Zephan and Calluna's tale.

[Calluna]

((OOC: This story began as a promise to people that I'd write a short piece about my IC wedding. When I sat down to write it, I felt compelled to tell the story of how the two characters met, and why they seem to be so deeply bonded with one another. Initially, I wrote the entire piece from my character's perspective, but when I'd finished that, I realised that I was only really telling half the story, and so, I sat down and rewrote it from Zephan's perspective too, with a lot of help from the player in question, of course! I'll be serialising the entire work, posting two or three paragraphs from each story at a time, and there will be drawings to go along with the tale, courtesy of Zephan. Zephan's side of the tale will be in teal italics, Calluna's side will be in green. Enjoy, and please don't hesitate to leave feedback!

Update: Zephan's story is much more detailed in some places, Calluna's in others, so the paragraphs will be a little uneven as I try to timeline the two together ))

The day this all started, I was attending a good friend's wedding at the bridge near the Eagle Fort. I remember the ceremony making me feel an odd mixture of nostalgia and sadness, knowing what I'd lost that night my parents forced me to leave the village I grew up in. I'd spent my entire time away saving tria, in the minuscule hope that I could go back home one day, and pick up the pieces of the past. Deep in my heart of hearts, though, I didn't think that there would be any returning. Six years is a long time, after all, and people grow and change. No, if I went back, it wouldn't be with hope. It would be to bury the past once and for all, lay it to rest, and try to move on, however much it might hurt me to do so.

As the wedding ceremony drew to a close, I had the urge to find a quiet place, somewhere to sit and reminisce. Weddings always made me want to remember the past, ever since I'd been away. I offered my congratulations to Eckar and Velatrius, and as the guests filed off the bridge to help themselves to some food, I thought it would be an ideal opportunity for me to take my leave. Parties have never really been my thing, anyway. As I turned towards the Eagle Fort, thinking I might find a quiet corner in one of the buildings, there she was. There was no mistaking that head of hair, nor the tiny figure underneath it. Seeing her again made a bright burst of hope course through me, as well as excruciating nervousness. It was almost as though she was a vision, sent to torment me, rather than a living, breathing being. I wondered what under the Dome she was doing so far from home. Then the guilt stabbed through my chest, leaving me nearly breathless as she walked up and stood before me, her head tilted in her usual bright-eyed way.

I stood there a little dumbfounded at seeing her again, I'll admit. She always was such a tiny thing, and I wasn't entirely sure how she'd managed to get all the way to the Eagle Fort alone. She told me my parents were worried about me, and that her mother had sent her to see if I was still alive. Somehow, I sensed there was a deeper reason for her being sent to find me, but I put that down to my own worries for her safety. You see, I've spent practically my whole life being worried for her safety. That's how I ended up being forced out of the village we both grew up in, back when she'd just finished her schooling. It all seems like a different lifetime now.

[Calluna]

I barely remember arriving at the village I grew up in for the first time. My mother tells me I was only a small child then, two years old, possibly three. All I remember was the way the bright day had heated the earth, giving the entire place that rich, warm smell that you only get in summer. We were greeted quite enthusiastically by our new neighbours, according to my parents. Their son seemed particularly fascinated by us, Nolthrir being a rarity outside the submerged levels back then. My mother remembers him asking if I were real or not, and the way he stared at my hair transfixed. I don't know if Zephan remembers that or not, but that's what my mother insists he did. I do know that I was always a small, skinny thing, my hair looking like it might topple me over from the weight and curl. Some things never change, I guess.

Our home was small, with curved walls and a central fireplace. Off in one quarter were two recesses, one for my parents to sleep in, the other for me. It was small, but perfect as a little girl's hideaway, with a thick curtain across the front and an even thicker patchwork blanket on the bed. The main fireplace was usually covered with a metal grill, over which my mother cooked, and the floor was strewn with various cushions, instead of chairs. I know it must sound ridiculously primitive to city folk, but it was the most comfortable little house, warm from the fire, and filled with the wonderful scent of my mother's cooking. That's where I first learned how to prepare food, and to this day, cooking a meal takes me back to that little house, and how happy I was there.

