Johan? No, it can’t be him—he’s dead.

Harley rubbed her eyes then blinked to clear her vision. The halfling resembled Johan but his hair was weirdly combed and his clothes were very different. She had never seen a halfling before, so maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her. The girl also looked familiar, though she didn’t know why. Altogether, the experience of watching the two strangers felt strange, almost surreal, like she actually knew them.

“Yoyo!” yelled James. He took off in a sprint.

Feeling startled, then euphoric, she found herself running too, but she stopped short of the gate as James tackled the halfling boy to the ground. The two rolled happily on the dirt and leaves.

“You look like a goofball!” James said playfully.

The halfling boy laughed as James teased him, both of them still embracing each other on the ground. As Harley got a better look at the boy, she recognized his smile.

Johan! It’s him—it really is him!

Harley leapt onto Johan and squeezed him with the biggest hug of her life. The tears welled in her eyes as she forgot the fears, the worries, the unpleasant thoughts—Johan was alive. Her sobs were loud, but happy, and her brothers wrapped their arms around her and squeezed tight. The three formed a ball of joyful relief, and if Harley could freeze time for an instant, she would have done it. She was reunited with both of her brothers and once again she felt whole.

The subsequent moments were a mix of happiness and genuine disbelief as Harley’s mind still had trouble untangling Johan’s supposed death with his actual survival. It didn’t seem possible that her brother could navigate through the terrible cave, past the evil fairies and whatever other beasts roamed the land, not to mention living through the storm from last night. Yet there he was, sitting right in front of her with a swollen lip and some cuts but otherwise healthy. He was covered in leaves due to James, so Harley began to brush him off as Johan plopped happily into her lap.

“Oh Heavens…” said the halfling girl, a look of confusion on her face.

“Who are you?” asked James.

“I am Tena. Who are you?”

“How did you find Johan?” interrupted Harley.

“...Johan?” she replied, still looking quite confused. “He said his name was Yoyo, so I’ve been calling him that. I hope you don’t mind. Are you his mother?”

Harley scoffed at the ridiculousness of such a question. “Oh God, no. I’m his sister.”

“Oh! You are all younglings? How did you possibly get here?” said Tena.

“It’s a long story,” said Harley. “And I’m not actually sure how we got here or where here even is.”

“We fell through a sinkhole, don’t you remember Harley?” said James.

Harley cringed at her brother’s misguided attempt to be helpful. She didn’t bother answering.

“Well the important thing is you’re together,” said Tena. “Yoyo, will you be okay?”

Johan smiled and nodded yes.

“I’ll remember you, always.” said Tena. She politely smiled then started moving the four water buckets inside the gate, one at a time.

An awkward silence filled the space as Harley and her brothers watched Tena work alone. It felt like they should go, but Johan was wearing oversized halfling clothes—a button-up shirt with brown wool pants, and his feet were bare. He was too little to walk far without shoes. Harley knew firsthand how much it hurt.

“Tena,” said Harley. “What happened to his shoes?”

Tena seemed surprised by the question. “Oh? They’re gone.”

“Gone where?”

“I’m sorry, I knew I should have made new ones.”

“Harley’s missing her shoes, too,” said James.

“Oh Heavens. I feel bad. I truly do. And where are my manners? Please come in. I can quickly make something for you both,” said Tena. She hurried inside the house.

Harley thought of the food that filled her belly. She and James ate a lot of it, perhaps too much. Also, it was rude to help yourself to a stranger’s food, and now the stranger had a face and a name, and Tena was even doing them a favor. Harley felt guilty about rummaging through the cabinets, stealing the food, and failing to take responsibility for the whole thing. She hadn’t even told Tena what they’d done.

“Hey Yoyo, check out my goat face,” said James with a giggle.

“Let’s go inside,” interrupted Harley.

Johan made a face back at James and they both erupted with laughter.

Harley sighed. Ignoring her brother’s antics, she walked into the house and found Tena skillfully cutting shapes of leather with a pair of metal shears.

“Sorry we ate your food,” said Harley.

“Don’t think twice about it,” said Tena.

“Can we have more please?” asked James with Johan by his side.

Tena’s hands were full. She glanced at Harley. “Mind helping them? Start with the stew by the fire. The bowls are high in the cupboard.”

Harley went to the cupboard and found the bowls, then she went to the stew and found the ladle. She looked at Tena for further direction, but she was busy running twine through the leather shapes.

Even here I’m expected to look after my brothers. Is that all I am? A servant?

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the stew.

The hearty mixture smelled rich and carried with it a hint of onion. Heat escaped from the stew as she stirred it, and she carefully scooped out the cooked vegetables into small wooden bowls. She blew across the ladle to cool what liquid remained and then snuck a sip for herself—it tasted absolutely delicious.

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Johan and James smiled as Harley served them at the table. She didn’t return the smile, returning back to the pot to serve herself. She expected a thank you from James at least, but received nothing from either brother.

“I’m almost done,” said Tena. Diligently working, she maneuvered the twine to bind the leather. She was a true artisan, working fast but never hurrying, and the shoes took shape in her hands.

“Would you like some too, Tena?” asked Harley as she took her seat at the table. By the appearance of the house and Johan’s clothing, another halfling lived here. “Or should we save some for your brother?”

“Eat, please eat, you don’t need to worry. I don’t have a brother or any other siblings. I have a cousin who lives at the edge of the forest, and we were once close as sisters, but time has a way of changing things, and I haven’t seen her in many years.”

“Why don’t you visit her?” asked Harley.

“I don’t know how to get there.”

“I thought all halflings knew the forest.”

“Well, Maibben does.”

“Who is Maibben?”

“He’s my husband.”

“You’re married?!” Harley gasped.

“Not happily. One day I’ll run away.”

