Arrietty paused in consideration of his comments on the old widow.  She was quiet for a time, pensive, fiddling with a small, loose thread in the seams of the jumper.  Death was something she ought to be familiar with by now.  She was a Borrower, and her kind was simply so prone to danger that it was very likely she was among the last of them.  Spiller had once told them there existed two, maybe three more out there.  That was not comforting.  She liked to believe in the possibility that there were thriving colonies somewhere.  If there were, they weren’t here.  Perhaps in the city, she thought.  She couldn’t remember a time her family ever strayed from the countrysides.  Pod always told them it was safer than living in the city.<br/><br/>As it was, however, despite all the dangers she’d faced in her life, death was not something she’d even considered nor had to face.  She was lucky in that sense; if anything had ever taken her father away during his runs, she didn’t think her mother could take it.  She would have very likely been on her own entirely.  It occurred to her that this might have been the reason he chose to train her at such a young age.  He didn’t tell her outright that was the reason, but she was certain it was.<br/><br/>Sho, on the other hand, she didn’t know so much about.  As special a friend he’d become to her, she hadn’t had enough time to truly know him.  Their friendship was bizarre enough, and it was unique that she had even made contact with such a human, but with the only other like her being Spiller and her parents, it seemed to make sense that she had a friend outside her barn.  And, just as she was beginning to connect, they had to go their separate ways.  Arrietty feared it would happen again.  She was afraid of what would happen to the farm itself once the old man passed on.  She liked it here, and she wanted to stay.  And as selfish as it was, she wanted Sho to stay, too.<br/><br/>Suddenly uncomfortable, she tried to focus on observing his work.  She listened as he went about his work, unsure of what exactly he was up to.  Curiosity was of course in her nature, and she crawled to the opening of her little cave and peeked outside to watch, trying not to put much weight on her foot.  He wasn’t lying, he was indeed much stronger now than she remembered.  Then again, it had been a very long time since they last met.  Years.  So much had to have changed.<br/><br/>“Don’t thank me, Sho,” she said lightly, “Remember, you helped me as well.  I think we’re even, now.”  She smiled as she said this.  “You must have been here for a long time.” She added, noting how careful he was with the animals, and how practiced he was in his work.  She became interested, wondering if there was a way she could help.  She felt she owed it to the old widow for allowing her to live on his property- even if he was completely unaware of her presence.<br/><br/>“Is… can I do anything to help?”  She wondered aloud.  She doubted there was much, but if she could milk a cow, she knew there must be<span style="font-style: italic">something</span>.