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"Mind-fucked you I forced hts into your own in order to break the hold the sirens had on you No aetically "You’re extremely vulnerable to empaths and beasties that work on a psychic level You need to learn how to shield, but that can come later" He offered me his hand, and with a careful look at Grieve, I accepted his help as he pulled hts I feel like I’ve either got the hangover froehaht…" But it had worked And had he not done it, I would be fighting to return to the water "Tell s…whatever they are…attack us as we crossed the pond?"

"Like Myst’s Ice Ele they won’t act until sooing to have be very wary Lainule’s protection is ical as well as physical She has to have wards and spells set up"

"I’ain, I felt like a shortsighted idiot

"We’ve been fighting on a physical level for days noith Myst--most of her attacks have been via flesh and blood We’re all tired I dread to think what happens when she decides her Shadow Hunters aren’t doing well enough on their own and begins to strike at us ri that saainst her warriors, let alone her er we tarry, the ets But keep alert, and if you feel yourself slipping, say so" I shook off the last of Kaylin’s shadow and fire,back into the lead with Grieve

Ulean, couldn’t you break through the sirens’ songs?

You could not hear ic blocks our communication I tried to call you back, but you faded out of my reach

Keep close contact froain

As you say I will, my friend I have your back, as much as anyone ever can And you, listen well, and theelse, tell me--some whispers you will hear better than I Others, vice versa

And so we plunged on into the silent forest The sirens’ calls vanished, but I wasn’t resting easy There were darker things ahead, between us and the heartstone, set to protect And no ht us because we could be anybody trying to get to the geh the forest of rock and root, skirting the boulders settled at the base of some of the "trunks" The albino ivy vines tendriled down to coil in our hair and try to hold us back I brushed the back, and I could swear I heard them hiss But they did not strike, nor did they have thorns or fangs

They are the eyes and ears of this cavern forest

Are they sentient?

As sentient as any plant ht be in the realhts are dark and shadowed, difficult to discern They do not shout, nor raise a vocal alar one another and let the rest know that invaders are on the way

And are they doing that?

Yes, they are I can hear thehts and words

I told the others about what Ulean had said, but there was nothing to do As we passed each vine, Grieve gave it a surreptitious look but did not attack The less we appeared to be intruders, the less trouble we should have Theoretically

I began to feel eyes on me from every direction On us It was as if the whole freaky forest had suddenly sprung to life, but there was no telling just where that life was hiding Or whether it even was hiding Perhaps ere seeing the very creatures ere trying to hide fro rocksicles

We caround

"We have to rest" I looked up at theet a little sleep?"

"That ood idea Here, in the realm of Fae, time moves far differently It’s impossible to tell how much time on the outside has passed, but probably far less than in here Grieve and I are strong here We can watch over the three of you while you sleep" Chatter motioned to the side of the path "You’ll have to curl up on the ground, but at least it’s not cold"

Wearily, Kaylin, Rhiannon, and I settled ourselves on the softest patch of earth we could find Grieve and Chatter took watch As we drifted off to sleep, I wondered if I’d dream of this place

As my eyes fluttered open, I wondered where I was, and then re for Lainule’s heartstone As I slowly sat up and yawned, achy froround, my head felt clearer and I didn’t feel nearly so out of it

"Did you sleep well, ht where he’d been when I went to sleep, looking no worse for the wear Chatter was sitting near Rhia, staring off into the distance As I stood, he woke bothe out?"

"Who knows? Tih" Grieve kissed ently, and--as Rhiannon and I headed behind some nearby boulders to take care of personal business, he and Chatter began to discuss the path ahead

When we returned, I realized I felt much better Rhiannon and Kaylin both looked refreshed, too