We were surrounded by nothing but fog. I shivered, not only from the cold air, but the eerie atmosphere that tended to accompany deathly silent unseen lands.

Snippets of leaves and bark soon started to become visible, the fog dissipating.

"Where are we?" Tristan asked from beside me.

Confused, I looked at him and replied, "The Misty Lands."

He rolled his eyes. "I mean according to the map."

Somehow, those last two words stirred a kind of unease within me. For the first time since hopping off the wagon, it came to my attention that my hands, which once held the map in the wagon, were empty.

"The map?" I repeated like a parrot.

"Yes, the map." He let out a sigh of exhaustion, his focus on the clearing fog. "Open it so we can see where we are."

"We're at the entrance of the Misty Lands, of course," I replied smartly, a bubble of panic forming within me. "We don't need the map for that."

Tristan cast me a look that showed his intent for the fog to close in around me and swallow me whole. His tone promised the same when he asked me, "Do you not have the map?"

That bubble expanded, but I masked it with what I hoped to be a reassuring smile. "Of course, I have the map."

His tone did not falter in its prior warning. "Where is it?"

I kept my smile steady. "It is with me."

"Where?"

"On my person."

"Where exactly?" Agitation seeped into his voice, his pent-up anger barely held back by an unstable tether.

"In my bag!" I answered, not quite believing my own words, but hoping them to be true.

I slid my rucksack down my shoulders and turned away from him to check it. Panic slowly merged with despair when my assertion turned out to be completely false.

Tristan stepped in front of me, perhaps to affirm whether I spoke the truth, but I turned away from him, pretending to search for the map. He followed my movements to face me, and I turned away again, afraid to face his no doubt incoming burst of anger.

His voice was calm when he next spoke, but beneath it was a tempest, barely controlled. "Mavis, did you lose the map?"

I stiffened, that bubble of panic and despair trapping my muscles. I let out a nervous laugh.

"That's alright. We can just retrace our steps, catch up to that wagon, and—" I turned to what I presumed to be the direction from which we'd come, only to be dumbstruck by the sight of trees.

Trees, which seemed to stretch on for miles on all sides. What had been a fog-ridden unknown land had transformed into a clear green forest with no sort of pathway, entry or exit in sight.

My heart fell right down to my arse.

"Where..." I squeaked. "Where is the entrance?"

"Gone."

"Gone!" I shrieked, whirling to a rather miffed Tristan. "It can't just disappear!"

"Yes, it can. That's the thing about these lands," Tristan said, his tone low and frosty. "The topography never stays the same—it's always moving. Locations of trees, streams, beasts switch up in a blink of an eye and you don't even feel it. It's an enchanted woodland requiring an enchanted map which, thanks to your recklessness, we don't have anymore."

His jaw was clenched tight, his eyes narrowed in a harsh, accusatory glare.

I swallowed, feeling the weight and cost of my mistake. "Well, if you would have told me that sooner—"

"You ought to have known the importance of that map from the lengths I went through to acquire it!" he argued, not bothering to conceal his anger anymore. The tether holding it back snapped, unleashing his wrath. "Never mind that, how can you be so careless and forgetful about something that could very well cost us our lives? Did you not pay attention to the rules? More than five hours in here and we're lost forever. With that knowledge in mind, you should have kept that map safe. It was the only means we had to navigate this place and the only ticket out of here. Because of you, it's gone—never to surface again!"

Guilt weighed down on my shoulders like a set of boulders, especially watching Tristan so frustrated. He paced about, running his hands through his hair and down his face.

"I'm sorry," was the only thing I could muster up at the moment, helplessness overwhelming me.

He rubbed his forehead and hung his head in dismay. "I never should have let you come with me," he said in a low tone, barely above a whisper.

My heart squeezed in my chest at his words. I welcomed the hurt, for I knew he was right. I had accompanied him on this quest determined to be of use, but hardly into it and I was already a complete nuisance.

I clenched my hands, willing myself not to give up so soon. Steeling my nerves and guarding my heart, I said to him, "On the bright side, there never was a nest on the map, so either way, we would have to roam this place until we found a golden crowntail."

Tristan tilted his head and shot me the nastiest, most brooding eye from the side. Wordlessly, he started off into the forest.

"Where are you going?" I called after him.

He did not answer, his steps brisk.

"Wait for me!" I shouted, slinging my bag over my shoulders and chasing after him.

********

Silent grumpy Tristan was back. While we trudged through the thick undergrowth, passed by the same trees we'd marked with a dagger about five times in thirty minutes, fled from dog-sized spiders and carnivorous ketterfin plants, Tristan said nothing. My countless apologies were met with silence, my commentary of the forest with cold glares, and my anecdotes of living in a forest as a child with grunts.

The only time he spoke to me was when we came across a stream, and I suggested we follow it while keeping our eyes on the water. He didn't speak to me when I made the suggestion.

