It was a miserable day.

The sky was dark, and swirling with murky clouds that looked like they may pour at any moment. The wind was loud in Noelle's ears, and her head ached from the deafening sound of thunder above her head. When she was little, Aurora had taught her a trick to know how close a thunderstorm was.

"First, you'll see the flash of lightning in the sky," Aurora had said, soothing the child while she was afraid during the storm. With each loud roar, poor Noelle had jumped almost three feet in the air. "Then you count. However many seconds you get to before the noise tells you how far away the storm is. Count with me."

The next time Noelle saw the bright light outside of the window, she and Aurora began to count. They got to ten seconds before she heard the thunder.

"This means that the storm is actually ten kilometres away," Aurora said, patting her daughter's head. "This means that you have nothing to worry about."

When Noelle once again saw the flash of lightning in the sky, she began to count aloud. She did not care if Lolita or Roland looked at her funny, she was trying to find comfort in her mind during a time when she had none.

She got to the number three before the sky cracked open above them. The storm was three kilometres away, and the danger was growing. Suddenly, Noelle found herself wishing she had never tried out Aurora's trick.

"We need to get going and leave this forest," Lolita said, breaking their silence. Previously, the group had taken cover under the trees, as their leaves were thick enough to shield them from the rain. However, now that the thunderstorm was steadily growing on them, the group knew they had to evacuate before it reached them.

"Come on Roland, let me help you," Noelle said, reaching towards her friend who was sitting propped up against a tree trunk. She was worried for him. They had to leave the town a significant amount of time earlier than was healthy for him, and Noelle knew that if they continued making him use his leg and did not give him his rest, Roland's leg would never heal. What worried her the most was the fact that he had not said a word for what seemed like aeons, instead staring into space with a dead, blank look.

"You guys should leave me," he said, and Noelle thought she did not hear him right.

"What?" Lolita laughed, stopping in her tracks as she stared at him.

"I said you guys should leave me," Roland repeated. "I'm only dead weight."

Noelle's blood ran cold as she heard the words her friend was saying. Roland, the one who had gotten her out of that wretched castle, the one who preached about not giving up and fighting until the end, was now proposing the idea that they should abandon him.

"Are you stupid?!" Lolita yelled, running up to him and leaning before him, grabbing his shoulders and giving them a little shake to knock some sense into the boy. "We can't leave you!"

"I-I'm just putting you in unnecessary danger," Roland stuttered, looking down to stop the girls from seeing his tears.

"Roland, we're all in this together. Now get up!" Lolita urged, grabbing his right arm while Noelle took the other, and together they tried to haul Roland up.

"See? I can barely stand up on my own! I need help with everything! I only slow you down!" Roland yelled, frustration and despair evident in his tone. With all of her heart, Noelle wanted to stop him before he spiralled.

"Roland, look at me," Noelle urged, steading her friend as she looked up at his face. She could not tell if it was damp from tears or rain. "Look at me! Calm down, you're not dead weight to us. You're our friend."

"And we're not leaving you, whether you like it or not," Lolita added, and together the girls began pulling Roland along to leave the forest.

This time, he did not even try to hide his tears as he allowed himself to be vulnerable, if even it was for a moment. He tried to hide his face in his hands, and stopped moving completely as the sobs overcame his body.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry," he sniffled, wiping his eyes aggressively. Noelle did not even reply, instead she wrapped her arms around him as Lolita did too, and they stayed like that in the pouring rain, a crying bundle of tears just holding each other for support. In reality, each of them needed solace, and each was too prideful and ashamed to reach out to their friends for support.

"Don't be sorry," Lolita whispered, hugging them tighter. "You don't have a reason to."

. . .

Another thing that Noelle quickly noticed within the small group was Lolita's growing negativity. With each passing day, she looked like she was about to cry. Her eyes watered and she sniffed regularly, even though she insisted it was only a cold. At the beginning of the journey, the young girl's face always held the hint of a smile, however now it was scarce to see.

Noelle knew that they were all falling apart, and there was nothing she could do to stop it, no matter how much she tried. For the deepest and darkest part of Noelle's heart also felt the severe psychological stress of being on the run from Adron all of the time. Noelle was always paranoid that they would be captured by his soldiers, that she would be forced into the wedding and her friends would be locked in the dungeons, or worse; sentenced to death.

During the night, when Roland was fast asleep, Noelle heard quiet cries coming from the direction that Lolita was in. The girl had her back to her, but Noelle saw how her body shook and how she tried to clamp a hand over her mouth to stifle the noise.

Slowly, Noelle approached, tentatively sitting herself down next to Lolita. Immediately, the girl froze, as if she hoped Noelle might still mistake her for being asleep.

"I know it's not a cold," Noelle said, and was met with silence. Then slowly, Lolita sat up when she knew the game was over. She placed herself into a sitting position next to Noelle, their sides pressed against each other as they quietly sat together in the dark.

