On Vagus's final night in Hidden Hollow in the midst of packing a notebook, he was startled to find Priscilla sitting on his windowsill. "Were you not going to say goodbye?" she asked. Vagus looked down sheepishly, but shook his head. "I was coming to find you next." He'd always been able to speak to Priscilla easier than anyone else. He couldn't imagine leaving without saying farewell, face-to-face, even though he dreaded parting. "You must take your lamp," Priscilla said. The lamp in question stemmed from his ceiling. It was in the shape of a miniature acorn, and it shone with a light that never darkened. It had been there from the time he was born. Constant as the sunrise. "You can't survive far from the village without it," Priscilla warned. "Only a few days, and in some parts of the forest, even less." "You must always keep it with you." Vagus looked startled. "I didn't know that," he said, suddenly sounding much younger. He pulled the lamp down and set it on the table. Staring into its light, he whispered, "There's so much I don't know." "Then it's a good thing I'm coming with you," Priscilla said. Vagus peered at her, confused. "But ... your place is here!" "It's as much your home as any of ours!" "And the Great Tree -" "I already spoke with the Great Tree," Priscilla interrupted. "I've been relieved of my duties." "I can leave any time." Vagus stared out his window mutely. Having known him his entire life Priscilla knew that he was searching for words, and she kindly gave him the space. Finally, he asked her simply, "Why?" Priscilla, with an unmistakably sad look on her face, answered him just as simply. "Because you're my friend." Were it not for their size difference, Priscilla was sure he would have hugged her. Instead, he put his arm out and she crawled onto his shoulder where she simply felt him breathe for a while. He was at a loss for words, but they were unnecessary. His gratitude was as plain as anything he could say. An hour before sunrise, Vagus finished packing and tacked his farewell letter to the front door. Then he and Priscilla silently climbed the wall surrounding Hidden Hollow, and for the first time ever, hopped to the other side. And so their journey began, together, into the woods.🏁

On Vagus's final night in Hidden Hollow in the midst of packing a notebook, he was startled to find Priscilla sitting on his windowsill. "Were you not going to say goodbye?" she asked. Vagus looked down sheepishly, but shook his head. "I was coming to find you next." He'd always been able to speak to Priscilla easier than anyone else. He couldn't imagine leaving without saying farewell, face-to-face, even though he dreaded parting. "You must take your lamp," Priscilla said. The lamp in question stemmed from his ceiling. It was in the shape of a miniature acorn, and it shone with a light that never darkened. It had been there from the time he was born. Constant as the sunrise. "You can't survive far from the village without it," Priscilla warned. "Only a few days, and in some parts of the forest, even less." "You must always keep it with you." Vagus looked startled. "I didn't know that," he said, suddenly sounding much younger. He pulled the lamp down and set it on the table. Staring into its light, he whispered, "There's so much I don't know." "Then it's a good thing I'm coming with you," Priscilla said. Vagus peered at her, confused. "But ... your place is here!" "It's as much your home as any of ours!" "And the Great Tree -" "I already spoke with the Great Tree," Priscilla interrupted. "I've been relieved of my duties." "I can leave any time." Vagus stared out his window mutely. Having known him his entire life Priscilla knew that he was searching for words, and she kindly gave him the space. Finally, he asked her simply, "Why?" Priscilla, with an unmistakably sad look on her face, answered him just as simply. "Because you're my friend." Were it not for their size difference, Priscilla was sure he would have hugged her. Instead, he put his arm out and she crawled onto his shoulder where she simply felt him breathe for a while. He was at a loss for words, but they were unnecessary. His gratitude was as plain as anything he could say. An hour before sunrise, Vagus finished packing and tacked his farewell letter to the front door. Then he and Priscilla silently climbed the wall surrounding Hidden Hollow, and for the first time ever, hopped to the other side. And so their journey began, together, into the woods.🏁