Friday, November 26, 2004

Etude 18: still too lazy to name this one

So... I stopped in the middle of the sentence cause the time ran out. It also makes me more eager to return for the next session. Or something.

Edit: Put in the rest of the etude.


     Rocky greeted them in the morning with a friendly rumble. "I have had a chance to talk with the elders here, and they have promised to help you."

     "Really? Great!"

     "Is there any other news?"

     "Yes. Apparently there have been some troubling events occuring... Incursions of wolves where there should be none, and some of the more peaceful folk have reported that some of their member have become strangely metallic and insane."

     "Uh-oh," said Sarah. "Were any of them of the Butterfly People?"

     "I have heard nothing about them, but it is possible that they are too far away at this time."

     "Ahh." She turned to Armand. "Do you think Lysshander is all right?"

     He shrugged. "I don't know. You were the one who had the dreams."

     "Yeah... I wish I knew what to do."

     "Well, we can at least try to find the Sword of Peace. Or the Eyes of the Whirlwind. Or both."

     "You sound like you want to find the Sword first."

     "I'm worried about it. I don't think the burden of debt lifted when I lost the sword, so that means that we will be struggling against it without the help of the Sword. Which sounds like a bad thing."

     "Okay then." She turned to the ceiling. "Rocky, when can we meet the elders?"

     "Now, if you wish. I will let you out, and you can find your way to them. The largest hills are the elders. The one with the stand of trees growing out of him is Richsoil. You should talk to him." Rocky paused for a moment. "All of them are awake, so you will not need to use your talents to speak with them."

     "Oh, good."

     "My head still kinda aches from yesterday."

     "You may have a little more of the farris root, but too much is not good for you."

     "I know. Seraiel taught me about it."

     "Then I can trust you to do what is necessary. I am still recovering from my unnatural movement, I am afraid, so I will not be of much help."

     "You're still a great host."

     "Thank you, young ones. I would be a poor specimen of my race indeed if I could not still provide basic hospitality."

     Armand finished chewing on his breakfast vegetables. "Sarah, are you ready to go?"

     "In a bit. I want to let the root take effect first so I'm not walking around with a migraine."

     "Okay. Should we take our stuff?"

     "Yeah, might as well."

     "I'll check the packs." He moved off to their scavenged supplies and started going through them, making sure that they had everything they would need.
"Everything there?"
"Yeah, they're good."
"Yay. My headache's going."
"Let's go then." He stood and handed one of the packs to her. "Here."
"Goodbye, my friends," rumbled Rocky.
"We'll see you again, probably," said Sarah.
"Thanks for the stuff." And then they were off.

Outside was an area that looked somewhat like the Living Hills, but smaller. The Baby Hills, perhaps. Everywhere were small mounds, some of them darting about excitedly and apparently chasing each other and playing tag. There were a handful of full-sized hills around. One of them, the largest, had a stand of trees on it.
Armand pointed. "That must be Richsoil."
"Yeah, let's go."
As they walked, one of the little mounds came up to them and put itself in their way. "Hello!" It squeaked excitedly, its voice a high-pitched version of Rocky's deep rumble.
Sarah bent down to greet it. "Hello! What's your name?"
"I'm too little to have a proper name yet, but since I'm so fast, they call me Quickling! See, look at me go!" And it zoomed in a circle around them.
Sarah laughed. "You really are very fast, aren't you."
"Uh-huh!" A little crevice on the mound opened in the shape of broad grin. "What are you here for? I heard there's bad stuff going on and I know Rocky's not supposed to be here because he's too old and he's not one of the Elders who take care of us."
"There is some bad stuff going on. We're going to see Richsoil about it."
"Richsoil's my granddaddy! I'll race you there! Zoom!" And it zoomed off.
Sarah turned to Armand. "I'm not racing that kid."
He shook his head. "Me neither."
Quickling paused and turned around. "Slowpokes!"
"We're just lulling you into a false sense of security," shouted Armand.
"Yeah, right," muttered Sarah, giggling.
He elbowed her. "Oh, and I suppose you can outrun him?"
"Nope!" She shifted her pack. "Come on, I think Quickling's getting impatient."

After only a little more time, they reached Richsoil. Richsoil seemed to deserve its name, as not only trees, but grass, bushes, and flowers grew in profusion over the Mound Person's body. Quickling insisted on accompanying them, frequently running about them in circles and yelling for them to hurry up. At one point Armand dared him to spin in circles for a count of 30, after which Quickling was very dizzy and started weaving around unsteadily. After he recovered, though, he gleefully did it again.
"That is one hyperactive kid," said Armand.
"He's cute."
"I guess. Come on, we're here." He turned to the mound. "Richsoil?"
There was a low, soft, rumbling. "Are you the two that Rocky spoke of?"
"Yes, we are."
"You have brought bad news with you..." The mound shifted in what appeared to be a sigh. "But then, it is better to know of bad news and be able to prepare for its consequences, than to never hear it until the consequences have manifested themselves." It paused for a moment, thinking.
"Granddaddy!" Shouted Quickling gleefully, having just recovered from his last spin.
The mound shifted again. "Ahh, there you are, Quickling. What have you been up to?"
"I've been walking with these strangers. They're funny! The taller one told me to walk around in really small circles, smaller and smaller and faster and faster and then when I stopped I got this weird feeling like the world was still moving around me and it was fun!"

[getting bored with this... they talk to Richsoil and find out more about what's going on and get their supplies added to and they go off and Quickling follows them. end chapter.]

Etude 17: the also unnamed

So, um, yeah. Couldn't think of a name for this one either. And, um, it's kinda weird and doesn't make a lot of sense. But it's NaNo, so it's okay. :D



     The rest of the day managed to pass relatively quickly. Rocky insisted that Armand tell him more stories about their world, and they both asked Rocky to tell them the stories he'd heard from travellers. They also went through the rest of the things that travellers had been left behind, and managed to come up with enough for some rather barebones travelling packs. Someone had also left the set for some sort of game. It looked a little like chess, except with stranger pieces, which moved differently. Rocky explained the rules to them, and they had a go at it. They were both abysmal, but it was very relaxing to worry about something other than life-threatening dangers. It was nearly dusk when the visitor arrived at Rocky's mouth.

     "Hello in there!" The voice was definitely female, and it sounded slightly familiar.

     "Um, who is it?" Sarah called back.

     "It's Rosemary! I'm glad I've managed to find you two!"

     "Rosemary? But..." Sarah turned to Armand. "Didn't Rocky say that she was the Starlight Traitor?"

     "Yeah. Rocky, can you close your mouth?" But the rumbling of his movement had already begun, and the opening to the outside closed.

