From Trainer to Beast Tamer Pokémon Trainer! Reader x Twisted Wonderland

Lost In Briar Valley AU Pt 1

So...I have no justification for this, I guess we can call it an AU. Look at my community posts for information about this AU. Let's see where this takes us. This took...so long. Funny thing is, I'm pretty sure the subsequent visits will be much shorter for this AU.
Lost in Briar Valley Visit 1 Pt 1

With the rain beating down in a merciless torrent, tiny legs pounded against the forest floor as a small hand held fast to a blue limb, pulling the two unlikely companions further and further away from their attacker. (Y/N), on the cusps of only 10 years old, was already well versed in the abusive tactics and disadvantages of her own mother. The cruel woman only ever put forth effort into torturing her own daughter, it seemed, but it still wasn't much. Marshtomp had hit her pretty hard on the head, so she was unlikely to wake up soon, and even if her Magneton recovered, the electric type wouldn't chase them without a direct order. Not that (Y/N) believed it would try now that her partner had evolved. Her mother's Pokémon was a coward at heart, only attacking those who it knew were weaker. For now, the two of them were safe to put as much distance between them and their attackers as possible.
And then what?
When this horrible night began, (Y/N) hadn't planned on running away. The plan had always been to wait it out until she turned 11, old enough to obtain her Pokémon license, and start her own journey. She had always thanked Arceus for letting her and Mudkip meet as she knew her mother wouldn't bother giving her or letting her get her own starter, but with him there, nothing could stop her when the day came. However, there was a change in her mother that night, something the small child sensed right away. Usually, the woman had the illusion of a pattern when it came to setting her Magneton on her child, but tonight she was just feral...murderous. Even her own Pokémon seemed unnerved. (Y/N) had no choice but to try and escape with Mudkip, not thinking her mother cared enough to pursue them.
She did though.
(Y/N) knew deep in her heart that if Mudkip had not evolved in that moment, they'd both be dead, and no one would care. Whatever happened now, they could never return to that town. However, they couldn't go to the police or any other adults, that's for sure. (Y/N) had tried to get help before, and every time the adults either didn't believe her or didn't care, and it was just another burn scar on her arms. They were on their own.
"Mar?" Marshtomp said as they came to a slope overlooking a lake.
"Don't worry, buddy." The girl insisted with a smile. "I'll think of something. We...just need to lay low until I can get my trainer's license...in a year..."
It sounded ridiculous, even to her, but it was the best plan they had. For now, they just needed to focus on finding shelter. (Y/N) had been locked out of the house before, and usually there had been groups of Pokémon willing to take her in, sometimes Shroomish or Surskits and Masquerain. She knew a flock of Swablu nested nearby and usually that meant an Altaria or two, and they were exceptionally friendly for dragon types. Though, sometimes she wished she had been born in the Alola region on the off chance of befriending a Drampa. That would've made things much easier.
"Come on, let's get out of the rain."
"Marshtomp!"
As the two began to walk, the cliff side suddenly gave out and (Y/N) screamed as they were plunged into the lake below. For a few silent seconds, the girl sank. It wasn't that she was a poor swimmer, you didn't grow up in Hoenn and be a poor swimmer, but it felt like something was pulling her down. Her sense of up and down was skewed until she saw lightning flash colors lightning wouldn't flash above the water's surface. Regaining control of herself, (Y/N) began to swim back up, only for Marshtomp to bump into her stomach lightly. Grabbing hold of  him, the Mud Fish Pokémon pulled them both to the surface as (Y/N) coughed up the water.
"Good work, Marshtomp." She thanked as the Pokémon swam to the shore.
Once they were on solid ground, (Y/N) squeezed the excess water from her hair and shook off the rest, not exactly looking forward to a hike in wet clothes. However, she stopped mid step towards the forest as she noticed something very off.
"Marshtomp, does this forest look different to you?"
(Y/N) spent enough time in the woods to know what they were supposed to look like, and this was definitely not it. The trees, not any species she had seen before, towered ominously over them, more claw like than the paws of a Zangoose. Also, for their massive size, they seemed so...empty. Hoenn trees were not short by any means, but you could always hear the hum of a Pokémon nesting in the branches or the roots, or something nibbling on it somewhere. It was what (Y/N) loved about the woods. These trees were quiet, lonely even, as if whatever lived there had been scared off, which begged the question, what was scary enough to do that?