"I'm scared," Lolita admitted finally. Noelle did not reply to allow her to continue speaking. "I-I miss my grandma."

Her heart reached out to Lolita, for she knew that feeling all too well. That crushing feeling of longing, as you desperately wished for something that was so far from you, yet so near. The invisible feeling, gone on the good days, yet on the bad it was so overwhelming that it could force someone into a shell of what they used to be. It was one of the most dangerous emotions, longing.

"I know how you feel." Noelle chose her words carefully, like she was stepping on landmines. "But soon, you'll be able to go home," she said.

"I-It's not only that," Lolita sniffled, leaning her head on Noelle's shoulder. "I think my grandma is d-dying. She would never say, but I see how weak s-she's become. I always try to help her as much as I can... b-but without me... what's she going to do? What if something happens to her and I- and I never get to say goodbye?!" Lolita cried, hiding her face in Noelle's neck as her body was overtaken by sobs. "I don't know what I'd do!"

Noelle just wrapped her arms around the young girl, holding her tight and not letting go, even as she could feel her own tears slowly cascading down her cheeks. She felt like she was comforting Valerie, and in many instances the two girls were so alike.

Before Noelle even had a chance to open her mouth, their private moment was cut short by a sudden arrow flying through the air and hitting the tree trunk behind them. Despite herself, Noelle shrieked, and Lolita instantly shot up in fear as they looked around for the source.

When another arrow came soaring through the air, this time barely missing Lolita.

The two girls quickly jumped up, and Noelle rushed to wake up Roland.

"Roland!" Noelle shouted, shaking the boy awake. He looked around in a daze, before taking one look at her panic stricken face. "We're under attack!"

She pulled him up, and made to run for the bushes, as five men on big, white stallions came into view, surrounding them like they were mice cornered into a wall by a hungry cat.

"Halt!" The man who Noelle presumed to be the leader, as he seemed to be the one with the authority, yelled. "Who are you and what is your purpose?"

"We're- we're travellers," Roland stuttered, wildly looking around to try and focus on all of the men at one.

"We just needed a safe spot to sleep," Lolita explained, clasping her hands together to try and negotiate. Noelle's eyes were wide open in a panic as she stared at the men, most particularly one who seemed to be much younger than the others. He was tall, with brown skin and long, dreadlocks pulled back in a ponytail. He couldn't be any older than Roland was, and looked extremely uncomfortable to be in their presence. When Noelle met his eyes, he quickly frowned and glanced away.

The man stared coldly at Lolita. "Are you aware you are trespassing on our land?" He asked, reaching to unsheathe his sword. "That is a crime punishable by imprisonment. Catch them."

The men charge, and Noelle was deafened by a series of screams that she didn't know if they came from her own throat or her friends. She covered her head and neck with her hands as she tried to duck to the floor to avoid the flow of arrows, before a new voice joined in, booming above all the rest and freezing everyone in place.

"Stop!" It was the youngest boy of the group, looking positively terrified as all eyes turned to him. "They're kids, they didn't know any better."

"What are you saying, Karol?" The man in charge asked, steering his horse to trot up to the boy's and staring him down with a glare that would have made the weakest tremble in fear.

"I'm saying we help them. They're obviously harmless, I mean, look at that one. He's injured," Karol reasoned, and the man considered his words.

"And who put you in charge?" Sneered another. He was short and fat, looking like he might almost fall off of his horse. "You're not the leader, Givan is!"

"Silence, Milton!" roared Givan, holding his hand up. He commanded with authority, and Noelle saw that his word was always the last. Everyone else was a worthless pawn below him. Milton silently retreated, and the men returned to face Noelle, Lolita and Roland once again.

Ultimately, it was decided to take the small group back to their village, and nobody dared to disagree. Noelle found herself sitting on the back of Karol's horse as he wordlessly took her to the village, which she would later learn was called Hunter's Ville.

It was only a short way from their original spot, yet the path to it was so complicated that Noelle was lost within minutes. There were more turns and twists than she could possibly count. Eventually, she saw the beginning of a road, until it evolved into a small town with large, pretty houses. She noted that each was vastly different with its design, some being painted grey, some white, some blue and some green. The homes all had great gardens, filled with plants and laughter from the small children running around. Magical, white vines grew on the fences and enchanted the glorious setting of the village.

Noelle gasped when she saw it, and in front of her, Karol chuckled. She could not see his face, but she presumed he was smiling and did not say another word. They were discarded in the village, to be left alone until further questioning.

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?" Roland scoffed, almost desperately. He looked to Lolita and Noelle, who both shrugged. She helped him up, letting him lean on her shoulder.

"It's the nice boy, maybe we should ask him for help?" Lolita suggested, pointing towards Karol, who was putting his horse away from the stables. "Let's come closer."

They made their way over to him, and Noelle watched as he gently stroked the impressive beast.