     "That is a very dangerous person outside," he said.

     "Yes, you've warned us."

     "Can she hurt you," asked Sarah.

     "I doubt it. I am very old among the Mound Folk, after all, and very difficult to affect."

     "Oh, good." Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.

     "Armand? Sarah? The Mound has closed its mouth and I can't get in."

     "Where have you been? Why did you disappear?"

     "It was not my doing! I rested for only a moment, and then when I awoke, you were gone. I have been searching the Mounds for you since."

     "Is she telling the truth?"

     There was a moment of humming, and then Rocky answered. "She has indeed been wandering among my kin, but she has not talked to any of them."

     "What are we going to do? She's not just going to go away," said Armand.

     "Maybe she will if we wait long enough?"

     "She waited a very long time in the cave... She probably has a lot of patience."

     "Oh yeah."

     Rosemary's voice came drifting in again. "What are you two doing in there?"

     "Should we tell her we know who she is now?" Asked Armand.

     "I don't know..."

     "Wait... She's the one who suggested that we ask the Mound Folk for help. And she should have known that any of them would know about her and what she is, and would probably have told us. So... What's she doing now?"

     "There is something disturbing occuring outside. I have not the senses to accurately perceive it, but I believe there is a raising of some great magic."

     "Something going on outside... Wait, what if she wanted us to hole up in here so she could do something to the Mound as a whole?"

     The walls began to vibrate. "There is something terribly amiss," said Rocky.

     "What's happening to you?"

     "I think... What is happening? I am being uprooted!"

     "Uprooted?!"

     "No, I cannot allow this to happen. I am sorry my friends, but I most protect you..." And the walls began closing in around them, and the floor shifted under their feet.

     "What are you doing?"

     "I cannot act and keep you safe with you so close to the surface. I am moving you further into my body." With a horrible grinding sound, the floor moved more quickly, and the ceiling began to come down on them.

     "Oh my god, we're begin swallowed," said Sarah.

     Armand gulped and looked up. "Rocky?"

     There was no response from Rocky, which was worrying. A piercing hum was being emitted from the walls.

     "How is she uprooting you? Is there anything we can do?" Asked Armand

     There was still no response. "We have to do something!" Said Sarah.

     "I can't tell what's going on outside."

     "Neither can I."

     "Wait... Maybe if I can contact him again, like I did the first time, I can help somehow."

     "That might work. I don't know how long I can keep you slowed down, though..."

     "I know."

     "I'll do my best."

     "And I'll do mine." He leaned against one of the walls that had stopped moving, and closed his eyes. He tried to breathe slowly and deeply and push the thoughts of danger from his mind. More quickly now, he was able to sense the living pulse of the rock. It was much faster than it had been the first time he'd tried to contact it. Of course, he's awake now. "I don't think you have to slow me down, Sarah."

     "Good. But... Do we have enough time to do this?"

     "I hope so." He closed his eyes again, and reached for the pulse. Soon there was an answering sensation of fire within, and he touched Rocky's mind.


     Sarah stared at Armand, who was lying, apparently unconscious, against the rock. "I wish I could do something other than sit here uselessly..." She looked around. "I wish I knew what was going on outside. Bleah." She leaned back against the opposite wall. "I need to do something... This is driving me nuts." She got up and started pacing, trying not to disturb Armand. She checked his breathing; it was still going, although it was rather shallow. "At least I don't have to worry about him dying on me." She had a sudden temptation to kick the wall, but that wouldn't be good for Rocky. "I have to do something!" She shouted. Finally, she stopped pacing and hunkered down beside Armand, then stuck her tongue out at him. "Nyeah!" She shook herself and sat back down. Suddenly, there was a sound of rock grating on rock. She began to hear a howling wind outside, where before she hadn't heard anything. Armand was still working on whatever he was doing, but she was beginning to doubt that they would have enough time to complete it.

     Time... We need time. We don't have it. Wait, I can give them enough time... At least I think I can... Damn it, I wish I knew how I did this! She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to build up the tension that she now knew was the prelude to her manipulations of time. Nothing happened. It eluded her. She couldn't quite remember how she'd managed to do it last time... I don't think I did anything special. I never do anything special, it just happens... How do I do it? She squeezed her eyes shut and tried again. Still no results. The howling of the wind outside grew louder, and she was afraid it was growing closer. She had a sudden intimation of danger, and the walls around her seemed to be closing in. I am not claustrophobic, I am not claustrophobic... The Weeping Cave didn't bother me, so this shouldn't bother me either... "Eeek!" She let out the exclamation as she felt the wall move. "Damn it, I am not going to take this quietly! I am not going to sit here and be helpless and useless! I will not!" And as her anger built, she felt the tension rise, coiling like a spring within her, and then she released it. And the howling of the wind stopped.


     Through Rocky's awareness, Armand felt the stirrings of enchantment around the Mound. There was the feel of a great, unnatural wind blowing, threatening to wear them away to nothing and blast open the Mound. He began speaking to the rock of Rocky's body, felt its inner fire begin to awaken and flow, coursing through Rocky's veins of stone.

     "Yes, excellent, Armand. Thank you."

     "You're welcome." The fire leaped within the Mound, and everywhere the ancient stone stirred to life.

     "Amazing... I think I may be able to move again."

     "Away from here?"

     "Probably."
A pause. "No!"

     "What is it?"

     "The spells of unbinding... The wind comes from their weaving. If they are completed, I will become dust. And I think they will be completed soon. We need more time..."

     "Sarah should be able to do that."

     "Of course... But we cannot communicate with her while our awarenesses are turned inwards like this..."

     "I think... I think she'll manage to do the right thing."

     And the howling of the wind stopped.


     [stuff about how they got away]


     "Armand?"

     "How are you feeling, Sarah?"

     "My head huuurts..."

     He made a sympathetic sound. "Thanks for doing that thing with time. Rocky said that someone was casting the spells of unbinding, and if they'd had time to complete them, he'd have been turned to dust."

     "I'm glad I could do something." She smiled at him weakly, then winced as a spear of pain shot through her head. "Owww..."

     Armand handed her a root. "Rocky says this should help you with your headache, but it's very bitter."

     She took it. "Like most medicine." She bit into it, and screwed up her face in an expression of disgust. "Definitely bitter. Uggh! How much of this do I have to eat?"

     "Just a few mouthfuls, I think."

     "So what did you two manage to do?"

     "Run away, pretty much. Rosemary managed to partly uproot Rocky, and then what I did restored his ability to move. Just not very quickly, since he is a pretty big hill. So when you sped us up, it gave us time to escape."

     "So where are we now?"

     "In the birthplace of the Mound Folk. The Living Hills are kinda like the elephant graveyard, I think. Only the old-timers go there."

