As I flew rapidly across the land, the trees' leaves changed from lilac to dark green below me. I fumbled desperately to keep one of my only items, a small map showing a nearby town's location, in place as the wind attempted to tear it away. The only thing pinning it down to my broomstick handle was my shaking thumb and the will to not let it out of my hand's grasp. Leaning down to examine it further, I noticed that the dark green leaves I was passing over signaled I was nearing my destination.

The town was in the heart of a small forest called 'Arachnid's Grove.' I was not too fond of the thoughts that came with such a name. I may not fear much, but spiders? Those were most certainly among my top fears.

My good friend Selena, Guardian of Moonglow Hollow, had given me this map as a parting gift. I had helped her find a unique fungus to cure a rapidly-spreading disease among her people, and in return, she gave me a task involving spiders. I was still upset at her for this "gift."

I surveyed the ground below, looking for the roofs of houses or any clearings to land on. I soon spotted a dirt path through the thick foliage and commanded my broom to lower itself. The broom obeyed me, sinking to the track, my boots skidding on the ground as it slowed to a stop. I hopped off and patted down my wrinkled dress, hoping to make myself look presentable to whomever I encountered. I tidied my messy hair back into the best braid I could manage, pushing each small strand of light blue hair into the cute white tie I had at the bottom of the braid.

Once I finished making myself look decent enough, I grabbed my levitating broom and carried it with me as I walked down the path. It was well-worn, as I could see tracks from the wheels of countless carriages and wagons accompanied by hoofprints.

I took in my surroundings. This forest and the plant life were familiar. I scanned the map held tightly in my hand, still tense from the flight here. After a moment, I understood why this place was so familiar. This path was used for travel between Elkkehart, a more populous nearby city where my older sister lived, and a much smaller town, Gretlund. I had been to Elkkehart often to purchase goods, handle job requests, and re-experience the city I grew up in, but I had never once visited Gretlund. Maybe after my task, I could go and say hello to my sister in Elkkehart. However, I hadn't seen her in a few years, and I wondered if she would be upset with me. That thought didn't last long; Urie wasn't like that. She'd be overjoyed by my arrival. There was no need to worry.

Holding onto my broom and map, I followed the path south to where Gretlund should be. While there, I planned on investigating the problem directly from the people residing there. There were many questions I had lined up. Selena, being the mysterious person she was, hadn't given me any information beyond this map. All she told me was that something dangerous was stirring in Arachnid's Grove, and it needed to be handled quickly.

While forming and reviewing the plan I created (the plan being human interaction, something I was not too good at), it didn't take long for me to run into other people. I heard the distant sound of hooves on dirt, and in response, I stopped in my tracks and turned.

It was a wagon pulled by a donkey. Sitting in the driver's seat was a broad-shouldered young man with slicked brown hair and a friendly and welcoming smile forming on his face when he saw me. He waved to me. I held up my hand and did a little wave back.

Standing in place, I waited until he was right before me. On the roadside, I got a better look at him. Mid-twenties. Late at most. Green eyes, like my sister's. His skin was tanned, telling me he was outside a lot. A farmer, perhaps? Farmers were common in and around Elkkehart, thanks to the abundant farmland surrounding the city.

Now thinking about it, I hoped that the man didn't find me creepy for examining him so closely. It had become a habit of mine after becoming a bounty hunter, which was yet another job added to my neverending list of occupations.

The man didn't seem to notice. If he did find my examination unsettling, he didn't show it. He sized me up briefly before asking, "Are you headed to Gretlund, too? You need a ride?" He pointed his thumb to the canvased wagon he was driving. "There's more than enough room. Just finished delivering some crops to Elkkehart."

So he was a farmer. My guesses were usually close.

I nodded politely. "Thank you for the invitation." I walked around to the back of the wagon and climbed in.

When I was inside, I noticed another passenger, a little girl. She was just a child, her fluffy and short brown hair containing bits of straw. She was sleeping away beneath a burlap sack. I did my best to stay quiet for her sake.

Crawling up to the front of the wagon to talk with the man, I hushedly asked, "Is she your daughter?" as I set my broom beside me. I hoped to get some information out of him, and this was a good enough way to start.

He shook his head. "Nope. FeeFee's my niece." He glanced back fondly at his child passenger.

"You babysitting her?" I attempted to keep the exchange going. Letting it come to a standstill would be awkward.

"Consider me a full-time babysitter."

I decided not to question that further. It seemed like a touchy subject.

"Oh, I"m Bowe, by the way. And, in case you couldn't tell, that bundle of joy back there's FeeFee. Phoebe's her full name, but she just loves the nickname I use for her."

I felt a slight tug at my heartstrings. I tried to keep my face from forming into even the smallest of smiles. Now was not the time to be expressing such emotion.

