Chapter Eleven:
A Safe Harbor

Ventus

The plains of Hyrule Field were vast and unassuming.

The grass was long–when not covered in snow–and the trees became less the further you moved away from the Kokiri Forest. It was quiet, like the world was holding its breath. The only sound which was being made was the soft crunching of snow as two figures crept over a hill.

"Ven, where are we going to go?" Rini asked, her hand tucked into his as she looked around nervously.

Dawn had broken not that long ago, and once more they were mostly safe from the poes and stalchildren at least, but wolves were another story. Their father's sword was unsheathed and ready to stab or slash at anything which dared threaten them, though so far they were able to avoid trouble; between Ven's ability to sense eyes and acute hearing and Rini's unnatural ability to sense heat like moth to a flame, the two kept away from any monsters.

"Lake Hylia," Ven whispered. "Auntie Amaya and Uncle Tori live there, right? They're dad's friends–I'm sure they'll take us in."

Even though the words left his lips, he wasn't completely sure of them. Especially since it was his fault Uncle Killian died, though he was sure they didn't know that… yet.

However, it wasn't like they had anywhere else to go. Kakariko Village already turned them away once, and the thought of those hateful eyes made his blood boil. He wasn't even sure if they would be any different than the villagers at Sakirven. Castle Town was completely obliterated, so no use returning there.

"What if they're not there?" Rini shot back, causing Ven to press his lips together.

He didn't think of that.

"We'll think of something then," he decided, figuring that was a problem for his future self.

It was a damn good thing Alicia showed him what was edible and how to find hidden food, even in this terrible weather. It may not be below freezing anymore, but the slightly diminished chance of freezing to death didn't exactly help the fact snow still covered the ground, making it hard to forage.

"Should've grabbed some food before we left," Rini complained, stopping for a minute to bend down to study a footprint left in the snow. It showed an imprint of some bones wandering toward the north. Ventus pressed his lips together and looked around, his sword drawn.

Stalchildren.

With the constant threat of the walking skeletons–never mind the poes and wolves–it was safer to walk around during the day when they weren't around. He wasn't quite sure why stalchildren only came alive at night, but it was something they quickly learned when they had to flee Sakirven that night before the sun rose. It was terrifying, trying to keep the moving skeletons with their glowing red eyes at bay only for them to collapse into a pile of bones on the ground. At least they learned they could defend themselves if the need arose–Uncle Killian's lessons were coming in handy–and he learned more importantly his paranoia was on point because it seemed without fail, he was able to pinpoint one monster down and its location if they ever drew too close.

Poes.

Ventus wasn't quite sure how to fight a ghost if you weren't a Sheikah. While he was sure Lady Impa or even Lenna and Tessa if they were still alive could take on the malicious spirits, no problem, it wasn't like he knew how to use his Sheikah blood. And quite frankly, he didn't feel like it was something he was allowed to invoke anymore. If they truly were Kali, he didn't want to slide any further down that rabbit hole.

With wolves and stalchildren, if you hit them enough, they would die–or at least, he thought the stalchildren might sort of die, but he wasn't really sure if they could be killed since they were already dead. When he whacked at a couple that drew too close with his sword, even when their bodies were broken apart, their bones still moved and twitched.

"It's not like we had a lot of time to prepare," he reminded her, gesturing for her to follow him.

The sun would be descending soon, and they would need to find camp. Sleeping in trees, while not the most comfortable, at least provided some level of protection if you didn't fall off. However, Rini didn't move, her eyes turning more toward the west.

"A fire is nearby," she announced after a minute before pointing in the direction she was looking. "That way."

Ventus furrowed his brow and looked off in the distance, and sure enough he could see the faintest outline of smoke. Wherever there was fire, Rini was sure to find it.

"Being a pyro is good for something, isn't it?" he muttered to himself, only to receive a bitter glower in return.

The walls of the village reminded Ventus a bit of home with how tall they were. As they walked around the village looking for a gate as the sun started to dip below the horizon, he couldn't help but notice how well built it was. Nothing at all like the shoddy quickly constructed walls of Sakirven. Not that Sakirven had really been home, not like Castle Town had been, but it had been the last place Ven had felt even remotely safe.

Honestly, it reminded him of Leroy's work with the quality and well maintained appearance. Still there were spots which looked less worked over than others, and he couldn't help but take note of them.

The sun was half-way below the horizon when they found themselves in front of the gate. Rini was shaking like a leaf, the two of them being out for hours now. It would be fantastic if either of them was a caster of any kind. He would give anything right now for some fireballs.

"Hello?" he yelled out. There was no answer. Pressing his lips together, he cupped his hands over his mouth and hollered even louder. "Hello?!"

Nobody answered.

"Why aren't they answering?" Rini asked him. "There are people inside."

Ven wasn't quite sure how she knew this for certain but supposed if there was a fire and it wasn't destroying everything, there were people inside to stop it from burning everything to the ground. He ran a hand over his mouth, before pressing his finger next to his lips. Approaching the gate, he pressed his ear and strained his ears, and very faintly he could hear some talking.

"…are they gone?"

