Cassandra woke up uncomfortably, her back aching and palms stinging as a knife of sunlight cut across her closed lids.

Groaning, she popped open an eye and sat up, moving slowly as she wondered where she was and what happened before it hit her.

"Ugh... crap...", she murmured pushing her dark hair out of her face and looking into the horizon, "I forgot..."

She skimmed the trees and unfamiliar setting below her before quickly getting a drink of water and cleaning herself up.
Her knees and palms were getting scabs from the painful scratches, but they would be fine as she decided to make her way down into the forest floor below, as they were not deep. She then pulled on her gloves which she had cleaned and went to the edge of the cave.

There was no time to lose. She had to figure out where she was and the best plan would be to find Diverion since they were both teleported and was most likely here too. If that were the case and she got him, maybe she could shake him into helping her get back to Hubert or better yet, finding Varian.

He did have magic after all... which is how she got into this mess in the first place.

Sighing in frustration, Cass pulled her hair back into a high bun and made sure her weaponry was ready, checking her daggers and sword before sliding herself down into the crags of the cliffside.

Cass could almost hear Hubert scolding her for not taking time to think things through.
But there wasn't really a choice but to continue moving forward.

Daytime didn't provide any more insight on her strange new environment then it did in moonlight as she had hoped, so trying to sit around and make a plan was useless.

And waiting around for a rescuer wasn't an option and wasn't her style. She was ready to take action now... she had already wasted so much time on a wild goose chase when Varian was out there somewhere.

She still felt angry that Diverion hadn't lied to her...
She wanted to be angry, because she felt tricked, even though he insisted he wasn't the person she was looking for. If he had tried to lie... it would be so much easier to want to beat the kid up, but he hadn't. So Cassandra was left feeling angry, sorry and confused.

The crumbling and wet stone was treacherous and brought her mind back to her current obstacle; she had more confidence going down it now though, as she could not only see what she was doing better, but also had made the risky trip to the waterfall last night and was familiar with stone wall's nature.

Her hands clung to the testy surface, as she let her feet slide down a few inches against the rock. After several minutes of the repeated process, Cassandra found herself near the bottom.

Looking down, she jumped and rolled, absorbing the impact this time and saving herself a lot of work. Fall leaves exploded around her as she hit the forest floor, beautiful oranges, reds and yellows rushing past her vision as she stood up.

The forest trees were thick and tall, and light filtered through the leaf-filled wide branches among the towering white birch trees. The scene was absolutely beautiful, especially when she looked up at the cliff she had just made her way down, watching the waterfall water rush into a stream several feet away.
Strange bird calls sounded around her hidden in the trees, their song ethereal and sweet as she took in the forest's beauty and possible dangers.

It was unsettling being in such a place... Nothing about it seemed like anything that belonged in the seven kingdoms...
She studied the strange plants that grew everywhere and tried to find some information that would tell her where she was.

But anything she did recognize, could grow anywhere practically or two different species of it grew in the same place, where it was practically unheard of in one kingdom.

It completely baffled her.

As the Captain's daughter... she had been taught geography and many other skills in tracking and survival. She knew how to identify each of the seven kingdoms just by looking at everything around her.
So why couldn't she figure out this place?? These strange woods?

Cass stared up into the trees, trying to find the haunting birds.

Maybe she wasn't anywhere in the seven kingdoms... maybe, maybe somehow she got thrown on the other side of the world. An undiscovered and uncharted land.

As soon as that thought hit, she suddenly felt very hesitant to continue forward without more of a defense plan. She had no information at all on what creatures were out there, things that could potentially kill her.

Cass stared into the dense trees and shrubs, figuring out which way she wanted to head.
The sound of water again beckoned her, seeming to be the best option to follow along to it on the roadless ground.

Taking in a deep breath, she reached over and felt the handle of her sword, before dropping her hand back down, and walking alongside the flowing cold stream.

The stream soon expanded as she went on, turning into a rushing river as she got deeper and deeper into the woods.

