Limping slightly, Aidan hurriedly began to move between several bushes. Branches painfully scratched his face, but he tried to ignore it and hastily retreat from possible danger.

- Oh, what a shame ... the Killer of the Gods scrabbled from some small cat! That's how it will be, I'm sure! - suddenly Aidan turned around and at the same moment the unexpected happened. Having got out of the bushes, he suddenly bumped into a man!

- Ay! - I heard a frightened cry, at the moment when the two collided. Aidan staggered slightly and stared at his feet in amazement. There was a blue-haired little girl of about six sitting right there. She rubbed her nose and wiped away her tears, then sharply raised her large eyes to the suddenly appeared young man ... Aidan instantly froze. He was struck not by the meeting with the first person in this life, not by her big eyes, but by who she was!

Therefore, the guy frowned even more, trying to understand if he was right, but still ... He definitely remembered blue hair, a little girl in the forest and even her clothes. The brain itself provided an understanding ... Who else but Wendy Marvell could wander in this dense forest at such an hour?

The girl was about to be glad to meet the man, but she stopped abruptly and even crawled back a little. The scowl of the boy in front of her, as well as his disheveled appearance, looked pretty intimidating. Especially his eerie red eyes peeking out from the long bangs of dark hair.

Aidan was abruptly distracted and narrowed his eyes.

- Watch out! - instantly, the guy stretched out his hand and an ice blade appeared on it. In the blink of a second, it flew towards the girl. Wendy shivered and closed her eyes, but suddenly realized in surprise that she had remained completely unharmed! The ice blast landed somewhere nearby, and then there was a furious hiss. The girl hastily looked around and jumped up with a yelp and instantly hid behind the stranger's back:

- Snake! Wendy screamed, jabbing her finger towards the creature wriggling in its death throes. Aidan's Icicle hit the target immediately, even he was surprised at his accuracy.

The guy came closer to the snake and created a sharp knife from ice to cut off the poor creature's head, and then threw the little body into his basket with mushrooms.

- Well, now there is definitely something to eat. Still, water ... Although, - having drawn attention to a couple of palm trees in this strange forest, Aidan has already seriously begun to think about trying them.

At that moment, the girl finally spoke again:

- B-brother, I'm lost. Have you seen the d-dragon?Aidan turned to the visibly frightened girl and nodded thoughtfully.

"I understand the language ... Hmm, so she really is Wendy. He is looking for a dragon ... So this is a meeting "

Before he could speak, the girls happily asked:

- True? Have you seen Grandina?

"Ah ..." Aidan realized that he shouldn't have started nodding, so he sat down by the tree and put down his cane. Then he looked at the baby and apologized: - Sorry, I was just thinking. I didn't see the dragon, and I myself got lost. As you see...

He certainly didn't look so hot, his face and shoulders were covered with more cuts from thorny grass, and he hadn't washed himself of the dirt in a while. Paired with greasy hair and bare feet, and also a rag barely covering the farm, he looked like some kind of forest ghost, especially with his bony body.

After his answer, Wendy again became sad and tears involuntarily began to gather in the corners of her eyes. Aidan just sighed. He certainly didn't want such an unexpected meeting. Now you won't leave the girl and you will have to look after her ...

"Damn Mystogan, where has he gone? And what am I to do with her now ... "- Aidan did not have time to rejoice at the unexpected gift of fate, as the girl jumped from her place and threw herself into his arms.

- Brother! Help! I want to find Grandina! - the girl sobbed and buried herself in the guy's shoulder. All he could do was grin wryly and let him cry. Putting his arm around her, he slowly stroked her blue hair.

*

An hour later, at the same place.

In a small clearing, Aidan made a fire and began to fry mushrooms. Wendy sat nearby and watched his actions with curiosity. Recently, he had already learned to do it almost perfectly, so after frying some mushrooms, he hastily passed the stick to the girl.

Wendy smiled and immediately took the food.After a short lunch, it was already evening. It was then that Aidan realized with displeasure - Mystogan would not come! Now all that was left was to accept and ...

Looking at the sad girl, the guy sighed and, leaning on a cane, got up. As he approached Wendy, he sat down beside her and after a moment of silence extended his hand and concentrated. The dark haze appeared again, even Wendy noticed the guy's actions:

- What are you doing?

- You will see, - Aidan smiled and after a moment a black figure appeared in his palm. When he saw her, he sighed in disappointment:

- Well, as usual ...

But Wendy is the opposite:

- Wow! - the girl held out her little hand and touched the black ice figure. On its blue edges, the tongues of fire flames gleamed beautifully and even with a rather ridiculous design, the figure looked like some kind of jewel. The guy tried to imagine a dragon and create it from ice, but it turned out ... In general, it turned out a frog with wings and a tail, and even for a frog it would seem offensive. It was simply impossible to understand what he created.

- It's a dragon! - Wendy grabbed the ice "masterpiece" and immediately began to examine it. Aidan was amazed at her quick wit. Had he even had a hundred times better eyesight, he would never have believed that this something at least somehow resembles a dragon! She's a really funny little girl ... Besides, she stops being sad so quickly that it even amazes.

- So you are a wizard? Wendy finally asked, returning the figurine to its creator. Before that, they did not really talk, they just met. Aidan didn't really want to talk about his situation. In particular, that not so long ago he escaped from the laboratory. Not that it was so important, rather it was clearly not worth telling anyone to just anyone, even at the first meeting.

When asked by Wendy, Aidan nodded.

- Learned ice magic here and there.

"Mm ..." Wendy frowned her brows a little, and then she said, "I'm a sorceress too. I ... Taught Grandin, - instantly, she became sad again.

Aidan turned the topic straight away:

- Can you show it?

- Well ... - the girl was slightly embarrassed: - I'm not so good at it. Grandian said that I need to learn gradually and not strain, and also ... - Wendy's tears welled up in her eyes again: - She also said that I shouldn't get sick and ... and ... - followed by the girl, as expected, burst into tears.

Aidan immediately hugged her and stroked her affectionately, trying to calm her down. Gradually, he began to get used to this. Yet, even though she was only a five-year-old girl, by the age of twelve she would turn into a pretty beauty and a good sorceress. So it's not that bad. In addition, she is so kind and innocent that he involuntarily began to want to look after her as long as possible ...