The sun had risen two hours ago, but Annabel slept on. The forest canopy provided relief from the sun's light and heat, so she slept undisturbed. Awaking at last, she lay perfectly still and listened intently to the sounds around her. Annabel heard nothing unexpected, but still decided to explore with her magic before she removed the nest's top. Finding everything as it should be, she opened the top and climbed out.

Reaching for her water flask, Annabel was almost immediately besieged by hunger pains. Though she knew she could live as long as a month without food, she didn't relish that thought. In fact, three days had been enough and she didn't plan on making it four. After drinking deeply, the hunger pains diminished a great deal. Still, water wasn't food and her body wouldn't be satisfied for long.

Ready to get started with the day, Annabel carefully climbed down to the ground. Looking to her left, she grimaced. "Bad men in that direction. I don't think so!" Turning to her right, she started off. "Who knows what I might find today? Certainly... I don't!" Humming to herself, she started out. Nothing like a free schedule, she thought, to uncomplicate one's life.

Annabel hadn't gone far when she arrived at the area where she had first emerged from the woods. She walked up to the closest of the bare trees and looked closely at the limbs. Already, she could see they were beginning to make new leaves. Good, she thought, no permanent damage done. Annabel patted the bark of the tree she was examining and then turned back to continue her exploration.

The way she took was fairly easy to travel. The woods stopped about fifty paces from the edge of the cliff, so she had plenty of space to get around the occasional obstacle she encountered. She did come across a few boulders and fallen trees that blocked her way, but for the most part her walk was not difficult.

Annabel had been walking steadily for almost two hours when the ground began sloping down the way it had in the other direction yesterday. Like yesterday, she had been occasionally using her magic to search for signs of people or wildlife, but thus far hadn't found any.

She began to believe that, except for the ship's crew she had seen yesterday, this land might not have any large life forms on it. Not of the two or four legged variety. Obviously, she had no idea how large this land was. It could be thousands of miles in width. If so, she had to admit that she had only seen a tiny portion of it. Why, if it were that large, there could be tens of thousands of people living here and she'd never know!

Stopping to take a drink from one of her water flasks, Annabel thought about that. No, those people yesterday were hiding out. They would find a secluded land to do that in, where the chance of discovery was very low. I bet, other than their shipmates, that I'm the only person who knows where they are. Annabel considered that. I don't even know where I am, so how can I know where they are?

She smiled at that thought, but then quickly sobered when she remembered the conversation she had overheard. Killers. From a ship. Pirates? They must be. So, I need to keep an eye out for sails and, if I see any, take immediate cover. It wouldn't do for them to see me while I was standing on shore, would it? A shiver ran down her spine.

Understanding the need to keep an eye toward the sea as well as on the land before her, Annabel once again started out. She had traveled for almost half the morning when she came to another stream with clear running water. She scooped some into her hand and took a sip. Just like that yesterday, she thought. And, just like yesterday, I'm going to explore upstream.

Annabel turned and began walking beside the clear-running stream, once again keeping a look out for animal signs or berry bushes. She walked for almost an hour, following the stream's course, when she sensed something only fifty or sixty paces ahead. Realizing she had been careless for the last half hour, Annabel came to an immediate stop and used all the power she had to focus on whatever was ahead.

It knows I'm here, she thought, for it was completely still. It was too big to be a person, so she decided it had to be an animal of some kind. Realizing this, she instinctively checked to see which direction the wind was blowing. Thankfully, there's no wind, so whatever it is probably hasn't smelled me yet... Most likely, it heard me coming and has stopped to listen. It surprised me and I surprised it.

Using her magic to fully enhance her sight and hearing, Annabel thought it would be smart to move off the path she had been taking. If the animal was looking to find her here, she must be somewhere else. Carefully placing her feet down as she walked, Annabel slowly moved in a wide arc from where she had been, circling to the side of whatever was ahead.

After a painstakingly deliberate journey, she was now at a point where she could see what she had been sensing. A thicket of berries was by the stream she had been following. Standing among them was a bear of some type. It was upright on its rear legs and peering down the stream in the direction she had come from. A bear, she thought. Just wonderful. It's found the berries I was searching for. Now what? I don't think I want to challenge it head on.

