The prologue

Once upon a time, in a land that time forgot, there lived a young maiden named Anabell. She was a child of nature in every sense—an untamed spirit sparkled in her big brown eyes, and her short brown hair was a tangle of secrets like an ancient forest floor. Adorning her belly was an auspicious birthmark in the shape of a leaf from the revered linden tree, marking her for greatness, as foretold by the Three Fates in the earliest of days.

By flickering candle, in middle night, when spirits stir and shadows take flight. A new age beckons, a girl is born, Nature rejoices, a promise sworn.

A linden leaf, blessed by the Fates, Nature’s voice, her destiny awaits. Kindred with all creatures, great and small, Listen to her closely, Forevermore.

It is said that a tree is known by its fruit, and a person by their deeds. Anabell, though a mountain recluse, was a kind-hearted person who tended to the poor, showing them how to work in harmony with nature. She became well-known in all the lands and kingdoms of Forevermore, and her adventures were immortalised in many songs and tales. This tale, which happens to be my favourite, recounts the story of the time she helped restore the magic of the Kingdom of the Lake at the End of the World, where clouds are born.