TWT - Chapter 5

Pasha and Abbott traveled through the evening to her cabin, for some food and rest. Pasha told him it was best to start their search in the morning. Bo of course objected, insisting that they were letting Arista get further away. But, with a little convincing Pasha led them to her cabin. He ate the meal of bread, chicken, and carrots quickly as his belly hungrily growled. He had barely swallowed the last bite before trudging over to the couch and collapsing, fast asleep. Pasha smiled and shook her head, before retreating to her own bed for some much needed rest.

The morning sun was bright as Bo slept peacefully on the soft couch of the cabin. Pasha, who had been up long enough to make coffee, shoved some supplies into a pack, and pulled the straps over her shoulders. She gave Bo a light nudge and instructed him to get up and follow her. He explained the vision at Laraya's, and Pasha suggested that they start by the river. “There's a strange old tree I know of, we can start there” she told him. She handed him a thermos of coffee and an apple, and they started the search. Bo looked at the thermos and wrinkled his nose a bit. He didn't much care for coffee, especially black coffee. He didn't want to set Pasha off though, so he choked it down quickly.

Soon the sound of the river came, as Bo tried to keep up with Pasha's fast pace. The forest had thinned by now, and they could make out the river bank in the distance up ahead. Pasha didn't say much, even once they reached the river. She kept walking quickly, like she knew right where she was going. Bo had many questions but he wasn't quite sure how to ask them, and they had been walking quietly for so long, it would have been awkward to break the silence now. After two hours of nothing but the sounds of the crunching of twigs beneath their feet, and the noises of woodland creatures, he finally decided to speak up. “So...Do you know where you are going?” he said as softly as he could. Even still, his voice seemed to echo through the empty space. Pasha didn't hesitate at all before answering flatly, “I live in these woods. I know them well.” Well that settled that! It was clear that she wasn't interested in talking, so Bo kept quiet, and followed along until they came to a waterfall.

“Now what?” he asked peering over the edge carefully. With that Pasha took her shoes off, and stuffed them in her bag. Then dropped her rucksack over the edge, to the ground below. “You scared?” she asked with a smile. But, before Bo could answer Pasha ran toward the edge of the waterfall, and jumped. Abbott let out a gasp of shock, and watch as she landed perfectly into the water below. “Throw me your shoes!” she yelled as loud as she could to Abbott. The noise of the waterfall was great, and Bo strained to hear what she was saying. All he was able to make out was the word 'throw', but Pasha's voice was drown out by the noise. On the ground below Pasha pointed to her shoes, and motioned for him to c'mon.

Abbott pulled off his shoes, and tossed them over the edge as he was instructed. Now came the hard part, jumping down into the water below. He wasn't truly afraid of heights, but then again he'd never jumped off the edge of a waterfall. If he landed wrong the impact to seriously injure, or even kill him. The rocks below were large, and jagged. He certainly wanted to avoid those! He swallowed hard, and told himself that he could do it. He took a few steps back to get a good running start, then jumped off the edge with all his might. He yelled loudly, half in excitement, half in fear before landing in the water below with a splash.

Not too far away Dovie gasped as she followed Parrow and Brietta through the lush greenery by the river. “What was that!?” she exclaimed. “I-I don't know I heard it too” Brietta added. “Sounds like we've got company up ahead” Parrow said narrowing his eyes. “What if it's Bo? It kinda sounded like him” Dovie mentioned. “Stay close ladies. We don't want to meet the wrong kind out here” Parrow instructed. They walked carefully along the same route, but the wind picked up, and Parrow grew nervous. Little dirt particles seemed to swirl in a circle on the ground, and the girls wondered if they would be meeting the strange woman Raisia again. Parrow pressed a finger to his lips, and motioned for the girls to continue following him. Dovie didn't seem phased by his behavior, but Brietta glanced all around as if something was going to jump out at her any moment. A noise in the trees startled her, and she lost her footing, slipping down off the side of the bank. Before she fell completely into the river however, Parrow's hand caught her's and he pulled her up quickly. The momentum of his pull brought them face to face, and he looked into her eyes. Her frightened gaze melted into a bashful expression, and Parrow gave her a smile. “That was a close one” he said softly. “UM! HELLO?! I cannot believe you two. This is no time for flirting!” Dovie frowned marching off. Brietta looked shocked, “Oh I wasn't t-t-trying to...uh-” she stuttered in flustered manner. Parrow grinned even bigger, “Well maybe you weren't...” His words trailed off and he took her by the hand, leading her towards Dovie.