It was as we followed the stream tirelessly for what seemed like forever, and while he noticed a particular ridge in the waters that we seemed to pass every fifteen minutes. He spoke to tell me that we had been following the same stream in circles, where its mouth was its source, and its source was its mouth.

"But that's not possible!" I dissented, frayed by the paradoxical conclusion he had drawn. "I remember the map. Both the streams join a lake in the north. The mouth and the source should be that lake!"

"Didn't I tell you that this place changes in the blink of an eye? That it's enchanted?"

I frowned. "Even so..."

My feet ached from walking nonstop. My mind was in disarray from the tricks of the forest, including the unchanging cloudy sunless weather. My nerves were jumbled at being lost. My stomach was yawning with hunger.

"It's been four hours."

My head snapped up to Tristan, whose distraught expression only elevated my apprehension and anxiety.

"We have been walking for four hours with no progress," he repeated, emphasizing the hopeless situation. "Not in finding the golden crowntail, and not in finding a way out of here. Everything we do is pointless. Pointless!"

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, his jaw ticking angrily. "We're going to die here, and there'll be no one to save Adrian. You shouldn't have come, Mavis. You're going to die as well."

I bit the inside of my lip, watching him pace. "Is that what you truly believe?"

"What else am I supposed to believe?" He turned towards me, his face contorted with exasperation. "That we're somehow going to find the feather and leave this place within the hour? We have no map. We've tried marking our paths, but there's no use when the damn trees keep shifting location and the damn streams have no beginning and end. There is no way! None!"

"Yes, there is!" I cried, stepping forward and meeting his gaze. "There has to be!"

Tristan shook his head incredulously, his voice lowering. "How can you even say that at this time?"

"Because we've been through this," I replied. Despite my own anxiety, I could not bear to see him so lost. If I had to be the anchor for the both of us, so be it.

I breathed in deep, gathering all the determination and faith I could muster. "Sure, maybe not the same circumstances but we've faced danger before. As we went against masked warriors and taalmins—things we'd never faced, we emerged victorious every time. We didn't know how to go about it at first, but we found the answer every time. We found the way. It was difficult, and we came close to death, but still we lived."

Tristan's eyes softened. "Mavis..."

"You didn't give up on me then. You fought and always found a way to keep me alive. I acknowledge that we're stuck here because of me, so I will keep trying to find a way to get us out alive. I won't give up. Not on this quest, and not on you."

Tristan stared at me, his eyes filled with surprise, doubt and another emotion I couldn't quite place. Shutting his eyes, he walked away from me and sat down on a log that wasn't there before. He gazed silently at the murmuring stream, wringing his hands in front of him in contemplation.

"We'll find a golden crowntail, and we'll get out of here," I said softly. "We'll save Adrian. Everything will be fine as long as we don't give up."

He said nothing, hanging his head.

I turned around and walked to the stream, kneeling beside it to wash my face. A little water would refresh my mind and give me ideas.

I splashed some onto my face, closing my eyes and massaging my fingers into my cheeks.

As my eyes opened, they met a face with crimson irises and silver star-shaped pupils.

I screamed, startled, and stumbled back onto my rump. My hands moved, gliding my body further away.

This newcomer gazed at me with a simple smile. Her white hair fell over her shoulders and waist while she sat back on her knees.

Out of the blue, a memory clicked into place, stirring up recognition.

"You! Rah!" I squealed, pointing at her.

She giggled just as the tips of her hair turned orange, the colour spreading up the straight locks to her roots. "My name."

I remembered everything. How she had shown up outside my house. Fluttered her wings and danced. Sent me into the middle of a forest, right where Tristan was.

"You are the cause of this!" I declared, astounded by the revelation.

"Oh! You remember!"

I rose to my feet and glared at her. She was just as I recalled when we first met, except instead of the cherry blossoms she wore then, it was purple petunia. The dress was strapless, its petal-designed hem ending at her knees.

"Did you make me forget?" I demanded, disoriented by the sudden influx of memories. "Cast some spell that erased my memory and reversed only when I saw you again?"

Unfazed by my interrogation, she said, "You do not have time for this, flower. You've got yourself in quite a predicament."

I gasped, the realization of where I was returning to me with full force. I whipped my head to the side, panicking when I didn't see Tristan, nor the log he had been sitting on.

"Where is Tristan?" I asked, swivelling around to locate any signs of him. There was none. I swiftly tuned to the being kneeling in front of the stream and growled, "What did you do to him?"

"Relax," Rah cooed, rising to her full height. Mirth laced her tone, bordering on uncanny happiness. "He is perfectly safe, right where you left him. I see you two are becoming closer. Love to see it!"

She grinned and her face shone, while her orange hair turned a bright purple.

"What are you?" I inquired. There was this admiration in my core for her, forcing out a degree of civility towards her that I otherwise would never have employed. My tone came out calm despite my intention for it to reflect my distrust. "Why did you do that to me? Why show up again out of the blue? Where did you come from?"