After several hours of walking, Cass sat down on a nearby log, tired and hungry.

Unfortunately, she didn't know any plants that could be edible in this strange forest. And as she had followed the water, she had barely seen any animals either except for a couple of glimpses of birds and a single field-mouse.

The woods felt abandoned and instead of feeling safe because of that, Cass felt constant unease from the peace that surrounded her.

She was in a new place that she didn't recognize!! Where was the danger!! The monstrous animals? Ominous bones?!

It's not like she wanted danger, but the complete lack of it put her completely on edge, making her fidgety as she drank some water from the river.

She suddenly then tensed, whipping around and drawing her sword in a second with the blade pointing at her opponent's neck.

Finally!! Whatever the hell it was decided to show itself!!

"Who are you and what do you want?", she commanded as she drew her blade out of its sheath.

She then gasped as she stared at the person in front of her.
It wasn't even a person...they weren't solid...? Was it a ghost? Was she a ghost?!

"A-Adira??", Cass choked out, her mind flashing back to cruel remorseless action.

She dropped her sword in surprise and guilt, staring up at the see-through woman's face.

Right in front of her stood Adira, a member of the Brotherhood and a woman of secrets... the person that had been stabbed brutally back when the moonstone has been in her possession.

Why was she here?
To curse her? Haunt her? Remind of her of what's she's done?

Cassandra stood there speechless as Adira returned her gaze.

"Hello Short-hair, been a while.", Adira finally spoke up, her voice sounding exactly the same even though she now looked different.

"Wha- what are you doing here?! And... and why do you look like that?", Cass managed to ask. "And... how., how are you here?"

Tears then came into her eyelids and made her eyes sting without warning as she felt immense guilt. So many lives... Adira's wasn't the only one taken!! She had killed so many others and that blood would permanently be on her hands, no matter what she did.

"I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry!", she gushed, looking down in shame, "It's good you're here! I didn't mean I wanted you to not be...
I'm, I'm so sorry for everything I did. For what I did to you... I did horrible things and I-,"

"Short-hair, do me a favor and stop.", Adira interrupted harshly, "You're a warrior."

Cass looked up, her eyes still brimming with tears, "That doesn't mean I don't regret everything I've done and feel guilt for it..."

The tall woman looked down at her, "Well you don't show it like this."

Cass' face burned with shame and anger, "What do you mean I don't show it like this?!", she started, "You saying I shouldn't cry over your dead body?! Over that innocent carriage driver or even the stupid cult of saporians?! You saying I should just act like none of it matters!!! What am I supposed to do instead?! Just say I'm a dishonor and do nothing!? Is that what you're telling me?!?"

Tears now fell from her eyes as she went over to the log again and sat down on it heavily.
She then buried her head in her hands.

"No, I'm not telling you any of those things Short-hair. I'm telling you to stop being so hard on yourself."

Gritting her teeth angrily, Cass felt like she almost wanted to slap Adira, "So you're telling me I need to give myself a break, huh...", she then looked back up at her, "I haven't nearly had the amount of pain I deserve."

Adira gave her a stern look, "So you think cutting yourself is going to help or fix what you've done is the past? Or beating yourself up mentally and calling yourself a monster?"

"I AM ONE ADIRA!! That's what I am!! A monster who kills people just because they're in the way!! A monster who dragged a teenager into my mess who ended up sacrificing his life!!", she screamed, "And I don't know what else to do to fix it!! Believing Varian is out there is the only thing keeping me going, because I know it deep down inside of me he is!! If I didn't have that feeling... I would've taken care of myself a long time ago believe me!! Because there's nothing I can say or do to make anything better!
I keep making mistakes!! I'm just a problem that keeps getting bigger no matter what I do! So why stick around?! I have no other reason then to return Varian back home... that's it."

Adira stared at her, "Short-hair..."

"NO!! I don't want to hear it!! I don't deserve or even want to forgive myself!!", she yelled brokenly, standing up again and turning her back, "And I don't even want to commit suicide... I want to make sure I pay back all that's due. Pain for pain... blood for blood... that's all I have to give. In the end... that's all I have.
I can't stop being hard on myself..."