(Y/N) adjusted the ratty backpack on her shoulder. "I don't like this, Marshtomp. We need to be careful."
The water type nodded. "Mar..."
The duo, with little options, wandered into the unfamiliar territory, and the deeper they went, the more (Y/N) realized they couldn't be around her home town anymore. Every plant they passed looked so alien, and they had yet to come across a single Pokémon. A cold wind blew and (Y/N) shivered in the unfamiliar temperature. Marshtomp huddled up to her side, causing her to put an arm around him.
"I don't think we're near home anymore, buddy. Just...where is this?" Suddenly, Marshtomp stiffened as he jumped in front of his partner, growling. "Marshtomp, what's wrong? What do you hear?"
The water type's head was darting about, as if the unseen foe was moving too quickly for even him to track. A flying type, maybe? Suddenly, Marshtomp held still, as if waiting, but his head tilted ever so slightly enough for his partner to see a look in his eye. At once, (Y/N) dropped to her stomach as Marshtomp fired a Mud Shot behind where she was standing. A male grunt came from their attacker as the sudden attack pushed him into a tree trunk. Not wasting a moment to see who it was, (Y/N) pushed off her back foot and grabbed Marshtomp's hand, pulling him into the forest.
"Halt! Come back here, trespassers!" The stranger ordered.
(Y/N) reasonably did not listen and ran further into the woods, the metallic footfalls telling her their assailant was chasing them.
"What is with this guy!? Is he covered in armor!?"
Just then, another individual appeared in front of them, indeed wearing a set of green armor, a dark hood, and a mask that reminded her of a green Emboar. The sinister yellow eyes glaring at her from behind the mask and the snarling immediately had her make a hard right, causing the stranger to miss their attack. They hissed in an unfamiliar language as (Y/N) and Marshtomp just kept running for their lives, jumping over roots and weaving around the trees. However, their chasers were exponentially faster, and eventually, a new one with a mask like a Krookodile (again, green), appeared from the brush and grabbed the young girl. The man was incredibly strong, able to hold the girl comfortably with one arm as she thrashed about, trying to free herself. Marshtomp skidded to a halt and growled aggressively, demanding his partner be set free.
"Cease this futile struggle, tiny human!" The man bellowed, hurting her ears.
(Y/N) did not comply. "Let! Me! Go!"
The two others caught up, one covered in mud. Marshtomp fired off a Water Gun to keep them from getting closer but keeping his sights trained on the man holding (Y/N), who continued to fight despite being exhausted.
"Humans." Her captor huffed. "Stubborn to a fault!"
"Sir, are we certain it is human?" The one covered in mud asked. "It moved so quickly and that beast there is certainly one of the strange ones appearing in the Valley, yet it seems subservient to that one."
"Whatever they may be, their presence here is unlawful. Restrain the beast and we will take both back to the general."
Hearing this, (Y/N) glanced around, trying to find a way out, when she spotted something. The man holding her had his back to a small slope, and just what was at the bottom of said slope: a big swampy, mud pit.
"Marshtomp! Tackle! Push us into the swamp!"
Her captor was baffled by her audacity as Marshtomp charged, throwing his whole body on top of them. Caught completely off guard, the three were sent rolling into the mud below. It was a bit deeper than the girl had anticipated, going up to her waist, and the knees of the stranger but if anything, that just made what she had planned that much simpler. Slipping from her captor's grasp, she threw herself deeper into the swamp. The male reached for her again.
"Wait!"
Just then, Marshtomp burst out of the mud at blinding speed, slamming a Rock Smash into the stranger's face. His mask was sent flying as Marshtomp dove back into the muddy depths, grabbing his trainer and swimming her to safety, or tried to. As they approached the far bank to make their escape, a newcomer appeared. His armor was notably different from the others, showing a patterned undershirt beneath the armor. He wore a mask that looked like a demonic Swoobat and though he was rather short, he had a weapon on his back that immediately had the young child ver her partner away. However, as Marshtomp attempted to swim deeper into the swamp, the man disappeared and reappeared above them, snatching (Y/N) by the collar of her shirt. Again, the girl struggled as Marshtomp surged from the mud to try and force him to let go, but the stranger simply teleported back to solid ground.