     "Ahh." She bit into the root again, chewing with distaste. "How fast does this work?"

     "I don't know. Rocky's kind of tired since he hasn't moved anywhere in a long time."

     "Well, at least we did it."

     "Yeah." He smiled at her. "Both of us together."

     "We're safe now, right?"

     "Pretty much, yeah."

     "Good. I think I'm going to sleep... My head is still pounding. You should probably sleep too, if your reaction is anything like it was last time."

     "I was about to, but I wanted to check on you and give you the root."

     "Thanks. Good night."

     He walked over to his bed. "Good night."

Etude 16: Adagio Calmato

Yay, more stuff. Don't ask me why an entire race seems to exist for the sole purpose of hosting travellers. It seemed like a good idea at the time. As did the name "Rocky". >_>



     Armand wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it wasn't what he saw. Inside the mouth was a cozy-looking cave with moss carpeting the floor and phospherescent fungus lighting the walls. There seemed to be several depressions in the sides of the cave which he realized were beds. He led Sarah over to one of them, and she sank into the soft moss gratefully.

     "If being a nexus means I get these headaches all the time, I want to give it up."

     "Well, trying to awaken things makes me dizzy."

     "I guess we're even then." She lay back her head, then stretched. "Aaahhh, that feels good."

     "I'll go see about some food." He turned away and walked towards the center of the room. "Rocky?"

     "Is everything good in there?" The Mound Person's voice echoed from the walls.

     "Can I get some food?"

     "Oh, yes, of course." The walls shifted around, and another opening appeared. "Go in there. You should be able to recognize what's edible."

     "Thanks." Armand headed for the opening, which led into a smaller cavern. There were various plants growing inside it, and most of them were indeed edible. He recognized a few from Seraiel's lectures on the subject. Sarah probably would recognize more, but for now there was enough for a quick meal. He gathered some leaves and berries, then dug up a tuber and went back to the main room. He picked another of the beds and sat down on it, and started munching. He would have liked to cook the things, or at least heat them up a bit, but he remembered Rosemary's warning about the Mound Folk and fires. I wonder where Rosemary is... Did something happen to her? Or did she abandon us? I wish I knew... Well, at least her advice about the Mound Folk turned out okay. I'm glad Sarah and I were able to work together to talk to Rocky. He stared at the walls, absently munching on the tuber. It was crisp and somewhat turnip-like, but with a slightly spicier flavor. It also seemed a little saltier than a turnip, and not as sweet. He swallowed the last of it and started on the berries. I wish I knew where the Sword of Peace was... I don't want to know what the debt payment for it would have to be if I can't find it again to return the Spring Flower. The berries were surprisingly sweet, much sweeter than he'd expected. They had the tang of strawberries, but were filled with little seeds like raspberries. They were also bright blue-green. At least the food is good... I really do feel much better now that I've eaten. I guess I hadn't realized how hungry I was. I'll bet anything would taste good to me right about now. Finally, he sucked the juice from his fingers and lay back in the bed of moss.

     "Rocky?"

     "Yes?"

     "Thank you very much."

     "You are welcome. I can tell you are tired now, but tomorrow you can tell me all about your travels."

     "Sounds fair. Good night." And he closed his eyes, and fell asleep.


     Sarah woke up confused. She was in a softly glowing place on what felt like a soft bed. After a little while blearily blinking around and rubbing her eyes, she remembered where she was. We're in a cave of some sort... Oh yeah. It's that Mound Person's insides. What's the name? Rocky. She sat up and stretched her legs, then tried to touch her toes. Still can't do it. Oh well. I'm hungry though... It's been a while since I last ate. She looked around. Armand was in the niche next to hers, and he'd left some plants in front of her niche. She recognized them from her time with Seraiel. She happily picked them and started nibbling away. She'd never had the tuber raw before, but she remembered liking the way Seraiel cooked it. He'd baked it under the sun with a sauce made of crushed herb seeds and a touch of honey. The thought made her mouth water. The tuber tasted good anyway. It's been forever since I last ate... Mmmm, yummy. She started taking bigger bites. Before she realized it, the tuber was gone, so she started nibbling the greens. I remember these ones. Seraiel said they're often used as flavorings, but the leaves can be eaten alone. She bit into the stalks, working her way up to the leaves. They were a little more bitter than she would have liked, but not too bad. They were a little like one of those greens that end up in Chinese food sometimes... She chewed thoughtfully. Well, at least we have a safe haven for now. And I guess we try to find the Eyes of the Whirlwind again after this... I wish I knew what we were in for. She felt more refreshed than she had in days. Of course, I've slept an awful lot recently... Even if some of it was being trapped in dreams and most of it was due to exhaustion. Finally, she got to the berries, which had been her favourites. "Mmm, dewy berries." She happily popped them into her mouth. The juice spilled out the sides, and she wiped it away quickly with a hand before it stained her clothes. After a bit, she lay back happily. I like it here. It feels safe, like the Butterfly Realm did. I wonder how they're doing... I hope Lysshander is still okay. After a bit, she got up and started walking around the area. There were only two openings that she could see. One led outside, and the other led to a smaller room with plants in it. She could see the marks of fresh digging. This must be where Armand got the stuff. I need to remember to thank him when he wakes up. She glanced back at him. Why do I have the feeling that he's not used to getting thanked for anything? She shook her head and walked back to the center of the room.

     "Rocky?"

     "Yes?"

     "Thanks for the food."

     "You are most welcome. Was there something else you needed?"

     "Oh. Yeah. Umm... Is there somewhere I can, um, perform the necessary functions?"

     "Ahh, of course." The walls rumbled a little bit, and another opening appeared. "In there. Do not worry about poisoning me; it will go to fertilize the food plants in the other chamber."

     "Thank you!" She walked to the new opening. Inside she saw what were recognizably sanitary facilities, even if somewhat strangely organic looking. With relief, she used them, and saw that there was water running through a passage and into the hole, washing it out. She rinsedher hands in it, then took a sip. It tasted fine, so she took a longer drink, then splashed her face. Finally, refreshed, she went back to the first room.

     "Was that satisfactory?"

     "Yes it was, thank you so much." She settled back into her bed comfortably.

     "I have something to ask you..."

     "What is it?"

     "Could you be so kind as to tell me the story of your travels?"

     "Oh! Of course. That's no problem. You see, we're newcomers to Farelle... There was some complicated stuff mixed up with Armand getting possessed and we ended up here somehow."

     "Outsiders? Oh, most, most interesting! I have only met outsiders once in my life... They are very rare now, although my father said that they used to be more common. Do tell me about your own world."

