Shade follows.

Cliff: is findable! The girl walks her through how to move things simply, and how tree branches are different from reeds which are different from stone. Breaking things is pretty easy. This section of cliff's stable, though, and the girl can correct for anything dangerous.

Fun.

"I never did get your name," she says.

"Didn't get yours either!"

"I am called Shade Eclipse Heart."

"That's a cool name!"

"Uh."

"I'm September Morning Bell."

"...I see."

"Is," Shade gestures vaguely at her colorfulness, "that why you disappeared?"

"Uh. Kinda."

"Also realized I don't agree with my mother's rule."

"Apparently if you're Heartful you care about stuff like murdered dads."

"Are you seeking Heartful fairies to recruit allies, then?"

"Yeah. And 'cause I don't like feeling lonely."

"Hm."

Fidgeting. "You're not gonna report me, are you?"

"No. I don't care for the Queen enough to go back there like this."

"...Thanks."

"You are welcome."

Heee!

She leans back. "We should try to get more food than just stolen eggs tomorrow, but I haven't figured out the making-plants-grow trick yet..."

"The humans barter, yes? What do they value that you can make?"

"I can heal people! That's super valuable. I gotta care about someone to make them immortal, so that's harder to trade, but I find it pretty easy to care about people."

"Then if you are willing to share the proceeds of your efforts, that seems to solve that problem."

"Yeah, I am."

Then Shade will continue to practice breaking and shaping until it's time to sleep.

The next morning, September leads them deeper into human territory, towards one of the larger settlements, since, "It's more likely to have people who need healing, and to have the stuff we wanna trade for."

That makes sense.

This larger village is a bit more suspicious of them, but is willing to put that aside for September's healing. They have further maps to trade, and preserved food, and cloth bags and assorted wares.

Useful things all. No books, but what can one expect of these people. She should have brought some with her. Not that she could have foreseen the need.