"Enough. You both have caused enough mischief tonight." His voice was cold and uncaring.
(Y/N) went limp in shock. "H-how did you do that!?"
"You're in no position to ask questions. What were you and that creature planning?"
She glared at him. "We weren't doing anything! You're the ones who attacked us!"
"You were trespassing. Humans are not welcomed here, especially not suspicious little ones with monsters."
"We didn't mean to! We fell off a cliff and suddenly ended here! We don't even know where here is!"
The man clicked his tongue. "Likely story. Did those other monsters just appear from nowhere? What sort of magic have you concocted to control that one?"
"What are you talking about!? Monsters? Magic? Are you having a Pokémon problem? Marshtomp is the only Pokémon with me! I don't even have a license yet!"
The man tilted his head. "Po-ké-mon? What sort of infernal word is that? Do you humans need to further domestically call your pets?"
(Y/N) blinked in shock, realizing suddenly how very wrong this all felt. Outside of just flying and teleporting men with super strength and speed, none of these grownups seemed to know how to even approach Marshtomp, who was still kicking the butts of assailants as they plunged into the swamp to help their companion. Even people non-native to Hoenn would know better than to pick a fight with a ground type, let alone a Marshtomp of all Pokemon, in the mud. Also, this one's phrasing threw her off.
"Do...do you...not know what a Pokemon is? And why do you keep saying 'you humans'?"
With his free hand, the man removed his mask. He had a very youthful appearance for someone seemingly threatening her, not looking that much older. What made her very weary was not only his blood colored, cat-like eyes, but his sharp fangs, and pointed ears.
"What...are you?"
The man gave her an inquisitive look. "I could ask you the same question. The Silver Owls have had just as much trouble with these 'Pokémon' as you call them, and I highly doubt they'd have such a puny child in their ranks to begin with. So how can you control them?"
"General Lilia!"
The two broke their staring contest to see the three remaining soldiers pretty much mud locked and being tormented by Marshtomp, who was incredibly agitated after being separated from his partner.
Lilia gave her a sharp look. "Call it off."
"What?"
"Call off your creature and perhaps we can talk this through."
She gritted her teeth. "He's scared! Of course he's gonna attack them after they chased us and you took me away! It's not his fault you spooked him! Put me down and I'll talk to him. I'll even ask him to fish out your friends."
Lilia kept the hardened look, not moving for a moment, before clicking his tongue and dropping the girl.
"Fine, but no tricks."
(Y/N) rolled her eyes, but turned towards the swamp. "Marshtomp! Stop beating them up! I think there's been a misunderstanding!"
The Mud Fish Pokémon poked his head up and began angrily pointing at the still mud logged knights. "Mar Mar Marshtomp!"
"Yes, I know they started it, but there seems to be more to it. Just help them back to solid ground and we can work this out." Marshtomp grumbled. "Please?"
Eventually, the Pokémon sighed and dove back into the mud, and moments later, Lilia had to side step as his men were launched onto solid ground as the Pokémon swam sulkily back to them.
"You couldn't have been a bit more tactful?"
(Y/N) crossed her arms. "He could've thrown them into the trees if that's what you would've preferred."
"You have a smart mouth for someone so small."
"Like you're one to talk. I'm still growing, what's your excuse?"
Lilia refrained from strangling the literal child in front of him, hearing her erratic heartbeat give away that she was in fact very much frightened. Marshtomp joined them quickly, putting himself between the knights and his partner.
The guard who had lost his mask drew his blade, the edges of his face covered in scales. "Who are you, human, and why have you come here?"
Marshtomp growled lowly as Lilia held out an arm. "Restrain yourself, Baul. I believe these...travelers did not intend harm. I highly doubt even the Silver Owls would stoop so low as to use a child as bait."
"You give them too much credit, General Lilia." The one Marshtomp had initially attacked snarled.
(Y/N) wanted to argue, but given the situation, she realized it was for the best to bite her tongue and try to get help from...whatever these guys were.
"Look, we honestly didn't come here on purpose. We were running through the woods back home, we fell into a lake, and then suddenly we're...where is here?"
"You're in Briar Valley, the rightful land of the Fae." Baul snapped. "Do you honestly expect us to believe such a ridiculous story?"
She shot him a look. "If I were lying, don't you think I'd come up with a better story than that? Also, Briar Valley? What region is that in?"