[Calluna]

My parents were the village healers, Mother using Crystal Way, Father using his skill with herbs and potions. They always seemed flustered, and in a rush when I was small. As the population of the village grew, of course, they grew more and more busy, until they finally appealed to the village council for some help, being overrun with work. A letter to the Octarchy was filed, and a few days later, my father received word that another healer would be moving to the village to assist them. I remember how happy they were, and how much they were looking forward to having help. In my childish way, I wanted to do everything I could to make the new healer welcome. I liked the new, cheerful way my parents went about their day, and wanted it to last.

The day the new healer was due to arrive was one of the hottest days that year. The ground shimmered slightly from the heat, and the Crystal was particularly bright. To my eight year old eyes, it seemed like a magical day, where anything could happen. I was already excited when I got out of bed, so by the time a cart came into view, I could barely contain myself, and I raced out of the house to greet the people climbing out of it. That was the first time I saw Calluna. Her father was lifting her down from the cart. She was so minute that she seemed like a doll, peering out shyly from under a thick mop of dark curls with huge green eyes. I hadn't ever seen a Nolthrir before, and so, unthinkingly, I turned to her mother and asked, 'Is she really real?' Her mother chuckled warmly, and assured me that she was. And then, Calluna toddled over to me, gave me a big, dimpled smile, and took hold of my hand. 'Friends!' she said, beaming.

I'd always been the quietest one in my class, and hadn't really made any true friends. I knew people, and they were polite to me, but there was never anyone in particular I felt close to. Generally speaking, I preferred my own company. Large groups of children tend to be loud and boisterous, and as I've said before, I'm not all that keen on parties. We lived on the outskirts of the village, in a small, fenced clearing which had two houses built in it. Calluna's family had moved into the other. The rest of the clearing was given over to gardens, with plenty of places for a small child to explore without being out of sight of the houses. I used to spend hours sitting in those gardens, quite happy with being my own company. That all changed when Calluna came along. She'd somehow find her way outside as soon as I returned from school,  meeting me with a big, bright smile, and toddling along beside me wherever I went, until one of her parents came to take her for her supper. She wasn't steady on her feet in those days, having spent most of her short life underwater, and so I'd hold her hand to make sure that she didn't fall.

Our parents were quick to capitalize on the situation, and I found myself looking after Calluna now and again, when they had early starts, or had to work late. I cannot recall ever finding it a chore. Actually, I looked forward to her company. Apart from her wobbly legs, she seemed to be almost as quiet as I was, unless she fell over. Then, she'd howl, her eyes brimming with tears, and she always looked so sad it made me want to cry too. I never liked to see her upset. Fortunately, I discovered that if I held on tightly to her hand, she quickly forgot that she'd fallen over, and was soon all dimples and smiles again. Asking my father for something to put on bruises helped as well. Calluna seemed to fall flat at least twice a day, so having that little phial of ointment was a minor miracle while she was with me. I began thinking of her as a little sister, and looked forward to caring for her.

[Calluna]

And then there was Zephan. His parents and mine seemed only too keen to allow him to watch over me while they worked tending the village's ailments and injuries, and so, we ended up spending a large amount of time in each other's company. He was always patient with my childish mishaps, and tended more than his fair share of bruises when I'd trip and fall flat, usually managing to scoop me up and settle me down before I'd even started howling. He'd sit me somewhere safe, wrap his hand around mine and finger comb my hair, making sure I wasn't really hurt before we went off on our next grand adventure. That continued for a while, until I was around four or five. Then, he started being...well, I don't know how to describe it other than distant. He was the same gentle, sweet boy when we were off by ourselves, but the minute there were other children there, his face would turn thunderous, as though I was a burden he didn't want.

