It had grown quite dark while they were talking, and Winter thought it might not be that wise to start walking towards camp at this time. Nathaniel disagreed, though He knew the woods much better than Winter.

Winter finally was the one who succeeded in convincing Nathaniel of the dangers of walking in the woods at night. So Winter slept on one tree branch and Nathaniel slept on another. If you could call what Nathaniel did sleeping.

First He couldn't get comfortable on His hard big oak branch. Then, once He finally got in an okay position, He was cold and His mind was too full of what He'd learned that day.

He wondered if Winter was having as hard of time falling asleep as He was. He looked over to where She was and saw Her sleeping peacefully.

Nathaniel did finally fall asleep, but it was troubled. He had told Winter He would help Her get home, but inside He wanted to beg Her to stay. He didn't know why, all Winter had done was cause Him trouble.

The Next morning Nathaniel was up long before Winter. So He went searching for some edible plants, or mabe He'd even have the luck to catch a squirrel.

After finding what He could foodwise, He started a fire and sat down on a log nearby. cooking His prize, a chipmunk. Not as big as a squirrell but still substantial.

Winter woke up and wondered how She could have slept in so late, the sun was a quarter way up in the sky. She sat up, looked around and saw Nathaniel down on the ground by a small fire. Winter slowly climbed down from the tree and went to see what Nathaniel had been doing.

There was very little meat from the chipmunk, but Nathaniel had been able to find some herbs for a warming tea. He gave Winter some in the cup He carried attached to His belt, like all His men did.

After finishing the tea, Winter and Nathaniel started the long walk back to camp.

The people at camp were a little surprized. Nathaniel had stomped off in anger yesterday morning, to look for a boy who hadn't been in camp for long. Who, the leader seemed to care for. Yet He had ordered Winter thrown in the prison pit. Then, Nathaniel shows up with the boy, happier, in a better mood, and had definantly changed His mind about the pit.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Winter"
They already knew who Winter was, He'd been part of camp for a while. Why did The Leader all of a sudden introduce Winter to them again?

They were confused, some of them half guesses Nathaniel had more meaning to His words than He was letting on at the momment.

"We will be helping Her home to Nerica"

Winter smiled at Nathaniels choice of words.

So that's what He ment by introducing Winter to us. It makes perfect sense, Winter is a girl!

That night Winter had trouble sleeping, for all that Nathaniel was helping Her, She felt troubled about the long journey home. And once I get home? Will they concider Me a deserter from the army, and want to put me back in it? I'm not sure I liked the army. Will I like it once I get home? Will I miss my adventures at sea, or will I be happy and content with my life?

Winter didn't know these answers.
mabe I shouldn't leave tomarrow, mabe I need time to think about the long trip and plan. This seemed like a good Idea. After Winter had decided to stay, She wasn't so restless and was able to get some sleep.

Nathaniel still had troubled thoughts about helping Winter home. I'm not going to not help Her. I just wish she wouldn't go. Mabe there's some way to convince Her she needs to stay. Mabe for friendships sake? No, that wouldn't work. Mabe? No. Thought Nathaniel. "hmmm" He couldn't figure it out, but He spent all night thinking of a solution, to have Her stay. If onley for a little longer.

The next day Nathaniel was super tired and unrested. Winter was a little better off, for She had slept after coming to a dicision. Where as Nathaniel had not slept or come to a conclusion. But when Winter told Him Her plan He was overjoyed, He could barely answer calmly and normally that it sounded like a good idea.

The next few days went by fast, to fast for Nathaniel. He realized how much He cared for Winter, what would He do without Her? Nathaniel had gotten used to Winter being a girl, but that didn't really matter. He just wanted Her to stay with His band of outlaws.

though they followed all the laws the small island had, they still called themselfs outlaws.

Nathaniel realized He wanted Winter to stay forever. He didn't know why, mabe He just liked the chalenge of befriending Her. Even though staying was a lot to ask a fourteen year old, who wanted to go home. He tried to remember when He was fourteen. He felt so old then, but looking back He was so young and naive. But Winter didn't seem to be that young. "I should ask Her how old she really is" said Nathaniel to Himself for no one was around but Him.

He was in the woods walking, just to get out and away from the busy-ness of camp.

Winter had gotten used to climbing trees and napping in them, thier broad branches made wonderful beds. She was halfway up one when Nathaniel saw Her and decided to visit. He climbed the tree next to Her's, went across the branches, and dropped down right by Winter.