"…sounded…kids…"

"who cares … no exceptions."

Removing his head from the wood, he turned his head and shook it. Walking back to Rini, he glared back at the walls.

"They're not going to let us in," he whispered. Rini whimpered, clinging to him.

"So we have to sleep in the trees again?" she asked, her voice cracking, tears beginning to swell up. "I don't want to, Ventus. I see wolves circling underneath, looking up at me with their glowing eyes just waiting. Not to mention what other things also hide at night!" She buried her face in her hands. "I just wanna go home!"

"We can't go home! It's destroyed and probably swarming with filthy Gerudo!" he snapped, irritated. What part of going to Lake Hylia did she not get? Also, for someone so obsessed with fire, it was like she magically forgot Castle Town went up in literal flames. "And I never said we were going to be sleeping in the trees tonight! We're going to sleep inside! And eat right too!"

"But you said they aren't gonna let us in," Rini pointed out, sniffling now, choking back sobs.

"There's more than one way to get in," Ven said, gesturing for her to follow him. "Let's go."

Ventus crouched down and gestured for Rini to stay quiet. Pressing his ear against the wood again, he listened for the sound of anyone nearby. While he could hear some voices, they sounded like they were whispered and it was impossible to make out what they were saying.

Taking off the satchel and handing it to Rini, he judged the distance in height to the top before taking a few steps back, running up against the wall and slamming his sword into the wood a foot or so above his head, making a nice thunk sound.

"Ven–" Rini started to protest with a hiss only for the boy to silence her by covering her mouth, pressing his ear against the wood again, straining to hear what was going on inside.

"What … that?"

"Monsters?"

"Can't … wall."

The voices quieted again but just to be sure, Ven waited a bit longer to make sure they–or some friends–didn't come back. When he was sure they were gone, he removed his hand from Rini's mouth.

"I'm going to go inside and look for some rope or something. Stay right here and don't move," he instructed her, his mind slowly constructing a hastily put together plan. One which would ensure his sister's survival at the very least. "If I don't come back when the sun is completely set, try to take dad's sword out and go to the next town if you can."

"No!" Rini cried, tears in her eyes. "I'm not leaving you! I'll... I'll sit out here and freeze to death if I have to, so you have to come back! Promise me, promise me you won't leave me!"

Ven grimaced, feeling a headache coming on. He knew that look–she was serious. Last time she threw a temper tantrum and held her breath until she passed out just because he couldn't go to school with him. It was hard enough already with her life on his shoulders, and he wasn't even sure he wouldn't get caught. Now he really needed to be sure he didn't.

"Rini," he sighed, dragging his hand across his face before walking over to her and giving her a tight hug. "I'd never willingly leave you. I'll promise I'll come back to you, okay? Your big brother is going to protect you, so just believe in me."

Rini sniffled and hugged him back tightly before letting go, biting her bottom lip as it trembled. Ven didn't want to just leave her like this, and each second he spent thinking about this plan, the more insane it sounded. However, it wasn't like he had any other choice–they needed actual rest and actual food, and a village would provide both. It wasn't a very heroic thing to do, he knew, but letting Rini die was even worse and completely unacceptable. He was too weak to do anything about Mom's and Uncle Killian's deaths, and if he had acted quicker, Marco would still be alive and Rei wouldn't have lost an eye as well. He wouldn't screw up with Rini too.

Looking at the sword he had dug into the wood, he took off his mittens and put them into the satchel. He would need all the grabbing power he could get.

Taking a few steps back, he ran full force at the wall, his foot hitting against the wood, grabbing the hilt of the sword and hoisting himself up so he was standing on the flat of the blade. Problem was, there was still another foot or so of wall. Moving his back foot toward the hilt of the blade, he licked his finger and held it up. The wind was on his back.

The wind was always on his side.

Pushing forward, he launched himself at the wall, his fingers digging into the wood at the top and he grunted, his muscles straining as he lifted himself over and toppled over the edge.

Rini

Rini sat next to the wall, blowing into her hands, watching the snow fall lightly on the field around them. Their father's sword remained firmly stuck in the wood above her head, and just out of reach. Kind of like how Daddy always was.

She wasn't quite sure what Ven was doing inside the walls, but she hadn't heard any screams so far, so that had to be good, right? Although her hearing was nowhere as good as her brother's. Though to be honest, nobody seemed to hear as well as Ventus. While Hylians had the ability to Listen–after all, they were ones closest to the goddesses–it seemed Ventus was especially gifted without even trying or honestly being aware of it.

I wonder if he really is the chosen hero like he claims he is, she wondered, digging at the snow before a shiver went through her. If the goddesses gave him some mission ... After all … he's the most reliable person I know.

Yes, while she didn't exactly have the best picking for such models, she couldn't think of a single time Ventus never came through in the end. Like the time when she wanted nothing more than a doll. All her classmates had dolls, and they made up all these different stories with them–different stories than knights for once, unlike when she had to play with Ventus.