[Calluna]

I'd always been ignored by the village children before Calluna's family moved there. I seemed to be out of step with the boys, who were rowdy and boisterous, travelling in a pack, and the girls didn't interest me in the slightest, nor I them. That quickly changed, however, once Calluna's family were settled into village life. The boys began muttering as I'd walk by, and the girls would whisper amongst themselves while glancing in my direction. It felt as though everyone was talking about me behind my back, though I never quite caught what they were saying. A few of the older boys would simply glare at me and shake their heads, making me nervous. At first, I didn't know why I was suddenly the centre of all this attention, I just wished it would stop. After an endless seeming week of this, I left school to find the village chief's son, Kellan, waiting for me outside. He was seventeen, red haired and moody, and frighteningly imposing to a small boy, as I was then.

I didn't realise he wanted to speak to me at first, but as I turned to walk home, he matched pace with me, not speaking at first, simply walking alongside me for a while. Once we'd left the village square and started climbing the long hill towards my home, he placed his hand on my shoulder firmly, stopping me in my tracks, then led me towards a fallen tree, settling himself on the trunk, and hunkering down slightly until his face was level with mine. 'Hello, Zephan' he said, his mouth curving into a humourless smile. 'Your neighbours are in a lot of trouble... and so are your parents.' Fear shot through me, turning my spine to ice, and if Kellan's hand hadn't been on my shoulder, I would have turned and bolted for home, to see what was wrong. 'Those Nolthrir you live next door to,' he continued, 'they've been saying horrible things. Things about my father. And they've been getting your parents to agree with them.' My legs began to shake. 'My father sent me to see if you can help us...'

I felt myself nodding quickly, even though I still wanted to run home. If my parents were being manipulated into telling lies by Calluna's parents, then it was my duty as their son to do whatever I could to help, wasn't it? 'Good lad,' Kellan said. 'I knew you'd help us. Now, you look after the Nolthrir's daughter, don't you?' I nodded again as I looked up the hill towards my house, hoping all was well. 'Go and get her. Bring her here.' he said simply, folding his arms, a satisfied smirk on his face. I just stood there, staring at him, wondering what he wanted Calluna for. 'What are you going to do to her?' I blurted out quickly, my voice quavering with a mix of worry, fear and nervousness. 'My father thinks she'll make a good persuasion tool for her parents.' he replied, still smirking. It felt as though my stomach had just dropped six levels, and I turned to run back home, shocking myself when I heard my voice squeak out 'No!'

I hadn't gone but a few steps away from the fallen tree when Kellan's huge hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me back to stand in front of him, a thunderous scowl clouding his already sullen features. 'You -do- want your parents to stay out of trouble, don't you?' he hissed at me. I felt my throat constrict with impending tears, and I gulped a few times, nodding. 'Well then, you won't have a problem with fetching the little Nolthrir girl, will you?' he said, bending until he was nose to nose with me, and continuing in an oily, smug tone, 'If you won't fetch her, Zephan, I can just go and get her myself... though she doesn't know me, so I might have to...hmm... be a little rough, to persuade her to come along...' His voice trailed off, and he gave me a cruel little smile, looking more like a sneer. I froze in panic, and then, an anguished plea bubbled up within me, bursting out of my lips as 'Please! I'll do whatever you need to help... anything... ANYTHING, just leave her alone! She's only a baby!' Kellan straightened up, and I saw that he was grinning widely.

He let go of my wrist, and patted me heavily on the shoulder. 'Well, Zephan... how can I refuse that offer? Listen... your little  friend will be safe, you have my word. All you need to do in return is help me and my friends out with a few... hmm... jobs. Alright?' I nodded silently, and he nodded in reply, turning me by my shoulders, and giving me a push towards home. I began to walk, a little dazed, and then, he called after me, 'But remember, Zephan... I'll be calling to collect your little Nolthrir pet the -second- you step out of line...' He turned and walked away as I stared after him, horrified, not knowing what I'd just agreed to. As he vanished around the corner, I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding, and began to walk home, the journey seeming longer than usual on my still shaking legs. As I approached the clearing, Calluna came bounding over the grass towards me, and a wave of warmth washed away all the fear I'd felt just moments before. Right at that moment, I knew I'd do anything to keep her safe, like the priceless little treasure I considered her to be.

