Mark quickly packed himself a small bag for his journey. His heart was racing, and his head was spinning. His only thought was to find Addie. That's all that mattered. He didn't know where she could possibly be, but at that point, he was not thinking rationally anymore. Mark was hesitant about how much of the already meager food supply he should take with him. After some thought, he eventually decided on half a loaf of bread, a couple pieces of meat, and a flask of water. He figured that he's find a way to get more food along the way. Mark moved quietly around the hut, his bare feet barely making a noise on the dirt ground. He took one look at his sleeping parents. He imagined the horror they would feel when they realized that both their children were gone. Images of frantic screaming and desperate searching flashed through his mind. It hurt to think of this, but he knew that there was no other way. He had to find Addie at all costs and bring her home safely, no matter what it took.

Mark headed out and walked until the the sun rose. He planned on heading to the nearby village of Gad to search and ask around. Perhaps someone there would have seen the Healers passing by. If that didn't work, then he planned to ask for directions to the town of Zebulon, one of the wealthier places in the general area. Hopefully these would bring him closer to finding where the Healers had taken Addie.

As the hours passed, the scorching sun beat down mercilessly on the poor boy. He tried to drink his water sparingly, but he knew that he had to get to Gad as soon as possible is he was to survive. Sweat dripped from his forehead and soaked into in rough tunic. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he peered out into the distance. He spied the faint shape of the village ahead, but it was still very far away. Sighing, Mark continued to push onward.

"Do it for Addie," he repeated to himself over and over again. "It's all for her."

It was past noon when Mark arrived at the village of Gad. By that time, he was hungry and exhausted after walking all day. The people paid no notice to him and just figured he was just another poor and starving soul wandering in from nowhere. Mark stumbled through the streets and finally sat down in the shade of a nearby building. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the side of the building in exhaustion. Mark sat there for what seemed hours. Eventually, he opened his eyes and stared out at the people walking by. His hunger seemed to be eating him from the inside and leaving a nauseous feeling behind. He reached into his pack and ate his bread and meat. Mark saw a man walking by and reached out a feeble hand.

"Excuse me, sir," Mark said, his voice hoarse and weak. "Have the Healers passed through here by any chance?"

"They passed through here a couple weeks ago," the man explained. "Why? You lookin' to trade something? Don't they come to every village?"

Mark sighed. "Yeah, they came to my village, but they took my sister. I'm trying to find her and take her back."

The man scoffed. "You might as well head home now, fella. There's no use meddling with them Healers. They have some type of magic that you just don't want to mess with. Just accept that she's gone and move on."

Mark shook his head angrily. "No, I can't just do that to her. My sister is out there somewhere, I have to find her and bring her home."

The man let out a dry laugh. "You'll end up dead too, son."

"I'd die from starvation at home anyway," Mark shot back angrily. "Now tell me, what did the Healers that passed through here look like? Three Healers came to my village. One was short and had a cane, one was tall and lean, and the third was big and had a full beard."

The man thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, doesn't ring a bell. The only two Healers passed through Gad. One was a youngish lad, and the other was an old lady."

"Those are the most peculiar Healers I've heard of," the dark eyed boy remarked. "I didn't even know women were Healers."

The man scoffed again. "Have you never been out of your town?"

"No, sir."

"Then the more likely you'll end up dead. I'm telling you, boy. You'll never find her. She could be anywhere in the entire world. Head home now before it's too late. You've got a full life ahead of you; don't waste it on something as foolish as this."

Mark just shook his head again. "No, I can't give up on her."

The man rolled his eyes, "Oh well. That's your choice then. Go off and die alone in the middle of some desert." At that, the man walked off.

Mark sighed, running his hand through his hair. Was it really hopeless? Should he really give up and accept that Addie was truly gone? But his moment of doubt only lasted for a second. He shook his head with fierce determination. He was going to find Addie, and he was going to bring her home.

Much of the day had passed already, so Mark went off to find a place to stay for the night. The village of Gad was slightly less poor than his home town. The houses seemed to me made out of some mud brick instead of just random pieces of sticks and straw thrown together. Their markets were full of people and had a larger variety of food. Mark saw foods that he didn't even know existed, and it made his mouth water. While he was walking, he called out to people he saw.

