It was a new day, and Arjana gazed out her window, listening to the chirping birds. Yearning to feel the sun's warmth, she approached the window and touched the sunlit glass. Tears welled up in her eyes as she longed for the outside world. Suddenly, Birger entered the room, catching her off guard. "Mr. Birger, what brings you here?" she asked, quickly wiping her tears away. "I already got my medicine for today," she added. Birger knelt down to her level and patted her on the head. "It's all right, young one. We're going for a walk outside," he said. Arjana's eyes lit up with excitement. "I can go outside? You really mean it!?" she exclaimed, hopping in place. Birger chuckled. "Yes, young one. You've made a lot of progress since I found you. I believe you are well enough to go outside," he replied. Arjana's heart soared at the thought of finally feeling the sun on her skin, stepping on the grass, and feeling the wind on her face. Her joy was short-lived, however, when she realized she didn't have her shoes. "Oh no, I don't have my shoes..." she whimpered to herself. Birger smiled and surprised her with two small sandals wrapped in cloth. "You made me shoes?" she shouted eagerly, unwrapping them and putting them on. "I had planned for us to go outside for a while," he explained. "It wouldn't make sense for me to have you go out barefoot, now would it?" "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go, let's go!" she insisted, tugging on his sleeve. "Alright, youngin'. Hold on," he said as they headed outside to a bright and sunny day. The birds sounded louder now that she was no longer inside the wooden cabin. She spotted small puff dandelions growing in front of the house and rushed forward to pick them. Grabbing one of the delicate flowers, she blew on it, scattering its seeds into the wind. She laughed joyously, tears streaming down her face. Birger watched sadly, realizing he had kept her inside for a long time. "Poor child, this must have taken a toll on her mental health," he thought. Suddenly, an idea came to him. "Hey, young one, how about we explore an old forest trail? I can show you the flowers I picked for your medicine," he suggested. Arjana calmed herself and wiped away her tears. "A forest trail?" she asked, approaching him. "Yes, there's a trail I marked out in the woods," he explained, extending his hand to her. "Fine," she said, taking his hand. Birger and Arjana walked to the trail in front of the house before he stopped and knelt to her level. "Now listen here, youngin'. When we go on this trail, there are a few rules you must follow if you want to continue going outside with me," he said firmly. She nodded and listened intently. "Rule number one: Stay close to me. Rule number two: Don't go outside by yourself, especially not after dark. There's no reason for you to be outside after dark on the trail," he explained. "And another thing: If you want to pick flowers, only pick the ones in front of the house where I can see you. You're not allowed to pick flowers alone on the trail—some are poisonous and venomous. And my final rule is very important," he paused for a moment before continuing. "Whatever you do, if you see a stranger in the woods, run. You have to be careful. I don't want you getting kidnapped or worse," he said seriously. "Is that perfectly clear?" he added. Arjana stood very still. "Yes, sir," she said quietly. Satisfied with her answer, Birger stood up and grabbed her hand before they started walking on the trail. As they ventured deeper, Arjana saw an array of flowers she had never seen before. She reached out to smell a particular blue flower with purple spots, but Birger held her hand tightly.

"Youngin', what are you doing?!" "It's so pretty! Can I smell that one?" Birger sighed and gently moved her to the side before approaching the flower. Arjana tried to follow, but he held up his hand to stop her. Carefully, with his gloved hand, he grasped the flower by the base. Instantly, spikes protruded from the stem. Arjana watched in shock—if she had grabbed the flower, she would have been pricked by the spikes. "This is the Deceitful Riviera. It looks pretty, but these spikes are venomous and can pierce tissue. The venom paralyzes you and causes pain that lasts for three days," he explained, pulling out his pocket shears and clipping the flower. Arjana cautiously walked over to examine the flower as he held it out to her. She sniffed it, and it suddenly smelled rotten. "This flower smells sweet at first, but clipping the bud releases the odor of the venom in the sac near the top," he explained, placing the flower in his pouch. Arjana marveled at his knowledge of plants and their properties. Back home, she had doctors, but none were as knowledgeable as Birger. "Can you show me all the plants here?" she asked, tugging on his tunic. "I want to make medicine too!" Birger seemed reluctant but pondered for a moment before agreeing. "Okay, youngin'. I'll teach you, but you have to pay very close attention, okay?" he said, standing up and grabbing her hand.