[Calluna]

It's funny what captivates people, isn't it? For me, Calluna's hair was always an endless source of fascination. She was the only other person I'd met with hair as unusual as mine is, though I'd have to say her mass of curls is infinitely more interesting than my poker straight blondness. Sitting and finger combing her curls always makes me feel contented, and she gets this dreamy little smile on her face that makes her look simply breathtaking. Back when we were children, though, our hair marked us both as 'different'. Children can be cruel little people, and the children in our village were certainly no different, as I found out the first time I went to help Kellan with one of his 'jobs'.

One of the older boys had approached me at school, surprising me, as nobody usually spoke to me. Instead of engaging me in conversation, however, he thrust a note at me, muttering 'Here, Dishwater, Kellan said this was yours.' I took the folded parchment from him, then peered up at him curiously. 'Dishwater?' I asked, wondering what he meant. He looked me up and down, shrugged one shoulder and said, 'Colour of your hair, stupid!' then sauntered over to talk to his friends. A few seconds later, as I was about to read the note, I heard a jeering yell of 'Dishwater!', and the group of boys all laughed. I ducked my head, and concentrated firmly on the note I'd been given. Kellan wanted me to meet him at the fallen tree, to help him with a job in town. My stomach was in knots for the rest of the day. Kellan scared me, but I'd promised to help, and it was the only way I could keep Calluna safe.

I ran home from school that day, wolfing down the dinner my mother had left as though I was starving. I wanted to be away from the house as quickly as I could be, so Calluna didn't take it into her head to follow me. I didn't want her to be anywhere near Kellan, just in case he thought I'd changed my mind, and decided to deliver her to him instead of helping him out. Just as I eased out of the door in order to sneak down to the fallen tree, I heard her little, piping voice from behind me, calling my name. 'Zephy? Finished dinner?' My heart sank, and I turned towards the sound of her voice, forcing a smile onto my face. 'I've finished, yes. But I have to meet someone today...' Her little features crumpled into a sad frown, and she tilted her head, peering up at me. 'I can come too, please?' she asked, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. My mind raced as I tried to think of some reason why she couldn't accompany me, and she put on her best smile. 'Puhleeeeeeease?' she said, tugging gently on my sleeve. I had a sudden flash of inspiration, and knelt down to her height, saying, 'Not this time. You'd get really bored, because I'm going to do school work, so I can't play. Alright?' She sighed heavily, pouting, and nodded, stumping off towards her house. As I watched her go, I almost gave in, and went after her. Only the thought of her being grabbed by Kellan stopped me. After she'd gone inside, I trudged down to the fallen tree, to await instructions.

[Calluna]

When I got to the fallen tree, a few other boys were already there, most of them older than me. My arrival caused much whispering, and more than a few bursts of unkind laughter. I stayed back slightly, not wanting to get too close to people who clearly didn't want me there. After a short, uncomfortable wait, Kellan appeared from around the corner, walking towards the group of boys in an arrogant swaggering motion. He swept past the group, and walked up to me. 'Didn't think you'd show, Straw-head!' he said, smirking. Turning to the assembled group, he grinned, giving me another heavy pat on the shoulder. 'Straw-head here showing up has changed our plans, boys!' he said, in his oily, smug tone. 'Looks like we won't be going...hmm... babysitting after all!' The boys all began grinning, and nudging one another. It seemed fairly clear to me who they were referring to, and I felt an immense relief that I'd chosen to follow the instructions in the note.

