Adventure was a fickle thing. It could find you at the most inconvenient times when you were supposed to sweep the house or feed the chickens.

Yet, when you called upon it with all your might, it decided to leave your pleas for forgetfulness unanswered.

It was not there to sweep you off your feet and into the world of make-believe when you most needed it. 

You could not seek adventure, adventure was the one who could find you, but sadly for Leonie, this time, when she needed it the most, it was nowhere to be found.

Exploring the cave with Nald and Rim was fun, but Leonie could not focus on the astonishing cave that would become Rim's home.

There was a dark cloud looming over her head, one of those that were sure to bring a rain of tears, and Leonie was tired of crying, of being weak.

Since the moment she took her first step, she was strong, capable. Since her father's death, all she felt was weak, broken.

Although she knew that many children had lost their fathers before and yet they went on, to her, it felt like she could not do it.

She could not let life go on without him.

Leonie was trapped in her sadness, feeling lonely even when surrounded by her family.

Screaming until there was no air left in her lungs was what she needed and knew she could not have, not yet.

There were many challenges she had to face before she could allow herself to fully feel the depth of her pain before she was finally ready to let go.

Years would have to pass before she was ready to make a new path for herself, to find a way to truly live and not hide her heart of hearts behind a block of ice, for protection.

However, for the time being, she did her best to focus her attention on Rim's joy at having a place of his own and on Nald's excitement at visiting the cold cave for the first time.

"Leonie! Leonie!!!!" Nald's voice finally got through Leonie's preoccupied mind.

"Sorry, were you calling me?" Leonie asked, confused.

"Just for the last ten minutes! Where did you wander off?" Nald asked.

"Just thinking, that's all," Leonie said.

Her little brother, hyperactive as he was, did not question her further but went on with what he wanted to say.

"There is a smaller cave in here, and it's awesome. Do you think it would be a good place for us to stay in when we come to visit?" Nald asked excitedly.

"Absolutely. That sounds like a wonderful idea." Leonie said, barely managing a small smile.

"Yes! We will have so much fun here, Leonie, won't we?" He asked.

"We sure will," Leonie replied distractedly.

It was clear that she could not fully appreciate the exploring, so she decided not to spoil the experience for Nald and Rim, as well.

"Listen, I forgot that I need to go talk with mom about something. Why don't you two go on exploring, and when you come back you can tell me all about it." Leonie said.

"Sure!" Nald said excitedly.

"Are you sure? Is everything okay?" Rim asked before she had the chance to leave.

"Yes, I need to speak with my mother. There is something she isn't telling me, and I need to know what it is." Leonie said.

"Alright, whatever it is, remember that she is your mother, and there is nothing she wouldn't do to protect you. Even if it doesn't look like the smartest thing to do." Rim said, cryptically.

Not wanting to waste time questioning what Rim's words meant, Leonie nodded in agreement and headed towards the portal. She needed to know the truth.

Perhaps she was not ready to hear it, but there was no going back, not now, when she knew there was more to what was happening to her than what they told her.

When she made it back to the house, she found her mother teary-eyed, her eyes red from all the crying she had done.

It hurt Leonie to see her mother like that, but she knew that there was nothing she could to help. Her mother had a secret, a secret about Leonie, and until she let it off her chest, she would not be able to find any semblance of peace.

"Oh, Leonie, dear. I didn't expect you back so soon. Is everything okay? Is the cave all you thought it would be?" Amitola asked, quickly rubbing at her eyes, trying to disguise the fact that she had been crying.

"Everything is fine. The cave is even better than I thought it would be, Nald and Rim are exploring it as we speak." Leonie said, hesitating to say more.

"Then why aren't you with them? I know how much you and your brother love adventures." Amitola asked.

Leonie hesitated for a moment but decided that it was better to be honest.

Besides, Leonie always preferred honesty then trying to think up lies, which she disliked.

It was challenging, trying to keep up with lies since they often took a life of their own and spread far beyond the liars' intended scope, which is something Leonie did her best to avoid.

Telling the truth was easier. There was no room for mistakes or regrets. It was much more convenient for her.

"I know that there is something that you need to tell me, so I thought it would be better for you to tell me sooner rather than later," Leonie said.

"You heard the conversation between Toras and me?" Amitola asked.

She was upset, and Leonie wondered what more was said to make her mother look so worried.

"Just parts of it. Something about telling me the truth and about my nightmares." Leonie said.

"You must think I am a terrible mother having kept so many secrets from you," Amitola said with a sigh.

"No, quite the opposite. I think you are a great mother and that everything you do is to protect me. But I feel that perhaps you are protecting me too much. How is the cub to find it's way through the forest if its mother keeps hovering, protecting it from everything? Even the things that the cub should protect itself from." Leonie said.

"How did you become so wise?" Amitola asked, kissing Leonie's forehead.

"Because I have such wise parents," Leonie said.

"Well, your father and I are a part of the reason for what you are going through," Amitola said.

"I don't understand. Neither one of you did anything bad. Why is it then your fault?" Leonie asked.

Leonie's head was spinning with all the possibilities, and she wished that her mother would say what needed to be said, but it was clear that Amitola struggled with the truth.

"It's not about what we did or didn't do. It's about who we are." Amitola said.

Seeing the questioning look on Leonie's face, Amitola decided that there was no going back and that Leonie needed to know all the difficulties that lay on her path.

"You know how I told you about the special blood that you and your father share?" Amitola asked.

"Yes," Leonie answered.

"Well, that's not the only thing that makes you special. Ancient magic lies in my family line, as well." Amitola said.

"What does that even mean?" Leonie asked, confused.

"It means that it's my fault that you've been having all those horrible nightmares. Well, not my fault exactly, but it's in my blood, the forgotten powers of Seers lie in our bloodline." Amitola said.

Getting no reaction from Leonie, Amitola decided to go on with her story.

"When I was young, my grandmother used to tell me tales of Seers and the powers of ancient magic that were locked in our bloodline, but I always thought those were just bedtime stories. However, when I was ten years old, I learned that those were not mere stories." Amitola said.

"I started having dreams that weren't dreams. It soon became apparent that they were visions of the future. They weren't scary as your nightmares are, but they still terrified me. I didn't want to know things I knew. I didn't think it was normal. I didn't like it." Amitola said.

"What happened then?" Leonie asked in a small voice.

"My grandmother asked her friend Aqua, one of the most magical beings that exist now for help. She helped me understand and control my gift, and as years went by, it became weaker and weaker until it finally disappeared." Amitola said.

"Can't she do the same for me? Help me make the nightmares go away?" Leonie asked, hopefully.

"I am afraid not," Amitola said.

"Why not?" Leonie asked.

"That is a long story," Amitola said.

"I have the time. Tell me." Leonie begged.

"Alright," Amitola said, as they sat down comfortably for the long tale to come.