She looked over at Pettran, “We might be talented in areas other than just Alchemy, which is one of the reasons why we were sent out. Our observation skills when looking for herbs is not great, we missed the Pleo Mint that Russell found so easily and we know how to harvest and recognize that plant. Our knowledge of herbs is also very limited. That is why…” She looked over at Russell “We are very lucky to have met you.” Russell chewed what little food he had left very carefully. He slowly swallowed and looked between Pettran and Anise. “I might have more of your story.” He looked over at me “It is how I knew about this place and that we are supposed to find Red Wolves and Grey Paws here.” I nodded at him to continue. I had finished the drink while Anise was telling her story and handed her the cup. Russell had given his cup back to Pettran about halfway through Anise’s story. Pettran had already started drinking his own cup of pale green water. Anise poured the last of the water into her cup and started sipping on it. “A few years ago a very small number of Wood Elves, three I think, came to the woods where my father’s clan rules. They begged for shelter and to be allowed to join the clan. When asked why they were here the oldest, Rai, told everyone about how everyone fell mysteriously ill and in just a few days over a third of their population had already died. When there were only six of them not sick by the next week, they buried the dead and were getting ready to move on. Then they were attacked by a large group of creatures. Only four of them survived and one of them died from their wounds on their way to my father’s clan. They were granted permission to settle in the woods after they were placed in quarantine for two weeks. Rai was nice and told me a lot of stories. When he learned that I was planning on leaving the forest he told me about this forest and about some of the plants and creatures that can be found in these woods. He told me where to find the Pixie and Sprite villages but did not mention anything about your village. I don’t know if he was trying to keep your village safe or if they thought you guys were dead as well.” Anise and Pettran had frozen when he told them about what happened to the Wood Elf Village. I could see some similarities in what happened to the Wood Elves and what is happening to them now. It is a bleak future. Russell hummed in thought for a few minutes while Anise and Pettran sipped their drinks with shaking hands. “If this is the same problem that hit Rai’s village then something that you have been doing has slowed down the process considerably. That shows promise for there being a cure. What are the symptoms?” Both Anise and Pettran looked shocked by Russell’s words. Hope, that is hope in their eyes as Anise started to list the symptoms of those who had fallen ill. “The first sign that someone is sick is a lack of energy. That is soon followed by a dark purple rash on the arms, then they start to itch. The next step is vomiting which is soon followed by the most dangerous part, the fever. No one lasts long once they get the fever. Callow Bark does not help with the fever, but a potion made from Olyn and Julip does help with slowing down the progression of the illness.” Russell let out another hum as he started to clean up the campsite. He had poured the grease into his mold to make more of those cubes for cooking. It was going to be full dark soon. We do not camp at the same place that we eat, the smell will attract too many creatures. Russell had been very firm about this, it made sense when I thought about it. It was just one of those things that I never had to think about when I lived in my human dominated safe community. Pettran was cleaning all the dishes and Anise was packing away the rest of the food supplies that we did not use. I gathered up all my gear and helped Anise put away the empty animal skins that were used to hold the meat that Russell cooked. Once he had the grease in the mold Russell worked on smothering the fire. Pettran joined him once the dishes were done. No one wants to burn the forest down with improperly smothered fire.

We were moving again before it became full dark. We moved quickly choosing a spot about a kilometer away to make our camp. We made a small fire to keep us warm and ward off creatures. As much as we like each other we are still not ready to trust each other while we sleep. Russell and Pettran will take the second watch and Anise and I will take the first watch. Anise and Russell were both blushing when they brought up the idea of having one of each of us on watch to do two shifts instead of four. After Russell and Pettran were bundled in their furs and asleep Anise looked over at me and whispered “I am sorry about this.” I wave my hand at her “No problem. We are still strangers, don’t forget that we were not letting you guys be on watch while we sleep either. Trust is earned.” Anise looked relieved. “Yes. I like that. Trust is earned. Is it a saying in your world?”

