Anise winced at the Dragon's reaction. She saw the violet and realized that she needed the Violet Lantern to do what she wished. Suddenly, she was flying. She had never experienced it before except in her dreams and it was everything she imagined and more. She let the gryphon feel her excitement and joy over the flow of the air through her hair. She wanted it to know that even though she was afraid for her life she found pleasure in this small thing. She saw with the assistance of the hawk mask the Violet and Green Lanterns off in the distance and the Red Lantern in the forest. She hoped that the stranger that held the Red Lantern was safe. She knew that the white lantern was here somewhere and it was probably being guarded by the pirate and his partner the gryphon.

Before she knew it she was flat on her back with the pirate looming over her, foot on the Blue Lantern.

"That's a pretty glowy thing you got there." He grinned down at her, leaning his weight on the Lantern. He was armored to the teeth in mismatched and dented iron and leather, carved with runes and painted with crude drawings of flowers and birds -- as if a child had used his armor as a canvas. Behind him, the gryphon sat down and stared steadily at Anise.

"Where do you think a squirrel like this got a pretty sort of thing like that?" the pirate asked the gryphon without taking his eyes off the Lantern.

She panted heavily, the exhilaration of flying in conjunction with being thrown onto her back had knocked the wind out of her. She looked over his runes on his mismatched armor, she glanced at his sword - a familiar artifact - and then she glanced over towards the gryphon. In spite of her current situation she smiled at the gryphon. She turned her gaze back to the pirate, heart pounding heavily.

She slowly raised her free hand towards her face as she did not want to let go of the Spirit Lantern. "I-I'm going to be taking my mask off." She hadn't completely caught her breath thus the slight stutter. She lifted the mask so it rested at the top of her head. "I'm Anise." She glanced over to the gryphon again before returning her gaze back to the pirate before her. "Do you fly all the time?" She grinned. "That was exciting!"

She knew the Kith almost never took off their masks and when they did the Forest tended to react. She hoped to befriend the pirate and the gryphon so she could more safely move around the wreck.

Artemis quirked an eyebrow up before she could help herself.

"I thought you knew where I was from." She snapped her mouth shut as soon as the words left her. Now probably wasn't the best time to be a wise-ass. She took half a breath to collect herself before finally crossing the threshold.

"But I guess it isn't important," she said as she walked towards the chair, "if there's no going back." The words sounded hollow. A stone landed in her stomach as their meaning sank into her. No going back. Her world hadn't been the best, sure but… Artemis was fond of it. Or as fond you could be of something you just realized you'd never see again. Especially since the world she now found herself in made as much sense as clockwork trees and flying monkeys did. Her body was working on autopilot as she picked up the books and placed them on the ground.

No going back.

Artemis would never see her valley again. She'd never see the way the sun crested between the mountains and glinted off the white marble of the palace, or how fireworks ignited the winter sky on the solstice. Honestly, she'd never had any plans of returning. What right did she have after leaving like she did? But she'd always liked to imagine a nebulous future of Maybes and Eventuallys. She sat down in the chair.

The last she'd heard, the Silver Valley had finally settled into order after the chaos of losing both heirs. There had been grief, confusion… conspiracies of what had happened to the elder sibling. Some said she'd fallen ill like her brother. Others said there'd been a coup from within the court. But most agreed she'd simply abandoned them. It certainly wouldn't have been out of character from what gossip escaped the palace walls.

The bitter taste in the back of her mouth turned sharp and solid, greedy with its grip on her throat.

She'd never see her brother's grave.

Artemis blinked and tried to swallow around the lump. Couldn't.

Wasn't that just… just typical of her. One final act of abandonment. He'd be next to their father, she knew, in the main chamber of the royal crypt facing the East to greet the sun. His name would be engraved in the thick crystal plate. A dragonfly passing across the moon would be etched above it to signify he'd ruled the valley, however briefly.

Artemis was still as granite, her open palms resting in her lap. She blinked down at them. Her pointer finger twitched. It took too long to force her hand to turn over in a stiff, halting motion. Reaching up, she grabbed the tea cup. She looked at it for a moment. The thought of drinking nearly made her sick, though her face was still a mask.

She made herself bring it to her lips and take a sip.

"Thank you," she forced out after swallowing. Her voice was quiet and too frail. Intact but breakable. Artemis felt breakable.

