GWEN, held her breath for a brief moment when she observed the magical flowers that were blooming in the distance flowing in the air. All different colors could be seen pink, blue, even purple. Suddenly she was pushed forward to a small area near the bushes. "Gwen, want some?" Her eyes fell upon, Squirrel. A little blonde green eyed boy, she managed to make friends during her youthful years. She clicked her tongue releasing some air, she knew very well that it was a stolen item. "How many times? Haven't, I told you not to steal?"

Squirrel simply shrugged his shoulders turning to the side taking a sip. He is simply a child without no care; just trying to survive. As she stared at Squirrel sipping the drink, closing his eyes looking plainly disgusted, she let out a chuckle at Squirrel's response to the drink. She couldn't help herself to remember her struggles when she was a child. How Boro and her would try to survive without food and items for countless weeks and months. Squirrel turns to look at her cheekily smiling, when he launched himself forward running towards someone.

"Where are you going?"

Squirrel stopped, turning back. "It's Nimue. She is over there." She pushed herself running forward to catch up with him. Nimue walked through the main entrance alongside her white horse. Squirrel runs up to her, showing his bottle. "Want some?" Gwen immediately runs up to them.

"Squirrel, where did you get that?" Nimue immediately gasped sight of it.

"He has been roaming around the village like a snake," said Gwen, she turned her attention to him. Their eyes met his own green eyes against her bright blue. Squirrel just shrugged his shoulders. "Found it," he responded towards Nimue flickering his eyes between both girls. He decides to take another sip, closing his eyes once again in plain disgust. Nimue raised her eyebrow in shock mode but soon replaced it with a slight smirk.

"Bit of strong," said Squirrel squinting his eyes. He cheekily smiled upon the girls. "But not bad." Gwen immediately let out a small laugh at his response. All three were enjoying the moment when a villager passes by mumbling witch towards Nimue. As soon as she heard that word, she became somebody else. Gwen felt anger boiling inside her but knew making a scene, won't solve anything. She held onto her fist tightened refusing to let the other side of her appeared. "Piss off, you old wag," she spoke loudly and clearly for the woman to heard who rolls her eyes at her response. "Yeah, you tell her, Gwen." Squirrel then proceeded to yell.

"Piss off, half-wit!"

They both turn to look at Nimue who held a sad smile. Squirrel spoke up, "Are you heading to the pyre? I wish, I could go." Nimue smiled for a moment. Gwen placed her hand around Squirrel's shoulders giving him some comfort.

"Someday little knight," she laughed out ruffling his blonde messy hair.

"Gods, I forget the offering. Mother will kill me," Nimue blurted out soon after moving around only to turn to face them, sending them a smile, and she quickly handed her white horse to Gwen. "Would you please?" Gwen took the leash giving her a smile as approval.

~ ~ ~ ~

That evening, she returned to the small cottage, where she lived in up the mountains. She left the white horse outside the cottage tying it against a tree, nearby her home. Once she stepped in, she found Boro sitting on one of the seats, worried. As soon as she stepped in, Boro got up immediately rushing towards her.

"Where have you been?"

His strong pair of arms embrace her for a hug. She got taken back. "I've been in the village." Boro smiled at her response. "Were you with Nimue?" He asked.

She shook her head confused but lied. "No. I have her horse. She told me to hold it for a while since she has been summed, " Boro couldn't help himself from smiling. "I thought she hurt you. Haven't you heard Benum was attacked by Nimue today? She attacked him. His mother has been pouring her thoughts to the elders to cast that girl away." Boro kept talking like he was trying to talk some sense to her. Gwen shook her head refusing to believe it.

"Don't believe, Benum. He has always been exaggerating about things since he was a boy. I don't like him particularly his mother either."
Boro sighed. He knew Gwen would always take Nimue's side. They had been friends since they were young kids but now they seem closer than ever. He knows deep inside it's because Gwen can relate with Nimue, they're both people struggling with inner emotions and are wanted by the villagers to be cast away.

"I'm warning you to be careful," he told her, causing her to smile. She turned to the side and started gathering clothes to wash. "I don't get why you're so worried. You never let me do anything for fun? You're always trying to control me?"

"I'm trying to keep you safe, Gwen." Gwen rolled her eyes. "How? By making sure, I tell you my exact place and whereabouts each day? I won't always be with you, I'm sick of being trapped in this little village." She confessed as she moved around trying to find some messy clothes. Boro trailed behind her trying to come up with some explanations.

