Her mother hadn't come home. This was doubly alarming when her mother was really the only person Ami had in the village. Most of the villagers found her strange, wanting to follow in the footsteps of a woman doctor, and always reading and studying.

But it wasn't as if she couldn't take care of herself. Ever since Ami was very young, there had been times Mama had to stay out overnight with someone sick, or a woman in childbirth, or even a dying elder. So Ami didn't worry until a full night and day had gone by, without even a message. Mama always sent messengers when she could.

Ami decided to search the nearby woods. And although she'd never realized there was such a place so close to them, she somehow found herself near a castle. It would have been a perfect place to shelter for a day or two if the weather had gotten bad.

"Mama?" she called out into the empty darkness. "Are you in here, mother?"