The emotion would work for her, she knew. It would give credibility to… whatever it was that she was selling. Artemis didn't know anymore. She wasn't sure she cared. She looked up to the Witch's eyes.

"If I'm stuck here, I'd very much like to learn how to not die."

The Witch perched on a stool and sipped without tasting; her lined eyes watched Artemis, but her thoughts were deep in some memory. Only when Artemis had seemed to compose herself did the Witch lean forward and turn a knob on a broken lamp on the table. A little flame flickered to life within the sharded glass dome, and they had a light less ominous than the red of the Lantern to see by.

"Normally I would tell you that you're screwed," the Witch said honestly. "The Pirates that live here have been taught since birth how and when to use the iron and runes, and the Kith have their masks and magic. Without years of training you're more likely to fall down a shadow gulch tomorrow than to survive the next moon-cycle. But. That Lantern." In the silence that followed, the Witch stared into the fiery glow of the Lantern, uncertain whether it could be trusted not to burn the house down around her. She stirred her tea.

"I can't be sure because all I have are books and stories, but I believe the Lantern that summoned you should have a special bond with you." With a knotty finger she gestured at Artemis' heart. "You woke up at a clockwork tree, didn't you? The minute you took that thing down from the regulator, its power increased tenfold. Dangerous for us, but it's probably the only reason you're alive now, isn't it?" She took a swig of tea to give herself more time to consider her words.

Outside, something distant flashed blue and white. A moment later, a soft rumble echoed on the mountain. There was lightning out on the lake.

The Witch's mouth pressed to a thin line, and she made a decision. "Take a good look inside that Lantern." The iron casing of the Lantern was covered in little engraved runes, and the craftsmanship seemed impressive enough that it would not break unless by considerable force. Within the iron cage was a glass casing, and within the glass was an egg. It was glowing red from deep within the thick shell.

"What you're holding is the power of the Dragon. Well, one of the powers anyway. We used to think it was a myth until not long ago, when the Lanterns started glowing again. You --" The Witch's eyes narrowed, and she grinned. "Well let me tell you a story." This was a story she never got to tell -- everyone everywhere already knew it -- and the opportunity filled the Witch with a new energy. She sat forward, and her wrinkled hands gestured in the air as she spoke, illuminated by the Lantern and the lamplight.

"It was centuries ago when the first Pirates and their ship were transported here from who-knows-where. Like yourself, I imagine. There was daylight, then. A regular cycle of night and sunlight, if you can imagine that. So those pirates went looking for a way to get themselves back home, and they made friends with the Kith. Now, those Kith told the pirates there was a Dragon in a cave under the mountain that had the power to send them home. Sure enough, those pirates found and broke the seal they found down there, and what they released was something horrific."

While she spoke, the Witch had grabbed a book from the pile on the floor and had flipped through it. She handed the book to Artemis, open to a drawing of an enormous, hideous black beast with bat-wings and scythed teeth, with a tiny mountain drawn at the bottom for scale.

"That's when the sky went dark for good." The Witch's voice was grim. "That's when the forest turned into a slaughterhouse, the trees started moving on their own, and the gentlest critters turned to horrors. The pirates had set loose a nightmare, and they decided they'd put things right again. It took years, but they managed to split the Dragon's power into five parts, and sealed those up tight, and put them up in the regulator trees to keep their power drained. The sky and the forest didn't go back to normal like they'd hoped, but it was enough to make sure it wouldn't get worse. That was centuries ago, and since then we've been surviving well enough. The Dragon and the trees and all that have become a sort of legend that some people stopped believing. But a few years ago, the Lanterns started glowing again.

"I've been analyzing this one in particular. There's a tiny rift to another world inside that egg, and it's been sending its creeping tendrils out through that rift and sucking life energy out of it. If I were to guess, it's been draining the life out of people in other worlds -- probably yours -- until it had enough energy to summon you here. I can only assume the other four Lanterns have been doing the same. I've tried everything, but I couldn't stop it." The Witch set her jaw and glared at the book. "It's that Dragon, trying to put itself together again. It knows the Kith can't touch the Lanterns, and the Pirates would have nothing to do with it, so it's brought in outsiders who might be tricked into setting it free, like our ancestors did. History repeats itself, as the saying goes."