“Strangers in the woods” a voice called from the trees. The group stopped abruptly, and Parrow pulled the girls behind him. “Not often one see's such a sight” the voice spoke again in a sing-song voice, “Trouble could be near you know, around each corner that you go.” Parrow stood tall and called, “Who's there? Show yourself!” Dovie darted out from behind Parrow and took off into the wooded area to find the owner of the voice. “Dovie come back! Stop!” Parrow called as he quickly darted after her. Brietta had a horrible feeling, and stood perfectly still, unable to move. It was a feeling she couldn't explain, like something in her gut told her to stay put. Meanwhile, Davita searched the woods frantically, trying to find the voice that spoke to them.

Just as she was lifting a huge leaf of one of the ferns, she felt some grab her arm. “Agh!” she cried as she spun around. She yanked her arm free, and found herself looking at a boy with ash colored hair and honey-brown eyes. He looked to be about her age and stood smiling at her with a goofy grin. “What's your problem? Don't you know you shouldn't sneak up on people?” she snapped angrily. “A fair-minded one in the forest-” he started. “FAIR-MINDED? I am far from stupid thank you very much” she interupted. “The meaning is not what you think. You are a fair-minded are you not?” the boy asked. Before she could answer, Parrow showed up not even out of breath. “Dovie come here” Parrow requested. The boy reached again for Davita's arm but this time his hand was very warm, a little too warm for her liking. “Ouch!” she shrieked and again yanked her arm away. “My apologies to you sweet one” he said with an downcast expression. Dovie frowned and punched the boy in the arm, “Don't call me that!” Then she marched over to Parrow. The boy stood blinking awkwardly as he clutched his arm, “I mean no harm” he said with confusion in his voice. Then Parrow spoke, but it was in a strange way not like his own casual voice. He spoke with authority and stood tall, “Thermic are you not? State the leader who sends you. I request your intentions.” The boy was only wearing uniform trousers, so there was no emblem to show where he came from. “No leader sends my presence. No soldier follows my path. I seek a free life as one of the fair-minded. The woods have been graced with a beauty of the autumn leaf in her hair. I only seek to know her, to learn of her ways” the boy answered. Parrow tossed him a shirt from his bag, and the boy pulled it on.

Dovie wore an irritated look, and folded her arms in disgust. “That is old terms, do still they call them fair-minded in Thermo? The new law states to refer to them as Jollies as they find fair-minded insulting. Use your words with care” Parrow told the boy. Then, he spoke to Dovie, “What he means is he wants to be a Jolly one like you...a person with no power over the elements. Some people view it as a curse and want to be rid of all the problems it has caused for our peoples. All the anger, all the war and hate. Some of us long to be like the Jollies; free and living a simple life. He doesn't want to be Thermic, he is unhappy with their ways....and he thinks you're cute” Parrow said with a chuckle. Dovie rolled her eyes, “Never gonna happen bud” she said matter of factly. Parrow again spoke to the boy in that strange tone, “What name are you called? What year do you belong?” “I am called the name of Laric. I am of year 15” he announced. Parrow asked him, “Do you know how to leave your Thermic tongue behind?” The boy took a moment to respond, and he tried not to sound so very Thermic, “My native tongue is strong, I mean....My words aren't well at speaking like the Jollies. I only studied to year 2. I mean, 2 years. But I understand” Parrow nodded, “I know it's hard to adjust to how they speak, but if you want to learn ya gotta try.” “Oh gosh, where's Brietta?” Dovie blurted out suddenly. “I started chasing you but she didn't follow. She's probably waiting by the river still” Parrow said confidently, and suggested they get back to her. “Take me with you....please” Laric said kindly taking Dovie's hand. She quickly snatched her hand from his, and frowned. Even though Parrow was upset by past events with Thermic people, as far as he could tell this Laric kid seemed alright. I mean after all, he just wanted to leave all that behind and have a fresh start. So, Parrow gave Dovie a smile, and a nod as if to say it was ok by him. Noticing Parrow's expression Dovie gave a sigh, and rolled her eyes before answering, “Fine! But you're not holding my hand.”

