather powerful where I come from, so if I were to return, I would die."

Again, there was silence.

"We can't let you stay here," the dark haired man said at last.

"Felix!" the youngest boy protested.

"If a powerful woman wants to kill you, she might want you badly enough to come after us, too," Felix said, voicing Snow's concerns. "Leave at once."

"Now, now, Felix, don't be too hasty," the old man said. "After all, Laurel sent her to us. What would she say if she knew that we turned this young lady away without a second word?"

"No, he's right," Snow said. She slipped out of the bed. "I'm really sorry to have caused so much trouble, trespassing here, and eating your bread, and… I'm sorry. I'll go at once."

She had no idea where she would go next, but it was clear that she was not welcome here. Avoiding their eyes, she pushed past the seven and made her way down the stairs. When she reached the door, however, she found it blocked by the boy with violet eyes.

"It's already dark outside. You won't be able to find your way out of the forest. At least stay for dinner tonight," he said with a friendly smile.

"Ivan's right, my dear," the old man said. He took hold of Snow's elbow and guided her to the table, seating her in one of the wooden chairs. "We can talk things over properly before we make a decision. And nothing helps the brain work better than food."

"Great, I'm starved!" the tall male said enthusiastically. The girl rolled her eyes.

"With you, Garet, everything is food," she said, grinning nonetheless.

"But…" Felix started.

"It's decided then!" the old man said, cutting him short. "This lady will be staying with us tonight! And now, let us eat!"

The blue eyed young man had brought out a basket of loaves and several bowls of fruits. He placed them on the table.

"You're probably used to better fare where you came from, but this is all we have to offer. We work until late every day, so we don't have much time to cook dinner," he said to Snow.

"No, no, this is fine," she said gratefully. "Thank you very much." She took a bite from the loaf of bread, and found it rather tasty, even without honey or jam to sweeten it.

Garet, the old man and the youngest boy started to tuck in greedily, but Felix and the girl ate slowly, eyeing Snow with barely hidden suspicion. She felt rather uncomfortable.

A few minutes later, Ivan and the other blond reentered the room with two jugs of milk. They served everyone at the table before Ivan took his seat, and the other one sat down by the hearth. Snow suddenly realised that she was sitting on the seventh chair, and she stood up in alarm.

"Don't worry about it," Ivan said quickly, pulling her back down. "Isaac doesn't mind."

Isaac nodded, giving her something that looked like a smile, but she couldn't be sure because he was chewing on his dinner at the same time. Still feeling embarrassed and awkward, she sat down and ate silently. The milk tasted different from the milk she used to have back at the castle, but it was delicious and sweet, and she secretly longed for more.

Most of the meal was taken in silence, as everyone ate hungrily. They must have been working hard the whole day; Snow noticed that their fingers had calluses and their clothes were covered in dirt. She wondered what their source of income was, but she did not dare to ask, so she just kept quiet.

From the few lines of conversation that passed, she learnt that the old man's name was Kraden, the girl's was Jenna, and the youngest boy was called Aaron. Felix and Jenna were siblings, and their wary glances of Snow did not fade.

When Snow had finished the food placed in front of her, Kraden yawned.

"It's been a long day for all of us. You go up to bed, my dear, we'll do the washing up," he said to Snow with a smile. Snow knew that he wanted to talk to the others about her, but she didn't want to steal a bed from one of them.

"I'll um… sleep in the stable or something," she said.

"Nonsense. You can share a bed with Jenna," Kraden said cheerily. He did not seem to notice the glare Jenna gave him. Snow gulped.

"No, really, I'm fine with the stable," she said. She had once slept with the horses when she was little, and had dreamed of apples and hay. Before anyone could protest, she slipped out of the cottage and went to the wooden stable on the right.

A single shetland pony stood in it, with a dark grey coat and a scruffy mane and tail. She sniffed at Snow curiously before she returned to eating her dinner of corn and hay.

Snow saw a collection of old brushes and combs hanging on the wall of the stable. They were clean and dust-free, which had to mean that they were often used. The pony's current untidy appearance was probably due to the fact that the seven people had her to deal with today.