After a moment, she hefted herself to the floor and shuffled across the destroyed room to a closet. "It all still seems too wild to believe, like some kind of fairy tale. I had a hard time believing it, myself. But as long as you keep that Lantern with you, the Dragon can't be summoned and we'll all be safer for it." Inside, the closet was jammed with iron and leather armor and clothing and helmets and weapons -- things offered to the Witch in exchange for her enchanting services. She rummaged among them, yanked out a sturdy pair of boots and several sets of rune-engraved armor that seemed like they might fit Artemis.

"But you said you saw that girl who's running around with the blue Lantern. I know for a fact that she's under the Dragon's influence, trying to collect the Lanterns and summon that nightmare. That means she'll be after you. And that Lantern she's got is the nastiest one of all. I'd like to say I can protect you, but I obviously can't even protect myself." She gestured angrily at her broken house. "But come over here and pick some armor and a weapon, at least. It's all in good enough condition, and I can enchant it with whatever you want, within reason. Once I've restocked my power source."

She leaned back on her heels and looked back at Artemis, struck by a thought. She gestured toward the rabbit mask at Artemis' hip. "I won't ask how you got that mask, but can you use it?"

---

The pirate's posture changed slightly, completely surprised by Anise's enthusiasm at having nearly been killed -- but possibly more shocked at witnessing the voluntary removal of a Kith mask. He tipped back his helmet to get a better look at her in the light of the Lantern, but kept his sparking sword pointed at her.

"Yer dressed like a parade dancer with a death wish," he told her, bewildered at what to do with her. "You're Kith, aren't you?" The fact that she was clinging to the iron-cased Lantern was the most startling thing, now that he'd had time to think about it. The Kith couldn't touch iron without writing in pain.

Behind him, a sudden snarl, a hideous choking noise and a flash of wings and black fur turned the pirate's attention. Reus had suddenly attacked the gryphon out of the shadows, and the two equally matched beasts had begun ferociously tearing each other apart with ugly sounds of snapping and screeching and scraping and bones slamming against the deck. Feathers and fur and teeth and claws spun together in a ferocious storm of deadly intention. The railing snapped and splashed in the lake below.

"Shit!" The pirate forgot Anise and ran to the scene; he couldn't use the lightning without hitting his gryphon, but he had every intention of slicing the enormous wolf to pieces.

"Yer dressed like a parade dancer with a death wish," he told her, bewildered at what to do with her. "You're Kith, aren't you?"

Anise blushed at the mention of her appearance and attire. She certainly wasn't dressed for the Ball anymore. The dress she was wearing was not much more than rags covering her body and unmentionables. Her legs were now showing: something only a whore would do. She certainly no longer had an appearance expected of a woman. "I do apologize for my appearance. I am no Kith though, but I am not a 'pirate' as they call you either."

Before the man had a chance to respond, Reus surprise attacked the gryphon. He cursed and made his way towards Reus ready to slice into the wolf with his sword. She didn't want to witness anymore death and knew that she had to do something. She stood up as the man approached Reus and concentrated on all of them. She wanted all of them to stop.

"I am Anise, I am the Lady of Light." She put her will into these words. "There is no need for such unnecessary bloodshed." She channeled the power of the lantern through her. "I want the fighting to stop." There was a force of will behind her words she hadn't expected. "I am here to return balance to this Forest and protect those that need it. I will not stand here lightly and watch the death of another living being happen before me."

"I wish for all of you to stand down and be at peace." At first she did not want to let the man know who or what she was, but she could not let this happen and would do everything in her power to stop it.

Artemis felt the Witch's words drift over her. She was still frozen in her seat, a suffocating weight pressing hard on her chest. But her face was blank. Vacant. Her body was still and relaxed as she drowned. Her eyes drifted from the Witch back down to the red Lantern. Sure enough there was a glowing crimson egg at the heart of it. Some child's nightmare brought to life, the way the Witch told it. Something demonic and powerful enough to rip her from her world and drop her here. And now somehow she was responsible for keeping it locked away?

The Witch finished her tale and beckoned Artemis to the closet of weapons. She looked back down at herself, as though to remember how to move. She placed the tea cup back on the table. Stood in a smooth motion. Stepping forward, she ran her fingertips over the worn metal armor laid out for her. Artemis stopped before the closet. When the Witch asked her about the mask, but Artemis didn't react for a long moment. Like she'd forgotten how to.

