I walked for what seemed like hours, until I found a cave that appeared to be unoccupied. I decided to take the chance, and settled down there. The cave would be my temporary home. I sat down on the musty floor of the cave, pulling my bag into my lap. I emptied the contents onto the floor, and analyzed what I brought. I had packed 2 sets of clothes, enough bread and cheese to last about...4 days, a small kitchen knife, my bow and 6 arrows, the necklace I had since before I was abandoned, and a few dragon carvings from my shelf.

I sighed, leaning back against the cave wall. What am I going to do? My food supply will run out in a few days, and there is barely any game in this forest! What would mom do? I don't know! If she were here, I would...if she were here... I broke down into sobs. I would never be able to ask her for advice again. I'd never see her again. Pull yourself together, Lilliana! You can get through this! Don't sulk around, get up and do what needs to be done! I took a deep breath, and rose to my feet. I decided to stay in the cave over night, and the next day, I would leave and head north. For now though, I would hunt. I didn't care how small the game might be. I was only feeding myself anyway.

With that, I grasped the handle of my bow, slung my quiver across my back, pocketed my knife and set off into the woods. I got lucky. I ventured deep into the forest, but not so deep that I would forget how to return to the cave, and I stumbled upon the slightly fresh trail of a small group of deer. I tracked the deer to a small clearing about a half league away from the cave. There were 6 deer, 3 does, 2 with babies, and a buck.

I only needed one. In fact,  I only needed less than one! I drew back my arrow, aiming for the doe without any offspring. I inhaled, and on my exhale I released the arrow. The outcome was a final dying squeal from my target, and pure panic and terror from the remaining deer. They bulleted off into the undergrowth, fearing for their lives. They never looked back.

As I scooped up the doe's carcass and swung it over my shoulder, I thought about how much I envied the deer. They were so free, so...unworried, I guess. They could witness the death of a family member, and never look back, never mourn, never grieve, and never care. If I was a deer, I wouldn't feel this gaping hole in my heart, left there because of my lack of family. If I was a deer, I wouldn't be in constant pain at seeing others and their families laughing, knowing that I never had that, and probably never will.

But if I was a deer, I would never have experienced the love that radiated off my almost-mom. If I was a deer, I wouldn't cherish the memories I shared with her. If I was a deer, I wouldn't care about anyone or anything but food. That would be a pretty empty life.

So, as I trudged back to the cave, my bow in hand, my deer over my shoulder, I came to this conclusion.

Every creature has their ups and downs, rights and wrongs, goods and bads. The real strength is in finding those goods, ups and rights, and prioritizing them over the downs, wrongs and bads.

When I arrived back at the cave, I could tell someone had been there. My possessions were strewn across the floor of that cave, the food half eaten. I gathered my clothes and carvings up with frustration. I should have known something like this would happen. I checked to make sure everything was still there (except for the food of course). Dragon carvings, check. 2 changes of clothes,  check. Food, eaten and on the ground, but check anyways. I had brought my knife hunting, along with my bow and arrows. I didn't remember anything else, but I couldn't help but feel as if I was missing something.

I shrugged. Whatever it was, it mustn't have been important for me to forget about it.  I got to work, collecting firewood, dismissing the predicament in the cave as some scavenger animal foraging for food. I started a small fire just outside the cave, and used stones to suspend a thin shale of rock above the flames. Then,  I carried the doe carcass over to a small alcove at the edge of the clearing, and skinned and gutted it. Once I had all the insides out, (A/N hehehe) I buried them in a hole a few meters into the forest. Hopefully the few creatures that actually resided in the forest would ignore my cave, my few possessions, and most importantly, me, and would go for the deer remnants instead.

I made sure to salvage as much of the deer pelt as I could. Nights got really cold this close to the ocean, and I,  being the smart person that I am, forgot to bring a blanket. I would wash the pelt later, and attempt to rid it of the blood stains from the doe. It's not a real blanket, but it will have to suffice.

By then,  the shale was hot enough to cook the deer meat. I sliced the meat into strips to cook above the fire, and retreated to the mouth of the cave. I need water. The thought came out of nowhere. I realized I was thirsty. I can't believe I forgot about water! I'll need to find a stream or something, I thought. Think, Lilli,  think! Do you remember any streams or rivers? But try as I might, I couldn't remember ever seeing a water source while hunting with my...while hunting. I didn't want to leave the cave again, and I couldn't leave the fire unattended. I guess I have to go without water for a day. I sighed, laying down and closing my eyes. As I stared at the insides of my eyelids, I pondered the events of the day.

I didn't know when it was that I fell asleep. I had just been resting my eyes, when BAM! I smelled Smoke. At first, I dismissed it as the fire, but then I realized the wind had been blowing in the opposite direction. Sure, the wind can change directions, but if it had, I would be able to smell the sea as well. The fire wouldn't be strong enough to block that out completely. That's what alerted me to the fact that this was not just my little cooking fire.

I pried open my eyes to see a terrifying sight. Flames surrounded the cave I was in! My fire had caught on a few blades of grass, but somehow, that was enough to start a full out forest fire! I snatched up the slightly burnt strips of deer meat, and retreated further into the cave. There was no way I was going to find a path out of the fire unscathed, I determined that I had to wait it out.

That was the problem. Forest fires could last for days. I could last a few days, but eventually, I would die from dehydration. At least I have food, I thought to myself.

Getting as close to the mouth of the cave as I could, I scanned the roaring scene before me. Flames leapt, surrounding the clearing, and blocking my view of the rest of the forest. I figured the grass would burn out soon enough, and I would be able to expand the perimeter of the space I could safely walk through. That could help me find a suitable water source in the area, I thought. Even though I hadn't seen any before didn't mean there wasn't one.