"I'm sorry," she murmured to the pony. She twitched her ears at Snow, but continued eating. Snow collected the brushes and combs and began to groom it. Susa had taught her once, and she had nearly forgotten, but this tough little pony gave her reminders, tossing its head impatiently when she made a mistake, and whinnying contentedly when she was doing it right.

"Are you trying to be helpful, my pretty?" she chuckled, knocking the comb against the side of the stable to remove dirt and loose hairs. The pony whinnied again, nuzzling her briefly. The gesture was so familiar, so friendly, and reminded her of the happy days when she played with Susa, Kushinada and Uzume in the stables.

So Snow continued to talk. She told the pony about how she had run into the forest to escape from her stepmother. About how her mother had left her, and tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. She told the pony about her father, who was always so distant since her mother died. She talked about her friends back at home, whom she could never meet again. She talked about the deception of her stepmother, and cried until she couldn't cry anymore.

But it felt good to talk about everything. She had talked to Laurel, but at that time, she was still feeling rather confused. This time, she was calmer, and could talk about her feelings freely and truthfully. It was a relief, and it felt like a great stone had rolled off her chest. When she finished, she cleaned the brushes and combs and hung them up neatly.

"There. All pretty again," she said. The pony had finished eating, and it gave a harrumph, staring at her with one eye.

Finally done, huh? You'd have been able to work faster if you'd talked less, she seemed to say. It was so much like what Minnie used to say, and Snow gave her a quivery smile. Then she lay down in the pile of clean straw beside the pony and closed her eyes.

Snow was asleep almost immediately, so she did not notice the figure that slipped into the stable and covered her with a warm woollen blanket of brown.

He stood and stared at her for a moment, and when the pony nosed his ear, he stroked her.

"She's had a difficult life too, hasn't she…?" he murmured softly. "Look after her, Fluffy."

Fluffy snorted. Of course I will, she seemed to say. She's gentle with the mane.

He chuckled quietly and slipped out, and Fluffy munched happily on an apple.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When the sun rose, sending its rays into the stable, Snow yawned and stretched, wondering where the blanket had come from. Standing quietly, she crept past the dozing pony and entered the cottage.

No one else was awake yet. Placing the folded blanket on a chair, she decided to make breakfast for the seven foresters. They had served her dinner the night before; she had to do something in return. Though, of course, the ingredients for the food was still theirs, at least she could offer them her cooking services.

Opening the cupboards, she found a dozen eggs (Where had they come from? Snow had not seen or heard any hens around the cottage), leafy vegetables, and slices of bacon (again, no pigs seen or heard). She took down a saucepan and a pot, and began to work.

When Ivan came down the stairs, he was surprised to see Snow boiling hot water in the pot on the hearth. She smiled uncertainly at him.

"Did you have a good night's rest?" she said politely.

"Yes, thank you. What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm making breakfast for you all. Since you were so kind to let me stay over last night, this is the least I can do to return the favour," Snow said. Ivan smiled, his boyish face lighting up.

"That's nice of you. The others should be awake soon. I'll go see to the animals."

He slipped out, and Snow continued with her cooking. One by one, the others were roused by the delicious smells of her handiwork, and stared in surprise at the meal she prepared for them. Bacon, omelette and a tasty broth were placed on the wooden table. Aaron began helping himself at once.

"This… this tastes great!" he said between mouthfuls.

"I'm glad you like it," Snow beamed. Like Minnie, she loved it when people enjoyed her cooking. "Please, all of you, help yourselves."

She felt satisfied when all of them ate with contented expressions on their faces. Except two. But Felix looked a lot less grim than he did the previous night, and Jenna grinned playfully once when Aaron stole half of Garet's egg. Snow felt like giving herself three cheers. She set to work cleaning up the utensils she had used.

She carried them out to the stream and began washing them with a rag from the kitchen. The sun shone as she work, and a gentle breeze tickled her hair. Snow hummed quietly. The forest was serene and peaceful, the only sounds being the calls of insects and the songs of birds.

