[Quicksilver_Sprite]

Willow finished the tale of her family, and turned towards Farren, eyes glittering brilliantly in the warm light. Farren felt guilty for causing her to relive painful events that she probably would have prefered to keep to herself. She swallowed and slowly said, "I'm sorry if I was prying, I surely did not intend to sadden you."

A smile, albiet a small and hesitant one, grew on Willow's face, as she replyed, "Really, it's fine. Don't be apologizing, but tell me about yourself, and tales of the road."

"You know how the stories say that travelling is exciting and dramatic? It's all a lie really. The most exciting thing that ever happened to me was camping near a lake in a lightning storm," said Ferran with a laugh, remembering how drenched she was, and how stupid she had been to pick that particular spot as a resting place when a storm was brewing. "I was born to the daughter of merchant on the coast, though I don't exactly know where. All I remember was the smell of the ocean, the salt and seaweed, and the crash of the waves on the rocks. We left that place and headed inland when I was barely a day over two years."

Ghostly images of the sun sinking into the waves, a ball of fire extinguised by cool water, days when the ocean was so still and clear that she could see down many fathoms, and watch crabs pick their way across a desert under the water, pursued by darting silver fish, flicking in and out of shadowed rocky nooks, hiding from half-imagined predators filled Farren's mind, putting her into sort of a trance, so that she barely heard when Willow asked her, "And when did you start traveling?"

Farren shrugged, coming out of her surreal nostalgia with a sort of jerk, her conciousness snapping back to the dusty warmth of the inn, and back to the voice of the hobbit sitting in front of her, chin in her hands. "A few years ago, when I was around 19, I think. I wandered around the wilds, tryed to find Rivendell, learned to ride a horse, and eventually made my way north, following tales of trees that could walk, though I never saw any. And when I came to your land," she nodded at Willow, "I didn't find and mythical creatures, but I decided to stay a while. So here I am today, talking to you."