Kari woke to the sound of thunder, and after eating, she couldn't fall back to sleep, so she pulled out George's journal.

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Several days passed, and I came across a collection of huts and cabins hidden amongst a vast forest. The air was freezing, and the ground was covered with large patches of snow that were left longer than expected because of the infinite shade. The forest was dark, and the trees were a mixture of pine and cedar. The needle-covered branches slapped against my shoulders as I slowly headed toward the homes. It looked like there were no more than twelve; I couldn't tell if they were houses that people lived in or shops.

The community was silent. I stood on the dirt road for a bit. There wasn't any movement; I didn't see a single person. I hopped off my horse and knocked on the closest door. I waited. Nothing stirred. I tried to peer between the door and the frame, but it wasn't separated enough. I waited about another minute, then knocked on another door. No answer. I opened that door and noticed that there was dust everywhere. It looked abandoned. I explored the house, not for any particular reason, but I wanted to see what was there and, if anything, alluded to where everyone went. I didn't think I would figure it out, but I was still curious. Without the layer of dust, everything was in decent shape. I walked over to the bed and smacked it. The dirt poofed up into a hovering cloud, and I began to cough. When the air had cleared, I took off the top blanket. I decided that I would stay there for the night. I was desperate to lie in a bed. It wasn't like my home, but I felt comforted by being inside a homelike structure where I was safe from the elements.

The house was made out of solid wood; whole tree trunks were attached to each other, which made up the walls. The floor was processed wood and along with all of the furniture. There was a large hole in the roof above a fire pit encased in stone. I knelt down and started a fire.

It took a few minutes to get any flame to emerge from the damp leaves. I went back outside for my supplies and horse. I felt terrible about leaving my horse outside, so I brought him into the cabin. The horse was more than pleased and started galloping around the room and knocked everything around. I laughed so hard, it was such a mistake, but it amused me. I chased after him and eventually calmed him down.

For the first time since I left home, I had time to sit and think. I thought about James; I felt horrible that I had to leave Henry. I decided that in the first village I found I would get paper and write him a letter. His father was as like a second father to me. I tried to shake off the depressing thoughts and decided to lock the door and go to bed. I stood up, stroked the top of the horse's head, and said, "Goodnight, Horse."

Writing this recount made me think about my horseback then. My horse was named Horse; it was a tradition that started when I was very young.

My father gave me my first horse; it was around when I was seven. He let me name the horse, but I wasn't aware that horses could be named like people, and every time he asked me what I wanted to call him, I said, "Horse."

Since then, every time I got a new horse, usually after the previous one died or disappeared, my father would make me name it Horse as a joke.

Back to the story

I was grateful for the cabin because it snowed a lot that night. I shivered at the thought of having to sleep in the icy elements. I opened the front door to see how much snow was on the ground. I was surprised to see it had snowed two feet overnight. "Looks like we are staying here until that melts," I said to Horse. I revived the fire and cooked lunch.

The smoke from the fire slowly floated up through the hole in the roof. Most of it made it outside, but tiny slithers of smoke clung to the edges near the opening. I ate and looked around the house to see if there was anything to do to pass the time.

I thoroughly explored every crevice of the house by the time the snow had melted. I had only been there four full days, but I became used to it. I couldn't believe how quickly the abandoned, unfamiliar house felt like home. I wondered whether I should find one place to settle for the year and live like an average person to really immerse myself in one culture. I packed up all of my belongings and turned to the horse. Let's go. The horse followed me out of the house, and we took off.

The cool air was refreshing on my face as we raced through the woods. The snow had almost completely melted, and it looked like Hiems had officially ended.

As I traveled south, the weather became even more pleasant. I rode straight south for several days. I didn't find anywhere I wanted to stay more than a few days until about two weeks into the journey.

I ate while riding and when I finished I realized that the weather had changed a bit from the day before. The dreary clouds had left, and it was a lot warmer. I climbed up the cliff that held the waterfall and looked over the other side. I was shocked by the vision of beauty laid out on the land before me. Two parallel serpentine rivers encased a bustling village. One river led to the waterfall and then looped around the eastern side. I whistled for Horse, and he found an easier way to get up the hill.