I could really get used to this, she thought wistfully. But this was not her home, and she could not stay.

When she returned to the cottage, the seven had finished their meal, and the dishes were piled up neatly in a corner. She put the clean utensils back into the cupboard, then she turned to leave.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

She turned in surprise. It was Garet.

"I'm… leaving," she replied.

"But why?" Aaron asked, pouting.

"Because I can't stay here. It's too dangerous," Snow answered. "You have all been so kind, and I would never forgive myself if anything happened because of me."

"Well, of course you may leave if you truly wish to, child, but where will you go from here?" Kraden asked.

Snow could not meet his eyes. "I… I don't know. I'll find somewhere, somehow."

"Nonsense. If you have no place to go to, you'll stay with us," Kraden announced.

"Master Kraden!" Felix objected.

"Oh, don't be such a worrywart, Felix," Kraden said, waving a hand. "Laurel sent her to us, didn't she? If Laurel trusts her, we can trust her too."

"No, it's okay. I don't want to be a burden to anyone," Snow said quickly. She took a step backwards.

"You won't be," Isaac said from behind her. She turned in surprise. "Not if you continue cooking."

"We're out working all day long, and we barely have time to cook or clean. If you can do that for us, we'll be glad to have you stay," Ivan agreed.

"Yeah, it'd be nice to have a girl around," Garet said. "I mean, Jenna's hopeless at domestic chores."

"Well, excuse me!" Jenna said hotly, poking him hard in the side. She stared at Snow. "I'm not saying I trust you, but… It'd be safer to have you here than somewhere else, telling other people about us."

"And I like you," Aaron said with a bright smile. Snow smiled back at him.

"Well, that settles it then! This little lady is here to stay!" Kraden said. "Which reminds me, we don't yet know your name."

"My name is…"

'Snow' was the name of the Princess. The name that the Queen always used. Her mother, Queen Marian, had never used it. She always called her 'my daughter', 'my dear', or 'my darling'. But Queen Marian had told her once that she would have given her a different name.

"Mia. A nice, ordinary, simple name. Wouldn't you have liked that?"

"Mia. I am called Mia. Thank you for letting me stay."

As they chuckled and chatted and waved her thanks aside, none noticed tears of gratitude welling up in her eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You have done well," the Queen said with a beautiful smile. She opened the bag and peered inside. Her face twisted in disgust, and she pulled the bag close, then she handed it to Akafubu. Turning back to Piers, she smiled graciously again.

"Here is the rest of your payment," she said, handing him a small sack of clinking coins. "And remember, not a word to anyone."

Piers bowed silently. Though his expression was blank, his mind was still quivering with anger and disgust. Underneath this beautiful mask was a poisonous adder with a black heart. Thankfully, she could not tell the difference between the heart and liver of a human, and those of a Mauler.

He swore never return to Imil again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall,

Who in this land is fairest of all?"

The spirit bowed her head in misery.

"You, my Queen, are fairest of all."

"Splendid!" the Queen cried in delight. "And what of Princess Snow?"

"She… I can no longer sense her in this world, my Queen," the spirit said softly.

"Wondeful! Wonderful!" The Queen laughed. She threw the bag Piers had given her onto the floor and stomped on it heavily. "You see, my dear little princess, you can NEVER defy me!"

The spirit wept. She was the cause of the princess' death. And there was nothing she could do about it. The pain would continue to plague her.

And with such an evil queen, there would undoubtedly be more evil deeds committed.

"It would have been better if you had died, Sheba," she whispered to herself, teardrops rolling down her face. "It would have been better if you had never lived."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Garet wasn't joking when he said that Jenna was hopeless at domestic chores. After taking a closer look around the cottage, Mia could see dust, dirt and cobwebs hidden in every corner. She wrapped pieces of cloth around her hair and clothes, and started the long task of cleaning.

The seven had already left the cottage, so Mia could work without any obstructions. She swept and dusted, wiped and polished, chasing out spiders, ants and lizards. Soapy water sloshed across the floor, and by early afternoon, the front room was clean and sparkling. She beamed with satisfaction and sat down for a quick rest.