“It is. There are a lot of sayings in my world. Want to hear some of them?” I need to stay awake, might as well talk about something that I know a lot about and Anise might find interesting. Better than trying to learn something, my mind is a bit too tired to be able to learn anything and still be able to remember it in the morning. “Yes, I would like to know more about your world.” I wrack my mind to think up some sayings. “Nobody's Perfect, and also Pobody’s Nerfect.” Anise’s face scrunched up in confusion. “The first one makes sense but the second is nonsense. What does that even mean?” Now this might be a bit tricky. My words are being automatically translated so this one might not work the way it does in my world. “Pobody's Nerfect is a joking way to say the first one. It switches the first letters of both words and means ‘I can’t even say the saying right’.” Anise shook her head. “That does not work in our language, it is not switching the first letters, but it makes sense if it works that way in your world. I wonder how many other of your sayings will not work with our language?” We both scanned the trees and shadows around us, I learned quickly to not look at the fire when I am on watch. It ruins my night vision. “Tell me some more please.” Anise said once we determined that there was nothing was creeping up on us. “Hmmm. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Chickens are a bird that lay eggs and are used by farmers to gather and sell eggs and chickens are a favorite to eat. The saying means that you should not assume that you will have something or win something before it actually happens.” Anise nodded. “I can see that. I can think of a few creatures that it can be changed to work with.” I get the feeling that she is planning to use these. “Another one is curiosity killed the cat. It is often followed by satisfaction brought it back. A cat is a common household pet, a small feline. It means be careful about what you investigate. It is also called sticking your nose in it. Being too curious could be dangerous, but others counter that having your curiosity satisfied is worth the danger.” Anise giggled and we did another silent scan of the shadows and the trees around us. Once we are sure that we are in the clear we begin to whisper again. “Lets see another saying is: early to bed early to rise. That one is a bit self explanatory.” Anise nodded. “Until the cows come home. Cows are a creature that are used for meat and give milk that is drunk, and used to make a lot of different foods. The saying means that they can do whatever for an indefinite amount of time, or that they are wasting time for something that is not going to happen. Oh, this is a good one. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life. It means that it is better to teach someone to take care of themselves then to do things for them. Another good one is it takes a single spark to light a fire. It means that even the smallest thing can become something large.” Anise was nodding as she thought that one over. “It could be something good or something bad. Like passion.” She gave a small embarrassed but happy smile. “When Pettran and I met, it was just a small spark between us at first, but it soon was fanned into a strong fire. Pettran tells me that I am the only woman that he will ever love.” She turned to look at me so I could see the truth and determination in her eyes, “I believe him.” She sighed as we scanned the darkness to make sure that we were not being watched. “It can also be something bad. A stray spark here in these woods could start a fire that would burn the whole forest down. That is a good saying. It is both a warning and a promise.” She fed a few more sticks to the fire.

“ The one about the fish and the man makes a lot of sense. It is better to teach a person how to do something. There are many families in this world, even in our village that coddle their members and have everything done for them. They do not teach them how to take care of themselves. It will be better for them to learn to do so.” She sighed. “I will admit to being one of those people. My father had loved my mother and her death had hurt him very badly. Pettran…” Her voice became a bit dreamy “He is the one who taught me how to fish.” She went silent for a moment and she gave Pettran’s sleeping form a loving lingering look before she turned to me then looked back into the darkness. “Please tell me some more.” Hmm, a love struck woman, I do my best to not be jealous. I don’t have a special someone. As adorable Russell is, and no matter how much I trust him, there is no spark between us. He is more like a best friend that is more brother than anything. I could see myself hugging Russell, but any thought of kissing him, and I am a healthy woman of course I have entertained the thought, was met with the feeling that it was wrong rather than the tingly feeling that usually accompanies the thought of kissing an attractive man. I like Anise, and she and Pettran must make a good couple. They seem to balance each other out, he is very serious and she seems to be more carefree and helpful. If Pettran was the one who was teaching her how to do things for herself then it could make sense that she is not as skilled at fighting as she could be. Her reactions when in dangerous situations make more sense. Hmm, what will be a good saying to say to a woman in love? This one might be a good one. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It means that distance from someone you love will make you want to see them and love them more.” Anise let out a low hum. “That is not something I want to try.” I really don’t blame her. “All that glitters is not gold. Also fools gold. They kind of mean the same thing. Just because something looks nice and shiny does not mean that it is valuable.” Anise was silent as she thought this one over. She seems to be taking this one in. “Your world holds gold as a valuable metal? We find it valuable in our world because it holds and conducts magic so well. Is it the same in your world?” I never thought about how materials in this world might be able to conduct magic. It would be something that people in a world that does have magic would be looking for. Their reason for holding gold precious is a better reason than we did. “We found it valuable because it was shiny, rare and non-reactive when mixed with other substances. Since we did not have any magic in my old world we focused on science. We mapped out all the elements that are found in nature and several that are not found naturally. We made mathematical equations about how elements and substances react to each other and what they make when they are mixed and how much you get from it. We used it to make fancy jewelry and as money. Some covered objects in a thin layer of gold to make it prettier and cost a lot more, while others used it as a sign of status. Silver and platinum are also considered precious metals in my old world.” Anise continued to stare out at the dark. “What a funny world. Science… there are a few of those in our world as well. My mother knew of a group of people who called themselves scientists. They fight to understand our world. They supposedly look forward to the cycles because they like to speak to the Reborn about their worlds to gain a better understanding of how our world works and how it differs from other worlds. They believe that by comparing the worlds they will be able to eventually learn how not only does our world work, but how everything works. Mother called them very ambitious dreamers.” These scientists sound like people that I want to meet. “I don’t know how much luck they have had with gaining an understanding of the world, but I bet they would love to meet you.”

“I would like to meet them too.” I told her honestly. “I want to know more about magic and how you are able to harness it the way that you do here.” I probably won’t die if I don’t know how it works, but it is still something that I really want to know more about. Magic, does it only exist in this world? Or does my old world have it but we just can’t feel or access it? I could not feel magic until I transformed into my Kitsune form. Then I could feel it all around me in everything. I have to wonder if it is just a sense like sight and smell that keeps me from using it in my human form, or if it is something more crucial. Anise and I sat there in the dark for a few more hours, talking idly about different things. Food and clothes mostly. When the moon reached the right spot we woke up Russell and Pettran and climbed into the warm furs. It is time for the boys to take watch. For some strange reason I think that there won’t be as much talking during this shift.