     So, to pass the time, and because Rocky was really rather pleasant company, Sarah did.


     "It seems your companion is stirring."

     Sarah peeked at Armand's bed. "Yeah. Hey, Armand."

     He yawned and stretched. "Hello."

     "I was telling Rocky about our world."

     "Oh, good. He said that was the kind of thing he wanted in exchange for hospitality."

     "Sarah has been a most entertaining storyteller," said Rocky gently.

     "Good." He yawned again. "Umm, is there anywhere I can --"

     "Over there," said Sarah, and she pointed. "There's a bit of a tunnel and a bend so I won't be able to see you."

     "Thanks." He scrambled out of the niche and headed for the comfort room. After a short time, he came back with his hair dripping wet. "Ahhh."

     "Thanks for getting food for me last night."

     "Oh. You're welcome." He looked a little surprised.

     "I picked some breakfast-y things for you." She held up some more berries and some sort of bulb, then handed them to him. "Here. Seraiel uses these in salads sometimes, and for ill people in broth."

     "So I'm ill?"

     "No, it's just particularly nutritious. I had some myself."

     He smiled a little bit, and then bit into the bulb. "Yikes! Why didn't you warn me it was spicy?"

     "Oh yeah. Um, I forgot?" She looked a bit sheepish.

     "It's okay. Just... surprising." He continued eating the bulb, a little more gingerly. "This is so going to give me bad breath."

     Sarah laughed. "Well, you and me both. But we need the vitamins and minerals."

     "Fine." He took a seat next to her. "So what are we going to do next?"

     "Continue looking for the Eyes of the Whirlwind, I guess."

     Armand gestured with the bulb. "We'll need to find some way of carrying supplies with us... And we should really try to get our stuff back."

     Sarah nodded. "Yeah, there was a lot of stuff in the packs that would be really useful."

     "Not just that..." Armand bit into the bulb and swallowed hard. "We need the Sword of Peace back. Really need it."

     "Why?"

     "Because it wasn't given to me as a gift."

     "What?"

     "It's a loan from the Spring Flower. She said that she thought its usefulness would outweigh the dangers of debt."

     Rocky rumbled. "You are the bearer of the Sword of Peace?"

     "Yes. Or at least I was until I lost it."

     "The Sword of Peace is never given outright. It is kept safe by the Butterfly People for the times when it is needed, and then it is lent to the proper bearer."

     "Ahh. So that's why. Still doesn't help much now."

     "Has the sword acknowledged you as its bearer?"

     "Yes. It was talking to me."

     Sarah turned to Armand in surprise. "It talked?"

     "Only to me. And not out loud."

     "If you were able to forge such a bond with it, then you should be able to find the sword."

     "How?"

     "You should have a sense of which way to go to reach it."

     "I should?" Armand sounded skeptical.

     "It grows fainter the further away you are... You may be very far from it indeed. You will need to meditate and clear your mind in order to sense the pull."

     Armand sighed. "Well, at least that gives us something to do."

     "Rocky, what about the Eyes of the Whirlwind?"

     "They may be nearby. The realm of my folk often opens into the Wailing Desert, which is where the Eyes of the Whirlwind are found."

     "If they don't connect to the desert, then where do they go?"

     "They may connect to the Vale of Tears instead, and down the River of Memories. Following it, you could seen reach the Forest of Wishing and the realm of the Butterfly People."

     "Well, that's good news. I think," said Sarah. "Thank you very much for sheltering us, Rocky."

     "It has been my pleasure, quick ones. Your world sounds most interesting, although I doubt I would want to visit it."

     "No, you don't want to visit it. You'd probably get shot at or something since you're a talking hill." Sarah shuddered at the thought of the most likely reaction.

     "Well, my days of wandering are long since over, so I doubt I will even try."

     "Days of wandering?" Asked Armand.

     "Oh, yes, when I was but a little mound I would wander over Farelle. The Mound Folk are welcomed almost everywhere, for we can purify things of toxins and make them safe."

     "Was it fun?"

     "Most certainly. I do not regret that I can no longer wander, though. I am much older now, and larger, and it is simply too tiring for me to move. I am happy with the visitors I get, and the dreams that come to me as I sleep."

     "Cool."

     Sarah picked up another large fruit and nibbled on it. "Since you've wandered around... Have you heard of the Weeping Cave?"

     "Yes, I have. It sometimes appears in this area, although it is more often found in the Forest of Winter. It is a dangerous, accursed place. Many have entered it and died."

     "Ahh," said Armand. "The guy we met before... The one I told you about who tricked us about his hospitality. He tied us up in there."

     "Oh? And you have managed to escape from it, I see. That is something I have never heard of happening before."

     "We stopped the cave from weeping."

     "What?"

     "There was a girl inside -- she said she'd been imprisoned there because she'd betrayed her husband --"

     "You spoke to the Starlight Traitor?"

     "The what?"

     "She was one of the most dangerous of the old races. She did indeed betray her husband... And then she betrayed her entire race afterwards in his name. For that she was imprisoned in the Weeping Cave."

     "Um... Not anymore." Armand sounded sheepish.

     "What?!"

     "Um, that's how we got out of the cave. We were tied to the rock right next to her, and, um, when I freed us I free her as well."

     The walls rumbled warningly. "That is very bad news... I shall have to tell my kin of this."

     "Sorry."

     "It was not your fault... Raminas was known for her trickery and cunning. She probably convinced you that she was an innocent, and since you are a stranger to Farelle, you would not know differently."

     "Yeah, that was about right. She was crying all the time and seemed so useless."

     "That was how she managed to trick the elders of her race."

     "Great."

     Sarah patted Armand's shoulder. "Well, there's not really anything we can do about it now."

     Armand sighed. "I can't think of anything." He stood up and walked towards the entrance of the cave, then stopped and walked back. "I guess we can at least look for the Sword of Peace."

     Sarah shrugged. "Sounds good to me. She looked up at the ceiling. Thank you so much, Rocky."

     "It was my pleasure, young ones. However, you may wish to wait a little before you leave."

     "Huh? Why?"

     "I have called for a gathering of the Mound Folk. You have brought me serious news which must be discussed. And you may be able to convince one of the younger Mound Folk to accompany you in your search."

     "Oh, that's a good idea," said Sarah.

     "How long will we have to wait?"

     "Perhaps a few days. We do not move very quickly, as you might expect."

     "Uhh, yeah. Is it okay if we stay here then?"

     "But of course! I would not expect you to leave."

     "Thanks."

     "Now, Sarah only told me about how you managed to get to the Butterfly Realm, and how you left it. What have you two done since then?"