I nodded, even though he couldn't see. This wasn't exactly the information I was looking for, so I decided to introduce myself as well, which should bring this conversation to something closer to what I was seeking. "I'm Evelyn. Representative for the Kingdom of the West. Honorary Member of the Order of Soless." I had many other titles and was involved in many more institutions and organizations. Still, these were the ones that would gain me the most access to what I needed to know currently.

Bowe had his back to me, but I could see his shoulders tense. "Wow! So you're working for the capital over there, huh?"

"Yes."

Silence, and then, "Sounds like a wonderful profession." There was a hint of something in his voice. Regret, perhaps? Longing?

I shifted in my seat. I wanted to avoid reaching too far and asking something that was out of boundaries. In turn, silence overtook the rest of the wagon ride.

While I had time to myself, I looked outside the back of the wagon. I enjoyed scanning and searching areas I was traveling in for various flora and fauna. I had grown up in the East, where that kind of thing was often rewarded with job opportunities and, if you were especially keen on protecting and observing wildlife, being accepted as a Scholar for the Grand Library. While I could never imagine being accepted as one now, I dreamt of it as a young child.

All different species of mushrooms grew from logs, on tree trunks, and along the dirt path, accompanied by flourishing flowers in all colors and berry bushes filled with juicy fruit. I didn't notice any fauna, which I found odd. The East's forests were usually teeming with wildlife.

After a while of doing my best to identify each plant and type of tree I saw, we came to an abrupt stop. I turned and looked out the front of the wagon. In front of us was a small village surrounded by a high wooden wall. It didn't look sturdy; it looked like it was quickly put up. I made sure to make a mental note of that.

Bowe hopped out of the driver's seat, reached the back of the wagon, and climbed inside.

He gently shook the young girl, Phoebe, awake. "Hey, FeeFee, we're home." His voice was gentle and soothing, full of evident love for this girl. It made me curious about their relationship and how it started. Still, I decided to keep that to myself; for now, at least. Unless I got to know them better, I had no need to know such things.

The girl woke up, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She sat up and stretched before opening them. They were a dark shade of brown. "Are we home y-" She gasped when she noticed me. "Who is she?!" she asked, a huge smile forming on her face, a face still young with childish features. Ten or eleven years old, I'd guess. "She's so pretty!" She crawled up to me, and I scooted away in response, cautious and taken aback by this sudden situation. I wasn't used to kids.

"Phoebe." Bowe's voice was sharp and stern. Phoebe jumped at the sound of it. She must not be used to him being strict with her.

She lowered her head. "Sorry..." Her voice came out as a quiet and timid murmur. I felt pity for her. I hadn't meant to put her in this situation.

I looked around awkwardly, trying to find something to keep my mind distracted by to make things less tense. A tiny spider web caught my eye in the corner of the wagon's roof. It brought me back to reality as I was disconnecting from it. I couldn't handle apologies. "It's... it's nothing. Please don't worry about it."

Bowe sighed. "I'm so sorry, she doesn't meet new people often, and much less people wearing such... elegant clothing."

Blinking, I understood why the girl reacted the way she did. I was slow on the uptake. "Oh."

Phoebe was blushing and fiddling with the bottom of her simple beige shirt. "I love your dress, miss. And your hair. And your-" She gasped when her eyes wandered to something atop my head. "You're a witch hat!"

She was looking at my witch hat. Her enthusiasm had returned so quickly. Children are like that, I suppose.

I nodded awkwardly. "Uhm, yes-"

"What kind of magic can you do?" Her eyes were sparkling. Bowe wasn't lecturing her this time around, so he must've been curious as well.

"All I can do is fly on my broom," I said, pointing to my broomstick. I didn't want her to ask even more questions. This was already too overwhelming for me.

Phoebe seemed a bit disappointed. "Oh. Okay." She then looked up, her eyes wide. "But that's wonderful too! I wish I could ride on a broom! I could get to my friends' houses so quickly, and I could go to my favorite restaurant, and I could-"

"We'll have to save the talking for later, FeeFee. Let's get Evelyn introduced to the townsfolk, okay?" With Bowe butting in like this, he must've been disappointed that I couldn't perform other forms of magic too. I did feel a twinge of guilt for lying to them, but I'm sure they would learn of my true identity soon, with me arriving in Gretlund.

The girl grunted but didn't refute. "Fine."

We all climbed out of the wagon, starting with me, Bowe, and then Phoebe, with Bowe helping the young girl onto the ground. When she landed, she held onto one of my gloved hands. I had never had my hand held by a child before. This was an oddity.

I patted down my dress, held my broom in the hand opposite of Phoebe's grasp, and followed Bowe through the gates of Gretlund. At the entrance were two guards possessing incredible physical builds and scruffy bears. They nodded at us as we walked past, acknowledging us. I momentarily let my eyes follow them, then let my attention turn to the scene before me.