Kalle’s world twisted, a blur of brown and swamp green streaking past his vision. He had never fallen before—not once in his few short years—but now he was hurtling toward the earth, weightless and helpless. Instinct took over. He curled in on himself, arms shielding his head, bracing for the impact that would either break him or spare him.

  He hit the ground hard. His arm barely braced him before his shoulder took the full force of the impact. With a sickening pop, the joint wrenched free, sending white-hot pain lancing through his body. Kalle wanted to scream, but only a croak of anguish spilled out.

  The pain was blistering, unbearably hot—like his insides were being cooked alive. His body squirmed and struggled, pinned beneath a massive weight. Kalle squeezed his eyes shut, trying to escape the agony. He rolled onto his back, wincing as his dislocated shoulder scraped the ground. That’s when he remembered the voice. A long mop of unkempt reddish-brown hair hung from the creature’s head, and brilliant blue eyes gleamed down at him, like two rare moons in a pitch-black sky.

  The pain was blistering, unbearably hot—like his insides were being cooked alive. His body squirmed and struggled, pinned beneath a massive weight. Kalle squeezed his eyes shut, trying to escape the agony. He rolled onto his back, pain shooting through him as his dislocated shoulder scraped against the rough ground.

  That’s when the voice echoed back in his mind, twisting everything with its eerie tone. A long mop of unkempt reddish-brown hair hung from the creature’s head, and brilliant blue eyes gleamed down at him, like two rare moons in a pitch-black sky.

  Pale skin, dotted with freckles, and delicate features that seemed almost too fragile to belong to this creature.

  The girl hung from the branch by her knees, then, in one fluid motion, pulled herself up and scuttled out of sight, vanishing like a shadow.

  His vision began to blur, the edges of his sight fading as the pain consumed him. The shoulder’s agony spread to every part of his body. He tried to comfort it with his free arm, but even the slightest touch to the burning wound was unbearable. His head and sides throbbed, echoing a milder version of the intense pain.

  Teeth gnashed together so hard that Kalle had to consciously adjust his jaw to keep it from cracking under the pressure.

  His vision blurred, the edges of his sight fading as pain consumed him. The agony in his shoulder spread through the rest of his body. He tried to ease it with his free arm, but even the slightest touch to the burning wound was unbearable. His head and sides throbbed, carrying a dull, constant ache that mirrored the intense pain.

  His teeth gnashed together so hard that Kalle had to force his jaw into a different position to prevent it from cracking.

  His entire head thumped as his eyes bulged, growing blurrier by the second.

  Seconds stretched on far too long for Kalle. Tears quickly filled his eyes—he didn’t want to cry, but they streamed down his face anyway.

  At least he heard the girl’s feet hit the earth.

  He didn’t know what to make of her. It was hard to form an opinion about someone like this.

  He turned his head to watch the girl approach.

  Her face was dirty, twigs and leaves tangled in her wild mane. Her eyes were curious, yet worried.

  Kalle could only mutter one word:

  "Help."

  The girl stared at him with a puzzled expression, her eyes fixed on the protrusion under the boy's skin. "Okay, but stand up first," the girl said, patiently swaying her body, her eyes glaring down at him on the ground. The eye contact she made unnerved him greatly; he shot up from the ground then gnashed his teeth at the pain that continued to radiate through his body.

  The girl stepped closer, circling around the boy.

  "What are you doing?"

  Kalle asked.

  "Don't worry. Standing will make it easier to fix your shoulder. And don't worry, I won't bite."

  Isn't it supposed to be 'I don't bite?'

  Though the words were very reassuring, and oddly soothing.

  "Now, what are the first ten letters of the alphabet?"

  The girls question baffled Kalle.

  "I don't understand?"

  "Oh come on, you know the alphabet right? if you do, just say the first ten?"

  She put her hands on his back, it made him jump a little but the girl held him steady. her hand went to hold his arm, the other softly around the shoulder, her hands were Icey cold.

  Kalle started saying the alphabet, worried as to why only ten? she was was likely going to do something that would hurt a lot when this peculiar count was done. Unfortunately he was wrong about the count, as by the seventh letter she swiftly pulled and popped the bone back in the socket.