     "Well, we were walking through the forest, and we got attacked by some wolves..." Armand quickly sketched in the details of their travels through the Forest of Seasons, ending when they met Abenath and followed him to his cottage.

     "Something in your description of Abenath seems familiar. You say his cottage appeared larger inside than outside?"

     "Yeah. It was weird. And the door on the inside was different, too."

     "When he took you through the door of the cottage, he may also have transported you to a different place... Perhaps his real home. Hmmm." The rocks hummed deeply as Rocky thought. "I do not remember hearing that the Weeping Cave had a keeper."

     "Weird. Anyway, Abenath offered us food but without the proper oath of guesting. He kept saying that it 'would be okay'. I didn't eat. Sarah did --" He glared at her.

     "I was hungry and he seemed nice!" Armand shrugged.

     "And then when I tried to open the door to get out, something shocked me and I fell. Then he said something about Sarah having eaten prickle berries and then he sprinkled some sort of powder on me and I blacked out."

     "Prickle berries are used, rarely, in medicinal preparations. They can cause dizziness in unconsciousness in great quantities, but also act to relieve pain. However, most healers feel that the risks outweigh the benefits."

     "But he made them into jam," protested Sarah.

     "Yes, that is how they are usually used. Not jam as such, but a preserved form, mixed with sugar to hide the bitterness."

     "Great."

     "As I said, it is rarely used. This Abenath must have been a serious practicioner of the medical arts."

     "Ahh." After that, there didn't seem to be anything more to say. Sarah went into the other room and apparently managed to bathe herself in some way, because she came back sopping wet.

     "Oooh, it feels good to be clean... Wish I had fresh clothes, though."

     "What did you do?"

     "I splashed the water on myself until I was thoroughly wet. I managed to get my hair under the spout." She made a show of wringing it dry.

     "I may have some clothing and other supplies left by previous travellers," said Rocky gently.

     "Really? That would be great!"

     "Hmmm..." The rocks hummed again, and finally another opening appeared in the walls. "Those are the things I could neither digest nor use."

     Sarah headed for the small opening. Inside were what must have been the left-overs of several centuries of travellers. They were remarkably well-preserved. They were also, obviously, what people must have forgotten or lost in some way. There were various small items, especially coins, that must have rolled away and been lost. There were actually some clothes, most of them in very odd and mismatched styles. She looked around for a while before finding enough to make two sets that were about her size, and some for Armand as well. She ducked out of the cave carrying them. "I found these."

     "Oh, good." He caught the bundle she tossed him, then unrolled it. "Ummm..." He stared at the baggy, bright pink pants and the tunic with ridiculous dots and curlicues all over it.

     "If it makes you feel any better, this was all I could find for me." She held up a skirt that was a nauseating swirl of greens and purples and had long tassels hanging from it. The shirt was tamer in terms of color, but was far, far, too frilly to be taken seriously.

     "Ahh. Umm. I guess you can change in the rest room first."

     She smiled at him. "Thanks." She went off and returned in a fairly short time. The skirt and shirt were both fairly loose and sagged down. She looked like a child who'd dressed in her mother's clothes. She stared down at the clothes, then grinned and twirled around. "So don't I look fabulous?"

     Armand found himself grinning in return. "Oh, definitely. You might even make it into clown school."

     "Clown school! I at least demand admission to clown college!" At that, they both broke down giggling.

     "That really wasn't that funny," she said, still laughing.

     "Yeah, but it's just... On top of everything else..."

     "Yeah." She managed to stop laughing after a while and just sat on the ground, beaming happily. "So do you think you can stand cooperating long enough to get out of here?"

     He looked at her for a long moment, then smiled. "Yeah, I think so." He leaned against the wall for a bit, then sat up straight. "And, hey. I'm sorry about insulting you all those times."

     "Thanks." She stretched her hand out to him. "Partners?"

     "Partners."

Etude 15, as yet unnamed

So, what I've been doing is writing in 15-minute spurts with short breaks in between. In the interests of not breaking my momentum , I didn't give this chapter a title. (I have to consult my handy-dandy list of musical terms, mull over the choices, and pick the right one, which all takes time when I could be writing more.)



     She had the sudden feeling of falling, and sharp pain, and it snapped her out of the dream. She realized she was tumbling down the rock face, the ropes flying loose around her. Then, suddenly, the rock reached up to catch her, and she landed with a soft thump. Her arms ached from the impact, but she was mostly unhurt. She looked up, in time to see Armand descending slowly from the rock, with Rosemary floating beside him.

     "Armand?"

     "Hrnh?"

     "What happened?"

     "I Awakened the rock."

     "Oh."

     "It was very nice of you to set Rosemary free."

     "It came with the rest of the rocks."

     "But it was still a great kindness on your part, Armand. I did not realize that you were the one Renath had sent..."

     "I don't even know who Renath is." He finished his descent, and dusted off his clothing. "Now, how do we get out of here?"

     "This is the highest point within the cave. It does not so much go down as into a mountain."

     "Great."

     "Um, I'm kind of scared of heights..."

     Armand glared at her. "You would be."

     "Sorry."

     He looked pale, even allowing for the strange light of the star metal. "Are you okay?"

     "I've only just escaped from being drowned to death in a cave. Of course I'm okay."

     "No, it's not that, it's --" Armand stumbled suddenly, and fell, gasping with pain. Sarah could see that he'd hurt his hands somewhere... They were raw and scraped and bleeding, and he'd automatically stopped his fall with them.

     "Your hands!"

     "Rock isn't exactly the softest thing."

     "But --"

     "Just shut up and let's get out of here, okay."

     "Sorry."

     He glared at her and continued onwards, clutching his hands to cushion them.


     Armand didn't want to tell Sarah, but he was feeling really dizzy. He still didn't feel quite as if he were back in his body, which was why he'd tripped. He had a feeling that he was still suffering the after effects of Rosemary's tears. Thankfully, the star metal of her shackles was glowing quite brightly by now. He still wasn't sure what had happened, but he'd manage to awaken... Well, pretty much everything in the area. At least I didn't manage to awaken our clothes. That would have been too embarassing. He shook his head, trying to clear the dizziness.

     "Is something wrong?" It was Rosemary. She looked concerned.

     "Dizzy," he murmured.

     "It was a great awakening you performed there."

     "Yeah. Right."

     "It must have drained you to do something so difficult."

     "Ha, and here I thought this was supposed to be easy."

     "You should rest."

     "I think I've had enough rest, thanks to you."

     "I am sorry."

     "Right. You sound just like Sarah." And he stomped off ahead. At the moment, Sarah seemed like better company than Rosemary, who still did not entirely believe that she was free. At the very least, Sarah was wise enough to keep her mouth shut. And, amazingly, she didn't snicker when he stumbled again, ramming into the side of the cave wall. She just quietly helped him back up. Maybe she's learning...