The river moved steadily as Bo and Pasha walked along the bank. Little did they know that they weren't too far from the others. Every now and then Bo would pull up a wildflower or two, while Pasha inspected a tree. Then, she put her finger to her lips and pulled him down with her behind a rock. Voices could be heard coming from the forest, but they couldn't quite make them out. They definitely didn't want trouble, so they waited patiently until suddenly Abbott recognized a voice, and jumped up from behind the rock. Pasha gave him a terrified look, but he told her it was ok. Soon a group of three people emerged from the forest, and with shouts of glee, soon Abbott was hugging his cousin Dovie. Parrow, Pasha, and Laric exhanged looks awkwardly, until finally the two stopped hugging and gave introductions. “Where have you been ya creep?” Dovie asked playfully. Bo opened his mouth to tell Dovie about the strange but incredible events that happened at Laraya's, but he had a weird feeling he wasn't supposed to. It was almost like a whisper was coming from the river, instructing him not to mention those events.

Pasha glanced at him, then quickly replied, “I'll tell ya where he's been! Gettin' into trouble that's where! I was out hiking, and came across this pip-squeak hanging off a cliff, holdin' on ta nothin' but a tree root!” Pasha explained cheerily. Dovie gave a little gasp, “Bo what in the world?! I'm glad you're ok! Never understood how you can be so smart and so dumb at the same time” she said in a joking manner. Abbott stuck his tongue out at her, and smiled. “Hey! Where's Brietta?” he asked looking around. “She was right here. This little booger scared us, and Dovie took off into the woods. Naturally I chased after her to make sure she wasn't in danger, but Brietta didn't follow. I think she was scared. Anyhow, we just came back over here to get her, but found you guys instead” Parrow explained. “Well handsome, it sounds like you should take better care of your friends, don't you think?” Pasha said with a bit of flirtation in her voice.

Parrow gave her a smile, but Laric interrupted the moment. “Shall we seek this Brietta?” he asked formally. Pasha's eyes widened when she recognized his Thermic accent, and she glared at Laric, “I see we've got a little sparkler here.” Laric looked taken aback, “Cease your words! I am called Laric, and I rennounce the Thermic name. I seek to be like the fai- Jolly ones.” Pasha raised an eyebrow obviously not quite convinced, and Parrow spoke up, “It's not everyday I would be caught sharing time with a person of Thermo. Though I have my dislikes about them, there is no need for foul names.” Abbott frowned in confusion, “Wait what do you mean?” Pasha gave a smirk, “He's talking about me calling this guy a sparkler-” “Once was enough to hear it” Laric snapped. “Ok easy everybody, easy. You see Bo long ago some people made up nicknames for other elemental races. Well they didn't really care for that, and now those names have become somewhat of a swear at those folks. I wouldn't go repeating that word ok?” Parrow explained. Bo nodded, and looked at Pasha. “Ok, ok! Geez. I'm sorry kid” she said playfully punching Laric in the arm. He clutched his arm and groaned, “Why does everybody keep doin' that?” Parrow and Pasha laughed, “Now you sound like a Jolly!” Dovie grabbed her head in frustration, “Enough about all that! We need to find Brietta before she gets too far away. Anybody got a plan?”

Laric wandered around the group for a moment feeling the ground here and there. He bent down a final time, and placed his palm to the ground gently. “She's gone this way. The ground is still warm from her footpath. It looks like she wasn't alone. If we hurry we can track her” he explained. “Wow that's awesome th-” Dovie said before stopping herself. She wasn't impressed with this guys attitude, and she was still mad at him for scaring them earlier. “Pfft that doesn't impress me, even if you are cute” she said rolling her eyes. She stopped and blinked oddly, making sure that she didn't make eye contact with Laric. She thought to herself, “Oh my gosh, did I just say that out loud!?” She did. Laric tried to hide his smile, but his cheeks were slightly pink. He motioned for the others to follow, and they obeyed.

Back near the river's edge Brietta had met a very persuasive person, and had been requested to follow him. “But how do I know you're a g-good guy? Why can't I stay with the others?” Brietta asked the cloaked figure that was leading her. “S-S-Stop asking questions!” a mocking voice answered from under the cloak hood. Brietta frowned, and decided she didn't like this person at all. Someone that wouldn't show their face to her must mean trouble, and she didn't appreciate them mocking her stutter. She waited til the sound of the river could drown out the noise of her footsteps before she turned and ran away from the figure. She ran fast, but didn't make it far before a tangle of roots caught her by the foot. The large curly green roots seemed to appear out of nowhere, and sent Brietta crashing to the ground. She held her ankle in pain, but tried to get up when she saw the figure approaching. Sharp pain rushed through her body as she tried to put weight on her foot, and she fell to the ground once more. “Please no!” she cried, holding her hands up to cover her face. “Listen girlie, I'm just a meadowman. I finds ya, I brings ya to her. Now let's go” the hooded man demanded. He grabbed her by the elbow, and pulled her to her feet. When he saw that her ankle was injured, he lifted her up and flung her over his shoulder.