"I wouldn't know. Just happened upon it." Her voice was flat and far away.

All sorts of weapons glinted at her in the light. Blades and spikes; blunt wood and wicked metal. Runes were finely etched into each one. Artemis stood there, staring at them all. She had no idea what she was supposed to do. Weapons training hadn't exactly been a subject covered in her tutoring sessions and she'd never fought before in her life. Her tongue had always been her best weapon. Artemis examined each one in disinterest, dull eyes barely grazing over one before drifting to the other. Then something caught her eye in the back.

Artemis was still for another moment before a slender hand raised and wandered into the closet. It came back out holding a long wooden staff with metal cuffs clasped around its length at even intervals. She drew her other hand up to grasp it. The staff was weighted differently than what she was used to – a little thicker, a little taller. Artemis looked it up and down and took a few steps back so she was standing in the widest area of space available in the ruined cottage. She glanced around to make sure she was clear.

Then she dropped one hand away and gave an experimental twist with the other. The staff clattered to the floor and Artemis winced at the sound. Alright, so it'd been a while.

Fighting hadn't been in her curriculum, but dancing had. Some nonsense her parents had fed her about how a proper lady was 'cultured.' Honestly, she'd hated those lessons. Her limbs had been skinny and too long, awkward and lanky without the muscles to control them. But things tended to sink in after a decade of practice.

Artemis bent down and picked up the staff from the floor. She straightened up and tried again.

In the Valley there'd only been one style of dance that really mattered – ribbon staff dancing. Dancers would wield a wooden staff, a long swath of died silk attached to either end and spin them to bleed the colors in the silk together. It was mesmerizing, when done properly. Depending on the width of the silk, it could create an image of a solid disk of color or two delicate tails chasing each other. Artemis had never been a true master, but she'd done well enough to not embarrass her family.

The staff in her hand was spinning in smooth, quick motions now. Artemis counted time and switched the staff to her other hand.

No, she couldn't fight. But maybe she could… twirl an attacker into submission? Artemis rolled her eyes. Right. That would work wonderfully. Especially against the giant wolves. At least she didn't feel completely lost holding this though, as opposed to any of the shiny glinting things still in the closet.

Artemis brought the staff around her back before raising it to spin over her head.

And apparently she would need to defend herself. Not just from the odd rabid monster, but from people actively hunting for the Lantern. Like the girl from the river. She hadn't seemed… aggressive. But Artemis of all people knew that someone was rarely who they seemed. But was she seriously supposed to watch over this Lantern now? And if she failed and someone trying to awaken the dragon got the Lantern then apparently it was armageddon. How exactly had this become her responsibility?

She'd had responsibilities before. People had counted on her. People who loved her more than anyone else ever would, and she'd let them down, she'd ran because that's just what she did and even if she'd stayed she'd just disappoint them because Artemis couldn't do the things being asked of her, wasn't made for it and–

All at once the weight on her chest was gone and reality crashed into her with the force of a tidal wave. The staff fell to the floor.

"No, no <I'm not the right person for this, I can't, I–>" Artemis cut herself off realizing she'd slipped into her first language. It was with no small amount of bitterness that she remembered those same words from another lifetime. She sucked in a breath and turned from the closet.

"This is ridiculous. And clearly you're more qualified to watch over the evil magic dragon seal. So you're welcome for the delivery, and thanks very much for the tea. I'll try not to die." Without glancing at the Witch or the Lantern, she started marching towards the door.

"I am Anise, I am the Lady of Light." She put her will into these words. "There is no need for such unnecessary bloodshed." She channeled the power of the lantern through her. "I want the fighting to stop." There was a force of will behind her words she hadn't expected. "I am here to return balance to this Forest and protect those that need it. I will not stand here lightly and watch the death of another living being happen before me. I wish for all of you to stand down and be at peace."

Everything stopped.

The gryphon and the wolf went still, claws and teeth frozen in mid-battle, their eyes wide in shock. Slowly and carefully they backed away from one another in a guarded truce. The gryphon fanned its wings and folded them gingerly, chittering in the back of its throat.

The pirate, too, had stopped in his tracks. He stared at Reus in recognition, his expression filled with confusion and betrayal. Reus raised his head and stared the pirate down.

