He keeps asking questions, but the meat is finally ready, so I more or less stuff it into his mouth to shut him up. He seems to realize that asking more questions is pointless and hungrily sinks his teeth into the grilled rabbit while I devote myself to my collection of berries and roots. 

"My name is Chen," he begins again after a short while.

When I don't respond, he seems to take it as an invitation to continue.

"I went into the forest to gather medicinal herbs. My mom and dad run a martial arts school and know a little bit about medicine. That way, they can help if someone gets hurt during training. And I always go looking for things when they need something. Normally, that's not a problem, even if I spend a long time in the forest in order to collect a lot. But this time, I encountered a monster. I ran away as fast as I could, and luckily, it couldn't find me. But when I was finally safe, I was in a part of the forest I had never seen before. I tried to find my way back, but no matter where I went, nothing looked familiar. Then, I decided to wait for Mom, Dad, and the others to come looking for me. But more and more time passed, and I slowly lost hope and became afraid. And then suddenly you appeared. I will definitely repay you for your help. I promise! When the adults find us, I will tell them everything you did for me, and then they will surely help you too. And I want to say thank you again. You probably saved my life. I will never forget that."

"I really hope that the people from your town can help me," is my only comment.

I deliberately avoid the word "adults." I have never been able to rely on adults. They were the ones who tormented us in the Organization. And so often I have seen adults demanding that their children sacrifice themselves for them. Or they wanted to buy their own lives with those of their children. They are the ones who make decisions that result in the misery of countless others. Adults simply cannot be trusted.

"Of course. They'll definitely do everything they can to help you," he assures me.

I leave it at that and concentrate on the rest of my meal.

Finally, the last bite is gone, and I set about scouting the area again to identify potential dangers, but also to look for traces of those who are searching for the boy. Except for a few weaker monsters that are easily eliminated and a few wild animals that I chase away for safety's sake, however, there is nothing to be seen. I return to the child, who immediately starts telling me stories about his past. He tells me what it's like to live with his family, how much he enjoys practicing the martial arts his parents teach at their school, and how much he's looking forward to being back home, safe, and seeing his family and friends again. Every now and then, I notice his voice trembling slightly, but he manages to pull himself together and not give in to his worries and fears. After about an hour, I patrol our surroundings once more. We repeat this procedure over and over again until he eventually can no longer fight off his tiredness and falls asleep on the spot. Clicking my tongue, I pick him up and place him back on the branch where I had put him during the day, with his back to the trunk. To prevent him from falling, I tie him as securely as possible with vines and other materials. It's simply safer up here than on the ground. Besides, the ground is much too cold at night and would quickly cool him down, as I can't leave a fire burning on the ground without worrying while I'm scouting the area. After all, monsters could be attracted by it. All too often, I have seen new arrivals at the Organization succumb to the cold on the icy, hard stone ground. But even here on the tree, it seems too cold for the boy, as he is shivering all over. He would probably have woken up if everything that had happened had not already brought him to the end of his strength. As I look at him and think about it, I wonder again how he managed to survive in the forest for so long without my help. Did he find places to spend the nights where he wouldn't get cold so quickly? It's a mystery to me. But maybe I just don't know enough about this world. 

Thinking about it won't get me anywhere. After all, I'm not going to get enlightenment out of thin air. Right now, I need to deal with the problem at hand. What options do I have to warm him up? It would be difficult to start a normal fire. And if I were to use magic to make the fire burn or control it, I wouldn't be able to stray too far. So that's not an option. Cover him up? I'd have to gather leaves or other things, but they've already cooled down considerably and would have to be dry. I wouldn't be able to find anything suitable that quickly. Is there anything else? I look down at myself and consider whether it might make sense to take off my clothes and cover him with them. But that would mean I'd have to use more magical energy to keep myself warm.

Oh well, there's just no practical solution either way. I could stay with him and keep him warm with my body heat, but then I wouldn't be able to look around. It's really difficult to look after someone who can't take care of themselves, as my sister can.

Finally, I decide to stay with the boy. I take the place between him and the tree trunk and lean him against me. I also light a small magical fire to give him a little more warmth and serve as a possible guide for those searching for us. It's not as effective as if I were walking around, and I won't be able to regenerate my magical powers fully, but for now, it's the best solution.

Suddenly, I, too, feel exhaustion overcome me. The boy's body heat against my chest. It's a feeling I haven't felt in so long. Instantly, I think of my sister, as she was the only one who ever leaned on me. A heavy, oppressive feeling takes hold of me. How are you, sister? Are you safe? Where are you? Did the Organization catch you, or did you escape? These thoughts accompany me into my sleep. Because as much as I fight against it and try to remain alert, I have to admit that these unfamiliar interactions with the boy have exhausted me. Oh, whatever, if something approaches us, my senses will wake me up.