She had begged Mommy for one, but despite saying she would get her one when they had time, she never did. Ven, a week later, presented her with Anna. Though she didn't know how he learned she wanted a doll–probably heard her with that stupid hearing of his. Her doll of course wasn't anything special, not like the other girl's dolls. There were bits of straw stuck out of her, and her hair seemed to be a mix of yarn and straw. Her face was put together of lost buttons and knotted thread. Her clothes were clearly made out of whatever pieces of fabric scavenged up.

But to her, Anna was–is–the most beautiful thing in the entire world. She wasn't like the other girls' dolls, and that's what Rini loved about her.

Suddenly something hit her on the head, dragging her out of her thoughts, and when she reached up to see what it was, her hand found itself at the bottom of a brown coiled rope. It looked like it was starting to fray in some spots, making it feel scratchy, and graying with age–obviously used many times over the years.

"Rini?" Ven's voice sounded muffled through the wood, and she pressed her ear against the smooth bark, her heart thumping in her chest.

"I'm here," she replied hurriedly, moving her numb fingers, which caused pricks of pain, like she was being stabbed with a bunch of tiny needles, but she ignored it. Just the sound of his voice caused her heart to beat slower, the flicker of fear which had slowly been building up in her to be snuffed out.

"Good," she could hear her brother breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm holding on to the other side–climb up the rope. And, ah, pull out Dad's sword will you?"

Rini grunted at that, wondering how exactly Ventus expected her to pull off such a feat. It sounded like he stuck the metal in there pretty tight, but even if it was a reminder of dad, it was the best thing he left them–a chance at survival. Even if she wasn't sword crazy like Ventus, she knew they needed a weapon and nothing could beat Goron steel.

Grasping the rope, she pulled on it to make sure it wouldn't break on her. When it held firm, she adjusted the sack and slipped off her mittens, sticking them into the bag next to Ventus', tucked in next to Anna, and grabbed the rope. Putting one foot up against the wall, she began to walk up, sliding down slightly due to the smooth wood but when she got about halfway, she needed to stop.

Grasping the sword hilt, she tugged on it with one hand. It came out a bit but not all the way.

"Hurry up, Rini," Ven urged her from the other side.

"Hold on, I'm getting your stupid sword," she shot back before giving it another, firmer tug and it came free. She almost lost her balance, but she somehow–barely–managed to hold on. There was no way she could climb up with it in hand though. Luckily, there was a simple solution for that. "Watch out, I'm throwing it over!"

"Wha–" was all that Ventus could get out before she let her arm fall back, and as she chucked the sword over the wall, she could hear a–

"Oh shit!" from the other side. Then–"Holy fuck Rini are you trying to kill me?!"

"I don't know how you expected me to climb up with that weighing me down," Rini shot back, scampering up the rest of the way and hopping over the fence, landing next to her brother. She saw that the sword missed him–by less than a foot. She felt her heart drop in her stomach.

It was a lot closer to hitting Ventus than she was comfortable with.

"...Sorry," she whispered, Ventus tugging on the rope and quickly pulling it back toward him, coiling it up as he did so.

"It's okay," he assured her, handing her the rope. "Here. Put this in the bag. We might need it later."

Taking out their mittens, handing Ventus his, she shoved the rope inside the bag as neatly as possible, Ven drawing the sword from the snow and slipping it into his scabbard on his back.

"So, now what?" she asked, glancing around fretfully. They were in a back part of the village, hidden in the shadow of a building. However, she was sure if they started wandering the village, stepping into the light, they would be caught for sure–there were people all around them. She wasn't sure what would happen if they got caught, but it couldn't be good.

Ventus, however, pressed a finger to his lip before sliding on his mittens and taking her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. The warmth of his hand comforted her better than any dancing flames could ever hope to do.

"Follow me," he whispered. "And don't make a sound. I found a place where we can sleep tonight. It's where I found this rope; I think it used to be a barn before they killed all their animals. We can sleep in the lofts until sunrise."

"How did you find it?" she murmured as they crept along the backside of the building. Pressed flush against the wall, Ventus peeking slightly over the edge, his eyes darting about. Finally he turned back to look at her, and gave a slight smirk.

"Secret."

Ventus

Dawn was coming again, and Rini was sleeping soundly next to him, tucked underneath some hay–the warmest both of them had been in days. Ventus ached to be sleeping next to the fire in Sakirven, or better yet, back at home in Castle Town waiting for Dad to get home, but this was their life now.

It was just him and Rini, and he needed to provide for her, even if it meant bending his morals and breaking whatever laws this country had left.

Slipping out of the hay, he paused and piled more on her, both to keep her warm and hidden. While he was sure this barn was now out of use, and he made sure they were tucked away in the shadows of the loft, it didn't mean people wouldn't ever come inside.

He promised her a good night's rest, but each night they stayed here, the greater chance they would get discovered. So they had to leave before morning broke–but not before he fulfilled his second promise to her.

Landing softly on his feet, he walked to the door, taking a deep breath and letting it out and straining his ears to catch whatever sound he could.

He could hear Rini breathing as if she were right next to him, and he shivered slightly, feeling slightly unnerved. It always bothered him how people so far away could sound so close, and he didn't understand why nobody else seemed to have this problem. He could hear some footsteps further away, crunching in the snow and arguments–shouting matches–in some homes and lovemaking in others.