"What is going on?" the pirate whispered to no one in particular. He took a step back and he took a breath, and he faced Anise, the tip of his sword lowered to the deck.

"You're . . . the Lady of Light? With the Lantern of Spirit." His voice was still barely audible as his mind worked to piece together what was happening. The power of the Lantern still lingered, and he knew that everything Anise said must be true. He stared in wonder at the blue glow, and then at Anise's determined face. "I'm Peck. This is Trill. It's our shift to guard the lake." He was confused, wary, and afraid -- he knew what kind of power was in the Lantern, and he knew the Lords and Ladies of the Forest were often quick to judge. The pirates had all learned from a young age to tread lightly around them -- and he had just attacked and taunted her.

"Is there something you need of us, Lady of Light?"

---

The Witch had watched Artemis' display of talent with a proud grin, happy to have provided the girl with something she found familiar. Artemis reminded her of her own children and grandchildren, who struggled similarly to find their way in such a harsh world. The Witch had already begun going through a mental inventory of her collections for anything else that might provide Artemis with some familiarity and comfort, curious to see what sort of life she had had before being dropped here.

Her thoughts were snapped back to reality when the staff clattered to the floor.

"This is ridiculous. And clearly you're more qualified to watch over the evil magic dragon seal. So you're welcome for the delivery, and thanks very much for the tea. I'll try not to die."

The Witch said nothing.

She stooped and quietly picked up the staff, and she used it to hook the handle of the Lantern. She wouldn't dare touch it, uncertain how it would react.

"Be careful, dear." There was no point in calling Artemis back a second time; the girl's mind seemed to be made up to refuse every shred of the Witch's help, even when it was clear that the alternative was being eaten alive.

When Artemis got outside, the two masked children were gone, but in their place was a thin path through the trees. Fireflies glimmered at the edges of the barrier, and the grass rustled in a cool breeze.

As she came to the corner of the house, someone nearly walked into her.

"Whoa, hey!" The leather-armored pirate quickly stepped aside to avoid slamming into Artemis. He gave her a passing curious glance; he'd never seen her before, which was rare enough -- and she looked like she'd been dragged through the river and hung out to dry. "'Scuse me," he muttered, and he strode past her to the Witch's front door.

"Baba!" he called in an almost accusing tone. "What the hell happened to your house?"

"I redecorated!" the Witch snapped. "What do you want?"

"I told Peck I'd pick up the amulet -- what are you doing?"

"I'll tell you what I'm not doing, and it's helping your brother with his romantic escapades. This is the fourth enchantment that's obviously not for himself, and he hasn't done a whit for me in return. I'm done making an effort for ungrateful brats."

"Uh huh. If this is a bad time --"

"You come here and get this tree branch out of my window." There was no room for argument, especially against a witch in a bad mood.

In back of the cabin, near the dead tree, a speckled gryphon was in the process of attempting to scratch its back while it was wearing armor and a saddle. It was flipped on its back in the grass, wings splayed, wriggling and shimmying like a dog with an itch.

Anise felt some relief as the fighting stopped. She had no desire to see anymore of it if she could help it.

"What is going on?" the pirate whispered to no one in particular. He took a step back and he took a breath, and he faced Anise, the tip of his sword lowered to the deck.

She could barely hear his whisper, she waited for him to speak further since his statement was most likely to himself if not no one at all.

"You're . . . the Lady of Light? With the Lantern of Spirit." His voice was still barely audible as his mind worked to piece together what was happening. The power of the Lantern still lingered, and he knew that everything Anise said must be true. He stared in wonder at the blue glow, and then at Anise's determined face. "I'm Peck. This is Trill. It's our shift to guard the lake." He was confused, wary, and afraid -- he knew what kind of power was in the Lantern, and he knew the Lords and Ladies of the Forest were often quick to judge. The pirates had all learned from a young age to tread lightly around them -- and he had just attacked and taunted her.

"Is there something you need of us, Lady of Light?"

She blinked at him feeling somewhat surprised. This had been the first time since she entered this forest that anyone reacted to her out of fear. Only now was she beginning to understand the weight of the title: Lady of Light. She pulled the mask back over her face and nodded. She had to come up with something quick. "Thank you for your hard work, Peck." She bobbed her head towards the gryphon. "Trill."