Deeper and deeper into the forest he carried her, until they reached an enormous wooden log. There seemed to be no way around it as huge tangles of vines and thorns stretched in either direction for miles. The man climbed in the log first, then told Brietta to try to crawl through. For a moment she thought about trying to get away again. But then she remembered that she wouldn't get very far with her ankle injured. The inner part of the log was muddy and little bugs were crawling around through the gunk. Her ankle hurt so badly, especially when she tried to push her way through the log. She winced in pain, but then felt two large hands grab hold of hers, pulling her through the log. When Brietta emerged on the other side of the log, it appeared as though they were in a room covered completely with moss. The sun still shone in just as it would if they were outdoors. She looked around the room, and smiled as the bright sunlight illuminated the moss cover walls. She noticed here and there grew small white flowers, so white they looked like the color of snow. The cloaked man carried her over to a wall that was hidden with hanging vines. He sat Brietta down, and leaned in close to the vines, whispering something Brietta couldn't make out. Then her eyes grew wide as she watched the vines part down the middle, revealing an old wooden door. The cloaked man flung Brietta over his shoulder once again and pushed open the door. Through a mossy tunnel he carried her for what seemed like several minutes. She watched the lanterns of the tunnel, and counted them to pass the time. “Thirty-two” she whispered as the meadowman announced they had arrived. But where had they arrived, she wondered to herself. The tunnel opened up into a giant space, with walls that seemed to reach to the sky! “It almost looks like we're in a dried up volcano” she thought to herself. A small group of log huts lined a dirt street, and at the end a grand staircase let to a log palace. The sun shone in from far above them, but at ground level it seemed like dusk, and little fireflies danced around merrily.

“What is this place?” Brietta asked the man as she looked around, but he shook his head and started toward the village. They walked past strange looking people that seemed to be covered in leaves and twigs, past carts of fruit and vegetables, and little leaf covered children who were playing on a swingset. Everything looked even stranger since Brietta was seeing it upside down. She was tired of being carried over his shoulder, but there was no way she would be able to walk in this condition. When they reached the large staircase a guard approached them, and snapped his fingers at a nearby plant. Suddenly an enormous leaf extended and the meadowman sat on it. Brietta sat in front of him on the giant leaf, just as curly vines surrounded them and carried them to the top of the stairs. Brietta, of course, thought this was the weirdest thing she'd ever seen. Two large men who wore log style armor, guarded the entrance doors. The meadowman told them that he had a delivery, and the guards stepped aside.

Once inside, they found themselves in a large, nearly empty room with lavish seats and small tables lining either side. At the other side of the room, three tall stain-glass windows overlooked a wooden throne covered with vines and small white flowers. The meadowman carried Brietta to the place in front of the throne, and plopped her down like a sack of flour. The middle stain-glass window then swung open and sunlight filled the room. A beautiful woman with long curly brown hair seemed to glide through the door. She wore a flowing sheer gown of pastel purple that stretched past her feet and dragged along the floor behind her. It, along with a twine like headband was covered with little flowers, just as Brietta saw earlier around town.

She moved softly over to the throne, and gently took a seat. She did not make eye contact with either of them, but instead kept her gaze on her neatly folded hands that were resting on her lap. The cloaked man now became nervous and wrung his hands anxiously before he spoke. He cleared his throat and started to speak, but the woman looked up slowly from her lap, and he stopped speaking immediately. He took to his knee, bowing almost down to the floor. Her lavender eyes were dazzling, and found their way to the place where Brietta was slumped on the floor. Her voice was like honey; sweet and slow. “You may rise. A true meadowman wouldn't have brought her to me in such a state” she addressed the cloaked man. “My sincere apologies you're highness. The little brat tried to run away, and injured herself in the process” he said with a grunt. But the woman waved her hand and told him that he was dismissed. He scowled at Brietta and in a very low whisper said, “Thanks a lot” as he marched out of the room.