"I know that. I'm here. I've kept you safe after all this time."

Gwen finally turned to look at her brother. His name is Boro. He is fifteen years older than her and he honestly has been there most of her life trying to keep her safe. She didn't blame him but she also never asked for this. Whenever she is in the village, people will always critique her for having platinum white long messy hair, she was born like that. Some will even call her an elf but others will end up calling her witch. She never lets those words bother her as much.

"Not everything can last," she simply confessed, sighing finally placing all the clothes on a small basket, she found herself walking out of the small cottage. She had enough. She honestly wanted to leave this village. She wants freedom.

~ ~ ~ ~

She walked alongside Pym who helped her carry the wet clothes that belonged to her brother. "These surely are his clothes." She smiled all lovingly holding it. Gwen laughed seeing her like this.

"What?" Pym questioned.

"It seems like you fancy my brother," Gwen spoke, causing Pym to turn around in embarrassment. "Now, it's okay to have the hots for my elder brother." Gwen playfully teased her seeing her smile in delight, looking back at her. They looked up head-on when they saw Nimue running towards her cottage.

"Nimue!" She ran carrying the basket of dry clothes. "Wait, Gwen!" Pym followed behind her. They both managed to walk in Nimue cottage. She placed the basket on the floor and ordered Pym to drop the clothes on the basket.

"What's happened?" Gwen immediately asked approaching Nimue. They were both waiting for a response. They knew something must have happened. An eclipse had just occurred.

"I'm Summoner."

"You're, what?" She blurted out, Pym gasped at the revealing news. "It's not funny if you're lying, Nimue."

"It doesn't matter. I'm going." Nimue announced. Both of the girls couldn't believe it, she was choosing to leave like that wasting no time. "How can you even go?" Gwen asked. Nimue flickered her eyes between both girls, still packing. "I'm getting on that ship today. It's still in Hawksbridge."

"What? Nimue, slow down, you're not making any sense." Pym tried to reason with Nimue. Gwen couldn't help thinking there was no way that the ship was still here. She recalled earlier in the week when her brother had come back from dock informing her how there was a flock of villagers trying to get on some ship that was getting ready to depart that day.

"It can't still be here, either. The ship left a week ago." Gwen argued back. Nimue didn't listen. "It's not true. I'm going. You don't have to say anything to me, to stop me. Besides, they don't want me here and I don't want them. They call it ''burn in the nine hells." Nimue sourly replied, packing a few clothes.

"Who? What, the elders?" Pym continued. "Who cares? What do those shriveled onions think?" She finished the sentence. Gwen raised her eyebrows at her response. "Shriveled onions, really?" She replied, Pym shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to say. That's when Gwen stepped up stopping her from leaving. "You're not really going."

Nimue stared at her for a long moment. "Gwen, I have to." Nimue sighed, noticing she didn't move.

"Oh, my gods, you're acting mad." For a long moment, Gwen stared at her then said, "I'm riding with you."

"I will too," said Pym standing beside Gwen, proving how committed she is.

~ ~ ~ ~

They spend hours riding. Nimue rode with Pym on her back. Gwen took her brother's horse, Hedge, a black horse. They were riding for hours. "I can't believe both of you dragged me here," Pym spoke loud and clear. "I've got lye smell all over me."

"No one asked you to come," Gwen replied. Nimue smirked at her response. Pym shrugged her shoulders, "Well, both you don't know what you're doing."

"We do know," Gwen spoke up for the both of them. "I've spent countless days here with my brother, he is the one who introduced me to the art of travel. Even, though. I'm sure the ship had left, Nimue."

Nimue sighed. "I'm sure it hasn't. I do know. Gawain took the Brass Shield, the only ship that crosses the sea to the desert kingdoms." Gawain, Boro's best friend. She remembers him, she didn't find it funny, she did have a crush on him when she was younger.  Gwen raised her eyebrow at Nimue's response. She was right, Gawain had left but something didn't make sense about the route he took.
"Because nobody wants to go to the desert kingdoms, which should tell you something."

"I'm getting on it," Nimue replied. They saw the village up-head, it looked like a castle. It was different the last time she saw it. They began riding faster, and Nimue went faster.

Gwen knew in her heart that the ship had left.