----

An hour passed, and Arjana thoroughly enjoyed the walk along the forest trail. She marveled at the lilies and other flowers she had never seen before. Birger took her to a pond teeming with fish and adorned with water lilies that were not native to her home kingdom. As they ventured further, Arjana noticed the sun beginning to disappear from view. Worried, she stopped and tugged on Birger’s hand, pointing to the sky. “Mr. Birger, it's getting dark. Shouldn't we head back?” she asked anxiously. He glanced up at the clouds before shaking his head. “No, it's not getting dark. We're just getting close to the Cursed Mountain.” “Cursed Mountain? Is that what it's really called?” she asked, surprised. “No, that's just what I call it. I get an awful feeling every time I approach it. It's as if the world could capsize right at the peak,” he explained. Arjana didn't quite understand what he meant. To her, it just seemed like a barren mountain, which was common around her home. Not wanting to linger near the mountain, Birger led them on a route around its base. Along the way, he showed her the markings he had made on the base of the trees to avoid getting lost on his walks. Eventually, they stumbled upon a tall apple tree in a large clearing. Excited, Arjana ran over and began picking as many apples as she could fit in her arms.

"Hey, Mr. Birger! I can make a pie with this!" Arjana exclaims happily as he slowly saunters over. As he gets closer, she notices his exhaustion, as if he's about to pass out. "Mr. Birger! Are you okay?!" she asks, fear in her voice. "Yes, youngin'... I'm fine, just haven't eaten breakfast today..." he says, letting out a yawn. Wanting to help, Arjana begins shoving the apples into his hands. "Here, eat this. You'll feel better, I know you will," she says, trying to hide her panic. Slowly, he takes the apples from her and eats, gradually regaining his strength. This calms Arjana, and she sits down to eat with him. Despite some setbacks during the walk, Arjana is enjoying herself immensely. It had been a while since she'd been outside, and this little adventure made her feel alive once again. As she finishes her apple, Birger gets up and begins to walk away. She quickly gets up to follow him, but he raises his hand to stop her. "Youngin', I'm just going to relieve myself. Stay right here and pick the apples until I'm back, okay?" he says, patting her on the head. Arjana feels a bit nervous but figures it shouldn't be long, so she nods in agreement. He gives a contented smile before walking into the brush and out of sight. Shortly after, Arjana resumes picking apples, albeit more quietly this time. Birger's absence had made her uneasy; she was worried that someone or something might come along to harm her. --- Moments go by, and Birger has yet to return. Arjana starts to get nervous as she waits at the base of the tree next to her pile of apples. She listens for any sign of him but hears nothing except the birds chirping and the sounds of the forest. Not wanting to be seen, she curls up into a ball to make herself appear smaller. The weight of isolation becomes unbearable, and it gets worse when the forest abruptly falls silent. The birds had stopped chirping, and it was as if the wind had stopped blowing. Standing up and now alert, Arjana looks around with her head on a swivel. Looking into the brush, she finds nothing but dense forest stretching seemingly for miles. In a desperate attempt to get to a safe place, she tries to climb the tree, but the base is too thick, and she cannot get a foothold. Unsure of where to go, she presses herself tightly against the base of the tree, using it as a lifeline in case danger were to show up. As she looks around, there's still no sight of Birger until a snapped twig breaks the silence. That's when she sees it—a shadowy figure in the forest with strange protrusions from its head. She freezes as the figure appears to have spotted her. Time stands still as neither of them move before the figure begins to approach. "Mr. Birger...?" she calls out, backing further into the tree. The figure doesn't stop moving and continues to press forward. Finally, the figure steps into the light, revealing a man with long red hair and horns protruding from his head. His outfit is covered in thick shrubbery and brush, perfect for camouflaging in the woods. She freezes in place, paralyzed in fear by the sight of such a creature. Arjana tries to open her mouth to speak, but the words won't come out. Finally, he speaks. "Are you here alone, human?" he asks in a raspy voice. Arjana remembers her father's advice about strangers: never let them know you're alone. She doesn't want to speak to him, but she fears her silence may affirm his assumptions. "No, I have my papa with me. But he's close by," she answers, hiding the unease in her voice. "...I see..." The man stares at her before cautiously looking around, prompting Arjana to get behind the tree. She peers from behind its bark, keeping an eye on the stranger. Suddenly, he scrambles to the forest floor and begins quickly grabbing at the apples she had piled up. Arjana can do nothing but watch anxiously as the man takes a few bites of one apple, eating the seeds and all. She watches in confusion and anxiety until Birger finally appears behind her. "Youngin', is everything alright?" he asks, settling his gaze on the man eating the apples. He stares at the man with pity as he finishes his fourth apple. "Mr. Thornbush..." he says before approaching the man. The stranger looks up in shock before deflating in shame upon being seen by Birger. "I... I'm so sorry... but I... I haven't eaten in days," Thornbush admits as Birger helps him to his feet. "How's your wife and child?" Birger asks as he looks over the man. "Starving... I... I usually get my food from caravans, but none have come through lately..." Thornbush says sadly. "She... she stopped making milk today, and the baby is hungry," he adds with a shaky voice. "Birger... I'm scared. I don't want to lose another child..."