Lilia cocked a brow. "Region? Odd saying. What Kingdom do you hail from?"
"We're from the Hoenn Region."
"Hoenn?" Baul repeated. "I've never heard of such a Kingdom in Twisted Wonderland."
(Y/N) sighed, looking at the water type. "I think we've gotten a lot farther from town than we were planning, buddy."
"Tomp..."
"I agree. That one doesn't even know what a Pokémon is. This has to be a different world."
Lilia caught this little exchange. "You really can understand it."
"Of course." (Y/N) smiled, hugging the Pokémon around his neck as he continued to glare at the strangers. "Marshtomp's my best friend, so it's easy to know what he's saying."
"A human friends with a monster?" Baul huffed. "Ridiculous."
Marshtomp humored that with a Water Gun to his face. (Y/N) snickered as the green haired man glared at her.
"Insolent human! Keep that beast of yours in check!"
(Y/N) leaned against her partner, smiling mischievously. "Oh, Marshtomp was just cleaning you up as an apology! Sorry if you misunderstand his 'beastly' ways."
For the briefest of instances, (Y/N) swore she saw Lilia crack a smile, but his stoic demeanor was back on a second later.
"You, human, what is your name?"
"(Y/N), and this is my partner Marshtomp."
"Just (Y/N)?" One of the lackeys said. "Do you not have a family name or house?"
(Y/N) unconsciously rubbed her arms, almost feeling the rough bandages under her long sleeves. Lilia took note as the girl decided on an answer.
"I...don't. Not anymore."
"A runaway." Lilia assumed, remembering what she had said before.
"That's our business."
Baul looked ready to snap for her rudeness, but Lilia held him back.
"(Y/N), how much do you know about these...Pokémon, as you call them?"
"Plenty!" She said enthusiastically. "Where I'm from, they're all over the place!"
"Right, this supposed Kingdom no one knows about." Baul snapped. "Are we really about to trust the word of this suspicious human child?"
"Suspicious or not, she seems far more familiar with these creatures than any of us." Lilia pointed out "Any knowledge she could impart may improve our situation. (Y/N), you will need to follow us. If you are willing to assist us, we will attempt to send you back where you came from."
The girl titled her head. These guys had attacked her and her partner, but what other choice did they have but wander aimlessly. The child and the Pokémon looked at each other and nodded.
"Okay, deal. On one condition."
"Why you greedy little-!" (Y/N) cut off Baul by pointing at Lilia.
"You apologize to Marshtomp for scaring him."
The red eyed male blinked, surprised at the meager request. Baul, of course, acted as if she had demanded Lilia slit his own stomach, but the General stepped forward to nod at the Pokémon.
"I apologize for frightening you both."
The Mud Fish Pokémon grumbled, but nodded. "Tomp..."
(Y/N) smiled. "Okay, lead on!"
Lilia was just baffled by the adaptability of this child, going from scared to content after just a short conversation. He began to question his decision. He didn't even know how he was going to explain this strange child to Meleanor, let alone the rest of the council. No, he couldn't question this. (Y/N) knew things they didn't, and at the very least, she was willing to be forthcoming if they just helped her home. It was a reasonable trade.
The knights led their new guests back to their camp, the other three keeping a close eye in case the child decided to run. (Y/N) was more than content with looking around, trying to get a feel for the forest around them, while Marshtomp glared back at the fae.
"Hey, Lilia, I have a question. How were you able to do that back there? Appearing and floating above us like that?"
The General sighed. "I may look young, but I am far older than you. My magic is far more potent than any you've come across."
"Wait, magic?!" (Y/N) repeated. "You guys can do magic here!?"
"Of course we can." Baul huffed. "Do you have such incompetent magicians in your kingdom that you feel the need to gawk at true magic?"
"We don't have magic where we're from." (Y/N) retorted, petting Marshtomp's head. "We work together with Pokémon."
"You...work with these creatures?" Lilia repeated, not believing it.
"Yeah! We live together, work together, and fight together! In our world, pretty much every corner of our lives have Pokémon involved."
"Your world?"
(Y/N) crossed her arms. "I've never heard of Twisted Wonderland; I've never seen a person who could do magic; and I've never met a person who didn't know what a Pokémon was. I don't even know what you guys are! This has to be another world!"