She turned her attention to the wreck around them all. The lantern had protected her from direct serious harm, so she could afford to be a bit more demanding now. "I have come for the Lantern here. Will you take me to it?" She wanted to remain polite for now and use any threats as a last resort. She also wanted to remain as vague as she could. She doubted Peck would listen to her saving the Forest tale.

Artemis jumped to look up at the man she'd nearly steamrolled. But soon enough he seemed to lose interest in her and continued on his path to the Witch's mangled home. Artemis started to turn her head to follow him – only to freeze when she saw the outline of the house on the edge of her vision (and a gryphon, because apparently that was a thing in this world). Her gaze snapped forward again and Artemis twisted her face into a scowl. She forced herself forward, passing the barrier and following the firefly path.

She didn't make it very far. Artemis could still hear the Witch speaking with the man when she pulled off the trail to press her back onto a nearby tree. Leaning on it, Artemis raised both hands to roughly run her fingers through her hair. What the hell, what the actual hell, was wrong with her? Walking away from someone willing and capable of helping her was just about the stupidest thing she could've done. She had no protection, no shoes, no Lantern, and now she was going to die for what? Some existential meltdown? She could turn around and go back, she knew. Shame mixed with pride bubbled up in her chest at the thought.

Pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, Artemis grit her teeth together.

She'd meant what she'd said though. Artemis knew herself. She wasn't trustworthy, wasn't competent in the way these people needed. She couldn't be. The Lantern would be better off with the Witch and they could figure out their own problems. And Artemis had made it on her own in life for this long. So what if she was in a new world? It just meant the rules had changed. She'd already learned enough of them to figure out the rest. Artemis wasn't one to be counted on, but if there was one thing she excelled at, it was surviving. And if she didn't survive, then… she supposed it served her right after everything.

An echo of the Witch's voice sounded in her mind. She'd asked about the rabbit mask. If Artemis could use it. She had no idea what that meant. But she supposed there was one way to find out.

She untied the mask from the chain around her waist. Artemis raised it for inspection. The white face of a rabbit looked back at her. Artemis gazed at its empty eyeholes. She glanced from the mask back to the faint glow outlining the home. She could still hear the Witch directing the man. She stared for a breath before turning back to the mask. Turning it around, Artemis pulled the chord over her head and placed the mask on her face.

The moment the mask touched Artemis' face, a buzz of energy shot through her veins like a concentrated dose of caffeine. She felt lighter, faster, stronger, and a bit twitchy. Speed was no problem, and with practice she could leap into the trees in a single bound. Though nothing appeared different through the eyes of the mask, Artemis might find that she could sense what was behind her almost as well as she could see ahead.

The inside of the mask smelled faintly of dry sweat. Artemis might have the passing thought -- perhaps the effects of residual magic -- that a young boy had spent the majority of his life in this mask until very recently.

Behind her, the trail through the woods wound into a denser part of the forest, illuminated by fireflies. There was no more sign of the two children, but while she wore the mask Artemis would have the distinct feeling that they were watching.

The pirate stepped out of the witch's house, stuffing a necklace into a pocket with one hand and dragging a gnarled, chopped tree branch with the other. He looked very much like he regretted this visit -- which was only amplified when he turned the corner and saw the gryphon squirming in the grass, its saddle twisted askew.

"Hey!" he roared, dropping the branch to run at the confused beast. "No! Bad! Roll over!" He pulled up on a wing and the gryphon scrabbled and jumped to its feet, bouncing, tail swinging, pawing the ground, ready to play. The pirate pushed on its beak with a snarl. "No! You piece of shit bird . . . SIT!" The gryphon sat promptly, but wriggled and fidgeted while the pirate unhooked the mangled, grass-stained saddle. As soon as he'd dragged it off, the freed gryphon went bounding and frolicking in the clearing like an eager puppy.

The pirate sat down at the base of the dead tree, muttering to himself, and set to work untangling and straightening the damage to the saddle.

---

"The Lantern?" Peck stared at Anise with obvious confusion and hesitance -- which wasn't helped by the fact that Anise now looked like a crazed Kith in her mask and tattered dress and blue mangled Lantern. The blue Lantern had compelled him to believe every word Anise had said -- and although Anise had since relinquished her hold on the pirate's mind, Peck was nonetheless convinced of her power and status.