The houses were only tiny specks, and the people were not yet in the range of my sight. I slowly began to descend to the river bank. The terrain was dusty and sandy, and when the wind blew, it jostled easily.

I quickly learned that wrapping a scarf around my head was necessary as I slowly made my way down the embankment.

I walked for a bit, but the heat overtook me. I decided to take a break by a large tree at the river bank to remove some layers of clothes. I ate and lay down on the ground. The sky grew brighter like it was a formal announcement of the arrival of Fons.

The grass swayed gently and tickled my arms.

"What do I want to find..." I said out loud, looking up at the horse. "...horse." I laughed at myself. "I should've brought a companion, but I guess that's against the rules..." I realized that talking out loud to myself was not satisfying, and because of that, I was inspired.

I decided that my time and thoughts would be put to better use if I wrote everything down, a log of sorts. And thus, I determined my next mission; I had to find a blank book.

I stood up and looked towards the city. "I bet there is a store where I can find a nice blank book down there." I got back onto my horse, and we began to cross the river.

The buildings within the city were crafted of clay and wood. They were very dull compared to the bright stalls and vendors scattered around the main square. There lined street after street in front of the buildings. I hopped off the horse and led it through the streets. The sun peaked just in time to hit the jewelry that sat out on the table I was passing. Silver and gemstones lay pristinely cleaned on velvet cloths. The light bounced off every surface, and I winced and looked away. My eye then caught a chest of silk-looking scarves. Most of the people were wearing them; I decided to buy one. I was wearing a wool scarf around my face because that was all I had, and I knew it was not the best option. The silk scarf would allow me to blend in with the crowd better.

I slipped behind the row of vendors to see what the buildings housed. The first one and one of the more prominent buildings was an inn. I liked what I saw in the town already, so I decided to stay a few weeks.

The front of the Inn was framed with a porch all made of sandstone. I left my horse tied to a post and entered through the doorless frame. Everything structural matched the color of sand. The floor had carpets that were very faded but looked like they were once very vibrant.

An older woman was standing behind the counter. "Can I help you, young man?" I asked for a room. "I have never seen you around here." She commented. "Yes, it's my first time here I said. "Any occasion, or are you just passing through." "Passing through, for the time being, I said. "I'm on a journey." She smiled. "Well, if you need to be better acquainted with the city, I have a daughter who is very knowledgeable. I see you got yourself a scarf already." I laughed, "Yeah, that wasn't hard to pick up on." want me to call upon Tikki?" "Um, sure. I'm looking for a good store to find a book." "Oh, Tikki will know the answer to that." The old lady quickly shuffled out of the room and returned a few seconds later with her daughter. Tikki was tall and had very dark features. Her eyes were very bright and matched all of the vibrant colors she was wearing.

I had not been to a place that used such vibrant colors; everything in Asiroth seemed muted. "This is my daughter Tikki, and this is..." I put out my hand, "I'm George." "Lovely to meet you." She said, smiling. Her teeth were perfect and very white.

"I'll leave you two alone." The lady left us alone in the lobby. Realizing I still had my bags, she laughed. "I'm so sorry; my mother likes to get ahead of herself. Let me get you a room." "Thank you," I said. She led me to the third floor. Room 15. "All of the second floor is occupied." She opened the door. The room was infinitesimal, about eight by nine feet. There was one small bed and a window with dark curtains. The only other furniture was a starkly barren chair by the door.

She stood by the door while I placed my bags inside, grabbed my money, and we left.

She offered to take me to get food but having just finished eating, I declined and told her I was looking for a book. "Just a blank paged book?" "Yes. well, and a quill, I guess." I said.

We wandered through the rows of vendors until we reached a store tucked away in the shadows of the taller building. "Come on," she said as she waved to me.