It looked like Nathaniel had magically apeared again. She still wondered how He did it "how do you do that so quietly?"

"do what ?"

"apear like magic"

"Don't you believe in magic?"

"mabe. But I don't believe that you'r magic"

"very clever answer. tell you what. I'll teach you, If you stay long enough to learn." a way to have Her stay! Thought Nathaniel.

"hmm, I could stay" said Winter debating what She wanted to do. if I stay I could learn. Plus, I don't know if I really want to leave. Wait, did I just think that? I should stay, what does a week or so matter? I've already stayed this long.

"okay, I'll stay just a little longer"

Nathaniel was happy because Winter was staying. Winter was happy for the same reason, though She didn't quite admit to it in Her mind. But whatever She thought, She was staying.

Then Nathaniel remembered what He had been thinking about earlier "are you really fourteen?"

"well yes, and no"

"what do you mean by that?"

"well, I thought boys are usually bigger than girls. So I said I was fourteen, but of course fourteen is to young to get into the army. so I told them I was older than I actually am, so ya"

"so your not fourteen then?"

"yep, I'm not fourteen"

"you'r older than fourteen?"

"yes" She was making this a guessing game.

"How old are you?" He didn't like guessing games.

"guess" She was enjoying His discomfort.

"fifteen?"

Winter shook Her head.

"hmmmm, seventeen?"

Winter found this funny "No"

"eighteen?"

"do I look like I'm eighteen?" She said acting surprized.

"mabe" He looked Winter up and down, trying to judge Her age by Her apearance. "then how old are you?"

"twelve" said Winter kidding.

"twelve?"Nathaniel didn't believe Her.

"No" She said like it was silly to even suggest something so ubsurd.

"but you said..." "I I know what I said. I was messing with you." When He didn't answer She thought it was because He didn't understand. "teasing you, ya know, kidding around?"

"sixteen! Your sixteen!" He was pleased with Himself for figuring it out.

He was smiling, She was smiling they were both happy.

She decided to tease Him. "nope." Winter said very seriously.

"Just tell me your age" pleaded Nathaniel, over dramatizing it.

"why should I?" she asked acting snooty and proper-like.

"for my benefit mi'lady" said Nathaniel doing a sitting down bow, almost falling out of the tree.
He looks halarius. Thought Winter.

They both broke out in laughter.

"well, if that is the case. Then you are corect, I am sixteen years old" said Winter grandly, liking thier play-acting.

"why thank you" said Nathaniel happy that He finally got an answer from Winter.

"your quite welcome" said Winter.

She liked Her conversations with Nathaniel. No matter what kind of mood she was in, He always managed to make Her laugh.

By then the sun was going down and it was getting dark. So thay made thier way back to camp.

That night Winter felt wonderfully happy, She had everthing She wanted. Home seemed so far away, and a lot of work to get there. Mabe I'll just stay even longer than to learn to sneak up on people in trees. Thought Winter.

At least I have a start in keeping Winter here. Thought Nathaniel.

Nathaniel didn't know it, but all His camp mates saw that He was completly falling for Winter. All Nathaniel thought about was Winter. Not if He was in love or not, or if He looked like it. Though, if someone suggested He was in love, He would probably not find it as offencive as Winter would.

Winter had a completly different view of the situation. Unlike Nathaniel, She didn't think continually of Him. She was happy that She was staying, but thought continually of Home. She was torn between Nathaniel and Her love for Her family.

There are no other words for it than that. Well there are lots of different words you could use, but these are the most straight forward and poetic.

One day as Winter was talking to Nathaniel, the subject of Her getting Home came up.

"why can't you stay?"

"I miss my family, my parents, sisters, just everything about home."

"but wouldn't you miss camp, miss me?" Nathaniel asked almost heartbroken.

"of course I'd miss you and always remember you. But" Winter breathed deeply, getting ready to communicate Her feelings to Nathaniel."I miss my family, I need to see them, I need thier support, thier love. I can't explain it."

"you don't have to, I completly understand." said Nathaniel reasuringly.

"you do?" asked Winter looking up at Him, they were outside snuggled together under a blanket in a tree. Watching the sun set.

"of course, I've felt the loss of not having your family around. And you, knowing it's a possibility to go home. Well, I don't blame ya. I just wish you wouldn't leave."

"hmm"

And they watched the sun set in comfortable silence.