Take her to Tara.

This is all just a bit too weird for you to lower your guard and do something like that. Perhaps Tara will be able to tell what's wrong with her. You resist your baser instincts and walk over to her. Taking her by the hand and pulling her off the log gently, you attempt to calm her a little. "Maybe we can do that fun thing another time."

"But...." she frowns.

You're going to have to distract her. It shouldn't be too hard since you already know some of the things she likes. You pretend to have a realization. "Hey! I just remembered. There's a friend I want you to meet not too far from here. You like friends, right?"

"I love friends!" An excited look covers her face. "Take me to her."

The strange girl allows you to lead her back to where you left Tara. Fortunately it wasn't too far off and you remembered your way. Once back, you motion for the girl to sit nearby and wake Tara. She stirs a little and her eyes squint open at you. "Hey Tara. We...uh... have a visitor. A girl I found wandering the forest."

Tara pulls herself up into a sitting position and looks over briefly at the naked girl and releases a sleepy sigh. "Get into my bag and find a vial filled with a thick, brown liquid. I'm going to start a fire."

"I thought you told me that fires were dangerous out here." You eye the darkness warily.

Seeing Tara stir, the girl quickly bounds over to her. "Heya! Are you the friend he was talking about?"

Tara's addresses her as if she was a child. "Yes honey, I'm the friend he was talking about. Now sit here so I can get a good look at you." She tilts her head towards you and addresses your concern. "A fire is dangerous, but I have to get a good look at her. I'm pretty sure I know what this is, but I need some light"

With that, she points her finger at a pile of brush in the center of the clearing and sparks sputter out of it before the whole thing ignites. The clearing is engulfed in light and you finally get a good look at the girl. Her whole body is covered in muck and grime and her long hair has pieces of twigs and brambles stuck in it. Small cuts cover her feet. Some of them look recent, but others look like they've been there for awhile. The most surprising thing is that the cloudiness in her eyes. Initially you thought that maybe it was simply a sight impediment, but unlike the milky color of a damaged eye. Hers is a green haze that completely covers the eyes. In fact, even the whites of her eyes are a sickly green color. You simply couldn't tell thanks to how dark it was.

Tara gets on her knees in front of the girl and distracts her while you rummage through the bag. You push away several vials until you find one with a strange brown liquid. Holding it up to the firelight, it appears to be very sticky and coat the inside of the glass like a thick syrup. You hand it to her. "I think i found it."

She takes the vial and examines it briefly before turning to the girl. "Here, I need you to drink this."

The girl's hands reach out and wrap around Tara's elven ears. "Your ears are funny."

"Yes, Yes they are, but listen. Honey, I want you to drink this. It tastes good. It's sweet like candy." Tara hands the vial over to the afflicted girl.

She examines the vial for a moment before opening her mouth and dumping the syrupy liquid into it. She swallows and grins. Apparently it did taste really good. "That was..." You watch in amazement as the green haze slowly recedes and her eyes get heavy. "That was....really....." It appears as if she's struggling to stay awake. Her head tilts forward a little before snapping back upright. "That was really good."

However, it would seem as if she failed as her eyes close and she leans forward. She would have fallen to the ground had Tara not been there to gently lower her down. She turns to look at you. "Help me get some clothes on her. There's extras in my bag."

You pull an extra tunic and trousers out of Tara's bag and assist her in putting them on the **** girl. "What happened to her?"

"Sap Sickness. I assume you've heard of it. It's common in this area. The illness makes her body keep going until she collapses from exhaustion. Then after she wakes, it starts all over again. She has probably been awake for three or four days. Maybe more. Once the affliction was removed, all of that sleeplessness caught up to her." She looks at you critically as you carefully slide trousers onto the girl. "You didn't...do anything with her, did you?"

"No, I didn't. Nothing like that." You shake your head.

"Good. That is one of the way the illness spreads. Since it removes all of a person's inhibitions. It can be quite effective that way." Her expression turns more serious. "Donmal. She may not remember anything."

