Our heroes are now heading to Bardsdale, in search for the third shard. Everyone is quiet and somber, after knowing the fate of the people of ID, riding quietly to their next destination. By nightfall, after passing the Murky Woodland, they set up camp. Galen and Oar are eating quietly, by the campfire. Faeda is watching the Key float in mid-air, sadly. Vi and Adie are staring across the fields in silence. Edeline looks up at the stars.
"It's really sad." says Faeda, finally. "Yeah." nods Edeline. "Hmm..." says Oar, "I don't understand why one would feel anything, over the deaths of others. Death is the ultimate blessing, in all things." "That's what you think," frowns Edeline, "I'm pretty the people of ID would disagree." Oar is now silent. "It's no use," says Galen, "He doesn't understand human emotions." "You assume that." says Oar, "I understand plenty. I admit, the feelings of 'love', 'friendship', and 'grief' alludes me."

Galen: "But that's the basics of human emotions!" (u_u)
Edeline: "So, what do you understand, Oar?" (o_O)
Oar: "Content... Pride... Envy... Determination... Greed... Pain... and Death." (-_-)
Adie: "But, how can one be content, without love and friendship?" (O_o)
Oar: "That's easy... I have neither, yet I am content." (-_-)
Adie: "Are you sure about that?" (o_o)
Vi: "It's in almost every creature's genetic makeup, to love and to be loved. We crave to share such feelings with others, as well as receive it." (-_-)
Galen: "Yeah... everyone wants to be accepted, at some point of their lives." (;^_^)
Oar: "I have no need to be accepted. And I don't understand this need for 'love' and 'friendship'." (-_-)
Edeline: "It's through friendship, that we can truly find ourselves, figure out or remind ourselves where we truly stand." (;^_^)
Faeda: "And through love, we loose ourselves, meeting a person of like-mind and making a connection that will last for generations." (^_^)
Adie: "It's a beautiful thing, to be a part of life! To love and to be loved, to spend time with friends, through the good times and bad!" \(^o^)/

"Having friendships," explains Vi, "Is what we do, to cope with the harshness of the world. It gives us hope and help us through the bad times." "Yes," nods Edeline, "And during the good times, with friendship, you always have someone to share the laughter with." "It sounds like the stories in my books," says Oar, "All sentimental." "Sentimental," nods Edeline, "Yes. But that doesn't mean, it isn't real."
Galen smiles, "Hey... do you remember how we first met, Edeline?" She thinks for a second, "Yeah... I forgot about that." "What?" asks Adie. "Galen was a young warrior monk," explains Edeline, "When I met him. I was also a young member of Koi. Well, part of my mission, for that day, was to retrieve food for the camp. I was only ten years old and very afraid. Anyway, I've managed to find the town of Rainhaven, but while running from monsters in the woods, I've lost my pouch of gold."

Faeda: "Oh, my! What did you do?" (o_o)
Edeline: "I didn't want to fail my mission, so I began to steal food..." (;^_^)
Faeda: (o_o)
Adie: "Wow..." (o_o)
Edeline: "I would have gotten away with it too, if some nosy kid didn't discovered me!" (^_-)
Galen: "Yeah... I saw this weird girl stealing from the market and shouted, 'HEY! YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT'!" (;^_^)
Faeda: *giggle* "What did you do, then?" (;^_^)
Edeline: "Well... I panicked and hit the kid over the head with a frozen fish!" (^_^)
Galen: "I forgot about that part... I had a lump on my head, for a week!" (;u_u)
Edeline: "Of course, that just drew more attention to myself. The owner spotted us and rushed over..." (;^_^)
Galen: "He growled, 'Are you stealing from my store, little girl?!' Edeline turned so pale!" (^o^)
Adie: "That's horrible!" (o_o)

"I thought I was done for." smiles Edeline, "But Galen told the man, 'No, sir. We're just buying snacks.' And since it was clear he was monk in training, the guy believed him!" "Wow," gasps Adie, "That was nice of you!" Galen blushes. "Not only that," nods Edeline, "Galen buys the frozen fish and three loaves of bread for me." "I had to use the last of my allowance, to pay for it, too." frowns Galen, "I had planned to buy Funnel Cakes with it."
Vi and Faeda exchange looks. "After that," says Edeline, "I ran all the way home. But I couldn't stop thinking about the kind boy in Rainhaven... so days later, I returned and found Galen, in the middle of a fight with another young monk." "Gee," frowns Adie, "Galen was an hothead, even as a child." Faeda giggles. "Shut up, Adie!" growls Galen. "After the fight," nods Edeline, "I ran up to him and placed gold coins in his hand. I felt that I had repaid him for his kindness, so I proceeded to leave, but he stopped me."