They arrived slower this time. "At least your mother wants you home. Mine wants me out. I swear, Gwen. Your lucky you have a brother." Pym called out to her. Gwen grinned thinking the sight of her brother who must be losing his mind as of right now, she didn't tell him where she was.

"And this will be her excuse. She'll say, Nimue gone, get on with it." Nimue began to chuckle at Pym's response. Gwen began to sigh only to blurt some words.

"Don't give hopes much, on brothers, I swear sometimes, I think Boro sees me as his burden." Gwen sadly commented leaving Pym and Nimue to showed smiled sadly upon her sentence. Pym changed the topic just to try to make Gwen laugh. "You no burden. Look at me, I swear she'll marry me off to the fishmonger. Stinky Aaron." Gwen immediately started chuckling, Nimue started giggling thinking about it.

Stinky Aaron.

"It's not funny," Pym whined, shooting playful glares at her friends.  Nimue shrugged her shoulders, "It's kind of funny."     

The three girls dismounted their horses and walked into the crowded marketplace. It was bustling with activity. There were merchants selling silk, fishermen gutting their catch, farmers selling their product, and bards singing tales of noble knights and fair maidens.

"What if they find out you're a girl?" Pym questioned as the three speedily approached the docks.   

  "I'm cutting my hair," the brunette sighed.   

"But what if they find out you're Fey Kind?"      "They won't," Nimue brushed off the comment.

"You'll look after Old Boy?" Nimue asked her  "No, I'll let him starve" Pym responded sarcastically. Nimue felt shocked. "I'll do it. Nimue, you can always count of me."
Nimue smiled at her.   

"What about money?" Pym continued. "I have twenty silvers."   

"What if they rob you?"  

"Pym, enough," Gwen argued.

After that outburst, the pair decided to remain silent as Nimue searched for the Brass Shield. Oddly, it was nowhere to be found

~~~~

"I don't see the ship." Nimue murmured. Pym flickered her eyes between Nimue and Gwen, confused. "All right? You've made your point."

"No." Nimue immediately spoke, running much faster trying to ask somebody what's going on? Where is the shop? They catch up with Nimue who asked a merchant person.

"Brass left yesterday."

"But . . . It's not supposed to leave for another week." Nimue mumbled. "Tell that to the eager winds," the man responded.

"When does it return?" Gwen spoke up.

"Six months." The man replied. He quickly changed his attitude. "Now, do you mind?" The man pushed himself to the other side walking away, grumbling to see another man trying to steal something. Gwen noticed Nimue walking to the other side seeing the plain ocean. Pym immediately ran up to her touching her hair whispering something to her. Gwen pushed herself forward putting her hand around Nimue's shoulder. "At least we can keep you a little bit longer?"

"Six months."

"I know," Pym responded. Gwen held onto her. "At least you'll marry stinky Aaron. Saving Pym here." Nimue smiled a little bit causing Pym to smile in delight.

"Come on, your life's not so horrible," Gwen whispered in Nimue's ear laying her head on her shoulder.                                                                                           

~~~~

They had walked around the village. She wore a blue blanket over her head covering her platinum hair. She is used to letting her hair loose at Dewdenn cause everybody knows her but this is a village that is unknown to her. She followed Pym and Nimue. All three girls circled in the main court viewing the countless people that were in the courtyard buying clothes and fruits.

Soon after, Pym grabbed her hand pulling her along with Nimue to a gathering. She could hear singing sounded more like poems. She could see a young man, very tall and charming singing as the crowd gathered around him.

Meadows, green, sky.

"He is not good," Nimue whispered to her. Gwen smiled still in the delight of his voice. When suddenly the young man met her eyes began to lose his words before retracing back.
"Your right about that," Pym said.

"a-blue, my mistress struck her arrow true. We kissed and danced 'neath Virgo's eye as the waxing moon fled from the sky," the handsome young man sang to the tune of a guitar. Gwen seemed mesmerized by the singer, and when their eyes met, the boy was entranced by Gwen. He stepped forward and starting singing to her, "But along came a maid with eyes like the ice on the sea. Sing high-lolly-lo. Say, my fair winter lady."

He finished still never leaving her eyes. She immediately felt a hand pulled her away, she began walking the opposite side with Nimue and Pym giggling about the young man.

"He certainly fancies you, Gwen," Pym spoke. "His singing really outdrew his voice." Nimue finished the sentence.

"You drop this milady."