Prologue: Twinbrook Chapter Two

"What are we doing?" Roxanne asked as she followed Altir down the stairs.

"The most basic of self-care: growing your own garden. If you want security, having a garden is essential. There's no need to worry about going to get food if you have it yourself." Altir made several piles of dirt, carefully putting seeds in each one.

"You mustn't be afraid to get your hands dirty, Roxanne. Gardening is dirty work. Now, to help them grow, you must water them frequently as well as give them fertilizers. That will improve the quality of the things you grow."

Giving a little nod to show she understood, Roxanne knelt down next to him and began copying his movements, feeling the dirt between her fingers.

As soon as they were done, Altir stood up, and beckoned Roxanne to follow him. "Where are we going now?" she asked.

"Fishing. Not only is it another source of food, it's also great fertilizer for your garden. It also teaches you patience. Everything I teach you has another application besides self-reliance."

Fishing proved to be more relaxing that Roxanne first thought. She struggled just waiting, but as she waited for her fish, she started to just enjoy being outdoors. Every time she cast her line, she envisioned her worries dangling at the edge of the hook, and when a fish took the bait, she imagined it disappearing into the fish.

(Sorry! Headline effects again!)

Altir only caught the tiny fish Roxanne had ever seen, but he still seemed pleased.

"I thought you were supposed to be a professional at this," Roxanne said as he lost his bait again.

The elf smiled at her. "Skilled yes, professional, no. I believe the phrase is, 'practice makes perfect.'"

Roxanne couldn't help but giggle...just a little bit.

With dinner caught, Roxanne went upstairs to the house to wash up a bit before heading down for dinner.

Altir must have used some of his secret magic, because by the time Roxanne came back down, the fire blazed brilliantly. It had taken her at least a half-hour just to get the flames to the size Altir had it.

Even if she'd end up smelling like smokey fish afterward, she had to admit, it was better to have company for dinner than eating by herself. Already, she felt less dependent on the world around her. As long as she could fish and make a fire, she had plenty of food and shelter. Still, having a house was better than sleeping outside every night.

"Tomorrow," Altir said unexpectedly, "I'd like you to tell me what you ran away from. Surely there's a story in that."

But as morning came and she stretched out her back from her sleeping bag, she really didn't want to tell him. Why should he barge into her business anyway? Why would he care about her and her petty romance? The ache that followed this thought almost sent her out the door and into the next town. What was she so afraid of?

"What I'm about to say isn't easy." Altir had waited outside until Roxanne was dressed and ready to go. If nothing, he was gentlemanly. When he nodded for her to continue, Roxanne took a deep breath. "There was this guy...a boy really, and he and I...we hit it off when we were kids."

"Go on," Altir said when she stopped.

"Gosh, this is so weird to talk about though. I mean, you barely know me. But...so this boy and I, we were pretty attached all through high school and I was so sure, so sure, that once we both graduated, we were going to get married, and have a few kids, and...then we'd live happily ever after."

"But he didn't want to have kids." The amount of sarcasm and disdain coming from her voice shocked even her. "We were in love for all the wrong reasons and once we broke up...I just...I wanted to get away from him, figure out who I was without Do-without him, without anyone really."

Altir nodded, a serene look crossing his face. "Self-discovery often requires solitude...but it does not mean you need to be lonely. You called me not only to relieve your loneliness, but also to assist in your journey. And I think everyone needs a little help, don't you think so?"

Tending the garden became a good hobby for Roxanne. Altir pretty much just stood off to the side now and let Roxanne do everything on her own. But one morning, he came down, a sly grin on his face. "Don't get too comfortable, little sprout," he said. "You're learning a new skill today."

"Y'know, I didn't exactly sign up for this," Roxanne said later as they entered the city gym with other patrons. "Aren't we supposed to get a pass or something?"

"You honestly didn't know that every city lets its residents use the gym for free?" He led her down the stairs into the basement where treadmills lined the wall. "Put on something you can get sweaty in."

"Altir," she said through gritted teeth as she attempted to use the weight machine, "this is ridiculous."

He just laughed at her while he told her to do five more repetitions. Her arms were killing her after two, how was she supposed to do five more?

Once she was done, Roxanne booked it for the treadmill next to Altir. "Now this," she said hopping on, "is more my style of working out. See you at the finish line."

She didn't see Altir reach over and crank up her speed until she almost tripped on the moving mat. As she frantically tried to turn the speed down, she glanced over at him. He was barely sweating, yet he'd been running for longer than she had been. Maybe elves were just better athletically than humans.

Still, sore and tired, Roxanne went home full of endorphins, not unlike the kind Donovan used to give her a long time ago. How long had it been since she'd seen him last? it didn't matter, though. She was happy, really and truly happy, and it was all under her own power, not anyone else's.