Kellan had us all sit in the grass while he outlined the revised plans for the evening. One of the local herbalists had recently come into some money, he said, and hadn't paid up, whatever that meant. We were going to his house, to collect the payment. I was told to stand at the end of the street, and yell out if anyone came. After we'd gone over what each of us was to do, Kellan had us leave for the herbalist's home in ones and twos, until there was only he and I left. 'I'm watching you, Straw-head,' he said, peering into my face menacingly. 'Remember, one foot wrong, and it'll be your pet Nolthrir we collect next!' I nodded dumbly, not wanting to make him angry, and he sneered at me, dragging me to my feet by one arm, and setting off down the hill at a speed which made me stumble.

It was a little boring, standing there at the end of the street. I had no idea why Kellan needed me to watch for people, considering how he'd described what they were planning on doing. Obviously, I know now that they were thieves, stealing the herbalist's money, but back then, I was fairly naïve. Nobody seemed to be around the whole time I stood there, and only one or two people even walked by, crossing the square without a glance at me. I looked down at my feet, and began kicking a pebble I saw there. That's when I heard a shout go up from the other end of the street. A few of the boys ran past me, knocking into my shoulder hard enough to make me spin, and almost fall. Disoriented, I watched them sprinting away, wondering why they were running so fast. It wasn't until the boy who'd been at the other end of the street ran past me, shouting “RUN, IDIOT!” that I sprang into motion, running full tilt all the way up the hill and into the clearing where my house was. I flopped down onto the grass, out of breath, and lay there until it started to get dark. I didn't know why at the time, but the whole evening had made me profoundly uneasy. I barely slept that night.

[Calluna]

At first, Kellan's notes only came infrequently, perhaps one every six weeks or so. Between those notes, he'd wait for me on the fallen tree, or outside school, glaring at me as if to remind me of the promise I'd made, but never saying a word. It was simple enough to deceive my parents when a note came. They just seemed happy that I was finally making friends. Nothing could have been further from the truth, however. The other boys still treated me like an outcast, and when they had to speak to me, it was always by some slur about my hair, never by my name. It also became clear to me that I had to start pretending that I didn't care about Calluna in front of them, because they seemed to take great delight in watching my reaction when they insulted her. A few times, her parents had asked me to drop her off at the healer's building, and I had no choice but to wear an insulted scowl on my face as I escorted her through the village, even though I kept her hand firmly in mine all the way there. It wasn't long after one of those trips that I found Kellan waiting for me outside school again. We made our way up to the fallen tree, for a 'friendly chat', as he termed it. But it was anything but friendly.

'Your little Nolthrir pet is starting school soon, isn't she?' he questioned, smiling urbanely. I nodded cautiously, not wanting to twitch a single muscle out of place, for fear of retaliation. 'Hmmm...' he drawled, leaning back for a moment, his fingers steepled against his chin, as though he was deep in thought. 'I have a suggestion for you, then.' he finally said, leaning forward again. 'Just so that you don't make the boys angry, of course.' he added, smiling down at me like a concerned parent might. 'You see,' he went on, 'Dimir and Norwyn were talking about her the other day. They think she's a little freak, and they can't wait for her to get to school so they can practice on her...' I must have gone white at that point. Dimir and Norwyn were two of the biggest boys in the gang, tall, well muscled, and constantly having sparring matches with one another, or as they called it, punch practice. I looked up at Kellan, worried, and he grinned, giving me one of his heavy handed shoulder pats. 'Just get her in and out as fast as you can, Straw-head Don't give them a chance to grab her. Who knows what they'll do? I mean, she's only little, after all!' With that, he got up, and walked back down the hill and out of sight, without so much as a backwards glance in my direction.

The day Calluna was due to start school came all too quickly. She'd been excited for days, constantly grilling me about school life, chattering away about being in my classroom, trying out every pencil her parents had got for her. I was practically a nervous wreck by the time her first day came. All I could think of were Dimir and Norwyn, who were twice my size, and what their fists would do to Calluna, who was half my height. I managed not to show Calluna how scared I was as we set off down the long hill to school, her enthusiasm making her skip along beside me, her braided hair bouncing against her back. As we rounded the corner to the village square, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dimir walking towards us! I leapt forward, walking as fast as I could, concentrating hard to keep from falling, my hand wrapped tightly around Calluna's so she didn't get left behind, straight across the square, up the path to school and in through the door, turning into the classroom before I even paused for breath. We'd made it inside, and she was safe.