Just then, the door opened, and Aaron poked his head in.

"Mia? Are you… Whoaaaaa!!"

"Am I… what?" Mia asked, rather amused at his shocked expression. Apparently, it was not usual for him to see the front room white, dust-free, and sparkling; the floor polished and neat; the cabinets wiped and gleaming; and the hearth clean and soot-free.

"This is… this is like a miracle!! What did you do, attack all grime and dirt and dust like a hurricane?" he asked.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Mia said, smiling wryly. Aaron smiled back. He stepped into the room, only to have Mia jump up and push him out.

"W-wha?"

"Your shoes! They're filthy!" Mia exclaimed. "Take them off before you enter!"

Looking somewhat dubious, Aaron obediently removed his light brown boots and placed them neatly by the door before he stepped gingerly into the cottage.

"When we asked you to clean, I don't think any of us were expecting this," Aaron said, looking around in wonder.

"I've only done the front room so far," Mia said. "There's still the rest of the cottage to go."

"It'll be a true miracle if you can get Garet's corner looking as neat as all the rest of this," Aaron said, grinning. He grabbed a pear from the table and munched on it, still looking around the room with awe.

"What are you doing back here? Garet said that all of you ate packed lunches outside everyday," Mia said.

"We were worried about you," Aaron admitted. "Even though you didn't say anything about where you come from, we knew you were a noble lady because of that jewelled bracelet you wore. We didn't think you'd be used to living in a little cottage and cleaning for us."

Mia laughed uneasily. "Well, I certainly proved you wrong, didn't I?"

Aaron smiled up at her. "Yes, you did, and I'm glad. I want you to get used to staying with us. Come with me."

He pulled her out of the cottage and towards the empty pen beside the stable.

"This is where Marli and Wendy live. Fluffy's the pony in the stable. Ivan looks after them, and all other animals that come around here."

"Marli and Wendy?" Mia repeated.

"Our goats. You drank their milk last night," Aaron said. "Ivan brings them out to graze everyday, and calls them when it's time to come home." He then pointed to the wooden shed on the other side of the cottage. "That's where we keep our tools, for work."

"It may seem rude of me to ask, but… what do you do?" Mia asked.

"You mean, for work? We're miners," Aaron explained. "Well, sort-of miners."

"Sort of?"

"There's a mine not far from here, in the forest. Nobody knows who built it, or why it's there. It has metal ores, coal and gemstones inside, strangely enough. We usually earn just about enough to feed ourselves," Aaron said. He pulled Mia to the back of the cottage and further down, to a second clearing.

In it was a sort-of garden. Flowers and other plants grew in wild little bunches, and vegetables grew in neat rows. A section was cornered off, likely for corn. Bees and butterflies flitted around. The place was large enough grow crops for the seven, and a little bit more.

"Apart from mining and goat-milking, we have these crops. Isaac and Felix tend to these," Aaron said. "Jenna and I work the fires for metalshaping, and Garet mostly does all the heavy stuff, and Master Kraden just hops about doing whatever he can. There, that's all about us."

"Why…" Mia started, then shook her head. "No, I shouldn't ask."

"What is it?" Aaron questioned. "You can say anything to me, I promise I won't tell the others!"

"It's… probably none of my business, but… Why do you live here?" Mia asked softly. "Why not stay in a village or a town somewhere?"

Aaron leaned against a tree. "Frankly, I don't know. I've always lived here for as long as I can remember. It was Garet who brought me here."

"Garet? He is… your brother?"

"Yes."

"What about your parents?"

"I don't think we have any," Aaron said in a cheerful voice. "But I have Garet, and he has me, and we have everyone else. And now, we have you. That's enough."

Mia looked at his happy, contented face. It was clear that he loved his big family, and they loved him too.

"Thank you for letting me stay here," she said softly. Aaron gave her a sudden hug.