Galen: "I didn't remember her, at first. So I found it weird that some girl handed me coins." (;^_^)
Edeline: "After I had reminded him, he asked for my name and I told him." (^_^)
Galen: "We've been pals, ever since." o(^_-)O
Faeda: "Wow..." (*^_^*)
Vi: "What a wonderful story!" (*_*)
Adie: "And a perfect example of friendship! Now, do you understand, Oar?" (^_^)
Faeda: "Um..." (>_>)
Adie: "Oar?" (o_o)
Faeda: "He left." (<_<)
Edeline: "He's over there... a little ways from us." (;^_^)
Galen: "I wonder why he moved... Maybe I should talk to him." (u_u)
Adie: "No... let me." (-_-)

Adie walks over to Oar, ten feet away. Oar is sitting silently on a rock, glancing broodily at the stars. "Hey," smiles Adie, "Why did you leave?" "That story..." he says, "It sounds similar to the stories in my book." "Oh," frowns Adie, "So, let me guess. Since you heard it all before, you got bored?" Oar gives her a confusing look. "No," he says, "That's not it at all. ...Edeline and Galen's story proves... that maybe I was wrong. Maybe friendship is real and it doesn't just exist in books."
"Oh." says Adie, feeling awkward, "I see." "I feel disturbed." he sighs, "As if my own existence is raveling apart. I have left my tiny world, on the island, and now I find myself lost and confused." "That's normal." waves Adie, "From time to time, we all feel lost and confused. I know this all new to you, but it's also new for us also. Many of us haven't traveled so far and so long from our own 'tiny worlds'. But we're with friends, living a journey, and doing the best we can."

Oar: "I think I finally understand something..." (-_-)
Adie: "Friendship?" (^_^)
Oar: "No... that's still a concept foreign to me." (-_-)
Adie: "Oh." (>_>)
Oar: "I think I understand why you and the others follow the seer. I do so out of curiosity, but you seem to follow, for reasons deeper. There's a real strength and security in those reasons." (-_-)
Adie: "Um... that's one way to look at it... but really, the simple answer is, we're friends trying to help another friend!" (^_-)
Oar: (-_-)
Adie: "Don't worry, Oar. I'll be your friend!" \(^o^)/

Adie leans on Oar's shoulder, watching the stars. Oar is startled, at first, but then he watches the stars too. "Odd." he says. A shooting star flies across the heavens and crashes on the horizons. "Make a wish." smiles Adie. "What for?" asks Oar. "It's fun." she says.
At the camp, the others are watching these two, Vi and Faeda giggling. "Oar and Adie?" blinks Galen, "Who knew?" "I think they're just friends." nods Edeline. "I don't know," shrugs Galen, "I think it would be good for Oar to have a girlfriend." "What about you, Galen?" tease Faeda, "Any special girl for you?" Galen blushes, as Vi and Faeda giggle.

Edeline: "That's enough. We should get some sleep." (>_>)
Galen: "Yeah, we have an adventure to finish." (^_^)
Vi: "The third shard... are you ready, Faeda?" (-_-)
Faeda: "Yes. But I'm kinda sad too. After the third shard, there will only be two more left. Our journey is half done." (;^_^)
Edeline: "Do you think we'll stay friends, after our journey?" (o_O)
Vi: "I will try to stay in touch, with everyone." (^_^)
Faeda: "Me too." (^o^)
Galen: "I hope we do stay friends." (^_-)
Faeda: "Forever and ever!" \(^o^)/
Edeline: "Oar! Adie! Time to turn in!" (^_^)

Adie and Oar head back for the camp. And our heroes slowly fall asleep, under the stars...