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"You tried to go home?" Hue finally calmed himself as he located the problem. The back hoof was cracked alright. Hue was no expert on hooves, but that struck him as being very, very bad. "Is there anywhere you can rise this out?"

"You were trying to go home and you were attacked by metal men," Hue thought hard, trying to understand. "Golems, perhaps? How did you try to head back?"

Chen slowed when he heard voices. Maybe the creature was human? No... the feeling he got was all wrong to be a human. It felt... part human. The other was so obviously Fae and felt himself grimace. The imp distrusted most Fae due to many instants in the past, the few he did trust were either far away or dead. With a small growl, he could only hope the Fae wouldn't see him as he faded from human sight and leaped into a tree looking into the small clearing. What appeared to be a wounded, female centaur was being helped by the Fae. So far, the Faeling seemed to mean no harm but years of mistrust don't just disappear from a appearance. Looks can change, Chen knew this all too well as he did it himself.

Epona tried not to flinch as Hue helped her, as any kind of sudden movement by one of her back feet would surely send Hue flying backwards a few feet. She took a deep breath and continued to answer Hue's strange questions, "On this side of the island, yeah. My father and I lived in one of the old manors on the east side of the island. My mother and he were very different; she slept in the barn and he slept inside the house. She died when I was young and he let me move into the house with him. When I turned fourteen he said it was time for me to come of age, and I spent a week in the forest. When I came back he was gone... I missed him so much that I moved out. He'd trained me well and I knew I could survive on my own, so I gathered what I could and moved to the woods here, built myself this hut where I spent the winter. I was working on a newer, bigger house on the edge of the stream, that's why I went home. I needed to get some supplies to build it, but those metal men threatened me and I kicked one and ran off." Epona leaned back, trying to relax while Hue cleaned her injury. "Am I gonna be OK?"

"Wow," Hue whistled as he finished washing the hoof, "You really aren't a centaur, are you? I didn't mean on this side of Delmor, I meant on this side of the Veil. It's the barrier between the material plane and the magical ones. Adohi Forest happens to contain a weak point in it, so fey can use it to get home."

"Wait a second, you lived in that huge beach front mansion? I think the God awful music group moved in there."

"I'm sorry, Epona, but it isn't your house anymore. It's been unowned for a while now. I heard the man who owned it left town." Hue felt the uneasy pause as he finished with Epona's hoof. "I do have some good news, though. You're going to have to be gentle with this leg for a week and soak it every morning, but you should be okay."

Hue was becoming more and more worried about the unseen visitor, however. It was common courtesy to introduce oneself once you had determined the people you were lurking about weren't a threat. He sighed and continued to talk to Epona. "The 'metal men' work for B.A.N.D. They're robots."

"But....but...my house.... My father... He wouldn't leave me....he loves me...." Epona had missed everything after Hue told her that the house was no longer hers, but she understood that she was going to be fine. "It was just supposed to be a test.... He sent me into the woods for a week to make my own way, and when I came back the house was empty... I thought- I thought the test was just continuing, I- he has to come back..." Epona was totally mentally un-prepared for the thought of her father leaving, though he had trained her well enough to survive on her own. She wanted him to be proud of her when he found her on Delmor completely self-sufficient and surviving, but if he had left town would he ever be back for her? Would she ever know her father's love again? The forest was going to be her permanent home from now on, and she had no other place to live, and no means of getting money to pay for things. She was going to have to steal the things she needed to survive once her clothes wore out. She was going to be a bum!

Epona eyes welled with tears, and she scowled angrily at herself. She seemed to always be crying these days, and now the only person she knew in the world was Hue, and he'd killed the first living soul to be kind to her after her father left. Was the cycle going to continue? Would everyone leave her for the rest of her life? Epona slumped her shoulders and hung her head low, all she wanted to do was sleep for the rest of the week... She sat quietly for a moment wishing her father were around to give her a tight, reassuring, squeeze. Finally, she remembered Hue, and spoke quietly, defeated by the news of the sale of her house, "Thank you for your help, Hue. Is it OK if I go to sleep now?"

"My, you are young..." Chen stepped towards the Faeling and frowned, but not in anger, more as if in remembering something sorrowful. "The plants had told me something was in pain but you were already helping the girl, Epona was it?" The imp continued until he was facing Hue, "She seems to be in a lot of pain, not physical, but pain of losing the hope her father will come back...." He took a quick glance back towards the clearing and sighed, "I didn't want to upset her more."

"But I guess you're right..." Chen smiled faintly, "I should introduce myself... I guess you can call me Schädelchen, or just Chen." His smile faded slightly and he glared at the changeling, "It would also be nice to know the name of the Faeling that must be at least ten times younger than me.... and is seemingly challenging me...." The imp leaned against a nearby tree, "I swear that I mean no harm to her... or you." He was talking slowly and choosing his words carefully. Deciding not to side with any Court made relations with Fae hard, he hated politics and thus stay away from the Courts' arguments. Though this had a negative effect of those Fae not trusting him which was fine as he didn't trust them. So by no means had he told Hue his "true name", it was a sort of title or nickname he had picked up over the years. It would be hard to talk to people if there wasn't something to call them.

"Hm... changeling... of Queen Titania?" Chen raised an eyebrow. He had been out of contact from the Courts so long the name meant nothing. As the thought passed through his head, the imp started to laugh. It wasn't loud but it was on the verge of howling. "You know how long I've excommunicated myself from the Courts, boy? Politics have just caused me misery and grieve..." His voice trailed off as a memory resurfaced. Dammit, not now, he was talking to someone and wanted to pull off a good first impression... Dammit, why did the mention of the Courts make the pain rush back? They were barely involved in the conflict. They only came in at the very end. Covering his eyes, the imp turned away from the boy and leaned on the tree that was behind him.

"Dammit boy, unintentionally hit my sore spot.... Don't think I'm telling you anything," With a shuddering breath, he managed to lock the feelings behind their door once more and stood up straight. He didn't feel like facing the mere... boy that had made him remember. Most Fey never made him remember, why now? With a weak chuckle Chen continued as though nothing had happened, "I still need something to call you, Son of the Queen of the Midsummer Knights. And don't worry about the changeling bit, I guess I could be called a changeling... Honestly, I don't know what I am." With a huff, he turned and slid his back down the truck until he was sitting. "I'm slowly losing the desire to talk," Chen sighed grimly and shook his head as if to clear it, "It's not your fault, I just think I'm way pass my expiration date. Humans aren't meant to live as long as I have."