Brietta looked up at the woman who showed her a smile. It was a kind smile, but something in her eyes made Brietta feel a little nervous. “It seems my meadowman doesn't know how to deliver something in one piece. I'm sure you are wondering what you are doing here?” the woman asked. Brietta could only nod, and the woman continued, “I am the ruler of The Blossom, Lady Azalia. Our village is small but very important. You see we protect the plants and flowers across the world” Lady Azalia explained. “W-What does that have to do with me?” Brietta said wincing at the pain in her leg. “One of our people noticed you while on patrol in the woods. He mentioned that you have a certain...quality. I knew I needed to see this for myself, so I had you brought here. Why haven't you healed yourself yet?” the woman asked. Brietta frowned, “Do you honestly think I w-would be walking around w-with my leg like this if I c-could heal myself?” Her stutter was thick in her anger, and she propped herself up on her elbow. “If only you had the right tools. We shall see if you are truly one of us” Lady Azalia said mysteriously as she snapped her fingers for a patrolman. He nodded, and returned in a moment with a large basket full of leaves. Some of the leaves were almost as big as Brietta's head, while others seemed small in the palm of ones hand. “Now you have an assortment of friends to help you. Let's see if you know who can help you” the woman said oddly looking at the leaves. Brietta could only think how strange all of this was. “What am I supposed to do with those” she wondered to herself. The patrolman sat the basket of leaves next to Brietta, then returned to his place where he was standing guard. Lady Azalia gave her eerie smile once more, and watched Brietta, clearly waiting for her to do something with the leaves.

Brietta picked up a leaf and examined it carefully. This one was small and light green, with little red veins running through it. Pretty plain and insignificant, it didn't seem very meaningful, and Brietta just felt like it was like any other leaf. A large yellow pillowy leaf caught her eye next, and when she touched it, her heart warmed. Holding this leaf made her feel like she was reading a good book curled up on a comfy couch with the sunlight pouring in. She smiled to herself and sat the leaf to the side. The next leaf she picked up was dry and wrinkled. She sat it down almost immediately because it reminded her of when her best friend moved away. “I never noticed that leaves made me feel a certain way” she said quietly to herself. Lady Azaila nodded and smiled, her eyes were wide as she watched Brietta and she told her to continue. The next leaf was bright green, and it was very satisfying to run her finger along its smooth waxy surface. Something about this leaf made her feel rested, and refreshed. Just holding this big floppy leaf made her so good that she laid it across her injured leg. She wasn't even sure why she did it, but as soon as it touched her leg she felt relief. She wrapped it snugly around her ankle, and she inhaled with a smile. She reached back into the basket and pulled out the yellow pillowy leaf and added it to her ankle as well. It felt as though her ankle was submerged in warm bath water, and a tingling sensation danced across her leg. After a minute or two it stopped, and she removed the leaves. She rose to her feet good as new, and she gasped as she wiggled her foot around without any pain. “So the rumors are true...” Lady Azaila smiled. “I-I don't understand. I've never been knowledgeable about plants, let alone the fact that they can heal d-different ailments” Brietta said in confusion. “Not all plants heal the same way, some are only effective with the right person. This gift is something one is born with, not learned. It develops over time, some may never know they are capable of such things” the Lady explained. Brietta stood in amazement, and thought about this new information. She wondered why she was brought here, and how all of this was happening. She still felt unsure about the Lady, but at least she could give her more details about what was happening. “I'm sure there are many things you would like to know, and you will if you're willing to help me. Now if you're ready I have a proposition for you.

All Brietta wanted to do was get back to her family and friends back at the river. She thought about telling the Lady that she wasn't interested in a proposition of any kind, but there was something about this woman that didn't set right with her. The phrase beautiful but deadly crossed her mind. Brietta's thoughts were interrupted by Lady Azaila's voice, “Well, dear?” Brietta blinked rapidly as her daydream broke and she decided it wouldn't hurt to at least hear what the proposition was. “Yes, ok” she responded softly. Lady Azaila looked a little too happy, but her voice remained sickeningly sweet. “You will be taken back to the ones you were with. It has been brought to my attention that they are seeking a girl by the name of Arista. Your task is simple, bring her to me.” Brietta was not one to blurt, but she couldn't help wondering what in the world Lady Azaila wanted with her cousin. “W-Why do you want her?” she asked. “Ah. A good question dear. You see destruction has been happening across the world to the plants, and I as their Queen caregiver simply can't let this go on. Our herbalists have a solid theory that the cells from the heart of the girl Arista, in combination with pollen from a rare flower can restore the plants flourishment and survival” Lady Azaila horrifically explained. “Y-You mean you want to kill Arista?!” Brietta shouted in terror. “We all have something to contribute to the earth. The plants provide us life, and we must do the same for them” the Lady went on. “No! No way am I doing that!” Brietta insisted, folding her arms.