"...Arjana, could you grab some more apples from the tree?" Birger asked. Arjana stepped nervously from behind the tree. "Don’t worry, I know him. He won't hurt us..." he added, helping her up onto a nearby branch. She nodded and climbed into the tree, dropping down more apples. Thornbush gratefully gathered as many as he could carry, stuffing a few in his pocket. "Thank you, thank you!" he beamed. "Birger, is this child yours?" he asked, looking between the two of them. "No, she's just a patient of mine until I get her home." "I see...well, if her parents don’t come for her, may we keep her? We mean her no harm. I just need someone to provide my wife with food," Mr. Thornbush pleaded. His question mortified Arjana, making her hide behind Birger. Thankfully, he waved him off, "No... but if you need food, Mr. Thornbush, we have plenty to share." He grabbed Arjana’s hand and moved back up the trail. As they left, Mr. Thornbush shouted, "Thank you! May the light bless you both!" --- Minutes passed, and the duo had nearly made it back to the cabin. After what had happened, Arjana was quiet, still shaken. "Mr. Birger, what was wrong with that man? Why did I have to pick the apples for him?" she asked. "That 'man' is an elf named Avvian Thornbush, a former patient of mine," Birger corrected her. "He, like many other elves, is cursed. Elves can no longer hunt, harvest, or gather their own food. Despite being able to go months, even years without eating, many still starve to death," he explained, helping her over a ditch. "So that was an elf?" Arjana asked in shock. "So, as an elf, he couldn't pick the apples himself?" "Nope. Even if he tried, the apples would rot immediately. He could only pick them up because you touched them." Arjana paused, remembering when the elf had asked to take her home. "What did he want with me?" "Well, elves kidnap women and children to gather food or grow gardens. That way, their families won't starve. With a human, they'll be able to get food," Birger explained. "Why women and children?" "Human men can overpower elves, especially since many elves are malnourished. Human men are also more likely to run away and come back with weapons. Kidnapping women is difficult, but easier than men. Poor children are often targeted because they haven't been taught to hate elves," he explained. "Oh..." Arjana whispered uncomfortably. As the cabin came into view, Arjana couldn’t help but feel pity for the elf and his wife. She didn't remember much about their conversation, but she did recall him mentioning a child. The thought of them losing another child troubled her deeply. Suddenly, a memory popped into her head. --- She remembered walking into a room and seeing a woman alone, crying. In one hand, she held a pipe, and in the other, a bottle of wine. "Why doesn't he want me?" the woman asked before downing the bottle. --- Unbeknownst to Arjana, she had fainted again. Birger panicked as blood poured from the wound on her neck.