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Nevanti walked the length and breadth of Hathore before she found herself on the Island of the Exiles. She was the guardian of the forest of Esperia and, having seen the big world outside the thicket, she terribly wanted to know more about people. Pretending to be an ordinary wanderer, she came to the city and, thanks to her knowledge of herbs, made friends with a noble lady who loved plants. Very soon the lady invited Nevanti to her garden. Plants from all over the world could be found in the garden. The trees there were neatly trimmed and did not look at all like those that grew in the wild. The lawn occupied all the free space in the garden. According to the lady, he helped to maintain the right temperature and, more importantly, did not allow weeds to grow. No matter how many rare and valuable plants there were in that garden, Nevanti did not like it at all. She knew how well the trees, bushes and grasses lived on the steep cliffs or in the wooded valleys where they came from, until someone decided to dig them up and forcibly transport them to this cramped garden. When Nevanti expressed everything she thought, the lady behaved completely unexpectedly. It turned out that she wanted Nevanti to stay with her forever, live in her mansion and take care of the garden. When she realized that Nevanti could not be persuaded, she called the guards and tried to restrain her by force. Then Nevanti turned to the plants in the garden, and they immediately released fresh shoots from the ground. Nevanti left, leaving the noble lady and her guards captive in the young growth. The more towns and villages Nevanti saw, the more disappointed she became in people. They were constantly trying to get what they liked, and it was always not enough for them, as if an abyss had opened in their soul. Human hearts were like an impassable thicket: you never know what is hidden in its depths — either tender shoots, or a stinking swamp. Nevanti began to avoid people, continuing to wander around the world and admire the artless beauty of free flowers and trees. After going around the entire continent, Nevanti decided to go to the ocean. So she got to the distant Island of the exiles. It was a dreary and desolate place. On the island lived those who were called "Defiled". Once they were innocent residents of Bantus, but they were killed and forcibly made grave-born by order of the Fallen King Toran. Having escaped from the tyrant Bantus, they settled on the Island of the Exiles, far from the rest of the world. The world, in turn, considered them unhappy, who, by the will of fate, lost almost everything. But still their existence was not pathetic — they lived for real. They did not just force themselves to smile during the days of hardship, but sincerely enjoyed every moment. They were grateful for their small island away from the conflicts shaking the world. For those who have not seen this place with their own eyes, it is difficult to imagine that there can be so much laughter and life in the abode of the undead. Nevanti realized how wonderful the harsh life of these "unfortunate" was. They reminded her of flowers growing among rocks. Little by little, Nevanti learned a lot about the locals. Sometimes she helped them fix houses: her creeping vines strengthened the old walls. She especially liked little Kerr. He was just a child — the only one on the island, where he ran away with his parents. It was painful for Nevanti to realize that his life was cut short so early: he became a grave-born when he was only eight years old. Nevanti noticed that Kerr was looking at her furtively, as if he wanted to say something. She began to question him, and Kerr, shyly, explained that he wanted to ask Nevanti to teach him how to take care of a small tree. The grave-born Kerr was never destined to grow up, so he planted a tiny sprout in the hope that he would become tall and strong instead of him. When Kerr saw the tree growing, it seemed to him that he himself was getting bigger. However, recently the tree got sick and stopped growing. Thanks to Nevanti's instructions and Kerr's careful care, rostock gradually recovered from his illness. Then the friends promised each other to grow the tallest tree on the island from this shoot. Kerr smiled broadly in joy, when suddenly his face was distorted by pain, and he collapsed to the ground. Nevanti immediately brought it to her parents, who explained that it was all about the curse of the grave-born. That was the price the Defiled paid for fleeing Bantus. Periodically, all of them were shackled by a terrible all-pervading pain. The adults had learned to tolerate her, but Kerr was just a kid. Nevanti looked at Kerr's haggard face and held out her hands to him. The energy of life itself came out of them and enveloped Kerr. The boy was quiet. When Nevanti left Kerr's house, she was overcome with gloomy thoughts. She thought that the Defiled, like the rest of the people, would want her to stay on the Island of the Exiles and ease their suffering. She didn't want to, and she knew she would leave the island when the time came. However, when she left the house the next morning, all her worries disappeared like smoke. Kerr was standing outside with a small bag in his hand. Inside were all the seeds that the Defiled managed to find on the island. Nevanti could soothe their pain, but they did not take her help for granted—they, like no one else, knew what compulsion was. They didn't demand anything from her, but they were sincerely grateful. "Are you leaving, Nevanti?" "Where am I going, silly? Our tree hasn't grown yet."