[Calluna]

The next few years passed in more or less the same manner. I'd started attending the village school by then, and Zephan would collect me each morning, walking hand-in-hand with me quite amicably until we saw the others, at which point he'd stride ahead with a scowl, forcing me to trot along at his side so my arm wasn't wrenched off at his increased pace. I remember the first morning I attended, where I didn't realise he was going to suddenly start walking fast, and how horribly my shoulder hurt in class that day. I told my parents I'd fallen, an easy excuse as I was still rather clumsy. Young as I was, my instincts told me that Zephan wouldn't have hurt me deliberately, that he wasn't himself unless we were on our own, and that he'd be in serious trouble if I told the truth. I didn't realise how badly he was trapped until much much later.

[Calluna]

The rest of the week passed with no trouble, and I began thinking that as long as I got Calluna into the school building, trouble wouldn't get the chance to start. The gang didn't like to draw attention to themselves unduly, and so I thought that having a few teachers within earshot meant that Calluna would be safe enough. I have to say I was very, very relieved when the weekend came, though. I didn't have to go anywhere, or pretend in front of anyone, it was just Calluna and I, wandering through the woods around our house. She was a lot steadier on her feet by now, more nimble than I was at times, actually. But I'd still take her to one side every now and then, sit down with her and hold her hand. The only difference was, it wasn't her in need of reassurance. It was me.

Things were quiet over the next few weeks, really. Nobody bothered us on our way to and from school, and even Kellan wasn't around so much, though I did see him watching us walking to school once or twice, his usual sneering grin firmly in place. Through the week, I'd started spending school break times with the boys in the gang, so as not to unleash Dimir and Norwyn on Calluna. Though they still called me the usual names, they did begin to talk with me now and then, usually about Kellan, and the things he had them do. As I gleaned more scraps of information, it became clear to me that they were nothing more than a gang of thieves, going and pilfering from people's houses while Kellan's father had the home owners nicely detained in meetings. I felt sick to my stomach. They'd turned me into a criminal by threatening Calluna. There was no way out.

It was that weekend that Calluna and I made a discovery. We'd taken to walking through the woods, more so I could escape being made to perform lookout duty than anything, I think. This particular day, we'd decided to explore a dirt track we'd known about for a while. I'm still not sure why we hadn't been down there before, other than it being a little dark and very overgrown. We picked our way down the track rather slowly. Some of the undergrowth looked tall enough to swallow Calluna whole, and I had to carry her through a few places to stop her from getting scratched by the thorny plants. After what seemed like forever, the track widened, and just up ahead of us, we saw a small hut, overshadowed by vines and weeds, and heard what sounded like a stream bubbling nearby. I took Calluna's hand, and we went to explore the place. It was grimy, full of insects and even some weeds. But it was deserted, and with a swift stroke of child logic, we decided that made it ours.

Cleaning up that little hut took all my spare time and energy for weeks. It almost felt like the nastiness of the gang had never happened, and it was just Calluna and I again. We scrubbed, weeded, swept and mopped the place until every muscle ached and we almost had to crawl back to the clearing each night. Even though it was difficult, as the place became more hospitable, every scrap of effort we'd put in seemed worthwhile. Though we did chop back some of the taller, thicker clumps of thorns, we left the track overgrown, as well as the exterior of the hut, not wanting anyone to find their way there. It was our place, our hideaway from the world. We even managed to get a few cushions from home, as well as some things to munch on, and a couple of wooden mugs, so we could fetch water from the stream when we got thirsty.