"Please, sir, may I please stay for the night?"

"Excuse me, ma'am. Do you have a spare room where I can stay?"

Again and again, he was turned down. They all just saw him as another burden and hassle in their already hectic lives. Mark wandered sadly though the streets, feeling as hungry and tired as ever. As he walked through the streets, something suddenly collided with his leg. It was a little girl, about Addie's age. She had messy blond hair and shining blue eyes. Her cheeks were round and rosy, and she had a cute button nose. She wore a plain brown dress and her feet here filthy even though she was wearing sandals. The girl stared up at the dark haired boy curiously. In her hands, she clutched a single white daisy.

"Lynsey!" A lady who Mark assumed was the little girl's mother came rushing out and scooped the young child up into her arms. The lady looked just like her daughter except her hair was graying and her eyes looked slightly weary. She wore a long gray dress and a stained apron. "Don't just run outside like that. It's getting late. And apologize to the young man immediately."

The blue eyed girl glanced up at the dirty faced boy. "I'm sorry for bothering you," she said quietly.

Mark grinned. "It's alright." He turned to the woman. "You're daughter is very pretty, and she seems like such a sweet girl. You're very blessed."

The woman smiled. "Thank you very much. And where are you traveling from? I don't remember ever seeing you around these parts."

"I come from the village of Dyan. It's not too far from here. I'm out to find my little sister, Addie. Healers passed through my village and they kidnapped her. They wanted to take her joy, but I warned her not to give it to them. I just hope she remembers what I said..." Mark explained.

The lady looked at him curiously for a few seconds before speaking. "You know, I've never seen a love as great as that before," she started.

Mark gave her a sad smile. "Yes, I love her dearly and I'd do anything for her. You might think I'm crazy for going into the unknown and doing this, but I have to bring her home. I have to find her else it will haunt me for the rest of my life."

"I understand," the lady said with a nod. "Come in. You've probably had a long day, and I believe many more lie ahead of you." She gestured for the boy to enter her home. "My name is Celia, by the way."

"I'm Mark," he replied. "And thank you so much."

"It's the least I can do," Celia answered. She led Mark inside and shut the door behind them. She gestured for Mark to have a seat at the table as she went to prepare some food. Her daughter Lynsey sat down with Mark and looked at him quietly with her blue eyes. Mark smiled at the girl, and she shyly returned the smile.

"Hello there," Mark said gently. "How old are you?"

"I'm 6 and a half," the little girl said proudly. "How old is your sister?"

"She's 7 years old, close to your age," Mark answered, a small smile growing on his face as he talked about his sister. "And she's the sweetest, happiest ball of sunshine ever. You remind me of her a lot."

Celia walked over to them and served them plates with rice and beans on it. Mark's eyes widened. This was more food than he'd even had in an entire week. He stared up at Celia in surprise.

"Ma'am, I can't take this much food from you. Less than half this plate is enough for me. You've been so kind already, I don't want to..." Mark stuttered.

"Nonsense," Celia hushed. "You'll need it if you're going to travel around. Go on, eat up. It's perfectly fine."

Mark looked back and forth between the food and the lady. "Are...are you sure?"

Celia laughed. "My goodness, I have never met anyone be so hesitant to take food around these parts. Most people would have jumped on that food like hyenas and the plate would be empty by now."

"Thank you," Mark said. "Thank you a hundred times over."

Celia smiled. "Stop by here when you find your sister. I'd love to meet her."

Mark looked up from his food to glance at the light haired lady. "Do you really believe I'll be able to find her?"

"With that determination, I believe you'll be able to do. But I have to warn you. Farther on from here, you'll start to mingle with the rich folk. And most of them take no pity on lowly people like us. Be very careful who you trust. You never know with them."

Mark nodded. "I'll be on my guard. How do you know of this? Have you travelled abroad?"

Celia sighed. "My husband did, and he encountered many people of that sort."

"If you don't mind me asking, where is your husband?"

"He passed away over a year ago. He made a trade with the Healers, and was never the same again."

"What did he trade?"

Celia looked away sadly. "His joy."