Faye woke with the morning sun. He sat up immediately, the fuzzy remnants of last night events floating lazily through his head. He looked around and quickly took in the following happenings; A young girl, roughly his own age, was sitting by the fire skinning a dead rabbit, and outside it had stopped raining and the sun was shining down into the valley and through the cave entrance.
The girl, Danielle, looked over at him and smiled. "I am glad you have woken up so early, I made you a yarrow and elderberry flower infusion to help with your fever and I was about to cook this rabbit." Faye put his hand to his head as the bright light stung his eyes and hurt his head. Groaning, he lay back down on his cloak, his eyes tightly shut. "Who are you?" the clarity of his voice surprised even himself as it echoed around the small cave. Danielle laughed and came over to sit next to him.
"My name is Danielle," she said, "And I have been living in these mountains since I was eight years old." Faye opened his eyes in surprise and looked at her face; it was a pretty face, light freckles over a pretty nose, wildly curly black hair fell on either side and continued all the way down to her waist. Danielle looked at him, her hands crossed awkwardly over her chest. "I know that look; what's a little girl like you doing living in some desolate mountains like these, right?" Faye nodded, "That's somewhat what I was thinking, yes. But in all curiosity, how did you come to live here?" Danielle sighed and flopped down to lie beside him. "You know about Baron Jendak, right?" she asked, turning her head to look Faye in the eye. Faye nodded his head slowly, "Yes... I have heard of him." Danielle clenched her fists, "He killed my parents and left me for dead." Faye stared at her in wonderment, raising himself up slowly and carefully, he rested his back against the cave wall, and Danielle shuffled up with him.
"How old were you?" Faye asked. "I had just turned eight." said Danielle, "And that was six years ago." Faye scrutinised her again, thinking. "Then you are fourteen. The same age as me." Danielle met his gaze, her head cocked, and shrugged, "I guess so." Faye looked down at his lap. He didn't know what to say to that, she had obviously been through so much and he truly could never understand what that felt like. "I'm sorry." said Faye, his head still bowed, "Sorry for what has happened to you." He raised his head and saw that Danielle was looking down into the fire, a sad smile on her face. She jerked her head up quickly when she noticed he was watching her, her expression one of surprise. Faye laughed and Danielle grinned at him. "Sorry if I'm so awkward." she said rummaging through her scruffy old rucksack, "I have been alone for six years, not many people come across these mountains anymore." Faye smiled, "No-one except me." Danielle laughed, her voice echoing around the cave. "No-one except you." she agreed.
