Kotori had been running for a while. She was unsure of the distance she had run. She wasn't completely sure she wasn't running in a straight line and could only use the sun as a general marker for the correct direction. She was small so it was unlikely she had moved as much as she would have liked. It was approaching midday and Kotori took the time to assess the contents of the sack that Roland had given her.

Inside was a small knife, a few pieces of bread, a small water skin, and a tinderbox. Kotori appreciated the tinderbox but she didn’t know how to use it. She quickly finished with her small break and began to move again. Although, she could slow down her pace Kotori didn't want to stop until she felt she was in a safe position.

While she was palming her father’s flute, she noticed something at her feet, a small pile of dirt had suddenly appeared; She poked it.

[That wasn't there before, right?] She thought

The dirt formed itself into a rat shape.

[Oh you]

Kotori had been so preoccupied that she didn't realize that Shu had following her the entire time. She lifted the small spirit and nuzzled it. Now she had two reminders of the home she once had. She finished her break and began her journey with a renewed vigor.

Shu seemed to like perching on her shoulder, so she let him stay there.

** ** **

Kotori and Shu had been walking for a while.

Kotori felt something.

A feeling like she was being watched.

"Where's there" She called out cautiously

As soon as she spoke the presence vanished again. Kotori began to quicken her pace and the presence appeared me again. It was unnerving, she couldn't see anyone nearby, The undergrowth was definitely empty.

The presence kept getting closer and her quickened pace began to turn into a run. She began to hear the rustling of leaves behind her and was unable to ascertain the existence of what was causing them.

Not wanting to look back Kotori had Shu tell her if he could see anything. He wasn’t able to pinpoint the sounds.

It grew unbearably close.

[I must fight!] Kotori thought

Kotori pulled out her flute and stood her ground.

Raising the flute to her mouth she played a shrill tone that caused people to seize up and was Kotori's only offensive tool.

She heard a small yelp and the sound of something falling.

She heard an object falling above her and quickly moved out of the way. A little while after a person collapses in a small pile in front of her.

Kotori instantly took several steps back and readied herself to play another tone.

The body on the ground groaned

[Karma -50]

[I'm really going to lose karma for defending myself? Wait, did this person mean me no harm!] Kotori thought

Thinking this, Kotori lowered her guard a little to see who the body was and was surprised to see that her pursuer was a young teen girl. Her face which was scrunched in pain, was lightly tanned and speckled with freckles. Her hair was a burnt orange. And she wore a mottled green suit that probably served as camouflage in the verdant forest. The girl had pointed ears,

[An elf?] Kotori thought. This was now starting to feel like a fantasy world for once.

She stood there cautiously watching the girl who continued to lay on the ground and groan

"I think you broke my arm!" She yelled

Kotori was equally startled and confused by the statement.

[Wasn't this girl the one chasing me] she instantly thought

"Are… you okay?" She asked carefully. The Girl didn't seem to radiate any hostile intent.

"Here I was trying to follow a small little girl who’s running desperately in the jungle, and she pulled out a flute and nearly BLOWS out my eardrums!" The girl said

"You weren't trying to kill me?" Kotori asked move her flute away from her mouth

The girl who had stopped groaning, stood up. Grimacing and holding her arm the girl looked at Kotori in surprise and said

"No? Who would try and kill a small child walking in the forest"

"But you were chasing me" Kotori explains

The girl sighed

"Look, I was trying to watch out for you. You're way too young to be walking around this deep in the forest"

She looked at Kotori

"I don't even know how you got here in the first place. The closest village is a day's walk from here and across the border."

Kotori was instinctively about to say that's where she was from but bit her tongue before she spoke. She didn't want to reveal too much about herself.

"Why are you here in the forest little girl? Where your family?" the girl asked.

Kotori felt grief welling up but didn't say anything, but it was obvious enough that the girl had noticed her change in mood.

Her face softened

"Ah, I guess you don’t have to tell me” The girl said.

"Am I in Faramouth?" Kotori asked

"Kinda? The border changes every year. Not like it matters since it's all forest anyway." The girl explains

The girl then looked at Kotori concerningly

"Look, a little girl like you shouldn't be walking around a forest there are wild animals roaming about and you could get hurt."

"I have to get away from Atlea" Kotori said.

The burnt orange haired girl stared at her testing resolve and finally said.

"Okay, Okay I get it. Can you at least come with me for a little bit and we'll get you patched up."

Kotori took some time to consider the proposal

If she took it and it was a trap she could be in a much worse situation. On the flip side, it was not like she had much choice. The girl was right that she couldn't possibly survive in this deep forest on her own.

"I'll go" She said curtly

The girl smiled, obviously relieved.

"Great!" We should probably introduce ourselves. My name is Amelie, yours?"

"Kotori"

She avoided saying her last name in the small chance that Amelie knew who she was.

"Follow me then" Amelie began to trudge along the forest gripping her arm obviously in pain.

"Wait,"  Kotori said

Amelie stopped obviously confused

"What? Is there an issue?"

Kotori looked at Shu on her shoulder and sent him a mental image of a cast and asked him if could make one.

Shu looked a little confused, but then manipulated some clay nearby to form around Amelie's arm. She looked in surprise upon seeing a pile of clay float and wrap around her arm

"There, it should be better to walk now" Kotori murmured

Amelie softly tapped the cast on her arm and it made a hollow sound.

"How'd you do that," she asked

"I didn't do it, Shu did," Kototi said, gesturing to Shu who sat on her shoulder.

"Are you friends with that dirt spirit?" Amelie asked

"More like it’s adoptive mom” She said dryly

To be quite honest, Kotori didn't know how important she was to Shu. It seemed the little spirit just liked to follow her around.

Amelie laughed, a bell-like tone that rung around the forest clearing they were win.

"Well then, thank you for the cast. I'll make sure to let the Boss know you're alright" Amelie said

"Wait!" Kotori stopped Amelie remembering something Roland told her,

"What about the bandits around here?" She asked

Amelie laughed again

"Ah that, well that's us." She explained

Kotori looked at Amelie who had just dropped a bombshell of information on her.

"I promise we're not that bad…” Amelie said smiling.

"I didn't kill you right?" she finish

Kotori, her surprise fading, couldn't argue with that and began to silently follow Amelie into the bandit’s nest.