"Like I said, you don't have time for this," she repeated, her face radiant and optimistic. "You lost the only thing that could help you within these lands and out of them. Without that map, you'll never be able to leave. Or live."

Her words were rather sinister for the cheerful tone she used.

I looked at her incredulously. "Thank you so much for that insightful observation, Rah."

She giggled. "Fortunately, you have me." She placed a hand on her chest, tipping her chin up in pride. "I shall be your map."

All dubiousness fled from my body at once, replaced with hope. "Do you mean that?"

She nodded, beaming. "I can show you the way."

I stepped towards her, my heart drumming fast with anticipation. "Then you know how to find the golden crowntail? And the way out? Can you really navigate this enchanted place? With ease?"

Her grin widened, showing off her shiny teeth, while her hair painted itself a light green. From the way the stars in her eyes sparkled, I could tell she was ecstatic and confident in her abilities. "My sweet flower, there is not a single place on this earth I cannot navigate because I know every inch of it."

I arched an eyebrow, some suspicion finding its way back through me. "You seemed quite lost the first time we met."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind that. I managed to find my bearings afterwards anyway."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "So how will you help me? Shall I follow you?"

Her translucent wings sprung up and fluttered, the cheerful smile never leaving her face. "Follow the butterfly."

"What butterfly?"

She lifted her arms up and began to wave them, her body moving in the same manner. She hummed happily as she did, making 'S' movements with her body.

Whatever this ritual of hers was that made her resemble a snake attempting to glide vertically, it was quite eerie... yet oddly mesmerizing.

I fought against the admiration for her, asking amidst my trance, "What butterfly?"

A familiar pink hue swirled around my feet, and my heart lurched with the trepidation of what would come next.

"Wait, Rah!"

She clapped her hands twice, and everything turned pink, if only for a second. In the next second, I was collapsing onto the grass.

A tad light-headed, I staggered to my feet and tried to make sense of what had just happened. There was a fog in my brain, clouding the moment between splashing water on my face and collapsing on the grass. I rubbed my temple and tried to fill in those gaps, to no avail.

"Mavis!" Tristan's frantic voice carried to my ears. Before I knew it, I was viciously turned around by a tight grip on my shoulders.

I came face-to-face with Tristan, his countenance marred with panic and concern. His eyes flitted over me from head to toe, checking if I were in one piece and free of injuries. Confirming that I was, he frowned, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"Where did you go? Why did you leave without telling me? You cannot just wander off on your own like that, especially in this place. Do you not grasp the situation we're in?"

"I didn't—"

"One mistake. One step away from me and I wouldn't be able to find you again. Knowing the danger of this place, how could you just leave?"

"But—"

"Yes, I was angry and still am, but that does not mean you separate yourself from me. I thought you said you wouldn't give up? I won't as well. So do not be reckless, please, and stay right here where I can see you, alright?"

I stared at him, stunned at how deep his worry for me was, even if he only expressed it through scolding me. I couldn't help but mellow.

"Can I speak now?" I asked, a simper of a smile on my lips.

He scowled, but remained quiet, letting go of my shoulders. I took it as an invitation to talk.

"I have found a way," I declared, an eagerness lighting me up inside out. "We can overcome this, Tristan."

His brow furrowed. "How?"

"Er..." I stammered, unable to expound on my epiphany. It was strange and frustrating. I had an epiphany on how to solve the problem, felt that I knew how to solve the problem, but by good earth, I could not remember the epiphany!

"We have to..." I trailed off, trying to recall what exactly it was that we had to do. Alas, nothing came to mind!

"We have to what?" Tristan echoed, his expression expectant.

There was a strong feeling in my gut that I knew the answer, but the part of my brain with that answer remained locked. Blast!

"We have to..." I repeated, biting my lip in frustration.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a bright blue butterfly flapping its wings behind Tristan. That part of my brain suddenly opened up, and I gasped when the answer hit me.

"Follow that butterfly!" I squealed in bliss.

Tristan frowned. "What?"

I pointed at the butterfly behind him, excitement hurtling through me at the recovery of my epiphany. "We have to follow that butterfly! It will show us the way!"

He turned and saw the butterfly. But instead of jumping up and down in joy like I expected him to, Tristan flashed his dark brown eyes back to me, his glare nothing short of sceptical.

"Do you know how insane you sound?" he asked flatly.

"I am perfectly of sound mind, thank you very much. And look! It's practically waiting for us!"

Now, he looked annoyed. "Mavis—"

"Let's go. We don't have time!" I slapped him on his arm and trotted over to the butterfly, which started flying into the forest.

I turned back to Tristan with a bright smile, but he glowered at me, his arms crossed over his chest.

I whined, "Just trust me!"

"The last time I trusted you, you lost our map."

"Then just trust me again. Come!"

When he made no move, I scurried back and grabbed his arm. I dragged him along while he groaned in protest like a toddler.

A/N:

Merry Christmas, everybody!