Carefully pushing the door to the barn open, the wood scraping irritably against the snow, he peeked his head out, his eyes searching in the darkness. However, while he did see the flicker of a lantern in the distance, there were no sounds immediately close to him.

Darting across the village, being careful to stick close to the shadows of the building, he came to a stop at an unassuming wooden building. However, this one, unlike the others, had a heavy lock on it. Ventus had watched villagers earlier pull food from within these doors; he wasn't quite sure why there was nobody guarding the warehouse, but he wasn't going to complain.

Pulling a small bit of wire he had found earlier from his pocket, he quickly removed his mittens and placed his ear next to the door. Inserting the pick he began to fiddle with the lock.

"But how did they break in? Did they have a key?" Ventus asked, looking up at his father, wide-eyed as his dad looked down at him, face full of food. Kubera Agni looked surprised before chuckling a bit, swallowing as he put down his fork.

"They didn't need a key; they picked the lock. You know how each key is different? Well that's because each lock has these metal pins that need to be moved up a certain degree," his dad explained, but before he could go any further in his explanation, mom gave dad a dirty look from across the table.

"Stop trying to turn our son into a delinquent!" she chided. "He gets into enough trouble without you helping him."

Still, it seemed despite Ceres Agni's best intentions, he was becoming what his mother didn't want him to be.

"Come on you stupid thing," he whispered, looking around fearfully, hearing a door slam somewhere in the distance, jarring his concentration. His heart beat painfully fast in his chest, as he tickled the pins–it seemed to take forever as he fought with it until he finally heard a click.

Quickly trying the padlock, he growled when it wouldn't come free. Once more, with renewed vigor, he began to pick at the lock. Another click. Still the padlock wouldn't budge. A third. A fourth. It wasn't until the fifth click did he finally wrench the lock free and he quickly dropped it in the snow.

Pushing the door open, his heart sank upon realizing there wasn't much he could skim off from the top without someone noticing it was gone. It was clear the Gerudo came here as well.

Still, it wasn't like he could just walk away, and instead he darted into the warehouse, pulling the door shut behind him as he looked around for something–anything–to grab for food.

Spotting some squash and apples, he quickly put a couple of those into the satchel he brought with him. He also put in some sweet potatoes, and after a moment of thought, carrots. Buttoning up the satchel, he once more darted to the door and closed his eyes and listened.

Still the same fighting. Still the same soft groaning and moans of someone coupling–but no feet crunching in the snow.

Moving quickly, he pushed the door open and then shut, making sure to replace the padlock and sprinted back to where Rini should be waking up shortly, a heaviness in his heart at what he just had to do. He didn't enjoy stealing from the villagers, especially when they already had so little to begin with. Part of him wanted to put the food back, but it wasn't like he had much choice.

Plus, it's not like I stole a lot, he tried to assure himself, but he knew from personal experience with such low food stores, every bit of rationed food helped.

And once more, his mind went back to the argument he had what now seemed like months ago with Hikaru and Perseus. About how all what mattered was getting yourself and those who were on your side ahead, damned everyone else.

And suddenly he felt very sick.

They had lunch the next day, munching on the apples Ventus stole.

The sun had begun its descent, noon had come and gone not that long ago, and now they were following it toward hopefully Lake Hylia. Ventus knew the lake was somewhere in the southwestern bit of Hyrule, and it felt like if they kept following the treeline they should come across it eventually instead of the valley where the Gerudo lived.

That was something which needed to be avoided at all costs.

"Do you really think Aunt Amaya and Uncle Tori will be at Lake Hylia?" Rini asked, once again pressing the same tired question for the twentieth time. Ven was getting really tired of answering it again and again and again.

"Yes," he said angrily, taking a bite out of his apple. "Auntie Amaya is a really strong mage, and it's not like there are a lot of villages out that way, so there isn't much of a reason for Gerudo to go there, right? Pretty sure Auntie just smited any Gerudo who got too close. Not to mention Uncle Tori was in the war too, so he knows what he's doing."

"If she smote them though, then the Gerudo didn't come back, wouldn't their friends go looking for them?" Rini pressed.

"They're there, Rini," Ventus said in the same tone of voice Mom used to use when there were no more arguments to be had. Rini thankfully fell silent after it–she was always better at listening to their mother than he was at any rate.

The sun eventually started to set lower in the sky, and Ven was already starting to look for viable trees to sleep in, already starting to feel the eyes starting to draw closer when Rini finally announced–

"There's a fire not that far away."

"Can we make it by sundown?" Ventus asked, frowning. "I don't want a repeat of what happened at the last place, and looking for trees to sleep in at night is a lot more dangerous. You know that."

"I know," Rini said, hugging Anna closer to her. "I just rather not sleep in the trees if we don't have to."

Ventus frowned. He didn't exactly blame her; it wasn't exactly comfortable, and with monsters lurking below–some of which were wearing a human skin–he didn't exactly feel safe enough to sleep. He was only getting a couple hours of sleep every night, and by the looks of things, Rini was getting less.

