"Where have আপনি been?!" Asked an exasperated Jim as সিন্ড্রেলা reached the inn.

"I was having চা with a new friend." She ব্যক্ত dismissively. She wished she could dismiss those glowing red eyes as easily as she could her cousin but she felt as if they were still boring into her.

"You can't just go off and not tell us where আপনি were going. You've been gone hours. What were we to think? What if-"

"Jim. I'm fine. Nothing happened. Since when were আপনি a worry wort?" She ব্যক্ত as she climbed the stairs to go to her room.

"I'm not, usually. But-" Jim was cut off as Milo came stumbling down the stairs.
"Cindy! There আপনি are. Are আপনি alright? What happened? Where were you?" ব্যক্ত Milo, barely taking a breath between the questions. Jim closed his eyes and sighed.

"He's made me worry." Jim ব্যক্ত to Cinderellas's back as she continued up the stair. "He got me worried দ্বারা telling all about tales of the old forest and the disappearances."

"Jim. Milo. I'm fine. I made a new friend and helped her to her house. Then we spent a couple hours talking and drinking tea." সিন্ড্রেলা was quiet for a moment. "Its been a long time since I've had someone to talk to." There was a long pause.

"You've got us." ব্যক্ত Milo fidgeting with his book. Jim slapped his head in frustration.

"I know and আপনি guys are great but I meant female conversation. A women friend to talk to." সিন্ড্রেলা sighed and finished mounting the stair. Milo opened his mouth to say something but সিন্ড্রেলা beat him to it. "I'm tired. I'm headed to bed. See আপনি both in the morning. I didn't mean to worry আপনি guys." সিন্ড্রেলা hurried off to her room. The men stood quiet on the stairs as they watched her disappear into her room.

Once alone সিন্ড্রেলা felt calm but the feeling that she was being watched still lingered with her. সিন্ড্রেলা went to the window and shut the shutters. She then got on her night clothes and climbed into bed. Hoping to fall quickly into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

But sleep did not come easy. Glowing red eyes, a fear of something in the forest, and the feeling that someone was watching her haunted her sleep. What little sleep she got was fitful and broken. She only hoped the morning would come soon.

Sun streamed in the window passed the shutters, which oddly were open. সিন্ড্রেলা lulled in bed. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. সিন্ড্রেলা stretched and answered the door. Upon opening the door সিন্ড্রেলা found Jim was on the other side.

"Good morning. How'd আপনি sleep?" Asked Jim chipperly.

সিন্ড্রেলা groaned and rubbed her eyes. "Not so well." Jim rocked on his heels anxiously. "What's the matter with you? You're not a morning person." সিন্ড্রেলা arched her eyebrows quizzically. Jim smiled one of his sly smiles. One of the ones he gets when he is up to something.

"You got me. We aren't leaving today and there is an old ships captain staying at the inn. He is on কূল leave and I was hoping to talk to him and hear some of his stories." Jim beamed with anticipation. সিন্ড্রেলা couldn't help but smile.

"Alright. I'm up. Go find the Captain. I can occupy myself today. I'll go find Milo in a bit. See আপনি for lunch." Jim waved goodbye and bounded down the stairs. সিন্ড্রেলা chuckled to herself and closed the door. She quickly dressed and then set off to find Milo.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where is she?" asked Chel. The group of girls all trudged through the wood looking for Meg. Chel led the little procession, quickly followed দ্বারা Esmeralda and Jasmine. Daria and Odette brought up the end of the group. They searched all Meg's normal hide-outs. None of which yielded any good clues to where she was. Finally the little group decided to check the lake. There they found Meg and the other girls waiting for them.

Meg sat on a large rock wringing out her hair which was sopping wet.

"Did আপনি fall in again?" Asked Esmeralda with a smirk as the girls crowded around. Meg smiled and flipped her hair over her shoulder, sending water in all directions.

"Hey! Just because you're wet doesn't mean the rest of us want to be." ব্যক্ত জুঁই who whipped water from her arms. Chel paced behind the girls. Too impatient and to frustrated to talk.

Meg having fixed her hair finally noticed Chel. "What's with her?" Esmeralda glanced back at Chel.

"Oh. We told her about what আপনি saw. She has been like this ever since."

Meg scoffed. "What's the big deal? Its a path. There are plenty of paths in the wood."

Chel finally found her voice. "A well worn path this far in the wood means it has to be frequented দ্বারা someone. Someone exploring the wood."

Daria shook her head. "Its probably just him." Esmeralda shook her head.

"No, Chel's right. Since when does he walk anywhere? Especially past the boundary line?" ব্যক্ত Esmeralda. "He always uses his magic to go anywhere. He wouldn't just be traipsing through the wood."

"No sensible person would go traipsing through the wood." Added Odette.

The girls took in the revelation of the news. They were quiet for several মিনিট before anyone spoke.

It was Amalthea who finally broke the silence. "So... what do we do?" A hopeful gleam in her eye. Her hope was contagious and soon all the other girls had the same gleam.

"We take turns watching the trail. Find out who it is and maybe get there help." Esmeralda ব্যক্ত with conviction.


"It could be a trick of the wood." জুঁই thought out loud.

"We'll never know if we don't try." ব্যক্ত Chel.

The girls made up there minds to watch the trial. The group বিভক্ত করা up and went off to tell the other girls what they had decided.

Chel decided to take first watch and quickly found the path Meg had seen. She waited nearby, inside the boundary line. Hoping to see who it was who had made the path.