After trekking through the tall thicket of trees and watching even tiny slivers of sunlight become swallowed up by the gloam, Lady hardly expected so much light could exist in one place. Yet Galdre was practically bathed in it. The opening in the encirclement of greenwood was wide enough that she could imagine a giant hand cleaved its canopies aside, and poured sunlight into the clearing like water filling a cup. Even the river coursing beneath wooden bridges shined, glimmering waters connecting patches of land where tiny houses sat with thin trails of smoke rolling from their thatched roofs.

 Lady's heart pounded as her eyes feasted upon the scenery almost ravenously. How could something like this be considered nothing grand? Appalled, Lady scrunched up her nose and lightly swatted Pan on the shoulder. The little scamp yelped and turned their round, dark eyes on her. "What was that for?" They asked, bottom lip threatening to jut out in a pout until Lady wagged her finger inches from their nose. 

"You said this was a farmer's village, nothing grand, remember?" She reminded, fixing them with a hard stare. Their eyes, crossed from staring at the tip of her finger, drifted to her face and then ahead toward the village. From the lack of light in their eyes or the quirk of a crooked smile, she could tell they weren't as impressed. It nearly drove her mad to think of how they couldn't be. But then, Pan took a quick look in her direction and hiked their shoulders half-heartedly. 

"Galdre has its own charm, I suppose," they said with a sheepish, almost apologetic smile. "Not many villages remain standing this deep in the forest." Lady opened her mouth and then snapped it shut, remembering the oppressive stare that followed her through the woods. Her stomach twisted as she recalled Pan's simple, yet earnest explanation: It will protect its home. Pan must have noticed how unnerved she was because their fingers shifted slightly from her knee, patting the middle of her calf in a way she assumed was to be comforting. 

"You wouldn't want someone up to no good living in your home, right?" Pan joked, but the mild warmth in their voice only soured the feeling in her stomach when paired with the tightness in their smile. Nevertheless, she nodded. It made sense, even she had been wary of Pan despite their kindness toward her. Debilitating dreams, a strange person who could have been a danger to her, the fear of the unknown - it filled her with frustration that made her lash out, however briefly. Even now as Pan carried her through the tall grass, she wondered if this person was someone she could trust. Heedless of her thoughts, Pan continued speaking evenly, "The Guardian protects the People, and in exchange, the People respect the Forest. Arguing with a custodian of the land would be a fool's gamble." 

A custodian of the land, Lady thought. It was a strangely formal title but something about it made her vaguely uncomfortable. Questions balanced on the tip of her tongue. What would cause the Guardian to turn against someone? How did the other villages - if there were others - meet their fate? And most importantly, how did Pan know about this? She curled her fingers against their broad, sloping shoulders and pulled back enough to see their dark cloud-like hair bounce and sway. Unassuming as they seemed, she couldn't help but wonder.

"Who are you?" She asked before her mind could silence the word's flow to her lips, "Oh-", her hand flew to her mouth when she realized. Pan's shoulders stiffened beneath her palm, then, they turned to look at her over their shoulder. "I meant... what... no, that's wrong too. How, er..."

The confusion in Pan's expression is swept away as they laugh, sprightly and jovially like she'd told the funniest joke they'd ever heard. Surprise warred with embarrassment in Lady's chest. "Just what is so funny?"

Pan snickered, trying and failing to stifle their laughter by biting their bottom lip. "You were so quiet," they explained when she impatiently nudged their ribs with her heel," I thought you were worried about something else. But you're right, we are strangers, a thorougher introduction wouldn't hurt.."  

A breath passed when Lady registered the relief in their voice, but it's too quick for her to grasp the moment. In the next, Pan is looking ahead of them and she notices that the gates are upon them. Although, in Lady's humble opinion, it isn't so much as a gate as it is a makeshift structure of rock and stone. She tipped her head back to gaze up at the full-to-bursting boughs of an old tree, flowering vines hung from its branches like verdant silks sown with bright purple flowers. It leaned against a stack of grey, moss-covered rocks piled atop one another haphazardly. She was almost certain they would fall over, but as Pan strode past beneath the slab of rock held up on the other end by a half-fallen tree, they remained standing.  

Only after they came out the other side did Lady turn around and push her chin past Pan's shoulder before she asked, "Those rocks had fire shards in them, didn't they?"

Pan grinned at the question as if they'd been expecting it. "How do you figure?"