"It is not a burden. We do want you to stay," he insisted. "I know Felix and Jenna may seem a little cold, but it's only because Felix is overprotective of us all. He's always worried that something may happen to any of us. And Jenna gets her wariness from him. But once they get used to you, it'll all be all right. You'll see."

Mia hugged him back. "Thank you, Aaron."

His smile was bright, friendly, and warm. "No matter what happens, you're my family now."

Family.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What the… Did we walk in the right door?" Garet exclaimed. Kraden's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Shoes off, please," Mia said firmly, but she was smiling. "Dinner's all ready."

The seven trooped into the room, leaving their footwear outside, and gave cries of astonishment at the transformed room, while releasing sighs of delight at the feast placed on their table.

The seven ate heartily, for they were hungry after their usual long day. When they were finished, Mia stood to clear away the dishes. The others nodded their thanks and then went about their separate ways, doing Mia-knew-not-what before they went to bed. When she was done with the cutlery, she headed to the stable, and found Ivan there grooming Fluffy.

"Are you really going to sleep in the stable again?" he asked.

"It's comfortable, and I don't mind," Mia said. "Besides, Fluffy likes the company. Don't you?"

Fluffy tossed her head. Whatever you say.

Ivan chuckled. "Isaac will have a bed ready for you soon. For now, do you want a blanket or something?"

A blanket… "When I woke up this morning, I found one on me. Do you know who brought it out?" Mia asked curiously.

Ivan looked thoughtful. He placed a hand on Fluffy's head, and circles of white light suddenly appeared around him.

Mia stared at him, amazed.

"The apple giver. I might have known," Ivan said with a soft laugh.

"You're an Adept?" Even as she spoke, she realised that it shouldn't have been that big of a surprise, since they knew Laurel. She just didn't think.

"I'm a Jupiter Adept. I have the power to control the wind, and read minds," Ivan said. Seeing the expression on Mia's face, he grinned. "Don't worry, I won't read your mind unless I have permission, or there's an emergency of some sort. Your secrets are safe from blackmail."

Mia laughed. "So all of the others are Adepts, too?"

"Yes. Isaac, Felix and Master Kraden are Venus Adepts, who work with the earth and plants. Jenna, Garet and Aaron are Mars Adepts, who control fire. You're a Mercury Adept, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"What abilities do you have?" Ivan asked.

"I can freeze things, make rain, and heal small wounds. The woman who taught me to cook showed me how," Mia explained.

"Sounds useful." Ivan gave Fluffy one last pat on the rump. "All right, I'm going to bed now. Good night, Mia."

"Good night, Ivan."

But despite her long day, Mia did not feel like sleeping yet. She tossed and turned on the straw for a few minutes before she stood and went to the back of the cottage.

There were several large rocks there that she had seen earlier. Stepping on them, she climbed onto the thatched roof of the cottage and stood there, enjoying the wind that caressed her face and hair. For a moment, it was like she was back in Queen Marian's tower room.

Mia sat down on the straw and looked up into the sky. The stars were twinkling by the thousand, looking more beautiful than any diamonds from the treasury. They reminded her of sunlight on snow and water, sparkling brightly.

"Can't sleep?"

She jumped at the sound, and turned to see Isaac leaning out of what looked like a window in the roof. He laughed at her surprise.

"We open it every night to let in fresh air," he explained. "It's right above my bed, so I'm usually the one to open it."

He climbed out onto the roof and sat down beside Mia. A tree suddenly grew right up to the roof, and Isaac plucked two apples off it. He tossed one to Mia, and she bit into the soft, juicy flesh with much pleasure. Remembering what Ivan had said about the 'apple giver', she stared at Isaac sharply. He was looking up at the stars as she had done. For a while, they sat in silence.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Isaac said softly. "No matter where you go, the nightsky is always the same."

There was a faraway look in his eyes.

"Aaron probably told you quite a bit about us today, didn't he?"

"How did you…?"

"You probably couldn't resist asking questions, and he loves to please," Isaac said. Mia blushed, wondering if that was a rebuke.

"I'm sorry," she said contritely. Isaac shook his head.

