It's early morning and Eric bursts into my room.

"Get up, Alex. You have a visitor.

"Huh, what?"

I'm sleeping on my stomach and lift my head up, half-asleep.

"Your friend has come to see you, get up and go greet her."

"Friend? I don't have any friends. Tell them to go away, i'm sleeping..."

I pull the cover over my head.

"Get up!"

He raises his voice and startles me awake, causing me to fall of the bed.

"AH!"

He leaves and closes the door.

I slowly get up while rubbing my back.

"Ow..."

What friend is he talking about?

I don't recall making any friends, nor would i even want any in the first place.

T-shirt, shorts, socks and shoes, my usual summer attire.

Now then, time to meet this mysterious visitor, and tell them to go away.

I yawn as i make my way downstairs and to the front door, where Eric is leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

He smirks and i frown slightly, i have a bad feeling about this.

Once i arrive to the door, i meet the mysterious visitor.

It's Alfreda, the elf girl i saved from bullies the other day.

"Good morning, Alex! I came to visit!"

I stare at her for a moment before turning away, intending to go back inside.

"Oh no you don't!"

Eric grabs the back of my collar and stops me.

"This lovely lady came all they way here to visit you, and you will oblige!"

He pulls me back and closes the door behind him, leaving just the two of us outside.

"Wait, i haven't had breakfast yet!"

I pound the door, but no answer, wait, do i hear Eric laughing?

"Damn it..."

I mutter to myself as i press my head against the door, defeated.

I turn to look at Alfreda, who just stands there with a smile on her face.

I never had any friends, so i don't know what to do.

Does she think i'm her "friend" just because i saved her from those bullies?

Ugh, whatever, i guess i'll play along just for today.

"Why are you here?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to play with me."

Play, huh?

Feels like a foreign concept to me and i'm not in a mood to do something like that.

"Sigh, come, we can go to the backyard."

"Okay!"

She says excitedly.

We walk around the house to the backyard.

Once we arrive there she looks around.

She sees Anna's garden and walks over to it.

"Wow, so pretty! Are these yours?"

"They're Anna's, she's my mom."

"Well, can you tell her i think her flowers are very pretty?"

"I guess so."

She walks around some more and stops by the big tree.

There's a worn out spot on the bark, which she looks at curiously.

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"What happened to this tree?"

"I punch it."

"What?"

She says and looks at me confused.

"I punch it."

"Why?"

"For training."

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"Training, i've never heard of it."

I raise my eyebrow.

"You don't know what training means?"

"No...?"

"Well, it means..."

How should i explain it to her.

I look around me and my eyes stop at the garden.

"Remember that flower crown you had the other day?"

"Yes?"

"Well, how many times have you made one?"

"Hmm, this many!"

She spreads her arms wide with a big smile.

"..."

She doesn't know how to count?

Is she stupid?

...Or am i just abnormal?

"Let me ask again. How long does it take you to make one?"

"Hmm, i can make one pretty fast. I love making them!"

"Do you remember how long it took the first time?"

"Well, my mama taught me how to make one since mine kept falling apart, but now i don't need her help!"

She says proudly and puts her hands on her waist.

"Then there's your answer. You do the same thing over and over again until you get better at it."

THUD!

I punch the spot on the tree suddenly and she startles slightly.

"...Did that hurt you?"

"A little but i ignore it."

I show her my fist and the skin isn't broken.

She looks at it and then the spot.

She walks over to it, closes her eyes and then "punches" it.

The slowest "punch" i've ever seen, it didn't even make any sound.

"Ow..."

"So, what do you want to do now?"

She thinks for a moment before answering.

"How about we walk by the river and get to know each other?"

Strange idea but at least it will pass the time.

We walk to the river close to our house, and walk alongside it towards Luton which it flows to.

It flows from a big forest in the distance, where the road in front of our house also leads to.

"What was your name again?"

I ask as i walk with my hands in my pocket.

"Alfreda!"

"..."

"So?"

She speaks up.

"What?"

"Are you going to ask something about me?"

Does she think this is a game?

She asks me a question and i answer it, then i ask a question.

Or is she making it into one?

"Sigh, i'm all ears."

"Okay then! I'll start!"

She tells me her parents came here from a kingdom named Valenia, located south from Luton, and settled here about a year after Eric and Anna moved here.

Her family name is Venphine, she's four months younger than me and she likes flowers.