You look down at the girl sleeping peacefully at your feet. "What do you mean?"

"Sap Sickness is a magic-based illness that affects the mind. The longer that you are afflicted with it, the more likely it is that there will be some memory loss. Based on her condition she looks like she has been out here for a month. The fact that she survived this long is a miracle, but I fear for her memory. She might not remember anything. Her name, where she came from, even how to speak." She looks at you seriously. "If she has memory loss on that scale. She'll have to come with us until we can find someplace safe."

The girl keeps sleeping soundly. You doubt that any noise would wake her right now. "Well, It doesn't sound like we have much choice in the matter. Is it possible the Queen of the Forest will help her?"

Tara sighs and leans back against a tree sleepily. "I really don't know....She might be able to help? But even if she can't restore her memories, she isn't going to allow her to stay. That's just the way she is."

"She really prefers her solitude hmm?" Tara nods her head and you're beginning to feel the weight of your sleep as well. "Well, we will see how she is in the morning. Hopefully she remembers and we're worrying for nothing."

Tara agrees and seems content relaxing against the tree with the girl sleeping on her lap and you curl up on the other side of the clearing. There isn't much room with three, but there is enough for your tiring body.

It feels as if you just went to sleep when you're suddenly woken by a piercing scream. Your eyes dart open and morning light shines down through the canopy and you quickly get up and assess the situation. The girl you saved from Sap Sickness last night is standing back away from the camp site a little. Her arms are around her waist and she looks around confusedly. She shouts "What's going on! Where am I!"

Tara, who was also woken from the disturbance answers first and speaks in a soothing voice. "It is all right. We're friends. You were afflicted with Sap Sickness and wandered into The Great Forest."

"Sap Sickness? The Forest?" Her breathing steadies a little. "Why?"

"Do you remember what you were last doing?" Tara asks.

Panic returns to the girl's voice. "I don't....I don't remember anything!"

You breathe the question that's likely on both you and Tara's mind. "Do you remember your name? Family? Where you're from?"

Her panic turns to despair. "I don't know! I don't know my name...anything..." The Girl's leg's look like they're about to give way and you quickly rush up to embrace her before she collapses. She wraps her arms around you and squeezes you against her tightly, burying her face into your shoulder as she cries. It isn't long before your tunic is wet with her tears. "Nothing....There's nothing..."

"There...There." You pat her back gently and look at Tara for help, but she simply looks on. An expression of sadness for the girl's situation in her eyes. It is several minutes before her crying calms to the point where you can speak with her. Slowly pulling out of the embrace you look at her with as friendly of a face as you can put on. "Heya. I'm Donmal and this..." you motion at Tara who is preparing breakfast. "This is my friend, Tarasynora. You can call her Tara. We're going to take care of you until your memories return."

She squirms and pulls the tunic that Tara put on her back to cover her shoulder. It's just a little too big for her as she is a bit shorter than Tara is. "T-Thanks...B-but I don't remember my name..."

You look at Tara for help and she responds. "Adeleithel or Adel for short. It means: Forest Child."

"Adel...." she mutters to herself as if memorizing it. "It's....It's something until I can remember..."

"Well, Adel. Why don't you join us for breakfast. We're going on a trip to visit someone called The Queen of the Forest. Tara claims that she's a powerful sorceress. She may be able to help you..."

A faint glimmer of hope appears in her eyes. "I think I would like that."

You, Tara, and Adel sit and eat breakfast in mostly silence. You talk with Adel politely, but try not to allow her to dwell on her missing memories. Nor do you bring up your own heritage. She seems to have knowledge of locations, or at least had a faint recognition of Sap Sickness and The Great Forest. If she was a citizen of Itheria and knew that you were supposed to be King. It could cause her undue stress.

After breakfast, camp is broken and you continue onward to the home of The Queen of the Forest with your new companion in tow and Tara as your guide.