"I lost my brother," the spirit said.
"How did you lose your brother, little girl? Is he here?"
"I do not know. I think he is here; he must be. He is here because of me, but I cannot find him." The girl spirit started to weep again. Surya could hear her heart breaking with every sob. His hand reached out to pat her back lightly. An unexpected shroud of cold mist dampened his fingers.
Withdrawing his hand, the prince asked, "Can you tell me what you remember?"
In between sobs, the spirit began to tell her story to the best of her memory: how she and her brother had gone out that evening to play with other children; how her mother had asked her to watch over the boy; how they had wandered into the wood; how he started to climb a tree despite her warnings; and how she turned her back, and he lost his footing.