"The white Lantern is safe here. We've been guarding it for generations, it's perfectly fine where it is and nobody knows about it but us." He grinned a little, proud of his heritage, and he gestured with a thumb at the top of the dead white tree. His faint smile faded as a thought occurred to him. "But with the Lady of Light comes the dawn." It was a line in an old lullaby. "Have you found a way to use them to bring back the sun?" he asked with guarded hope.

Reus, meanwhile, shook the water out of his fur -- spraying the huffing gryphon -- and walked closer to sit by Anise, the wood creaking and snapping under his enormous weight. Despite all of Anise's encouragement to behave and be peaceful, he set the pirate with a firm, yellow-eyed glare.

"The Lantern?" Peck stared at Anise with obvious confusion and hesitance

Anise didn't like his hesitance, but definitely expected it along with his confusion. She felt a bit worried that he would react negatively, so she prepared herself mentally. She really didn't want to fight, and with the Spirit Lantern she was certain that she actually wouldn't need to fight, but she also didn't want to just dominate her potential opponent's minds.

"The white Lantern is safe here. We've been guarding it for generations, it's perfectly fine where it is and nobody knows about it but us." He grinned a little, proud of his heritage, and he gestured with a thumb at the top of the dead white tree. His faint smile faded as a thought occurred to him. "But with the Lady of Light comes the dawn." It was a line in an old lullaby. "Have you found a way to use them to bring back the sun?" he asked with guarded hope.

Anise nodded. "Yes, I need all of them to do it though." She didn't know if that was true, but she believed it with all of her heart. They all had a part in this as did the Dragon itself. She suspected that they might not allow her, so she prepared herself mentally to fight them for it. She noticed that Reus hadn't let down his guard, and this time she was grateful for it. She trusted he wouldn't attack unless they became the aggressors and was grateful to have a comrade such as himself by her side.

She stepped forward one step. "Bring me to it, please." She wanted to be polite for as long as possible before making full on demands. Part of her worried about Morly's warning about the Witch, but now that she was so far in all she could do is move forwards with her plans. If the Witch decided to show up she would have to deal with it in any way she could.

Artemis felt something dance like electricity through her veins. She wasn't in pain. She wasn't tired. She was still lost. Still more flash than substance. But suddenly that seemed manageable. Downright addressable. Long limbs itched for movement and for a moment Artemis was overwhelmed with this rejuvenation.

The new awareness of the two children watching her somewhere from the shadows brought her back. Her mind snapped to attention.

She was still in a sketchy, demonic forest of mystery. Right.

Running from the Witch probably ranked as one of the top five stupidest things she'd ever done. And she'd done a lot of stupid things before. Going back and asking for help when she clearly needed it was… no. Just no. She could… ask the Pirate for help? He seemed non-murderous. Artemis could ask for a ride or directions to the nearest settlement. Surely there had to be one. People couldn't survive in a world as hellish as this without grouping together for support. Convincing him to help her wouldn't be too hard. Maybe she could flirt.

She just had to not let the Witch see her crawling back onto her property. Because that would just do wonders for her pride. But first… Artemis stood tall as she could and put a hand on her hip

"Alright then," she drawled to the forest, "you can either come out, or I can take matters into my own hands." The fingers on her other hand began to curl around the iron rose hanging from her wrist. These kids… they were Kith, right? Apparently Kith didn't like iron. For whatever reason. And something about runes. Maybe the bluff would be enough to intimidate them. Artemis just hoped they weren't planning on attacking her. Or packing heat.

"Three…two…"

Peck's eyes narrowed, and he balled his fists and shifted his scrawny weight. He still hesitated, caught between his orders to let no one pass and the fact that he could be stopping the one person who could save them all.

He stared into the blue light of the Lantern, and he stared into the dark eyes of Anise's mask, particularly aware of Reus' bared fangs in the corner of his eye. He knew that no was not an option -- and the Witch had not stopped them at the border. The Witch might be dead for all he knew.

Anise only had one Lantern so far. There was time -- but not much.

Peck nodded once in reluctant agreement. "All right." At the same moment, he made a sign with his hand and the gryphon suddenly flung itself into the air, spun over the lake, and flapped furiously toward the mountain. Peck never took his eyes off of Anise. "This way."