Slowly, a mischievous smile crossed Annabel's face and she thought, Why not? Concentrating on the berries of the bush closest to the bear's nose, she began rearranging molecules within them. Suddenly, the bear's nose began twitching in a rapid manner and its head jerked back and away from the bushes. Swiping a paw across its nose several times, the bear spontaneously went down on all fours and beat a hasty retreat from where it had been standing.

Feeling badly for cutting the bear's meal short, Annabel still took care to have a slight wind blow the odor after its victim into the woods. "I wonder if that was the first time it's ever smelled skunk?" Walking to the offending bush, Annabel used her magic to sever the limbs the transformed berries were attached to and whisked them away up the path the bear had taken. "That should keep it away for a while."

With her mouth beginning to water, Annabel looked at the bushes around her. They were heavily laden with berries that were just begging to be picked. Ah, so much to eat and so much time! Where do I start?

Choosing carefully, Annabel plucked several of the largest, juiciest berries and put them into her mouth. They were so good! Even so, she limited the number of berries she ate to only a handful since her last meal had been a few days earlier. Knowing her stomach wasn't ready to re-start its digestive work with a large load, she forced herself to eat slowly. Mushrooms were growing in the area, too, so she gathered several of them.

I was really lucky to find this place... too bad it isn't closer to my camp. She remembered the bear. Maybe not, though. If large animals feed here, I guess I'm better off not being so close. Annabel started looking for tracks in the soft ground on each side of the stream. There were hundreds, but she couldn't tell what kinds of animals made them, or how many, because they were all running over each other. She crouched down to get a closer look. The bear's plainly stood out due to their size. And, because they were the most recent. Most of the others, she thought, looked like they belonged to animals more the size of raccoons or badgers.

This is obviously a popular place, she thought, so I'll try not to interrupt their feeding here any longer than I need to. Before I leave, though, I need to make a carrier for the berries and mushrooms so that I won't have to come here more often than every few days. It's too long a walk to make daily. Standing up, Annabel began searching for the supplies she needed to make a carrier. It didn't take long to find them. With all the items she needed in hand, she rapidly assembled a suitable basket and then loaded it with berries and a few mushrooms.

Her hunger satisfied, she set the food aside so that she could empty and then refill both of her flasks with fresh water. Thinking how cool the water felt when she dipped her hands in, Annabel thought how wonderful a bath would feel. Using her magic to confirm that no one was in the area, Annabel disrobed and stepped down into the stream to bathe. The water was very refreshing and revived her spirits.

After climbing out, she decided to pick and eat a few more berries while air-drying. Feeling good about today, Annabel dressed and started her trip back to her tree. She knew that she wouldn't be able to exist forever on berries and mushrooms, but for now they sufficed. Later, she would have to find other food sources that would provide a more permanent solution to her food needs.

Thinking about the food situation on the way back, Annabel realized that she had actually expected to find a village somewhere that she could adopt into. That didn't seem likely, at this point, but it was still possible. One day soon, I'll have to make a travel sack and begin a search in earnest for civilization. It doesn't really matter, once I start, how long it takes. Eventually, I'll need other people if I expect to survive and have a life worth living. For the next several days, however, I'll leave my camp where it is.

Annabel didn't know why she believed that she needed to remain in this place and not move on immediately, but she did. It's just a feeling, she thought, but I'll pay it heed. Give my tree nest another week, maybe two, and then I'll move on.

Arrived back on the cliff after her day's adventures, she turned toward the setting sun. Absorbing the beauty of its reflected glow off the water, Annabel's candle of inner joy was unexpectedly ignited and burst into flame. Watching the sun seemingly slip below the water's surface, Annabel began to dance.

Finally unbound, her natural exuberance expressed itself in movements that only someone of elfin lineage could match. She whirled and pirouetted with a grace that at times made her appear to be dancing on air. Except, of course, there was no one to see.

Her rapturous state finally subsiding, Annabel slowed until her feet no longer moved. Lifting her face upward to gaze at the stars, Annabel let her spirit soar to them, expressing her delight at their beauty and steadfastness. "When all else is alien to me," she said, "you are familiar friends."

Standing there, a wave of fatigue brought on by a long and tiring day hit her. Grateful for the night's peace, she turned and climbed to her nest. Settled in, she pulled the top into place and fastened it. Almost immediately, she was asleep. There were no tears tonight.