Willow and her aunt were on the way home, with the child feeling quite pleased with herself.

  “I knew you’d get along with them!” She said, not for the first time. The fact she had bound the river spirit so soon after meeting them was a sign that they were almost perfect for each other in the young girl’s mind.

  “Yes Willow, you did.” Jieun replied, half exasperated at her niece refusing to let it go.

  She decided to inform her niece on why she had chosen to bind the spirit so quickly, maybe then the girl would stop pestering her about it. “Ikgang just seemed to be so lonely, it makes me wonder if they had a previous binder or lost some friends of their own.”

  That idea did make Willow stop and think. They were quick to trust and interact with the two of them, shame the big fish couldn’t really speak, or she would’ve asked them directly. She hated the idea of the poor spirit losing their old friends.

  Aunt and niece made it home and both were surprised to see Scholar Mu standing near their front door, hat obscuring her eyes, and a cloud of smoke surrounding her.

  Willow was immediately quite concerned by the all consuming curiosity that had gripped the woman.

  “There ya both are! Been waitin’ what feels like an age!” She called with a wide grin.

  “Is there something you need, Master Mu?” Aunt Jieun said, her qi an anxious swirl as she was clearly unsure why the wanderer woman was waiting for them.

  “The girlie’s Pa told me about her situation, and asked for some help. Just been waitin’ on you two to return so I can properly give it!”

  Willow had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She noted through her senses that her father was inside the house and a bit nervous, but otherwise he was calm. He wouldn’t trust a stranger with her secrets, right?

  “What’d my Da tell you?”

  “Hm? All kindsa stuff about you and your spirits. He even told me you needed a wee wood sprite to finish your little collection. Mighty curious meself to see how this’ll turn out, so c’mon!” She started walking towards the woods, gesturing for Willow to follow her.

  “Can I check with him first?” She asked, not so eager to follow the strange lady into the woods.

  Scholar Mu stomped her foot like a child. “Ugh! Fine.”

  She marched back over to the front door and started banging on it. “Oi, beardy! Your brat won’t come with me unless you clear it first!”

  After a few moments and some muffled curses from behind the door, Rowan stepped out leaning on the doorframe for support. Willow ran up to him and gave him a hug, putting a smile on his face. He placed his large hand on her head and gently tousled her hair.

  “You can trust her, sprout. I’ve already told her most of what’s going on with you and your friends, you can tell her the rest if and when you’re comfortable.”

  It still felt like a betrayal that he’d gone and told the strange wanderer woman things about her friends behind her back, but she’d just have to trust her father’s judgement on the matter.

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  Mu scoffed from nearby. “So long as ya didn’t leave anything important out I don’t rightly care if she keeps some secrets.”

  She held up her hand and started listing what Rowan had told her. “She has two powerful spirits, and four wee ones. She’s quite keen to get a wee wood sprite so she has all the base elements for reasons I can only speculate on and I’m eager to see. Her bindin’ technique is a tad strange and apparently self-taught. Plus you’ve been trainin’ your core in an odd manner using yin and yang energies, which caused some body shiftin’ shenanigans.”

  She looked back at the girl. “That about cover it?”

  At her hesitant nod, Mu looked satisfied. “I would like to scan you just to make sure your exercises ain’t causin’ your body lastin’ harm that you just haven’t noticed yet.”

  “I’ve been watching over her and making sure she doesn’t hurt herself.” Jieun interjected.

  “And are ya a healer?” At her head shake Mu sighed. “Then ya might’ve missed some things. Crude core training like how I heard it described can lead to some right nasty side effects if not done with the utmost care and control.”

  Her father gave the go ahead and Scholar Mu placed her hand on Willow’s head. She sent a pulse of qi throughout the girl's body, causing her to tilt her head and begin muttering to herself as she processed what she was sensing.

  Eventually she shook her head. “Quite frankly I’m surprised you’re alive, girlie. Guessin’ your yin and yang spirits are linked in some way?”

  At Willow’s surprised, and nervous expression, Mu chuckled. “That’s what I figured. Only way ya could brute force a YinYang Physique like that without a treasure.”

  “What’s a physique?” The curious child asked, eager to move away from the topic of Change and Harmony.

  “Just a fancy schmancy way of sayin’ you’ve built both a tolerance and affinity for certain energy types, don’t pay it too much mind. Wanna go get your wood sprite now? Easiest way is to get ol Rotter to cough one up, so we need to hoof it to the clearin’ first.”

  Willow looked to her father first and with a light push and a gentle nod she was sent away with Scholar Mu.

  As the two walked through the woods, the girl was still processing how she felt about this new development. She wished her father had at least told her this was what he planned to do. She still didn’t even understand why he thought it was necessary to do so.

  Actually, she supposed there was someone who could answer that.

  “Why did my Da tell you so much about me?”

  Mu seemed surprised at the question, though her emotions were still heavily muted by her curiosity. After thinking it over, she kept her reply simple.

  “Your father feels that it would be in your best interest if you joined me sect.”

  Which just confused the child further.

  “What? Why?”

  “If you don’t know then ask him yourself, it’s not my place to spill potential secrets. Either way he told me more about you to entice me to make you my apprentice. Which, unfortunately for me, worked quite well. At least if you’re willin’ to give me a chance?” This last bit was said with a questioning look to the young girl.

  Willow was being given an offer to join the Wanderers? She honestly hadn’t heard too much about them from the adults, but what little she had heard made it seem like they were travelling heroes, moving around the land and helping people when they were able.

  Which meant it would be the perfect home for someone like her!

  So what if she had some minor misgivings about Scholar Mu’s emotional state. So far she hadn’t done anything too strange, and she was even offering to get her the final friend she needed to reach a balanced state of being.

  As they entered the clearing that once housed the Emerald Bloom, Willow made her decision.

  “If I get to be a hero like you, then sure!”

  Mu chuckled at the child’s response.

  “Fantastic, then let’s get you a wood sprite and see what comes of it, aye?”

  Willow couldn’t wait to meet the last friend she needed to achieve the balanced state her friends viewed as so important.