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[npc-excolo.livejournal.com]

Time has little meaning here, though your body back home may disagree.

Dream.

A forest.

A forest of the oldest sort, thick with brambles, trees snarled with centuries of life. It stretches for miles, many of them very dark, because the trees grow so close that it is hard to see. From a high vantage point, on one of the hills of the forest, one may glimpse a tower at the heart of the forest, a great graceful column of grey stone. Here and there there are clearings, bright with sunlight, and streams running with clear water. But mostly there is dark.

In the distance, the howl of a wolf.

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[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

Blue cool running water scent ahead and stopping hiding creeping closer not pouncing still wondering lost not me them and then more voices and wings and bright blue sun shining gold in my nose dust and wings and a-choo hunters don't but I do and then there are brown grey dry underfoot snapping with sounds smells of old earth and brown rot good rot not flesh red orange brown rot and I'm falling back to my feet but not in hiding anymore.

[glass-beddau.livejournal.com]

"I'll follow the water, I think," he says after a moment. "Will you stay here, or would you care to come?"

"I'd come along," I say. Because I think something begins to stir, and he was well lost when I found him, too much for it to have been a trick, and there's something following us. I keep clear of the tower, but I am not sure the tower is confined to the stones of its walls, now.

"Go in the water," a voice says, high from the trees, and spin and look and she's small and bright and not showing teeth. "The water's happier than the trees." Take a step back and cock my head to one side, watching her as Valmont answers, and then there is a soft dusty sneeze and a scrabble behind us, and turn again to find a wolf standing there, and for a moment I don't breathe. But it's like one I have seen before outside the woods, ago and away, and not so much like the worst of the wolves you can find here.

"You startled me," I say after a moment, straightening and looking between them, and then I add "Good day to you." Gesture to the wolf and keeping one eye on him as I look to her. "Is he yours, lady?"

[fairy-fiona.livejournal.com]

The boy sneezes! I giggle. "Sorry!" I say to him and to the lady too 'cause she says "You startled me."

Then I see that the prince has a sword I can feel the iron from here. Better stay away, even if he's kind and polite and bows like a real prince would. He might not know those rules, either. I shiver and hug the tree closer, and pet her trunk.

"Good day to you. Is he yours, lady?"

"Oh no. He's not mine. He belongs to himself. Only I belong to me. Hello, boy," I say to the boy who's a wolf. "Do you want to drink? The water won't mind. It's safe to drink the water, you know," I tell the prince, 'cause I don't think he does know. "You look sad too. Are you sad?"

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

There's a soft sound like a dog sneezing, and I turn and see a wolf just standing there looking at us. My hand is still on my sword, and I'll use it if I need to. He's a young wolf; I think I could take him if I have to. But he just looks at us.

"Oh no. He's not mine. He belongs to himself. Only I belong to me. Hello, boy. Do you want to drink? The water won't mind. It's safe to drink the water, you know. You look sad too. Are you sad?"

"A little heartsick, miss, from weariness," I say. I look at her thoughtfully. "You can fly," I say. "Have you ever flown near the tower? Do you know what it is like?"

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

Sounds and eyes to me and the sky bright flitting gold, and there is meaning like wolf-talk and I eye them as I pad past to sniff towards water clear blue some rot blue black brown but sweet to drink still. Wary prey hunter movements from the yellow sharp man paws touching tooth bright sharp smelling tooth but he makes sounds instead and he should swim in clear cool water.

[glass-beddau.livejournal.com]

"It's safe to drink the water, you know."

I murmur agreement--less for her sake than Valmont's, I confess. She is telling the truth (this stream is one of the sweet ones), and that eases me a little, and she is coming no nearer. "If you've a drinking skin, I'd fill it now, I think," I say. The wolf threads past us to the water, looking cautious but I would not say afraid, which is all to the good. Frightened animals are dangerous.

"You look sad too. Are you sad? (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/405098.html?view=10261866#t10261866)" the fairy-girl asks.