“He’s mean,” said Johan with a scowl on his face. Hearing him talk in front of a stranger was a shock in itself.

“I’m sorry, Yoyo. I tried my best,” Tena said as her face turned bright red.

“You should come with us,” said James.

“Oh, I can’t. Maibben will find me.”

“Where is Maibben anyway?” asked Harley. She didn’t want to meet him.

“He went to the village with Yoyo’s gold pin. He said it was worth something,” said Tena.

“The T-Rex pin?” scoffed Harley. “That’s just a cheap toy from the doctor.”

Immediately regretting what she said, she turned to Johan—he was wearing a frown.

“Sorry, Yoyo,” said Harley. “What about the necklace I gave you? Do you still have that?”

Johan reached into his pocket and pulled out the dazzling necklace. He dangled it in the air.

“I hid it from Maibben,” said Tena, now smiling proudly. “I could tell it was special.”

The crystal pendant glowed the brightest blue and the silver chain shimmered in the sunlight. It was more than special—it was magic. The allure of the pendant was much more than before, and she felt warm just looking at the glowing light. There was something explicitly magical dangling in the air in front of her. She wondered if that had factored into why Johan had survived.

“Can I wear it?” asked James.

Johan shook his head and stuffed the necklace back into his pocket.

“A glowing pendant is one of a kind. It’s best if it stays hidden,” said Tena.

That sounded right, even though Harley didn’t know much about glowing pendants. She didn’t know much about magic at all except for what she read or watched in movies. Sometimes magic was a blessing and sometimes it was a curse. Generally magic was best kept hidden lest it attract attention from those who wanted it for themselves. In that regard, Tena’s advice matched her own intuition.

“All done!” said Tena, her shears clipping the last bit of extra twine.

Tena proudly held the finished product of her effort. The leather shapes and twine were no longer individual components. Instead, they were sewn together masterfully into two pairs of finely crafted sandals. There was a bigger pair and a smaller pair, identical in design and color. Her brother rushed to Tena to try on his pair first, then stood on his tip-toes smiling with a new pair of sandals that fit him perfectly.

It was Harley’s turn next. She sat on the floor and wiped off the dirt from her feet, then slipped on the sandals and tightened the twine. They were a wonderful fit. Harley couldn’t help but feel optimistic about the situation at present—things weren’t perfect but they certainly seemed better than before. She turned to say thank you but stopped short. Tena was crying.

“I’m sorry,” said Tena, trying to hide her tears.

“Did I do something wrong?” asked Harley.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Then what is it?”

“You remind me of my cousin. We used to fly kites in the meadows near Cutter’s Gate. The thistle hurt her feet so she always wore sandals.”

“Cutter’s Gate?” said Harley. “That’s where we’re going.”

“You are?” Tena perked up. “You know the way?

Well, she didn’t exactly know the way. But she knew to follow the stones, and Barten said the stones always ended at the right place. That was basically like knowing the way.

“Yes,” said Harley.

Tena fidgeted with her dress. “What about Maibben?”

“If we leave now, we’ll have a head start on him. When does he come back?” said Harley.

“I don’t know,” said Tena.

An alarm bell went off in Harley’s head. Danger. Danger. Danger. They had stayed too long.

“We have to leave now,” said Harley. “Are you coming with us?”

Glancing at the window, Tena placed her hands atop her wildflower crown. She looked distraught.

“Are you coming?” Harley repeated.

“Umm…okay,” replied Tena.

“You’re sure?”

“I think so. Yes.”

“Okay, let’s go!”

But before they could leave, Tena needed a minute to pack. One minute quickly became two, then three. Harley began to sweat, her heart beating fast as every tick of the clock brought Maibben one step closer. Her instinct told her to run. She forced herself to wait.

Johan and James stood by the door, also ready. Tena was not. Not even close. On the hardwood floor lay a large satchel, and Tena was stuffing it with items in frantic fashion. She hurried and wasn’t good at it—and her clumsiness worsened the more she rushed.

“Oh Heavens!” cried Tena as a bin of pine needles spilled on the floor.

“Tell us how to help,” said Harley.

Tena slid a box out from under the bed, revealing a worn leather strap attached to a short rope. “Put this halter on Chocolate.”

“Chocolate?!” exclaimed James, taking the halter into his arms.

“She’s my goat.”

“But do you have any real chocolate?”

“Good idea! I’ll pack some,” Tena replied without stopping.

Outside, Chocolate the goat munched on the weeds. The animal hadn’t moved but three feet since they first arrived, apparently content to eat whatever grew by the wall. Harley wasn’t a fan of goats so James led the effort to get the halter secured to Chocolate’s head.

The goat itself was shaggy, brown, and especially stubborn. James almost lost a finger to careless chomping, but he managed to get the halter on her just as Tena rushed out of the house. The satchel was packed to the brim. It was heavy enough that Tena had to drag it across the ground and it took all four of them to lift it. Eventually they managed to drape the satchel over Chocolate’s sturdy back. The goat didn’t seem bothered at all, still munching on the same spot of weeds.

Harley pulled on the halter rope but the goat wouldn’t budge.

“What am I doing wrong?” she asked.

“You have to talk to her,” Tena said with a smile. “We’re leaving now, Chocolate.”

The shaggy old goat started into a trot.

Harley felt relieved. They were finally getting out of here. Luckily, there wasn’t any sign of Maibben.

James and Johan dashed through the gate as Tena and Chocolate kept pace up the hill. They passed the trees of white bark and soon made it back to the trail. Everything appeared to be back to normal—the new normal with Johan alive and their newfound acquaintances coming along.

Harley wielded her hammer and rang the stones. And as before, the bells marked the path.

“Follow me,” she said, confidently. “I know the way.”