[Calluna]

It was around then we found the hut in the forest. It was obviously abandoned, overgrown with weeds and wild flowers, some even poking up through the join between the walls and floor. Even though there were bugs and creepy-crawlies aplenty, my hand in Zephan's made me feel unafraid as we explored the place, peeking into cupboards and scattering spiders. Zephan said we could turn the place into a hidey hole, for when we wanted to steer clear of the other children, and we both ran home to collect cleaning equipment and steal away a cushion or two. Oh how hard we worked on the place! It took weeks and weeks, with us both trudging home dusty and exhausted with brooms in hand, only to start afresh the following day, right after school. Finally, all our toil paid off, and the little hut was clean, with a few cushions here and there, and a small stash of snacks in one of the cupboards.

[Lhaa]

I feel kinda bad for posting here and breaking the story but you asked for it.
Besides, seeing that I am somewhat responsible for this, I guess I must at least pop up to say I'm very glad that it turned to be a much longer background story besides the wedding event. Loving to read more from your chars. \o/
I just would enjoy reading more from Calluna's side too.

The only thing I would mention are the colors which made it a bit hard for me to read, I had to select the text to get the contrast between blue and white before my eyes gone crazy. I like the colors, just seems like with this brown background such a long story is a bit tough to read for me.

Oh, and loving those awful guys (*notes there are no girls in the gang*) threatening Calluna, can't we have some of them for the Outlaws? XD

[Calluna]

First of all, more from Calluna's side will be coming a little further along. I'm just trying to keep the two tales synchronised. Also, remember, she's a few years younger than Zephan, and so, remembers less of those days than he does. As for the colours, I just wanted to make it so that the two stories could be easily distinguished from one another. I did -try- to pick easy to read colours...

More tomorrow!

[Anumesa]

*guiltily interrupts the story as well*

I just have to say I have been avidly reading your tale and LOVE it so far. Please keep up the great storytelling, i look forward to more!

[Calluna]

A few weeks after that, I'd gone into the village to run errands for my parents. Fortunately, Calluna had stayed behind that time, because as I rounded the corner to the long hill, I saw Kellan waiting for me, leaning against the fallen tree. As I came closer, he beckoned me over, and I trudged towards him, not wanting any part of him and his plans, but not really having any choice, either. 'Where have you been, Straw-head?' he asked in a growl. Without giving me chance to answer, he grabbed my arm, bringing his face level with mine. 'Well? Where have you been?!' My legs shook, and it took me a while to answer that I'd been kept busy at home, not exactly an untruth. He sneered and threw my arm away from him, making me stumble. As I regained my footing, he threw a piece of folded parchment at my feet, and hissed 'You'd better be there... or you know what the consequences will be.' I stooped to pick up the parchment, but when I straightened up, he was already gone.

Reading through the contents of the parchment a few times, I felt a fresh wave of sickness hit my stomach like a bad meal. Kellan's father had persuaded the council to call a general village meeting every weekend, giving the gang free rein to steal from everyone in the village. Kellan had split the gang into groups of two, to cover as many houses as possible during the meetings. One boy was to serve as lookout, the other to steal as much as possible. I read the parchment again, fear coursing through me. I was paired with Norwyn, one of the boys Kellan claimed wanted to beat up Calluna. Kellan had paired himself with Dimir. That first weekend, when I made my way to the fallen tree, I was almost frantic with worry. Though Calluna was with her parents, we were to steal from the Healers' building, and the last thing I wanted was for her to be inside with one of her parents, especially as Norwyn would be the one actually entering the place. Not only that, but Kellan informed us all he'd be going to the meeting. I almost burst into tears of relief when I got back home, and Calluna bounded across the grass as usual.

The weekend raiding lasted for two years. My parents came home from the meetings angry, and upset, every single time. The villagers were clamouring for the council to do something to catch the thieves, never suspecting the village children of being behind it all. Listening to them discuss the problem wrenched my conscience, but I never spoke up, knowing it would cause an argument, and that it would give Kellan free rein to do whatever it was he had planned for Calluna. Her parents were the most vocal in the meetings each week, her mother even going so far as to suggest that the chief ought to step down if he couldn't solve the stealing problem. In hindsight, that's what caused what happened next, but at the time, I couldn't help but blame myself.