"Hush, Harrison. I'll get you some sugar cubes, yeah?" He spoke gently to the horse, threading his fingers through its impressive mane. Noelle watched him for a minute, finding a fond smile grow on her face the longer she looked.

Wait, no! She had just met this boy, and all he did was save them from a group of feisty barbarians.

"Hey," Lolita confidently tapped his shoulder, causing him to turn around. He took one look at them and smiled, and for a minute his eyes locked with Noelle's.

"Hello," Karol politely greeted. "Can I help you guys?"

"Yes actually," Roland interrupted. "You guys kinda took us here and we have nowhere to go."

Karol had the audacity to look awkward, standing stiffly in his polished leather jacket, barely covering his muscles. Wait, what? No! Noelle decided not to ponder on his muscles.

"Oh... sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, we just really need a place to sleep for tonight and transport," Noelle said, giving the boy a supporting smile. Behind him, Harrison whined to bring attention to himself.

"Harrison and I could give you a ride?" Karol suggested, motioning to the horse. "I'm sure he won't object."

"That would be great, thank you," Noelle said earnestly. She would be lying if she didn't find the boy attractive, and she could not deny the skip in her heartbeat any time his heartwarming smile was directed at her.

"Yeah that's cool and all," Roland butted in, the glare on his face not wavering. "But we still need a place to sleep tonight. We're kinda, you know, stranded?"

"Um, I suppose you could sleep in the stables with Harrison? He can protect you during the night and I'll get some blankets?" Karol suggested, and Lolita looked outraged.

"Stables? Really!" She scoffed, folding her arms across her chests. She peeked into the stables, wrinkling her nose as the smell of waste and hay hit her nose. "Ew..."

"Or we could sleep at yours?" Noelle asked, smiling slightly at Karol. She did not know if it was the lighting, but his face turned a tint darker.

"I-I mean, I don't see why not? I would just have to ask my parents..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck as he laughed awkwardly. "I'm sure they'd agree!"

Karol's parents graciously understood their situation and welcomed them into their home with open arms. The group was provided with a supply of warm blankets and pillows to sleep on in the living room, as well as a hot water bottle for each of them. Karol's mother, Rachela, even gave them some hot soup before they went to bed.

While Lolita and Roland were making their beds downstairs, Karol managed to catch a moment alone with Noelle. He stopped her in the corridor, placing a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," he began, smiling slightly as she slowed to walk with him.

"Hi Karol. Thanks for all of this, by the way," Noelle said. She tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her ear as she tried to look anywhere but at Karol to hide the pale blush on her face.

"It's no problem! Do you guys know where you're going to go next?" He asked curiously, and Noelle pondered about how much of the story she would tell him. After all, she never knew who was a supporter of Adron and who was not.

"Well, Roland and I took a look at your map earlier, and we wanted to begin heading in the direction of the Lost Forest People," Noelle said. 

It was true that she had taken a look at the large map of Dacnella, which was plastered on the living room wall. Roland had told her that the Lost Forest People were an ancient tribe that lived sheltered away from the influences of the modern world. He said that they believed Adron should not be King, and were a society that went by their own rules and lifestyles. The reason why they had not yet been murdered by Adron's guards was because they were impossible to find, just as if they were lost from the real world. Roland said that if they wanted to form a rebellion against King Adron, then the Lost Forest People were their best option.

In reality, Noelle did not know what they would do when they reached the Lost Forest, or how they could even begin to rally enough people to form an uprising against Adron. In hindsight, it was simply foolish to even consider trying to go to war against a man in power of several armies and Kingdoms. They would be destroyed before they even began.

But it was also Noelle's best chance of getting home.

"You want to find the Lost Forest?" Karol asked, bewildered. His face was a mix of amusement and concern. "Some don't even believe they exist."

"I think it's worth a try. Plus, it's our only hope if we want to..." Noelle trailed off, biting her tongue before she revealed too much. Karol looked at her with his eyebrows high on his forehead, but he did not push her for more information, for which she was grateful.

"Well, I have a friend who knows Dacnella better than the palm of his hand. Maybe he can help? I could take you to meet him tomorrow," Karol said, and this time he looked like he wanted to say more yet bit his tongue to stop.

"I'd really like that!" Noelle said, before deciding to take the leap. If Karol would not do it, then she would. "Speaking of tomorrow, I was wondering if you could show me around the village? I could use some knowledge of this place."

Karol blushed scarlet, his face turning into a giddy grin.

"Yeah of course! I mean- only if you want to! God what am I talking about? Of course you want to, I mean you suggested it! I really need to shut up," he muttered, slapping his forehead as he groaned. Noelle laughed, patting him lightly on the shoulder for comfort.

"Don't worry about it. Tomorrow morning, you and I?"

"S-sure!"

Noelle turned around after a last small smile, before slowly descending down the stairs. She knew Karol was watching her, and she revelled in it.