"You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I think you should know about us." He stared at her thoughtfully for a while.

"As you probably already know, we are Adepts. In this world where Alchemy is disappearing, Psynergy-less humans exist in greater number. To them, Psynergy is something they cannot understand, so they despise and fear it. They despise and fear Adepts.

"All of us here were banished from our birthplaces. Young Adepts cannot control their powers; once you unleash it in front of others, they would know what you are. And they would fear that you would lose control one day, destroying them and all they love."

He paused to take breath. "There was a massacre here in Angara seven years ago. The humans tried to kill every Adept they could find, to try to wipe out Psynergy. Most adepts used their Psynergy to flee to other lands, because they were heavily outnumbered. Homes were burnt, adults were killed, children were rarely spared."

Mia listened in silent horror. None of this had been spoken of in Imil. Minnie had never mentioned anything like that. Queen Marian had once told her to keep her Psynergy hidden as much as possible, but she had never known why. Now… she wanted to cry for the others of her kind that had suffered through the ignorance of human beings.

"Master Kraden did not flee. He stayed, because he knew that there would be young Adepts who would need help. He saved us. All of us. When we had lost our homes, our families, he took us in. He brought us here to Kolima Forest, where Tret and Laurel protect us. And we have been living here ever since, mining and farming to earn our keep. Once a week, one or two of us would drive our purchases to Bilibin to sell, buy and trade at their free market. Otherwise, our contact with the outside world is minimal."

Isaac looked at her sadly. "This is why Felix and Jenna were so hesitant to have you stay. They were worried that you would jeopardize this life that we have built for ourselves. Even when they learnt that you were an Adept, like us, the fact remains that there is someone after your life. If that someone chased you here, and found us, we would probably have angry humans after us once again.

"You do not have to feel guilty, because you have done nothing wrong. I only ask that you understand Felix and Jenna. In time, they will learn to accept you. So please, consider this your home."

"I understand," Mia said. "I had not known that such a tragic event had happened, and if it had happened to me, I would not be so quick to trust either. Besides, neither Felix nor Jenna have done anything against me. I only wish that I could do something to alleviate the pain of the suspicion they are going through."

Isaac gave her a swift smile. "Thank you for your understanding."

"But I don't understand something," Mia continued. Looking straight at Isaac, she asked, "Why are you being so kind? Why take in an extra mouth to feed, when I can do nothing to bring in food for this family?"

Isaac smiled. A warm, comfortable, friendly smile. "You don't need a reason to help people, do you?"

He leaned back against the straw. "If you really need a reason, well… First of all, you're a fellow Adept in need of help. We could never turn you away. Secondly, Laurel sent you to us. She would never have done so if you had intended any harm. Thirdly, we really do need a cook and housekeeper. Most of us used to take turns doing them, but none of us were really good at it."

He smiled again. "You've been so brave. Losing your home, your familly, and your friends… Everything you believed in. You even went through the pain of betrayal. Many would have given up in despair if they were made to face what you have faced. But you didn't. You ran through the forest, trusting Laurel, believing that things will get better."

He knew her. He understood her. Tears filled Mia's eyes.

"That strength and courage is amazing, and we admire you for it. I knew, the moment that I saw the jewelled bracelet, that the person who had eaten our bread was someone with a conscience, rather than a common thief. I knew, the moment that you offered us breakfast, that our guest had a good heart and did not fear hard work. How could we send someone like that away?"

The teardrops were falling fast now. Mia had cried tears of despair to Laurel, and tears of sadness to Fluffy, but these were tears of gratitude and happiness. Isaac looked a bit uncomfortable when she started sobbing, as if he did not know what to do, but he patted her on the back kindly.

"T-thank you. Thank you so much…"

"The worst is over. You are one of us now," Isaac said. "We'll look after you."

That night, up on the roof, Mia smiled in her sleep for the first time in many years. Isaac covered her with a brown woollen blanket and left her dreaming under the stars.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

March 18, 2009

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Phew. So that was the second chapter. Liked it? Hated it? Suggestions?

Daidairo