"We'll walk for a couple more hours, and if it doesn't get closer, we're camping for the night," he decided.

It was with the last dying embers of the sun that they saw the village, Rini, of course, catching sight of it before Ventus did.

"Are you sure that's the village?" Ventus asked in disbelief. Rini turned and looked up at him and practically glowered.

"Look, I don't question your crazy hearing thing. Don't question me about fire," she snapped.

"It's literally a mini forest in the middle of the fucking Hyrulean Plains, of course I'm going to question it!" Ventus insisted loudly, gesturing at 'the village' which was more of a towering line of trees surrounded by shrubbery right where the supposed village was supposed to be.

"Well, we can still sleep in the trees there, now can't we?" Rini shot back, marching her way forward, Ventus swearing as he ran after her.

As they approached this tree line in the middle of the plains, it became more obvious that it wasn't just a mini forest. There were some larger, thicker trees but between them smaller trees, and all their branches were weaved together. In between those cracks, vines and moss and other smaller foliage had grown and weaved together. It had created a thick barrier, so thick and integrated that Ven could not see through the cracks.

It was a wall.

Rini glanced at Ventus with a condescending smirk on her face. Ventus decided to ignore that, preferring to push forward. Just because there was a village didn't mean they would let them in; he learned that first hand from the last village. He had also never seen a wall like this one before. However, this would be easier to climb at least and sneak in.

As they drew closer, he called out.

"Hello?"

There wasn't a response, but as he listened for voices as he had with the previous town, it was a lot more muffled and harder to discern. How thick was this wall? Sharing a look with Rini, he wondered if he should just chance it and climb over the wall. He was always good at climbing things. Rini on the other hand …

"Stay close," he commanded, taking her hand as they approached the walls and began to make his way around, looking for some sort of entrance. If necessary, they could just scale the walls again.

They moved along the living wall of trees and plants for a few minutes before they found the entrance. It was like a small tunnel of plants, vines, and branches woven together. There was a woven gate over the entrance. However, it was not as thickly woven as the walls were. There was a more obvious frame of branches coiled and wrapped together to suggest a gate. They formed hinges on thicker trees. There were larger gaps and cracks in the gate that allowed them to see through it more.

Almost as soon as they laid eyes on this gate, it was opening. A man and a woman rushed out to greet them.

"Our lookout just spotted you!" gasped the man. He was middle aged but lean in build with a thick brown beard on his face.

"Are you two out here all alone?" asked the woman, looking around as if hoping to see others with them, maybe an adult. She looked younger, probably in her early twenties. Her blond hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Yes, it's just me and my sister," Ventus sighed in relief at the warm welcome. It wasn't exactly what he was expecting, but recent experiences set a low bar to overcome. "If we could just stay for the night …"

"Of course!" the man barked. "You can stay for as long as you like. In fact, there's no reason for you to leave at all. It's dangerous outside these days."

"Nouka never turns anyone away," stated the woman confidently. "Please, come right this way."

They walked with them back to the open gates. It was shaded and much darker inside the tunnel of branches and vines. There was an earthy, forest smell inside. A young man, perhaps of age, was climbing down a ladder made of branches that extended up into a hole in the top of the plant tunnel. He hopped down, skipping the last few steps to land before them. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, his eyes wide when he laid eyes upon Ven and Rini.

"Holy cow, so you really weren't my imagination," said the young man. "Get inside! You need food and rest, eh?"

"Oh, uhm, yes," Ventus said, a bit shocked at the sudden hospitality, the fact he stole from the other village now stabbing at his conscience even more.

Maybe if I just explained the situation, they would have shared their food … he thought, gripping his sister's hand even tighter.

He wondered who this Nouka was. The way they talked, this person sounded like the leader.

"How did you find this place?" Rini marveled, looking around. She had never seen anything like this, and if she didn't know about the fire, they might not have known people were inside.

The young man smirked, folding his arms over his chest with pride. "Well, you don't just find places like this. Heh, forests don't naturally form walls and gates like these. Nouka made all of this for us."

"Here, I'll take you to Nouka," said the woman as she and the older man pulled the gates closed. "It's best you meet him anyway. He would come to greet you himself eventually. He always does with new arrivals."

The man reached and grabbed a wooden spear he had left propped against the tunnel wall. The woman also grabbed one of her own. It seemed they had left these weapons in the tunnel so as to not alarm them outside. It was dark inside, now that the gate was closed. However, Ven could see dim light further down the tunnel through cracks of what seemed like another gate. The tunnel itself appeared to be about five feet long, suggesting the "wall" itself was also five feet thick.

"He's, uhm, a plant caster?" Ventus asked, a bit surprised by what little he had managed to remember about magic. It wasn't a lot, all things considering, but he knew there were different types.

Maybe this place didn't get hit by the Gerudo if there is a caster still alive. He must be pretty powerful too, he noted. After all, he heard that Gerudo had been killing off all the casters they could find even before Sakirven had been attacked. If the Gerudo killed Uncle Killian and other warriors and casters, they weren't going to leave one strong fighter of any kind alive if they could help it.