  "Damnit!"

  Kalle cursed as he took in a in a sharp gasp of air, crumbling to the ground and exhaling in a mix of shock and relief.

  "Language!" the girl scowled, however Kalle paid to mind to the comment.

  "What the hell did you do!"

  "Your shoulder bone was out of place, so I popped it back in."

  The girl said matter-of -factly

  "Does it still hurt? I can heal the muscle that is still sore if you'd like.."

  She stood in front of the kneeling boy, bending slightly down to meet him face to face.

  Her eyes gleamed reminded Kalle of the flowers in Merwyn's garden.

  What were they called again? Forget-me-nots?

  Kalle reluctantly sat down on the tree root, wiping his tears away in slight embarrassment. The girl, again, circled behind him.

  "You'll feel better, promise,"

  The boy doubted those words. He still didn't know what she meant by heal, like rubbing ointment? Should he take of his shirt?

  A green light began to emanate from the corner of Kalle's eye. His head swiftly spun around to see a strange drawing of green light in front of her palm. His sudden movement startled the girl and the glyph faded away.

  "Don't move! you make it harder to heal."

  "What was that, magic, I've never seen it before?"

  "It's a healing glyph."

  "How does it work?" Kalle said quicker than the girl could finish.

  "I don't know," the girl shrugged her shoulders, her lips pressed in a thin line. "It just does. Now turn around and hold still."

  The feeling was unlike anything Kalle could describe. Or at the very least it was difficult to describe. It was like being washed with water that was warm and cold (maybe 'cold' should be used instead?) and filled with pins that left little prickly sensations. A deep heat in the muscle and bone, with a cool prickly breeze over the skin of his shoulder.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "Does your shoulder still hurt?" The girl's voice was kind and curious.

  "No, not anymore, thanks..." Kalle trailed off.

  "You have some scrapes and bruises. Should I heal that as well?"

  "Well... I mean, if you don't mind."

  "I do."

  Isn't it 'I don't mind?'

  Kalle saw the girl enter his periphery and kneel down, her outstretched palms mere inches away from Kalle's bruises, her brow furrowed before a green glyph manifested in front of her hands, casting embers of a serene emerald color, but unlike the embers (embers are the red glowing parts of firewood after a fire burnt it, maybe use a word that actually refers to fire or flames?) of a fire, they moved with a peculiar purpose toward the bruises.

  Kalle came to the conclusion that this is why he felt those weird prickle sensations on his shoulder. They were the result of these embers landing on his body. But, regardless of the conclusion, this still left Kalle in awe. He has never really seen magic being cast. Merwyn always scooted him away saying he would pull the druids' attention away if he stayed and watched.

  "How hard is it to do that?"

  "Hmm, the spell?"

  "Yeah."

  "Not that hard. But you make it harder when I'm trying to heal."

  "Oh."

  A pause soon followed. But not for long as Kalle asked again, "What's your name? Mine is Kalle."

  "Oh, Kalle, that's a nice name."

  "Mhmm. What's yours?"

  "Mine?"

  "Yeah, I just asked for your name. I told you mine, so what is yours?"

  "Oh umm. My name is... Willow?"

  There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice, with her eyes darting around the forest ground and surrounding grass.

  Kalle had picked up on the lie, but didn't want to say it. "Willow, kind of weird that your name fits the tree right next to us hmm?"

  Willow cracked immediately. "Fine! Willow isn't my real name, but I like Willow more, okay!"

  Kalle winced. "Okay, geez! You don't have to shout like that. Willow is also a nice name." There was another slight pause between the two.

  "Since you asked me so many questions. I need to ask you some." Willow broke the silence.

  "What are you doing here at the willow tree?" Willow said in a judgmental tone. Making the boy feel like he was being accused for a crime.

  "I came here to get some willow matter."

  "Willow matter?"

  "Plant matter but from a Willow tree. It's for Merwyn."

  "Who's Merwyn?" That caught Kalle off guard.

  "How do you not know who Merwyn is? The town druid that cares for everybody in the village who gets sick. Also helps all the breweries in town and gives us kids stuff. That Merwyn?"