     It was a long time before they emerged from the cave, and it was not where they had entered. Gone was the forest and the quaint cottage; now they faced an expanse of brown hills that stretched on for miles. In the distance, there seemed to be some black structure with a hint of red.

     "Okay, Rosemary, where are we?"

     "These must be the Living Hills."

     "Living Hills?"

     "Yes. They are not really hills, just the oldest of the Mound Folk who have decided to give up moving around and rest quietly."

     "That's not reassuring."

     "I am sorry, Armand."

     "Yeah, you would be."

     "I think I need to rest and catch my breath," said Sarah. She turned to Rosemary. "Do you know where it's safe to stop for a bit?"

     "It should be quite safe here. The Mound Folk are not terribly picky, and the older they get, the less sensitive they become."

     "Okay. I'm stopping." She sat down. "Ahhh... I never liked caves. I'm really glad to be out of that one."

     "As am I."

     "Well, you were in it a lot longer than I was."

     Armand sat down heavily. He wasn't about to admit it, but he was very glad of the chance to rest. Whatever he'd done had been much more difficult than he thought it had been at first, and he really did feel like sleeping again. Or eating. "Sarah?"

     "Hmm?"

     "Abenath took our packs, didn't he."

     "Oh!" She sat up. "He did! How are we going to survive?"

     "That had our water and food, didn't it. And you've eaten more recently than I have." He glared at Sarah.

     "I'm sorry about what happened back there... I don't know what came over me."

     Armand leaned back. "At least we managed to get okay. So. Rosemary. Any ideas how to get food or water out here?"

     She blinked at him, surprised. "Ask the Mound Folk. They are usually quite kind to travellers, as long as they do not light fires or try to dig into them."

     "But what do they have to eat?" Asked Sarah.

     "And I don't think we have anything to pay them with, either."

     "You are an Awakener and a Nexus. You can easily exchange services for anything, if the Mound Folk do not decide to gift you outright."

     "What about you, Rosemary?"

     "I am a creature of the air. I do not need to eat."

     "Okay. After Sarah's rested up we can go find one of the Mound Folk and ask for help."

     Sarah leaned back again. "Good. I'm hungry." They sat for a while in a rather companionable silence. Eventually, lulled by the peace of the hills and exhausted from their adventures, Sarah and Armand fell asleep.


     "Rethan?"

     "Yes, Raminas?"

     "I have the two of them. They have escaped the Weeping Cave and are in the Living Hills."

     "Good. Very, very good, my dear. You may yet make up for your mistakes."


     Armand awoke from a deep, dreamless sleep. Strangely, he felt more tired than he had when he first lay down. He stood up and started pacing, trying to shake off the sleep. Sarah was still asleep. He realized, after a moment, that Rosemary was nowhere around.

     "Rosemary?" He called out. There was no answer. He started walking around the side of the hill. "Rosemary?" He went back to where Sarah lay, and shook her awake. "Sarah!"

     "Hunh?"

     "Rosemary's gone."

     "Oh." She turned away to go back to sleep. Then her eyes slammed open and she sat up. "Rosemary's gone?"

     "I can't find her, and she won't answer when I call."

     "That doesn't sound like a good thing."

     "No, it's not."

     Sarah started looking around muzzily. "Is this the same hill we were at earlier?"

     Armand said, "Huh?" He started looking around. "The cave entrance isn't here. I can't tell if it's the same hill or not..."

     Sarah frowned. "I don't think it is. There was a rock jutting out that I remember almost tripping on as we were leaving, and it's not here anymore."

     "Great."

     "So... no supplies, no map..."

     "We could try talking to the Mound Folk like Rosemary suggested."

     "I guess."

     Sarah looked at the hill beside them doubtfully. "Do you think this is one of them?"

     "Probably." Armand started circling the hill. "Any ideas how we're going to know how to talk to it?"

     "Hello, Mound Person?" Sarah yelled. There was no response. She shrugged. "I guess not that way."

     Armand looked back at her for a moment, then continued circling the hill. As far as he was concerned, it looked like a perfectly normal hill. "I don't see anything special here."

     "Maybe it's asleep and we need to wake it up."

     "Wake it up?"

     "Yeah." She poked Armand. "So get to it, Awakener." She giggled a little bit.

     He glared at her. "Okay." He sat back down on the ground, and put his palms to the hill. I wish I could remember exactly what I did last time... He tried to blank his mind, feeling for any hint of tingling or vibration. For a while there was nothing. And then, as he relaxed further, he began to feel the faintest hint of movement. He did his best not to rush for it, but to let it grow slowly and fill his awareness. He was aware of the hot sun above and the smell of dried grass, and the rough rock beneath him. Is that a pulse in the rock? After a moment, he confirmed it. It was a pulse, but a very slow one. He reached for it, inwardly, and tried to match his own pulse to it. The tingling sensation grew stronger. He could feel the consciousnes of the rock, the slow patient watching as the centuries rolled past, the flickers of the living things that moved and passed over it. He thought he was able to touch a mind, wake it from its slumbering. But then there was blackness everywhere, and he could no longer feel his body. And then suddenly, he could. It was being shaken. He snapped his eyes open. Sarah was shaking him, looking slightly panicky and worried.

     "You fell over and stopped breathing."

     "Oh. Um. I think I found the Mound Person."

     "Is it awake?"

     "Maybe. I think we move too quickly for it to really notice us... I was trying to match its rhythms to speak to it. I almost had it."

     "You were almost dead."

     "Oh." Armand looked sheepish.

     "But... If it's a matter of being slower... Maybe I can help. Rosemary said that I since I'm a nexus, I can manipulate the flow of time. So maybe I can make you slow enough to communicate with the Mound Person."

     "Hmm." He looked surprised. "That's a good idea."

     "I've never done this before. I'm not sure how."

     "Well, you've managed to stop things without knowing how. That sounds like it should be harder."

     Sarah nodded and swallowed. "I don't know how long I can keep this up."

     "What if you slow both of us down, so that you're only maintaining it for a short time?"

     "I don't know if I can affect two people at once."

     "Okay then. Whatever." He leaned back against the rock again and closed his eyes.

     "I'll try my best," said Sarah nervously. Armand tried to ignore her, tried to reach the same place that he had before where he'd just barely contacted the consciousness of the mound. He felt a sudden tension rising around him, and then it crested. He had a sudden feeling of being mired in a bog, sinking in quicksand. She must have succeeded. Now I have to do this... And probably quickly, too. He tried to breathe evenly and deeply, and felt his awareness of the rock grow. This time he was able to sense the pulse far more quickly, and it was faster as well. Still not as fast as his own, but fast enough. Hopefully. He reached it for it, and felt the spark of contact. He was speaking to one of the Mound Folk.