Lilia rolled the idea in his head, the thought making sense, though he wasn't about to admit it. "Regardless, you would do well to get used to it. You'll be exposed to it often. And we're fae, remember that."
She tilted her head. "Fairies?"
"Fae." Baul corrected. "Though, fairies isn't technically wrong."
The group came into sight of a campfire, though the camp itself was in disarray no one seemed to be around.
Lilia looked rather pissed. "What on-."
"General!" A voice came from the trees.
Looking up, they saw a whole platoon of soldiers hiding up in the trees.
"Do you guys just like flying?" (Y/N) asked.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Baul demanded as one brave soldier landed.
"General, a group of those strange beasts emerged from the mines. We attempted to fight them off, but one was coated in armor! They stampeded through here and there are still those hiding in the shadows."
Baul seemed calmer after that explanation, assessing the state of the camp. "To think those things were capable of this."
"Armored...mine dwelling...tore through the camp..." (Y/N) turned to the soldier. "Hey you, the monster that did this, what did it look like?"
The soldier did a double take. "A human!?"
Lilia held up a hand. "This child knows about the creatures. She will exchange her knowledge for safe passage. Answer her question."
The soldier stiffened. "Um, it ran on four legs like a dog, but it looked like some kind of ancient being. It had this armor plating across the top of its body."
"Did it have blue eyes? And bands around its legs?"
"Yes!"
(Y/N) snapped her fingers. "A Lairon! You were smart to get into the trees. Once they start charging, nothing but another Lairon is gonna stop them."
"Are they that powerful?" Baul asked, stunned.
"They're steel and rock type. They have really hard bodies, so they can pretty much bash through anything."
"Type?" Lilia repeated as the child began looking around the camp.
"Pokémon have different elements they use, like fire and water. We call them types. Take Marshtomp: he's a water and ground type, which is good for us in case that Lairon comes back since both those types are good against them!"
"Hm, magic is element based with strengths and weaknesses, I supposed monsters with elemental properties would have similar limitations." Lilia thought aloud as (Y/N) kept snooping around the ruined camp. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for the other Pokémon."
"Are you insane!?" Lilia hovered over to her and pulled her into the air, scoping out the area. "You've seen what that thing did to the camp! It will run through you next!"
She rolled her eyes. "It can't be another Lairon. Two Lairons would fight each other over territory before stampeding with each other!"
"Mar!" Marshtomp cried near a covered set of supplies.
"You found them, Marshtomp?" (Y/N) yelled as she tried to wriggle out of Lilia's grasp.
Sensing the child wasn't going to give up, he reluctantly let go. (Y/N) landed on her feet and ran over to the tarp, lifting it to reveal a group of tiny creatures huddled up together. They were rock shaped...actually it was more accurate to say they were basically rocks with tufts of fur, gemstones, and rabbit ears.
"Aw, Carbink!" (Y/N) said in a quiet tone, kneeling down. "Hey, little guys, it's okay. No one's gonna hurt you."
The biggest one turned around, glancing around wearily before looking up at the human who held out her hand.
"The Lairon's gone. You're safe now."
The creatures stopped shaking and turned around as the bigger one, seemingly the de facto leader, cautiously hopped closer to the child. Lilia watched with bated breath as the creature leaned forward to her outstretched hand, sniffing. Then, it pushed its head into her palm, letting out a coo as she rubbed it back.
"See? Nothing scary here."
The other monsters, encouraged by their leader, hopped over to the girl, bouncing happily. Lilia let out a sigh of relief.
"They're non-hostile now. It should be safe to approach."
The knights descended as the creatures squeaked and cooed, hopping happily around the girl who laughed.
"You're welcome. I know it's scary waking up in a new place all of a sudden, then having to run from a Lairon."
"Bink!" The leader Carbink chirped. "Car, Carbink!"
(Y/N) tilted her head. "Wait, you scared the Lairon?"
The Pokémon nodded as a soldier leaned towards Baul.
"Is she talking to it?"
The creature continued to chirp, seemingly trying to convey what happened.
(Y/N) nodded. "Okay then."
"What is it saying?" Lilia asked as (Y/N) picked up the leader Carbink.
"Carbink said they were running and passed the Lairon, and it got spooked and started running too."
"Then what were they running from?" The general asked.
Just then, a twig snapped nearby. The Carbink flattened their ears and pushed towards the girl, who motioned to her partner.