The building was not lit well, and unlike most of the other buildings, it was not a matching brown or tan. It was very black; it looked like the walls were painted with soot. An old woman stood at a desk. "Ms. Resnad!" Tikki yelled. The lady turned around. I realized she was hard of hearing. "Oh, good day," she said smiling. "just dropping by?" "Yes, my friend here needs a blank book." She nodded. "you know where they are." she gestured towards the far wall. Tikki led me to a small selection of stitched booklets.

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Kari closed the book and left for lunch. While she was eating, Marcel sat down with her. “would you like to go on a quick journey with me?” He asked. She smiled. “where to?” “Robert asked me to head over to a cave a few miles from here to gather some mushrooms.” She laughed, and he smiled. “I know it’s a weird mission, but it’s for Thom.” “Yeah, you know what, I will go with you.” “Good, good, Marcel said. “I figured id ask since we haven’t spent a lot of alone time together recently, and I missed that.” She smiled. She never expected Marcel to vocalize his positive emotions and was very excited about his honesty. She ran to her room, packed her bag, and they left. Kari couldn’t find the horse she usually rode, so she took a random one. He was brown and had a very dark mane that almost looked black.

Kari enjoyed Marcel’s company when they were alone. He didn’t posture. He was just a nice man. They teased eachother as they raced around sparse woods on the way to their destination. After an hour, he put his hand out, and they slowed down. Marcel pulled out the map and said, “Let us leave our horses here.” Kari climbed down, and they tied them to a tree. They walked around casually until Kari pointed out the cave. “Is that it? She asked. “Oh yes, good,” he said. “I’m glad I brought you with me.” He put his hand on her shoulder as they walked to the cave.

The cave had a large mouth that was the entrance into a selection of tunnels and air gaps at the bottom of a mountain base. Marcel lit his torch, “did you bring one?” He asked. “No,” she said. “That’s alright. Take this one; ill find some sticks. Let’s split up to find the mushrooms faster. I’ll go this way; you go that way and yell if you find anything.” She nodded.

Kari started down the right pathway and felt very uncomfortable. The shadows shifted slowly like a hungry demon’s lust.

She wandered around for a few minutes and then heard a loud sound. She spun around and came face to face with a man she had never seen. He grinned at her in the most horrific way possible, and she began to back up. He pulled out a knife and charged her. She stuck her leg out and kicked him. He doubled over, and she punched his face. Kari ran the way she came in, and when she reached the end of her tunnel, she saw Marcel with another man. I sent Chari through that tunnel, but if she fights him off, I need you to go loop around. The man nodded and ran down the other pathway. She couldn’t believe what she heard. She stepped back into the darkness of the first tunnel before Marcel saw her. She watched him pull out some rope. “Damn it, he forgot the rope”; he ran after the man.

She took that moment to run through the mouth of the cave and toward her horse. She couldn’t remember where they left them, but she eventually found them. Unfortunately, the horses were surrounded by some men. She ran the other way so they could not see her.

Kari didn’t know what to do, and she didn’t know the way back. She ran along the mountain base; she was glad she packed a bag; without it, she would’ve been in real trouble. She got far enough away from them to feel safe, and she began to head towards the direction she thought the castle was.

Before Kari departed that morning, she placed a note on the table in the library. Not long after they left, Robert asked Greg to find Kari so they could help Jeplin with his plan regarding Edegear. Greg went into the library and saw the note. He didn’t bother telling Robert or Jeplin. Greg immediately got onto his horse and left for the cave. He didn’t have time to explain what he knew about Marcel or have them question him. Robert saw him leave and was concerned, so he followed him. He caught up with him, and he explained everything.