The blond woman walked them down the short tunnel to the second gate. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. He's a forest adept, so he does life, plant, and healing magic."

She unbound the next gate and pushed it open.

Inside was a village. It was somewhat shaded by the wall of trees and plants that surrounded them. However, the center opened up to the sky, letting sunlight into their almost meadow-like dwelling, that is if the sun were still high in the sky. Now the stars were beginning to twinkle in the dark canvas above them. The homes and buildings were obviously made from normal means of carpentry, as they were not made of trees rooted to the ground like the wall was. They twinkled with lights from inside, like a mirror of the stars above.

Ventus held Rini's hand tightly, nodding absently like he knew what she was talking about making "mhm" and "right, right, that makes sense" as Rini threw him a look, knowing full well he was full of it.

Ven glanced about. This place was about the same size as Sakirven–through the buildings themselves seemed to be overall in better quality, once again remembering the worn down shed they ended up having to make home for several months.

I hope Rei ended up being alright … and Alicia … and Leroy … Ven thought, the faces of the children he lived with for a few months flashing into his head.

Then something else caught his eye. The canopy of what had to be a wide tree–it seemed only a little bit taller than the trees that were part of the wall–emerged as they traveled closer to the center of the village.

"I'm Abigail," said the woman. "What are your names? If you don't mind my asking."

"I'm Ventus–" Ven said and before he could introduce his sister, Rini spoke up and introduced herself.

"I'm Rini. What's the name of this place?" she asked, staring around in awe. Not that Ventus blamed her. It was hard enough not to spin around and stare, but he knew if he did he would run into something in the lessening light.

"Oh, that's right." Abigail chuckled. "Welcome to Sickle's Hollow."

People waved to her as she escorted them through the village. Some of the villagers even welcomed Ven and Rini too. Some muttered their sympathies of the two children being on their own. One woman walked up and put a loaf of fresh bread each into Ven's and Rini's hands.

"I'm Wilma, and if you two need anything–especially good food–you come find me, you hear?" she told them firmly.

Rini nodded her head wide eyed, mumbling her thanks, and started to eat it before it could be taken away from her. Ventus couldn't help but be floored by the hospitality too.

"We will, thank you," he said, already tearing a piece of bread off and putting it into his mouth. While it wasn't as good as Mom's, it had been months since they actually had real bread, and a wave of emotion came over him. He hurriedly wiped at his eyes with his mittens–he was the adult now, and adults don't cry over something like bread.

His stomach growled though reminding him just how long it had been since their proper meal–even with his thievery. He could only imagine how Rini was feeling. She was littler and still growing, so she needed more than him.

"Didn't you guys get hit by the Gerudo?" Rini asked, swallowing, having more manners than her brother did.

Abigail seemed to deflate a little at Rini's question. She looked down as they walked and answered in a softer voice, "Yes, we did, actually… Nouka wasn't with us then."

"Oh." Rini said awkwardly and instead of saying anything else, shoved more food into her mouth.

"Do Forest adepts make food?" Ven asked, frowning suddenly, feeling suddenly uncomfortable now.

The woman brightened again. "Oh, definitely! And a lot faster than it normally takes. Of course it really drains Nouka, but he usually spends most of his mana on growing food for everyone these days. We made it through the winter thanks to him, and we've pretty much recovered after the Gerudo took everything."

"I wish we had a magic user in Sakirven," Rini complained. "There was hardly enough to eat. We had to hunt and forage for food."

And other drastic measures, Ventus thought darkly, but he didn't say his thoughts out loud.

"Well, they probably would have died with Uncle Killian and the others anyway, so it's not like it would have mattered," he mumbled, pushing some more bread into his mouth, trying to push his thoughts to less unpleasant things but failing, before glancing up at Abigail again. "So, uhm … not to be rude, but where are we going to sleep?"

"Don't worry, we'll find you a place. Or maybe Nouka will make you one," answered Abigail. She stopped and pointed to the large tree that was now fully in their view.

Except it wasn't really just a tree. It was wider than any tree Ven had ever seen. It had a doorway that was closed off with a weaving of other branches, plants, and vines. There were windows with similar plant-like shutters on them. There was light coming from inside the tree, glowing warmly through the cracks of the door and the shutters. It appeared to have an attic at least, due to a higher window than the others. The tree was alive and also a home, it appeared. Spread out around it was a garden. Small paths carved ways through plots of plants that were just sprouted–earlier than they should be at this time of the year. The other half of the plots were empty, resting for they would be used for the next harvest. A larger, cobbled path lead up to the door of the tree home.

"Holy shit," Ventus said, his eyes widening. He always thought it would be cool to have a treehouse, but this was much more literal than anything he could have imagined. A cold wind blew right through him and he shivered, making it seem very comfortable as well.

"Look–they have food growing here," Rini whispered, pointing to the plants, focusing on what her stomach was complaining to her about. After months of having to forage for food, the fact it could just be made here was nothing short of a miracle. "It's still cold out and food is growing."

