A summary of Greyashe Episode 4.

OP: OUTRUNNER

ED: Sunshine.

Chapters Covered: 5&6

Van tosses and turns in his sleep, until he awakens in a field covered with flowers. He instantly remembers the dire straights that he and the girl he was traveling with were in, and is surprised to find himself in a warmer climate without her. Van's eye throbs slightly, and he deduces that perhaps this relocation has something to do with it. He gets up and after spotting a nearby town, decides to go there to find out where he is.

When he walks into the town, he quickly finds that it has been abandoned by it's former inhabitants and taken by people indiginous to the area. The first sight he meets is a girl about his age comforting a baby, which at first Van assumes is her little brother. However three men grab her and accuse her of being a loose girl, revealing in the process that this is her son. The girl isn't at all bothered by their threats and mockery, and in fact remains rather cheeky during the whole ordeal. She inavertantly reveals that her son's name is 'Van' and one of her captors calls her 'Anna Rose'. Van is taken aback, and realizes quickly that he must be preciving his own subconsious, a side effect of the girl's flame. Then, one man in particular asks how she'll take care of a baby when she's still a child herself, and she simply says that with love she'll make it through.

The men take her baby from her temporarily and lock her away. They use violence to try to find out who the father of the child is, saying that since she is only a child, and a female child at that; she wasn't at fault and that it was the man that seduced her. She grows angry and yells at the three of them 'Because I'm a woman, I just spread my legs for whatever man seduces me?! I made a choice to be with that man! I did, MYSELF.' Van grows infurated with their mistreatment of his mother, but can't do anything as he is only preceiving this scene. They finally grow tired of tortuing her, and decide that excommunication is the best way to deal with her crime. She is given her baby again, and after saying goodbye to the other village girls (and telling them that while she would do what she did all over again if given the chance, they shouldn't emulate her.) She leaves with baby Van in tow. The girls cry for their dear 'Anna Rose Rayleigh'. Van knows now that this is his mother, and follows her out of town. She travels for some time, the only company her baby son. Eventually a man wearing a black hat appears and promises to take care of Anna and her child. He even tells her to use her 'eyes' to aserctain his true nature. Anna rose does, and after doing so seems to trust the man. Van on the other hand feels something very wrong about him and tries to stop his mom, but then he wakes up, eyes full of tears. He is back in the cave.

Van wipes his face and realizes again where he is, and quickly gathers himself. He looks around for the girl, who walks in the cave behind him. He turns to ask her where she went and is suprised to find that she is naked! Van stumbles around for a bit before asking why. She states (rather matter of faculty) that thanks to Cayden's enchanted snow, her clothes were mostly destroyed. The bit that is left is too wet for her to wear without catching a cold. Van wonders how she can explain this so calmly while standing in front of him au natural. She states again that the clothes would make her cold and wet, in which Van points out this is normally the opposite. He takes off his coat and asks her to wear it. She refuses at first, but eventually gives in and puts on the coat. She then asks how was his dream, revealing that she woke up a while ago and heard him murmering his mother's name over and over. Van thinks for a minute and then says that he thinks that his mother is still alive somewhere, and that if he can find her, many of the mysteries behind the Farseers would start to unravel.

The girl agrees, and Van suddenly remembers that he still has no idea what to call her. She starts to list the names she gave him the first time. He asks her about her name a birth, and she replies that she doesn't remember something so pointless. Changing gears, the boy asks her what she WANTS to be called. He grabs a stick lying in the cave and hands it to her, and tells her to write possible names down. He then turns his back to give her privacy, although he muses a bit as she thinks deeply about her new name. The girl is usually very mature, but she becomes like a child when deciding what she wants to be called. Van gets a laugh when she's done, as her mature oratory skills don't match her crude handwriting. The girl grows annoyed saying that she had to teach herself how to write. The names she comes up with 'Firestarter' 'Burnqueen' and 'Firefly' are all things that Van can't bring himself to call her in public. He remembers a conversation he had with Mr. Starks about a faraway language and some of the words in it. He then suggests 'Claire' which means 'light' in this language. Citing that flames are used for light as well. The girl quickly rejects this, annoying the boy slightly. He then coaxes her saying that a pretty girl should have a pretty name. The girl asks if he really thinks she's pretty, and he agrees. She changes her mind and goes with the name 'Claire' on the condition that only Van calls her that. Van agrees.

Van then wonders where they should start looking for his mother, and Claire reveals that she was going to visit a tribe of people who were attributed with being the first to maniuplate and control flames, an ablility that the Challengers of Eternity eventually used on her. Claire figures if she can talk to them she may find out more about herself, and Van decides it wouldn't hurt to talk to them; perhaps they know the Farseer's location, or an even longer shot; where Anna Rose is.

The two venture outside the cave where the weather, while still cold is calm. Van offers his hand to Claire suddenly and reintroduces himself. Claire takes his hand and introduces herself as well (with her new name), solidifying a new partnership.