She loves her parents very much and wishes to someday visit some big magical tree.

Apparently, it's a very important place for elves, and they all make a pilgrimage to it at least once in their lifetimes.

Oh, and elves live up to 1000 years and remain youthful for most of that time, becoming visibly old only in the last 100 years of their lives.

"So, Alex, can you tell me about yourself?"

I think for a moment before answering.

For now, it would be the best not to reveal anything from my past live, to anyone, ever, maybe.

"Hmm, let's see. All i know is that my dad was a mercenary and my mom was a healer in a church. They then met each other, got married, settled her and then had me."

"...That's all?"

"Yep."

"So, about your training, what's it for?"

"To get stronger."

"Well, once you've gotten stronger, maybe then you have something more interesting things to tell?"

Is she making fun of me?

We continue walking when Alfreda notices something.

"Alex, Look! There are some flowers over there."

She takes off and i follow her.

It's a grassfield with a large patch of flowers on it.

She crawls on the grass and smells all the different colored flowers.

Her dress gets slightly dirty in the process.

I guess in a small village such as this, there's not much variety in entertainment.

The soft grass looks rather comfortable, so i take a seat on it and lay on my back, my hands under my head.

"Sigh."

I let out a deep sigh and watch the clouds above us.

She sits next to me with a pile flowers on her lap.

One by one, she ties them together, i assume she's making a flower crown.

"U-Um, Alex?"

"What?"

"Thank you, for saving me."

"You already told me that."

"Yes, i know..."

"Besides, i didn't do it for you."

She looks at me confused.

"T-Then why?"

"It was obvious you weren't going to stand up to yourself."

She looks away from me with her head down.

"They would've continued to bully you and i don't want to see that every time i walk around here."

She begins tearing up.

"Why were they bullying you in the first place?"

Her tears overflow and she sobs.

"I-I wanted to make some friends, since i don't have any."

I like being by myself, so i don't mind, but for someone like her, i guess it can get pretty lonely out here.

"You standing up for me was the nicest thing someone did for me, so i hoped you would be my friend."

She wipes her tears but they keep falling.

"...You really want me to be your friend that much?"

She nods.

I contemplate for a moment, i guess i can tolerate her until she finds new friends.

"Sigh, i guess i can be your friend then if it means that much to you."

She quickly turns her head and looks at me through her teary eyes, a glimpse of hope shining through her amethyst colored eyes.

"R-Really?"

"Yes."

"Really, really?"

"If you ask me again i'm going to change my mind."

Suddenly, she lunges towards me and wraps her arms around my neck.

"Ah, what the...!?"

"Thank you, thank you! Yay, my first friend!"

I flail my arms in the air as she hugs me rather tightly while crying her eyes out.

Despite my discomfort i stay still for a moment.

Sniff, sniff...

what's that scent?

Her hair smells... nice?

Did the scent of flowers become entangled into her hair, or is it part of elven physiology?

I admit it's a rather... pleasant scent.

"Okay, that's enough, get off me."

I grab her shoulders and lift her off me.

We sit up on the grass and she dries her tears, which have finally stopped flowing.

I get up and pat my clothes from any loose grass.

"I think that's enough hanging out for one day. Come on, let's head back."

She looks up at me and smiles.

"Okay!"

We walk through the field towards the road.

Once we reach it, we realize our houses are in opposite directions.

"Thank you for hanging out with me today, Alex."

"Yeah, whatever."

With that she waves goodbye and heads home.

I stand there for a moment and look up at the sky.

First friend in this new world, huh?

I'm not sure if i like it or not, it would be easier to just be by myself.

Anna greets me at the front door when i arrive home.

"Hello, Alex, did you two have fun?"

Not wanting to get into details, I give a simple answer.

"I guess so. We walked around and talked."

I'm about to ascend the stairs when she suddenly hugs me from behind.

"I'm really happy you spent time with her today. I know you like being by yourself but i'm glad you can get along with other people."

I unwrap her arms and head to my room.

Sitting at my desk in my room, i think about her words.

"Get along with other people, huh?"

I say out loud and lean against the chair.

She's right.

As much as i dislike it, it's inevitable that i'll have to deal with other people once i step out in to the world.

I'll most likely encounter all kinds people, so it would be wise not to make everyone i meet my enemy, but that doesn't mean i have to be their friend.

Just tolerating them will be enough.

But those problems are for later, for now i'll stick to my training.