"Marshtomp, go check it out."
"Tomp!"
The water/ground type snuck off into the dark woods and a moment later, a scuffle could be heard. Baul drew his sword intending to help, but Marshtomp emerged from the shadows, holding a tiny purple gremlin with gems for eyes by the scruff.
"What is that thing!?" Baul yelled as (Y/N) placed the Carbink down.
"A Sableye. That makes sense." She walked over and knelt down at the Darkness Pokemon's eye level. "You know, there are probably a lot of tasty gemstones in those mines for you to eat. Enough that you don't need to hassle a group of Pokémon you have a type disadvantage against. Wouldn't you agree?"
The Sableye rubbed its claws together bashfully. "Sa..."
(Y/N) motioned for Marshtomp to release. "Go. Don't bother the Carbink again."
The small Pokémon nodded and scuttled off, making the Carbink hop and flip for joy.
"Well, that was rather mundane." Lilia said as the Carbink began to explore around the camp.
Once they realized the Pokémon weren't hostile, the fae knights became very curious of them, though Baul openly complained as the smallest Carbink decided his lap was the best sleeping spot.
(Y/N) smiled and took a seat, the leader Carbink on one side, and Marshtomp on the other. "It's all about listening and showing them you care. Most Pokémon don't want to hurt people, so when they do, there's probably a problem."
Lilia took a seat beside them. "That's rather insightful for a human. Most of the time, I see humans who are more than willing to write nature off as an inconvenience."
"Are the humans here...really that bad?"
The General huffed. "Let me put it this way: before you and your monster friends showed up, we were busy fighting the humans to keep our homes safe. It's always more and more with them. I'm not saying you're like that or even the humans from your world are, but the humans here are greedy and fearful, and that's dangerous for us."
"Well, there are people like that in my world, bad people who take whatever they want and hurt those who can't fight back." Lilia again caught her rubbing her covered arms. "But, it doesn't have to be that way. I heard people from my world a long time ago were afraid of the Pokémon and tried to fight them, but eventually, they realized something."
"What?"
"We all live in the same world, just trying to get by, so why don't we just live together and make the world less scary? I mean, if we live in the same world, then we have to learn to share it, right?"
Lilia chuckled. "I think the humans in this world could learn much from you."
"Maybe you could too." He looked at her surprised. "With anything that's scared, it's all about listening, and understanding."
Just then, a song-like sound filled the night, carried on a gentle breeze. The fae immediately pointed their weapons up as Lilia stood to protect the child and the Pokémon, only for (Y/N) to grab his wrist and shake her head. He watched as she began to whistle back the song, and after a few minutes, new Pokémon flew down from the sky. Most were small blue-ish birds with clouds for wings, but a couple were much bigger and more...formed.
"Human, what did you summon?" Baul demanded.
(Y/N) laughed. "The small ones are Swablu and the big ones are Altaria!"
She whistled again, making the Altaria chirp back happily, hugging the human in their fluffy wings.
"Hello to you too! I was looking for you guys!"
Not wanting the human child to summon more monsters from who knows where, Lilia immediately had his knights reorganize the camp and settled (Y/N) by the fire, surrounded by their new guests. Baul, still being followed by the small Carbink, now had a Swablu on his head.
"Human, get this infernal creature off me!"
"It's just pretending to be a hat, Baul. It's not gonna hurt you."
Lilia, also having a Swablu on his head, looked down at her. "Why on earth would they do that?"
"No one knows. It's one of the great mysteries of our world. I just think they think it's a nest." She cuddled closer to Altaria, who offered its body as a pillow for her, Marshtomp, and a few of the Carbink. "I've always like flocks of these guys. They're some of the sweetest dragons you'll ever meet."
Lilia half chuckled. "You call these fluffy things dragons?"
"The Altaria are dragon type." (Y/N) yawning, slowly drifting off. "But they're always nice to me when I need them. They always let me sleep with them whenever I wasn't allowed in the house at night."
It took Lilia a moment to catch it. "Wait, why wouldn't you be-?"
He stopped as he heard soft breathing. Sure enough, the human child was fast asleep against the cloud bird. With her arms tucked against the pillowy wings, Lilia spotted bandages from beneath her long sleeves, seemingly going down the length of her arm. It was then he remembered their earlier conversation.
"Just what were you running from?"