Abigail beamed with pride at Rini's words. "I know. He can grow anything at any time of year. All he needs is a good supply of fertilizer and water to keep the ground supporting it all. I can't imagine what we would have done without him."

She stepped forward, guiding them down the cobble path to the door. She knocked on it. "Nouka, we have some new arrivals."

Ven heard the steps as someone inside walked over to the door. The man that opened it was fairly tall, but he appeared slender in his form that was draped in robes of earthy green and brown tones. His hair itself seemed to speak of his talent with plants. It was a deep, dark green as well as long and abundant. It was held in a loose ponytail that draped over his shoulder like green silk. His features were long and angular, nearly more beautiful than handsome for a man. He seemed to be around the age his father was–or used to be–his early thirties. His eyes were a rich brown. There were bags under them, speaking of perhaps the draining tasks Abigail had mentioned he undertook to provide the village with food.

Those soft brown eyes found their way to both Ven and Rini. They widened with surprise, and then they softened again with a gentle and warm sort of compassion.

"Ah, good evening," said the caster, Nouka. "Please, please, come inside out of the cold."

He held his door open and gestured with his other arm for them to come inside.

Ventus allowed Rini to go inside first, who of course, honed in on the fireplace and made her way right toward it like a moth to a flame. Ventus was slightly worried about a fire inside a tree, but it seemed safe enough. The fireplace itself was laid with brick, and he assumed any chimney it had was as well. That and he wasn't about to complain with anything that kept him warm at this point.

"Thank you," he said, stepping inside. "Your uhm–" He tried to remember that word Mom used to use, before deciding to wing it. "Homeyness is much appreciated."

Nouka's smile was no less warm and kind despite the weariness that seemed to weigh on him. Amusement still seemed to twinkle in his brown eyes at Ven's word choice. He closed the door behind them once Abigail stepped through the threshold.

"You are very welcome," said Nouka. "Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Though the tree was large, it still appeared to have only one room on the first level. The majority of his home held places for visitors to sit and make themselves comfortable. The fireplace was centered but at the back of the room. Sofas and armchairs with wooden frames with plush padding were placed near the fireplace and along the other walls of the room. Some of the wooden frames were part of the tree itself. The circular dining table's legs were attached to the wooden floor, though the chairs around it were not. This table itself was centered in the room. Off to the right of the room was a hollowed out portion that held a bed, practically tucked out of view under steps that spiraled up out of view. The back wall, around the fireplace, had shelves built or rather hollowed out inside them. They held other wooden and ceramic utensils as well as jars of both glass and clay holding other substances. There were mushrooms growing in places along the walls.

Nouka paused for a moment, staring at Ven and then glancing at Rini with a brow almost furrowed in confusion, before asking him, "You are both... on your own?"

Ventus nodded his head. It was the second time they were asked this question, and he had a feeling it would continue to be asked for a long time. At least until they got to the Serwens.

Well, this place seems nice, he thought shifting his weight uneasily from one foot to the other and looking around. It was a drastic improvement to the conditions they've been facing for the last few months, but Ventus would still prefer to be with the Serwens rather than some strangers. After all, he wasn't sure what these people were like and if they would change their mind about them staying. It was best not to overstay their welcome.

Still …

He glanced at Rini who was pretty much right up against the fire, making herself at home. He was a bit worried if she got any closer she would be in it, but as long as she didn't try to set anything on fire, she should be fine.

"Our parents died, so it's just me and my sister, Rini," he explained before remembering his manners. "I'm Ventus Agni, by the way. You're Nouka, right?"

Nouka's eyes seemed to become pained as Ventus spoke. He stepped forward and knelt down so that he and Ven were at a closer eye-level. He stared directly into Ven's gaze. Those brown eyes were soft and full of sadness that only seemed heavier when added to his weariness.

"Yes... I am Nouka Ottau," Nouka said softly. He broke the direct eye contact after a thoughtful moment before returning his more heartfelt gaze back to Ven. "I am... truly sorry for your loss."

His voice was soft but thickened with emotion. It sounded like he really meant it.

Ven shifted uncomfortably again, glancing away. It had been so long since it seemed like an adult truly cared about him and Rini, and quite frankly he wasn't sure how to react. That and Nouka sounded like he was about to cry himself, and Ven really hoped he didn't because he really couldn't deal with that right now. His job was looking after Rini now.

Picking at his bag uncomfortably–suddenly remembering it used to be his mother's dress–he stopped feeling even more self-conscious. Pushing the bubbling reality of their situation down, he shrugged, keeping a stiff upper lip like an adult would.

"You didn't kill them," he said, not realizing that probably wasn't the best thing to say either until it left his mouth.

Nouka sighed gently out his nose and smiled though it wasn't a happy one. "No, I suppose not …"

He stood up and went over to one of his shelves. "I see that Wilma has already gotten to you. I have some soup that goes very well with her bread."

Nouka pulled down some bowls and spoons. He filled a bowl for each of them, Abigail included, from the caldron in the fireplace and set them on the table. He also provided some wooden cups and water skins with fresh water inside. Ventus carefully slipped into a chair at the table, calling Rini over, though his sister already seemed to be moving as if she had a sixth sense for food now too.

