Disclaimer: You know the drill by now.

"It sounds to me like you were saved by The Wanderer," the old healer said as he examined Itham's injuries. He winced as he reached a particularly nasty looking bruise.

"The Wanderer?" Itham asked and the old healer chuckled.

"Oh aye, The Wanderer. She's been around since before you were born. Before the Buffer Zone even, if rumours are to be believed."

"Really? I thought that she was a myth. A story told by the fireside," Itham said and the old healer chuckled.

"She's no myth boy. She's as real as you or I." He paused and looked wistfully away. "You're one of the lucky few to have met her, you know. And nobody knows who she is. Some claim that she's the long lost sister of Queen Kameo. Some claim that she's a spirit. Some claim that she's just a war veteran who wants to find some peace." He looked at Itham and sighed. "Whoever she is, she saved your life. Hell, she's saved the lives of people all over the Buffer Zone and beyond. She swoops out of nowhere and vanishes just as quickly. It's almost...eerie."

"She didn't seem like a spirit," Itham said to himself, frowning slightly. The old healer chuckled once more.

"People have been talking about The Wanderer since the end of the Second Troll war. Back then, Queen Kameo had been granted the Elements of Power and the Wotnot book. There were rumours, stories of a random mage who could save lost souls," He paused and shook his head. "All kinds of stories about caravans being saved from bandits and the various monsters of the Wastelands. Then came the Sargothan Crisis and the third war…" He shook his head once more. "Ah but you don't want to hear those stories."

"Have you ever seen The Wanderer?" Itham asked curiously and the old healer frowned.

"Once. A long time ago. Long before you were born." He paused and frowned. "I was...well my first aid station had come under attack by a massive force of Sargothans. They were out for blood, howling at us and ready to slaughter everyone there." He shook his head sadly. "The Sargothans hated us. They wanted to exterminate us entirely. Why, if Queen Kameo hadn't sent them packing, they would have wiped us out." He shook his head once more. "Anyway, we're all laying there, a handful of medics like me were trying to protect the wounded as best we could...then the sky lit up.

The Sargothans fled, convinced that they were about to be attacked by a much larger force. Two were sent flying by a woman wearing hooded robes, just like the woman who rescued you." He looked at Itham. "You were lucky that she was there. Not many survive contact with Glow Demons, much less two."

"I know, I know," Itham grumbled and the old healer chuckled.

"Then you should have been more careful of where you graze your goats," he chided gently, shaking his head. "A staff is no deterrent to most of the dangerous creatures out here."

"My uncle…" Itham abruptly stopped talking.

"Your uncle insisted that you take the herd there," the healer said, shaking his head. "Well, I imagine that almost losing you will have changed his mind."

Itham said nothing. His uncle might change his mind, but he doubted it. He'd probably be back there without a staff this time. ("It's your own fault boy! What, do you think that I'm made of money!?")

"If he insists, I will have a word with him," the healer said, shaking his head. "He should know better. If you had been a little less fortunate, you would have been dead."

"But…" Itham's words drifted away, unsure of what he was going to say.

"Now, it's time for you to go home now. Get a good night's sleep and a hot meal in your belly. It will work wonders for how you feel."

Itham said nothing, although he doubted that he would be able to sleep after what had happened earlier. And a hot meal was even less likely. More likely, a cold meal from whatever scraps his aunt could be bothered to save for him.

But that didn't matter anyway. He doubted that he could muster up the enthusiasm for a meal. And his mind was racing, running at a million miles an hour and unable to stop. There was no way that he was going to get to sleep tonight.

KEOPKEOPKEOPKEOPKEOPKEOPKEOPKEOPKEOP

Much to Itham's surprise, there was in fact a warm meal waiting for him when he finally arrived home that day.

Even more to his surprise it was valuable goat meat and not something plainer like vegetable soup. He was instantly suspicious.

"So the conquering hero returns," his uncle said as Itham sat down. Itham looked carefully at the meal in front of him. It didn't seem to be poisoned or drugged. Still, there had to be a catch somewhere along the line.

"I hear that you saw The Wanderer today," his Uncle continued as Itham began to eat. If it was poisoned or drugged, he might as well eat it while it was still hot.

"Yes..she saved me from a pair of Glow Demons," Itham said after swallowing his mouthful. "I-the ground beneath my feet gave way and-and-and-"

"Get on with it boy!" his Uncle snarled briefly, before smiling again. It looked a lot like grimace. "You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to. You've had a rough day after all." Itham continued to eat, waiting for the other shoe to drop. His Uncle was NEVER this concerned about him. There was something else to this and he intended to eat as much as possible before everything went south.

"Come on cousin," his cousin Folluin said, throwing a well built arm around his shoulders. Itham winced internally. There was definitely something going on.

"I just want to know. What did she look like?" his Uncle said and Itham frowned slightly.

"She had...red hair," he said after a moment's pause. "Red hair and pale blue-purple eyes. And she had...freckles...I think?" His Uncle and his cousin exchanged excited glances. There was definitely something bigger going on.

"Did she look like this?" Folluin asked, sliding a poster towards him and Itham frowned.

"Well...yes," he said uncertainly, before seeing the reward written underneath the picture. His eyes widened. That was a lot of money. Easily enough to buy passage out of the Buffer Zone and back to the Enchanted Kingdom and still have plenty to live on. He quickened his pace, eating as fast as he could. It was a lot of money indeed and passage back to the Enchanted Kingdom was a dream for many Zoners. Or at least, those who weren't born in the Zone. For a native born Zoner like Itham, the Enchanted Kingdom might as well have been another world.

"Tomorrow boys, we're going to find her," his Uncle said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He pointed to Itham. "Itham here, is going to show us where he saw her and where she went and we're going to make ourselves very rich."

Itham swallowed.

"But...what will happen to her if we turn her in?" he tenitavely asked and Folluin laughed.

"Who cares?" he replied. "It's enough money to wash our hands in and have change to spare and get us out of the Buffer Zone."

"Last I heard, she's sentenced to death. Some big to do with the Royal Family that even the Queen can't overturn," his Uncle said and Itham frowned.

"But...she saved me..."

"Listen to me boy," his Uncle snarled as he slammed him against the wall. "You are going to help me find her and capture her, or I'll kill you."

"Y-y-yes U-u-u-uncle," Itham stuttered out, his face pale.

"Don't get any stupid ideas boy. For the amount of money that's at stake here, I would sell you in a heartbeat."

"Yes Uncle," Itham said terrified. This was no idle threat, of this he was sure. His Uncle lowered him to the ground.

"Now go on and enjoy your dinner," he said, a smile returning to his face. "And remember, this time tomorrow, we'll be rich enough to leave this gods forsaken land."

Privately, Itham doubted that it would be that easy. However, saying something would only result in a painful beating or threats, so he said nothing. Tomorrow was another day.