Lady didn't have it in her to be crossed with their cheekiness, her observations flowing out of her as she watched the water flow beneath the bridge. "There's no base to them. The rock at the bottom is flattest, but the one in the center is also flat, it's off balance..." Her attention wanes as she watches the river. It's unhurried and unbothered, rippling and shimmering, lapping at the bank but never going further than a faint spray. "Like the sign, without a bottom, if the triangle was upside down then it could topple over but if it's balanced properly then..." The golden-yellow lights swoop low over the small waves, reaching as if to capture the spray, then darting off before she can make out their fuzzy countenance. It's maddening and she apologizes with a gentle press to Pan's shoulders when her heels kick at their sides. 

 "The air won't be able to flow and heat the stone, like you said," she finished lamely, cheeks warmed. 

Pan patted her calve and said, "I didn't think you'd catch on that fast! You're a good student," with a smile in their voice.

Lady's face burned hotter, and she drew in a big sigh then let it out with a mild huff, "Hush..." In moments like this, she wavered between wondering if Pan was making fun of her or genuinely proud of her. The latter held no importance whatsoever but the knowledge of gaining an understanding of something filled her with a small amount of pride. The Guardian's invisible presence brushed against the back of her mind inspiring a thought she wasn't sure if she could shake. Pan seemed to take notice of her silence because they peeked around after crossing the bridge, eyebrow raised with a silent question. 

It crosses her mind to share her thoughts with them, but a part of her wanted to keep that to herself as well. With so little of her own, giving everything away felt too much. She shifted her weight from their back, testing the movement of her legs by swinging them back and forth. Sensing the movement, Pan came to a complete stop and waited until she stopped moving. "I think I'll be able to walk now," said Lady, "Also flattering me won't get you out of answering my question."

Pan winced, then chuckled, "I know, I know.." as they knelt down to let her off their back. With care taken to the delicate nature of her legs, she climbed off Pan's back, firmly planting one foot in the dirt before following with the other. The warmth of the stone she'd been given shifted in her dress' pockets, and she grasped for its weight like she would tumble over if it moved any further. Pan rose to their feet and turned around, hands poised to steady her but Lady brushed them aside. A look of amused resignation crossed Pan's face, their lips quirked in a small smile like they were going to laugh but wisely chose not to.

"As I told you," they started softly, "My name is Pan..." She raised a brow, unimpressed at the repetition "And I'm interested in puzzles."

Lady folded her arms. "Puzzles?" 

"You were," Pan pursed their lips and gave her an appraising look, "- or are - perhaps still are Galdre's local legend," they wagged a finger, hip cocked, "but Lake Mnemosyne's mystery is even greater than yours."

Lady's brow furrowed. "So, you're someone who goes around sticking their nose into where it doesn't belong."

Pan gasped, clapping a hand over their heart, "That's a harsh way to put it, don't you think?" They half-turned away from her, folding their arms over their chest. "After all, some people want to be found..." They glanced away from her, murmuring, "It's just a shame that no one went looking for them."

Something about those words sends a jolt through her. If no one had gone looking for her, would she have ever escaped that place? People like Pan, or things, like the little light she dreamt of were advocates of her awakening. But how long had she slept? Did anyone else come to find her or had she been adrift, nothing but a fairy tale?

"Thank you," said Lady, ignoring the startled look Pan gave her. "Truly, I mean... if you hadn't come then..."

Pan's eyes widen with alarm and they turn around so fast they nearly topple over, waving their hands around placatingly. "No, no. That wasn't supposed to make you - I mean, I was only thinking out loud - I'm so.."

Lady half-hid a smile behind the back of her hand. The corners of her eyes scrunched up when Pan's brows knitted together, expression confused, then aghast when the first titter of laughter left her. "Hey, are you making fun of me now?" She snorted around another peal of laughter, then clapped her hands around her mouth, trying to hold them in while Pan circled around her to catch a glimpse of her face. 

The fear hadn't waned, possibilities of what could have happened clung to her like the drenched gown she emerged in, but laughing with them like this made it feel much farther away - warm and safe. I want to trust you, Lady thought as Pan harumphed then turned away from her with their arms folded across their chest in mock annoyance. Tell me, can I trust you? 

The words wouldn't leave her lips, but her mouth curved into a smile when she caught Pan stealing quick peeks at her only to look away when she met their eyes. Well, the matter of trusting and being trusted was something they could talk about later. Something told her that she'd gotten all she would out of her elusive companion for the time being.