His stomach was growling more earnestly, though he was containing his desire a lot more than Rini was. The fact she was able to be pulled with no effort from the fire told Ventus just how hungry she was. He felt even worse at that; as the oldest, he was supposed to provide for her, but clearly he'd been doing a shit job.

At least she's still alive, he thought, giving himself that small comfort.

Nouka allowed them all to eat in silence for a few moments, obviously aware of their overt enthusiasm for food. When their bowls were nearly empty, he spoke up.

"How old are the both of you?"

"I'm eleven, and Rini's eight," Ventus said before puffing his chest out, patting the pommel of his father's sword which he had carefully laid against the table. "I'm an adult now, though, even if I'm not fifteen yet."

Rini snorted, letting her thoughts be known about that.

Nouka smiled at their interaction with understanding. "I see."

Abigail raised her brow at Ven's claim but said nothing about it. Then her face became more thoughtful. "So how come the two of you were–"

She was stopped short by Nouka's hand gently laying on hers. Her eyes flicked up to his quickly, obviously more sensitive to his touch than seemed normal. Her cheeks flushed the barest pink in the dim light of the fire, but then she seemed to remember herself and that Nouka was trying to silently communicate with that touch.

"I'm sorry, that's probably insensitive of me," said Abigail. "We all have our own tales of woe these days …"

"Indeed," agreed Nouka. "Well, I'm sure the both of you are tired. I have some beds upstairs in the attic if you're comfortable with that. We can find more suitable lodging after you've properly rested. It is getting late and your journey must have been exhausting in more ways than one."

"Anything that's not a tree would be great," Rini smiled, relieved before looking around and realizing the irony of her words before amending herself. "... On a tree branch, I mean."

Nouka chuckled warmly, his tired eyes still glimmered with delight.

"Is there anything we're expected to do while we're here?" Ventus asked warily, hoping it wouldn't be anything too drastic.

The caster paused thoughtfully and then answered, "Well, helping out with chores would be appreciated. Though I promise you, we are not slave drivers here. Any work you are willing and able to do will be just fine. We will not force you into any work you are not comfortable doing."

Ventus nodded his head, but he decided to hold his reservations for now. Since Mom died, he realized with their young age they were easier to be bullied around by the grown-ups, like how it was before. It was a shock to his system, especially with what he had been accustomed to the belief they were all part of Farore's family, but it was one he refused to let happen again. He would need to see if there were any "black sheep" and who they were. In the meantime, he would make sure they would do their best not to piss off these adults who took them in.

Nouka rose and took a lantern from a shelf and lit it.

"Come with me," he said, moving toward the wooden steps to the right. "I'll show you to your room … Abigail, your company is appreciated, but I think the watch might be missing you at your post."

The blond woman stood up quickly, flushing again, and grabbing her wooden spear she had left propped against the table. "R-right. Good night!"

"Good night," said Nouka with a smile and a graceful inclination of his head.

"Good night, Ventus, Rini, see you in the morning," said Abigail as she opened the front door.

"Night," the Agni siblings said in unison.

"Thank you again for the food," Rini added.

Abigail smiled brightly as she waved and then she closed the door behind herself. Nouka turned and led them up the stairs into the attic. It led up through a trap door in the ceiling. It was small, especially for a man as tall as the caster was. He had to stoop, almost kneel to fit.

"Hold on a moment," he said, setting the lantern down.

He rolled out some spare bed paddings, accompanied with blankets and pillows that were stored in the same room. There were gardening supplies and wooden crates stacked on top of each other filled with bottles of bright green liquid.

"There," he stated, turning to smile at them. "I'll leave you the lantern. Just be sure to blow it out when you're ready."

"Okay," Rini said as Ventus looked curiously at the green liquid. He hadn't really seen anything like it and wondered if it was something to drink.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to it.

"Ah, yes, that is my stock of mana potions," answered Nouka. "They help me restore my mana pool without resting the required time for it to regenerate on its own. Without them I would not be able to produce as much food as quickly."

"Oh. Okay."

So it was something to drink, just nothing which Ventus would need, not having magic at all. Besides, it probably tasted weird. After all, it was bright green. It sort of reminded him of spinach. While it was good with other foods, on its own, not as much.

Nouka smiled and wished them pleasant dreams before closing the trap door.

Ven crawled in next to Rini, who was already curled up in the blankets, her eyes fluttering shut. The last few days ever since they left Sakirven felt like years, and the mental and physical exhaustion was finally catching up to them. One of the remaining thoughts which went through Ventus' mind was that Rini was normally the more cautious one out of the two of them, but since he'd become the adult, he noticed that wasn't exactly the case.

Well, she has me to rely on now, he yawned, hugging his sister tightly as he put his sword just within reach–just in case. We're safe here for now.

Rolling to the side, he blew out the lantern. That's when mushrooms lining the walls of the attic began to give off a soft green glow, almost like the stars at night. Ventus swallowed slightly, emotion began to once again creep into his chest. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but he shoved it down with the rest of them as he pulled his father's sword closer for protection.