  The girl shook her head, scratching and pulling a twig out of her hair in the process. "Never heard of him."

  "Do you even live in Malthumberg?"

  "I don't. But I do know of the town, I just live outside of it."

  "Well. A druid named Merwyn lives there and he is great."

  "Oh."

  Kalle scratched his messy blond hair, wondering. How could she not know of Malthumberg?

  "Anyway, I have to get the willow sticks."

  "Is it okay if I help you?"

  Willow spoke softly.

  "Sure, but I need to find that damn knife."

  "Hey you shouldn't swear like that!"

  Willow pouted as she spoke loudly at Kalle.

  "Okay sure I wont swear."

  "Promise?"

  "What?" Kalle asked.

  "Promise you wont swear again," Willow's came out more like a command that a plea.

  "I promise," Kalle said, trying to match Willow's conviction.

  "Good, the knife is still stuck in the tree. I'll get it and the willow whips for you, don't want you to fall again."

  With that snarky comment out, she ran up to the tree and climbed, Kalle stood impressed at how quickly she scaled the tree, shortly after disappearing in its foliage.

  It was a strange encounter for Kalle, certainly not going to be the strangest thing of today.

  He and the others boys had planned to climb the bones of a great giant that lay against the haunted fort Malthum. They thought of entering the fort, go and stand on the forts battlements, then simply jump onto the giants skull.

  The only problem with that was that the fort was haunted. Or so everyone said. So then the only other option is to somehow get across the forts moat and climb up the ribcage to the jaw of the giant and remove one of its mithril teeth.

  Then they would sell it and they would all be rich and do whatever they wanted with the money.

  For Kalle it seemed like a fine plan, but he grew more uncertain about it. Who would swim across the moat and climb the giants ribcage?

  How heavy would the Mithril be?

  And more importantly, who would be the one to climb it.

  all of these questions were still left unanswered by Jeck and the other boys, and making assumptions would only land with unmet expectation.

  "Kalle!" The boy jumped at the words, spinning himself around.

  "Willow?"

  "Up here."

  Kalle followed the command and looked up. There, Willow was hanging on the branch, similar to how Kalle first saw her, Only she was holding a substantial sheaf of willow whips.

  Willow dropped the sheaf down at Kalle's feet, Making him take several steps back and stare at the vast amount she had collected in such a short timespan.

  "How?-"

  "How what?"

  Willow spoke as she moved over to Kalle, extending the handle of the knife to the boy.

  Kalle took the knife from her before speaking.

  "How did you get so much in such little time."

  The girl shrugged.

  "My mom taught me how to forage."

  You have a strange woman for a mom.

  Kalle simply thought before moving to take the willow ship sheaf from the floor.

  "I could have gotten the whips on my own, but I am thankful for what you did, and thanks for healing me."

  Kalle spoke curtly while depositing the tied up bundle onto the stranded boat.

  "You don't have to say thanks, it's my way of saying sorry to you."

  "For?"

  "Making you fall."

  Kalle's mouth went into an 'O' shape before laughing.

  "Well still, you didn't have to get the willow matter for me. So I owe you."

  "You owe me what?" Willow asked, puzzled at what Kalle was saying.

  "Anything, as long as its in the same effort as getting all the willow whips."

  Willow nodded.

  "What about being my friend?"

  "Sure, Being friends with you is probably less effort than getting all this willow wood."

  Willow grew flush at the speed Kalle answered. Kalle did not notice.

  "So, will I see you tomorrow then?"

  Willow asked, Her russet color hair obscuring her features.

  "Sure, but can we meet somewhere else other than here?"

  Kalle asked while he pushed the boat out onto the water.

  "Oh, okay. Maybe at the dock where you got the boat from?"

  "That can work, See you then!"

  Kalle hopped onto the boat and started to row.

  "Be seeing you!"

  Willow shouted, her hands cupped around her mouth.

  "Be seeing you too."

  The realization took a long time to settle in. He rowed to the dock, tied the boat, and walked back, carrying the sheaf that grew heavier with every step. It was only when he reached the hill, gazing down at the village, that the thought struck him—

  Where was her boat?