     "Who disturbs me?"

     "A traveler in need of aid."

     "Ahhh. It has been a very long time since any travellers passed this way. But how are you speaking to me now?"

     "I am an awakener."

     "Ahh, yes, of course. It has been a long time since I communicated with one of the quickling races... A moment."
And then the contact was gone, and he felt a shocking rush as he speeded up again. Sarah lay on the ground, apparently exhausted.

     "Sarah?"

     "Nng?"

     "I did it."

     "Nngg."

     "I'll let you rest." He looked back to the hill and saw bits of rock moving around, sliding this way and that. A shower of pebbles fell, shaken loose by the adjustments. He jumped in front of them to protect Sarah. Then the initial tremor was over, and he was facing a large face in the rock.

     "Greetings, travellers."

     "Greetings. Um, what should we call you?"

     "You may call me Rocky." Armand almost laughed at the name.

     "Okay then... Rocky."

     "What kind of aid do you need?"

     "We're lost and have no more food or water."

     "That is certainly a difficult situation. Hmmm..." The rock moved again, and the face acquired a pensive look. "What do you eat?"

     "Eat? Umm... Meat, vegetables, plants..."

     "Ahh, one of those. I was afraid you might be of the Jeweleyes."

     "Jeweleyes?"

     "They look much like you do, but they eat crystals and gemstones." A tremor passed through the rock. "They can be a very nasty folk when they decide on Mound guts for dinner..."

     "Oh."

     "Nnng?" It was Sarah.

     "Is that your companion? It looks ill."

     "She's just tired. I think."

     "Sarah?" He tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

     "Huh?" She blinked awake, looking muzzily at Armand and then at the rock face. "Hello rock person."

     "Greetings, quick one."

     She turned to Armand "So you did it. Yay. I want to go back to sleep." She lay her head back again.

     Armand looked at her a little worriedly. "Oh yeah. Um. Do you know anywhere we can stay for the night that's safe?"

     "Why, inside me, of course."

     "Inside you?"

     "Yes, that's usually why travellers seek us out. You'll just have to remind me not to sneeze."

     "Oh, um, okay." He just sat there for a while, looking at Rocky. "Um, we don't have anything to pay you with, for food or shelter."

     The rock quivered a little, bit a few more pebbles bouncing loose. Armand realized that Rocky was laughing. "No fear, no fear. It has been far too long since I talked to one of the quickling ones. You can tell me what is going on in return for my hospitality." The mouth of the rock face gaped wide open, wide enough for Armand to walk in. "Come in, come in."

     "Are you sure it's safe?"

     "Yes, of course."

     "I... I want your oath. The last time someone offered us hospitality he didn't, and he ended up imprisoning us in the Weeping Cave."

     "Ahhh... Tut, tut, such a bad host. But very well then. I swear by the Lord of the Stars and the Lady of the Moons that you will come to no harm through any action of mine, and that I give to you the guest-right of food and shelter."

     Armand breathed a sigh of relief. The oath was correct to the word. "Thank you." He turned to Sarah and tapped hero n the shoulder again. "Sarah?"

     "Wha?" She sounded a little annoyed.

     "Rocky says we can take shelter inside of him. Why don't you move in so that you're safe?"

     "Oh, okay." She got up slowly. "My head hurts. Uuuugh..."

     Armand reached out to steady her. "This way." Slowly, they made their way into Rocky's mouth.

Etude 14 (continued)

So... More stuffness, as promised. I used my word processor's publish-to-HTML feature, which means that there's non-breaking spaces for all my tabs and it's no longer valid xhtml. Oh well.

     She seemed to be about to say more, but Armand stopped her. "How will you know that someone's been sent to free you?"

     "There were signs... So many conditions..." She sighed. "It does not matter. I wish only that I might free you in some way, but I am helpless."

     Sarah seemed to be squirming in her bonds, as if trying to reach something. "My pocket..."

     "What about your pocket?"

     "Seraiel gave me something to use. But I can't reach it. I need to break it open..." She struggled against the ropes. "Oww... I think I'm getting rope burns."

     "I am afraid my tears may have caused the ropes about you to swell and bind the knots more tightly."

     "Oh, great." Armand had the strong impulse to kick something, but he was tied down fairly securely. Wait... What am I tied to? "Rosemary, what are we tied to?"

     "There are some crevices in the rock. You seem to be wedged in somehow. I cannot tell."

     "Um, are we the first people that have been here?" Asked Sarah.

     "No, only the most recent. I occasionally see some of them in a similar position to you. But all that is left are the bones down there." She gestured with her head. Armand did his best to look downwards. There were skeletons of all sorts scattered over the bottom of the cave, in various states of decay.

     "That's not promising," he said.

     "I believe that you are the first to wake yourselves from the Dream Mesh, however... None of the others bothered to engage me in conversation."

     "That's still not very reassuring."

     "I am sorry. I used to possess some magic of my own, but I have lost it long since... I cannot help you now."

     "Great." The three of them lapsed into an uneasy silence. Armand's eyes had grown used to the dim light in the cave, and he found himself wondering where it came from. "Rosemary?"

     She sniffled. "Yes?"

     "Where is the light coming from?"

     "Oh. The shackles that bind my body to the rock are made of star metal, which glows with an inner radiance."

     "Is there really no way out of here?"

     "I cannot think of one. I am sorry." She sighed deeply. "Just another failing of mine..."

     "Was it really that bad," asked Sarah.

     "Yes, it was. Rethan was not one who loved easily... I fell in love with him the moment I first saw him, but it was years before I could melt his icy shell. And he trusted me... Trusted me so completely and absolutely, and yet I betrayed that trust." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I wish that I had never let that creature into our house..."

     "What creature?"

     "It was a shape shifter... I did not know what it was at first, but all the signs were there for the reading. It refused to cross the threshhold until I had invited it in, and there was the strange cold sensation that it brought with it... How was I to know that the harmless old man was Rethan's greatest enemy?"

     "Well, it probably tried very hard to disguise the fact," pointed out Sarah.

     "Yes, but still... And then, even after I had realized what it was, and was about to throw it out, it begged for mercy... It vowed by the Stars and Moons that it would do no harm... I didn't realize that the oaths were not properly said, that it had tricked me again. So it stayed, and when Rethan returned, it was waiting for him." She started sobbing again.

     "That's pretty bad," said Armand.