Once they got to the cave, they decided to play it safe and act like Kari left a note for them to join the excursion. Marcel stood with his arms crossed at the entrance, “Marcel!” Robert called. Marcel panicked for a brief second; it was evident from looking at his face. “Hello,” he said, “what are you two doing here?” He asked, “oh, Kari left us a note that she was coming here with you and wanted us to join, but you guys left before we saw it. I felt terrible, so we decided to ride back with you guys.” “Where is Kari?” Greg asked. Marcel looked back, “she’s off looking for mushrooms.” “You sent her alone? Greg asked. “She went that way, and I went this way.” Greg put his hand on Robert’s shoulder; come on, let’s surprise her.” They jumped down and noticed several men lingering around. They jovially walked into the tunnel keeping up the act. Once they were out of hearing distance, Robert whispered. “This is creepy. I wonder what he’s doing?” They noticed a dead torch on the ground. Robert picked it up. “Why is there a torch here?” They looked at eachother. “Looks like someone ambushed her.” They ran through and came across the two men in another large cavern; they decided not to play around. “Where is Kari!” Robert yelled. He drew his sword, and Greg followed. They each corned a man and threatened them. One finally confessed, “ok, ok, we haven’t found her yet.” “Why were you looking for her?” Greg demanded. “Tell us!” Robert yelled. “Marcel, he’s forcing us to do this.” “Do what?” “He traps powerful women, and well, I don’t know what he does with them….” “What? Oh my goodness, this is far worse than I thought.

But where is Kari then?” They shook their heads, “we swear we don’t know,” they said, begging them to believe what they were saying. The knights let the men stand freely.

“Greg, go outside and search for any sign of her; I’ll deal with everyone here.” Greg nodded and ran out the way he came. Marcel saw Greg run through, and to his relief, he ran straight past him and hopped on his horse. Marcel planned on claiming the men in the cave acted on their own, and he was just standing waiting for her to return. He was proud of thinking his way out of the trouble.

Greg raced through the forest and along the base of the mountain. He saw a group in the distance and noticed a group of men surrounding Kari. She pulled out her sword and fought off two of them, but she couldn’t handle it, she was trying to summon power, but she couldn’t. She held the blade of her sword and pointed it at them, and suddenly white blinding light blasted out, and they hit the ground. Kari flew back a bit and hit the ground. Greg jumped off his horse and ran to her.

Greg had seen Kari’s power before, but he had never seen it displayed from a close distance. It was impressive; the light she summoned was white and powerful.

When he reached her, he knelt next to her and helped her sit up.

Greg was an attractive strong man with an average build and light brown hair. He had a substantial nose, and his face was usually painted with a stern expression. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Their eyes met, and time stood still for a moment. His eyes were brown, and she felt them stare right into her soul. “Your majesty,” He said, “are you alright?” “Yeah, she said. She lifted her hands and realized that she was still holding the sword. “Could you remove this?” she said quietly. He looked down at her hands. He gently unfurled her hands and took the sword. The palms of her hands were black and bloody. “Oh no, you’re hurt; let me help you. He pulled off his pack and gathered some cloth and an herb paste. This gesture transported her back to when they were at the castle in the mountains, and she used her power for the first time.

Marcel was the one who wrapped her hands. Since all of the events happened so quickly, she hadn’t found the time to process what happened, but now that Greg was with her, she knew she was safe, and she started to get annoyed. “I can’t believe Marcel... Wait, are you working with him? She said suddenly and pulled away from him. “No,” he said. It’s my job to serve and protect you.” “Then why are you here?” She started to stand and back away. How did you know I was here?” “Your note,” he said. “The second I read that you were with marcel, I knew nothing good would happen. I immediately jumped on my horse and headed here, and Robert saw me, so he chanced after me, and he’s at the cave looking for you, and he sent me to search in the woods.” She stopped trying to leave. “I’m sorry.” she said, “No, it’s a perfectly reasonable reaction. Here, give me your hands so I can wrap them.”

She gingerly positioned her hands, palm up, on his knees. He gently poured water on them and wiped them clean. Then he placed the green and chunky paste made of healing plants. She was very aware of his touch as he held her hands. He wrapped them, and when he finished, he helped her to stand. “Thank you so much,” she said. “I might’ve been in more danger if you hadn’t arrived.” Greg looked at the bodies on the ground. “I think you can handle yourself,” he said, pointing at them. “Barely.” She said, “this time, They genuinely caught me off guard."