I sighed, beginning to envy my life before all this happened. The times when I could crawl into my almost-moms lap as she told me a story, or even when my almost-dad taught me how to write the alphabet to prepare me for a chore I had to do in Kuasta. What I would give to feel my almost-moms comforting arm around my shoulders one more time. A silent tear slid down my face. In that moment, I knew my life had changed forever. I would never have a normal life again.

*****

2 days had past. I had barely any food left, and I still had no water. On the bright side, the fire had dissipated. The minute I lost sight of the flames I had packed my things and stumbled out of the cave. On the second day, I had gone deeper into the cave, to see if somehow, someway, there might be water, but to no avail.

And there lied the problem. I had gone almost 3 full days without water! I had to find some source of it, or else, I would face imminent death.

As I had originally planned, I headed north. At least, I thought it was north. I quickly checked over my left shoulder to ensure that the sea was still there, and set off into the charred forest. I had only been walking for a few minutes when I started seeing them. Monsters in the shadows. Goblins in the trees. Creatures flickering just on the edge of my sight. The trees around me became disfigured and appeared to move upon their own will. Bushes grew legs and baaad at me. I saw the lifeless form of my almost-mom flooding the forest with her blood. I stumbled forward,  tears flowing out of my eyes. My eyelids shut, as I attempted to block out the world, but I did not see the usual sight of my eyelids.

Images flashed through my head. Dragons. Blue. Green. Gold. Red. Black. Death. Battle. Blood. Armour. Fire. I saw a silver mark upon human flesh, gleaming, shining. I didn't know what any of it meant. I just knew that whatever it was, I didn't want to encounter anything.

I ran.

I tripped over a snake that grew out of the earth, trying to lean on a tree that wasn't there.

"Lilli."

The voice was different. Familiar, but not. It was shimmery, glassy, as if it was the most perfect thing. The voice of an angel. I peered around, still in the dirt, trying to discern where the voice came from.

"Lilli, I am here."

I blinked, and at once a figure appeared. I knew this figure. I had chased it many times in my short life, cooked for it, hugged it.

"Mom? You're dead. I buried you." She laughed.

"You are suffering from terrible hallucinations due to your dehydration. I am a hallucination."

"So you're not actually here?" I rose to my feet, cautiously.

"No. I'm not. Lilliana, if you want to live, you must sleep now." Her smile disappeared.

"But---"

"You must go, my daughter! I love you." Gradually, her shimmering figure faded into the background. I called out weakly for her to stay, but she was gone. And she was never coming back. I felt the faint sensation of falling. My vision went black.

*****

The first thing I noticed was a loud chomping noise. The sound of someone--or something grinding food particles between molars. It was the most annoying thing ever. All at once, my memories from the previous days came flooding back, and I bolted upright, my eyes flying open, and startled whatever was disturbing my rest. My vision was blurry, and I could just make out a large, indistinct shape approaching me.

I panicked.

I scrambled to my feet to find a way to evade the mysterious figure, but a large, firm hand grabbed my shoulder, and, not gently, shoved me to the ground and kept me there. I struggled for a few minutes, but the hand was strong. I relaxed, my vision gradually getting better. I could see a face,  not a human face, staring intently at me, but I couldn't make out any of the features. I saw the creature reach to the side with its other hand, grabbing something. It held the thing to my lips, and soon, I felt a cool moisture on my lips. I thankfully allowed the water to trickle down my throat, and soften my gums.

I didn't realize I had closed my eyes until the thing in front of me pulled the water away. When I reopened them, I gasped.

"Greorre! It's you!" He let out a rumbling noise in his throat and released my shoulder.

"Yes, Lilliana. It is me." I sat up as he retreated to a comfortable distance. I took that time to survey my surroundings. We were in a small clearing in a forest I didn't recognize. I saw no blackened trees, so I determined that we must've been at least a weeks walk away from Kuasta. I turned back to my furry friend.

"What...what happened?"

"I was hunting in your woods. I am practicing for the day I will journey far from the tribe to kill a large creature. Then, I will bring a token from my kill to my ushnark, and there will be much glory. Every urgralgra must complete this task to be accepted in the tribe. There has been tell that a war chief took a...mountain bear as his prize.

        "Anyway, I was hunting, and I came across black trees. When I touched a branch, it just crumbled away. I knew something had happened. Then I saw a human trail. Your trail. So I followed it, thinking that person must have been the cause of this damage. I found you, laying on the ground. You looked dehydrated, so I took you with me as I headed back to my village. And here we are."

"Thank you."

"Are we not friends, Lilliana? Is that not what friends do for each other?"

"Yes, we are,  and I believe so. I haven't had many friends." I smiled at him. I looked around the clearing, noticing something. "Greorre, where's my bag? I had it when I...left the cave." Greorre shifted uncomfortably.

"They were stolen." My mouth dropped open.

"By who?! Who would want clothes and carvings of dragons?! How do you know they were stolen?" I asked frantically.

"I saw them take your bag before I reached you in your forest."

"Them? Who in the name of Alagaësia are them?"

"The...masked critters. They took your things. I don't know why. They usually only take shiny things. Did you have anything shiny?"

"Why do they take stuff?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"I do not know. They have visited my village in the dead of night, stealing our coins, weapons, and armour right under our noses. They are relentless, but they never take anything that does not have a...gleam to it. Are you sure you had nothing metal or gold?" The second he said the word, I had a sudden realization. That's what I was missing!

"My necklace!"

A.N.
Let me guess, you were expecting an egg to appear when Lilli shot the arrow!

What do you you think will happen next?

Please vote, comment and give me feedback, I really appreciate it! Thanks for all the support!

~pip