     "Yes, it was. Rethan was victorious in their confrontation, but it cost him dearly. He was badly injured, and nearly dying... I did my best to heal him, and I gave my magic to restore him to health. But after that... He was not the same. I had betrayed him. At first things seemed to go on as before, but then he grew more and more distant. I tried to make it up to him, to ease the pain in some way. But nothing I did helped. And then, one day, he led me into this cave. He seemed so happy that day. It was almost like old times... But then he ordered the rock to imprison me, and the shackles to bind me, and he gave the conditions for my release." [insert cryptic conditions that armand and sarah fit]

     "How did he control the rock and the shackles?"

     "It was his main talent... To unlock the sleeping potentials inside inanimate objects. He was an Awakener, and a very good one too." She smiled sadly. "He used to awaken flowers for me... Those were so beautiful." She sighed deeply.

     "What is an Awakener?"

     "As I said, someone who has the talent to release the inner strengths of objects. They can be very powerful if they use the right tools. Some magical items are created so that they can only be used by Awakeners..."

     "Like the Sword of Peace?" Armand felt his breath catch for a moment. Was it possible...?

     "Oh, yes, I suppose so. I never really thought about it."

     "How does it work?"

     "I don't know much about the talent, since I do not possess it. Rethan sometimes tried to explain it to me. He said something about speaking to the inner heart of the object..."

     The Sword of Peace always called me "Awakener." Does that mean I can somehow... speak to the ropes and make them release us? If Rethan was able to awaken the rock to imprison her... But what does it mean? I don't know how I do it! I've only tried with magical things... Armand experimentally tested the ropes. The knots were still swollen tight from Rosemary's tears. She's a pretty useless woman... All she can think of to do is cry... That thought made him angry. She's been chained up here for how long, and she's never once tried to break free. She's convinced she deserves it. That's so... that's... Spineless! A freaking jellyfish!

     "Armand, is there something wrong," asked Sarah.

     "No." A little of his annoyance must have crept into his voice, because Sarah looked away quickly and didn't say anything. Armand felt like banging his head against the rock and screaming for it to let him go. He didn't. Damn it, if I could just figure out how to get these things unknotted... And Sarah's just as useless as Rosemary. He glared at Sarah, but her head was turned away from him. He strained again, trying to awaken the ropes or the rock or anything, but failing. And the failing only made him more and more angry.


     "Is something wrong with your friend," asked Rosemary.

     "I don't know. I don't really know anything about him. He's just weird sometimes."

     "Ahh. He seemed most interested in Awakeners..."

     "I guess." Sarah sighed. "The only reason he's tangled up in this mess is because of me..."

     "I am sorry, then."

     "Yeah, I am too. I wish I knew what I was doing... People keep telling me that I'm a nexus, but they won't tell me what it means."

     "A nexus?"

     "Yeah. Do you know?"

     "I know in general terms what a nexus is, but I have no detailed knowledge. They are very rare, and I was never able to meet one."

     "So what's the big deal about being a nexus?"

     "A nexus is a junction of time. Time is very malleable in Farelle, and can be manipulated. Normally it requires a great deal of effort to perform even the least of tasks, but a nexus is by nature able to manipulate time."

     "So I can manipulate time?"

     "If you are a nexus."

     "I only know that I can stop things sometimes..."

     Rosemary seemed awed. "That is a very, very difficult thing for anyone to do. I am surprised you can do it, even so untrained."

     Sarah sighed. "And I don't know where to get training. Everyone seems to be after me. And I just don't know what to do!"

     Rosemary made a sympathetic noise. "It is very hard. Perhaps... Sometimes, answers can be found in the Dream Mesh. What were your experiences like, and how did you manage to wake up?"

     Sarah swallowed. "I was on a raft ride. It was pleasant. We were drifting lazily down a river... A lot of things happened. But eventually, I realized that we weren't actually going anywhere. We looked like we were moving, but we weren't. And everything was hollow. I... I fought my way out, somehow. I don't remember. But it was hard."

     "Then perhaps your problem is that you drift too often. But it is pleasant sometimes, and it is much easier than fighting. Much, much easier... Especially when you know there is no reason to fight. When you know that things are as bad as they can get, and anything you can do will only make things worse. So much easier to just slip away, and let yourself go... Drift with the current and let it take you where it will." The cadence of Rosemary's words lulled Sarah slowly, without her realizing. And then she was asleep, and the dreams started again.


     "Sarah?" There was no response. Armand looked over to Sarah, and saw that she had fallen asleep again. "Sarah!" He looked at Rosemary. "What did you do to her?"

     "Nothing, I swear it."

     "She's dreaming again, isn't she?"

     "Probably. Perhaps she will find her way out again, as she did before."

     "I don't trust you anymore."

     Rosemary sighed. "That seems to happen to me... I suppose I am not entirely trustworthy."

     Armand glared at her. "You're not making this easier."

     "I only told Sarah how it feels to drift along with events, not fighting the current and not caring."

     "That sounds like a load of crap."

     Rosemary shrugged. "It is how I have lived these centuries in this cave. Perhaps you should try it."

     "No."

     "Then I will stay here and await my Rethan's return."


     Armand glared at Rosemary, but her eyes were closed now. Tears still dripped from them; beautiful, crystalline tears that sparkled and glittered in the light of the star metal. He looked at Sarah, who was sleeping peacefully. Neither of them responded to anything he said. In the fidgety silence, he felt himself growing drowsy again. It's those damn tears of hers... I'll bet the Dream Mesh is still trying to get me again. He tried to shake his head to clear it. He was growing more and more tired, and he felt a tugging at the corners of his mind. In desperation, he banged his head against the stone, just hard enough to hurt. The ensuing dizziness cleared his head for a moment, but then the fog returned. I will not give in! He'd fought off the Fallen Ones and their weird mist, and he wasn't about to give in to some useless girl's tears. He struggled against the ropes, trying to free his hands or his feet or any part he could. They refused to budge. Damn it, damn it, damn it... The drowsiness was growing stronger, and the pull felt almost like someone calling his name. He tried to bang his head against the rock again, but it was too hard to lift it... Fog crept in and around him, threatening to engulf him completely. The pull grew stronger and stronger, a rope tied to an anchor that was dragging him down. And then suddenly, clearly, he heard the voice of the Spring Flower calling his name. And he answered, and the fog engulfed him.



     Armand found himself still in the cavern, but he felt a curious detachment from everything. It was somehow much brighter than it had been before, and he could see the sparks crawling and dancing merrily within the rocks and everything else in the cave. They seemed to be trying to escape, as if straining for freedom. He reached out a hand -- he noticed distantly that he was no longer bound, although he could see his body quite clearly -- and touched the rocks. He whispered to them, encouraging them to awaken. And the rocks opened.