They had come to this place in a mysterious way. A tempest in time whisked her to him then him and her to here, a cabin by a lake, on the top of a mountain, in a valley that no map remembered.

Earth, after the Breaking, is a middle ages, modern day, post apocalyptic cluster-fuck. All living things have been altered, in one way or another. The human race is not exempt. Although most of its changes are physical, not mental. Nor moral, for that matter. This is just one of the many stories of the time known as The After Days.

'So, you control the essence?'

"No. I give the thing that is, hmm... the essence inside, the bility, hmmph, the a-bilty to move and shape. I tell what I need and they do, or do not if they not liking it."

'Okay let's see if I get this straight then, you touched the rope and gave its essence the ability to move like a snake, then you asked it to do what it did and it...?'

"NO! I speak with mind to the hemp and vine, gave its essence the ability. Yes. Ask it to help me. It say sorry for the hurt. Not you I say, not you, you not hurt me. He make you to hurt! He hurt. You no hurt. Help me, free me. Please. Get me keys. It touched the blood on me. I felt it, sad. I felt it anger. I not ask it to. It kill Mekel, I not ask, but I knew, it, was... umm... chance... poss-a-bility. Nature knows. Nature does. I not force nature, I only ask for help."