Lady Azaila snapped her fingers and two guards came to stand on either side of Brietta. One of them had a large stick in his grasp, and he ran it into Brietta's shins with all his might. Instantly she fell to the ground with an agonizing scream, and she shook with pain as her shins appeared to be broken. Tears poured out of her eyes, and Lady Azaila spoke over her wails, “I'm sure you'll reconsider” was all she said. One of the guards held Brietta's arms out straight in front of her, as the other one again took the stick into his grasp. She already knew what was coming, and so Brietta screamed “OK! Ok, I'll bring her too you.” The Lady gave that disgusting smile again and motioned two women over to Brietta. As they wrapped her legs in an assortment of leaves to heal her, Lady Azaila spoke once again. “See I knew we could come to an agreement. It is my duty to protect the plants and vegetation of this earth...at all costs. You'll know what plant to give Arista so that she cooperates. Should you forget to bring her to me, I will see to it that one called....” she glanced at a note card, and then back at Brietta before continuing, “Davita, and one named Abbott will be captured and held here until I received Arista. And, I can guarantee they will have a much more thorough welcome from our guards than you had” she finished with an evil wink. Brietta was biting her lip so hard that it began to bleed, and all she could reply was, “I understand.” “Wonderful! Thank you for stopping by The Blossom” Lady Azaila said happily. With that, she exited through the middle stained glass window, and Brietta wiped her tears from her cheeks. The women unwrapped the healing treatments from Brietta's legs, to reveal perfectly healthy shins once more. The pain had stopped as well, and she got to her feet. Another cloaked figure was now by her side, but it seemed to be a different Meadowman than the first one. This time Brietta obeyed his orders in silence and occasionally wiped away the stream of tears sliding down her cheeks as she followed him.

“I just don't understand where she could've gone” Parrow said to the others as they stood by the river bank a few miles north from where they lost Brietta. Moments later she came walking out of the woods as if she hadn't even been gone, and the others cried out with joy and excitement at her return. She nervously glanced over her shoulder into the woods as if she was looking for something. “What's wrong Bri?” Dovie asked worriedly. Brietta didn't think now was a great time to explain what happened in case someone was listening, so she shook her head and replied, “Nothing. I just got l-lost. I'm sorry.” The others weren't convinced by her answer, but could tell it was no use pressing her now. Instead, they did brief introductions with Pasha and Laric before Parrow suggested that they get a move on. “We're never gonna find her now” Abbott whispered to Pasha as they followed the others. “Shh, shut your gob kid. I thought we were keeping that bit of information to ourselves? Anyhow, I have a plan” she whispered back, and she ran up to follow alongside Parrow.

The group of them decided to leave the rivers edge, and head east toward a small town called Haraway. “Got a kinsman there that'll put us up for the night” Parrow explained. “Do you think your buddy could put some food in our bellies?” Dovie whined as she clutched her stomach. Parrow gave a laugh, and replied “Of course!” Abbott was hungry too, but his mind kept wondering off to Arista. He couldn't tell the others that she was nearby without telling them how he knew that. If he simply told them that he just happened to see her in the woods, they would never believe him. Brietta could tell that Bo was deep in thought, and asked if everything was alright. “Just hungry...” he replied. Just as Brietta was keeping a secret, she could tell that Bo was hiding something also. Up ahead Pasha walked along-side Parrow occasionally linking arms with him and flirting. Parrow was amused by this fast talking outspoken girl, but he also had come to have a fondness for Brietta's sweet and quiet personality. Not wanting to send any wrong messages to either girl, he continued to unlink arms with Pasha, and not play into her flirtations. Laric was just happy to be there, walking beside the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. As the group approached the village, he was daydreaming about Dovie's auburn hair, and how it reminded him of the gentle orange glow of a fireplace on a chilly fall evening.

Marching down a tall-grass covered hill, they finally arrived at the village entrance. The sight they found though, was anything but pleasant. The townspeople seemed to be frozen in place, their bodies covered in a hard muddy shell. Whatever it was that happened, must have come about suddenly. A man in mid-stride down the street, a woman leaning out her window, a boy chasing a giant dog. All of them stuck as if they were on pause.