"That isn't going to pay back any of your debt Cassandra.", Adira said harshly, looking angry, "You torturing yourself like this isn't helping anything or anyone!!"

"Well I wasn't even doing it until you showed up!!", she retorted, "And for your information, I'll be just fine! I know what I'm doing!!"

"Oh really? Is that why you're always so angry? Because you want to be? Think for half a second Short-hair and see you're being an idiot about this!! There's no point in not forgiving yourself!!"

"WHY SHOULD I?!", Cass yelled turning to look at her, "HUH?! WHY?!"

"Because I forgive you Short-hair... that's why. And I'm sick of seeing you be this so called warrior while you're an emotional wreck.", Adira said putting a green translucent hand on her shoulder. "Anyway you look at it, it's self pity... and there's no honor in that. Feel your regret, forgive it and try to fix it. Become better then what you are now."

"It's not a pity party.", she said vehemently.

"Your Reasons might be different... but it's still the same Short-hair. Gotta break it to you."

Cass jerked her shoulder away and picked up her sword, "What do you want from me?!"

Adira followed her, her footsteps barely audible as she stepped lightly among the leaves, "Funny how fast your attitude has changed.", she commented, "Apologizing to telling me to get lost basically."

Cassandra stopped and closed her eyes. She had done it all over again. She had just been a jerk...
How many times was she going to keep doing this?

"Sorry. Just...", she inhaled, "I never liked you to begin with but you didn't deserve to die...
But now that you're here, you're just getting on my nerves which are already a giant mess and I apparently don't know how to act right anymore."

"You're doing the pity thing again.", Adira said smiling.

"Ughh, fine. I'll try to do better okay! I'm just a mess with people...", she apologized while throwing her hands in the air, "I always seem to get angry after trying to be nice."

"Mmmm...", the older woman caught a leaf as it fluttered past her, which immediately decayed in her unnatural colored fingers, "You're not the only one Short-hair. Everyone has their faults and mistakes, so why think you're the only who's bad at what you do?
I'm telling you right now though, it'd be a lot easier to prevent that problem if you'd just learn to forgive yourself. Believe me, I know."

She took in her words, "That's easier said then done, and you know it Adira." Cass then stared at the place where the leaf had been, "How did you do that?"

Adira rubbed her forefinger and thumb together before clasping her hands behind her back, "It's the gift of being what I am... a flawed and impure being. It wasn't intentional."

"That didn't answer my question.", she said annoyed, "Adira, how are you alive? And why are you talking to me? I killed you, I impelled you with the black rocks! Are you a demon or a ghost now? Explain yourself!"

"I am what I simply am... and I don't have time to continue sticking around to answer your questions if you hasn't figured the answers out yourself.", she said shoving it aside, "I came over to you because I thought you'd like to join me. There is someone who can help you with getting answers on Varian. He can help you and I'm going there now before I fade... so you either come with me or don't Short-hair."

Her breath caught, "Wait... how??"

"You'll have to find out.", she said motioning into the trees, "Because I might be wrong, so this could possibly be a waste of your time."

Cass looked up at Adira in disbelief, "Why are you being so kind to me? After everything I've done... I'm standing here with you offering this and your words."

"Because I forgive you, that's why. And I want you to succeed in finding Varian, I know that kid has helped a lot of people...", she said smiling kindly before getting serious, "Now are you coming or not? I literally only have like less then 8 hours to find him."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm coming...", she nodded as she sheathed her sword, "Again, thanks... for everything. Even though I don't deserve it and don't understand why."

Adira gave a small nod before motioning toward the woods away from the river, "He's in the heart, so we have to hurry. We don't want to be caught as it's getting dark. So let's start moving and keep your guard."

Surprise guess who's bak lmao-
Along with Varian too... I swear it'll make sense. (Hopefully) XD
See ya guys later and thx for 3k reads!