He stepped toward the dead white tree, cast another uncertain look at Anise, then began to climb. The bark was twisted and cracked, full of handholds and small branches, but the ascent was nearly vertical.

"Why don't you look the same as the other Lords and Ladies?" he called back to her as he hoisted himself up onto another branch. "The Lord of the Flame is a bright bastard, and the Lord of Shadow is like smoke. The Lady of Stone actually is a boulder, I think. But you still look like . . . not like one might expect." He clambered nimbly along the twisted bark. "Is it because you've just been reincarnated? After what happened to the last Lady of Light, I mean."

Eventually he stopped, poised between two narrow branches near the top of the tree. He knocked on the solid bark. Inside, it was ticking.

"It's here," he announced. "It's been inside the trunk here for a hundred years. My sword won't break it out, if that's what you're thinking."

The blue Lantern could confirm that its counterpart was indeed inside the tree, at the spot where the pirate was perched.

---

"Three…two…"

"Oy!" The scrawny boy in the cat-mask burst out of the leaves above, frowning deeply. "Don't mess with tha iron things, right? Poke somebuddy's eye out." He jammed his thumb into the eye hole of his mask and stuck out his tongue at Artemis.

At the same time, the little mouse-masked girl had snuck up behind Artemis in absolute, profound silence. She reached for Artemis' pockets, intending to pilfer them for anything and everything to be found -- but the rabbit mask alerted Artemis straight away to the girl's presence.

"How'd you get Ty's mask then, ay?" the boy went on in a yowling voice. "That ain't yours, I know it ain't." He dangled his head upside-down in the dark, just out of Artemis' reach. "You a pirate? We sic trees on pirates. Chomp! Chomp!"

Meanwhile, the gryphon had heard them clearly. It perked its feathered ears and trotted close to the border between the Witch's property and the cluster of fireflies that surrounded Artemis and the Kith. The gryphon sat down at the border, staring at them with big gleaming eyes, its tufted tail thumping happily in the grass.

The pirate continued to struggle with the ruined saddle, muttering and hissing to himself.

Anise waited nervous about the hesitance of Peck. She watched as he clearly took the time to think out the situation. She understood that his decision weighed heavily on him and the Forest as a whole. Finally, after what felt like an eternity he came to a decision.

Peck nodded once in reluctant agreement. "All right." At the same moment, he made a sign with his hand and the gryphon suddenly flung itself into the air, spun over the lake, and flapped furiously toward the mountain. Peck never took his eyes off of Anise. "This way."

Anise nodded, tied the Lantern of Spirit to her belt with the same rag she used to do it before, and followed him up the tree. She pulled herself up branch at a time. Each time took her a fair amount of effort, but not nearly as much as she expected it to. Her time in the Forest could not be all that long and yet her life in Riverforde felt so far away. Even if she had chosen to take the path back to Riverforde instead of choosing to become a Lady of the Forest; Anise was certain that she could never return to the way things were before.

Peck interrupted her thoughts by striking up a bit of conversation.

"Why don't you look the same as the other Lords and Ladies?" he called back to her as he hoisted himself up onto another branch. "The Lord of the Flame is a bright bastard, and the Lord of Shadow is like smoke. The Lady of Stone actually is a boulder, I think. But you still look like . . . not like one might expect." He clambered nimbly along the twisted bark. "Is it because you've just been reincarnated? After what happened to the last Lady of Light, I mean."

At the mention of the Lord of Shadow, Anise winced. She was quite certain she'd have to meet him again. In fact all of the Lords and Ladies probably had their part to play in returning the Forest to its proper place. She pulled herself up another branch while she thought of a response for the man. She wanted to know what happened to the last Lady of Light. "I have indeed been recently reincarnated. I am afraid that the Lady of the Pond failed to tell me anything about what happened to the last Lady of Light." She kept her tone level, but curious.

She decided not to directly ask him to tell her believing that if she was supposed to know that Peck would inform her. He stopped near the top of the tree poised between a pair of branches. He knocked on the bark and she heard a ticking sound.

"It's here," he announced. "It's been inside the trunk here for a hundred years. My sword won't break it out, if that's what you're thinking."

A hundred years was quite a long time. She scanned over the bark of the tree using her improved vision from the hawk mask to inspect the wood for any weaknesses or perhaps a method of opening the tree in some way. After all this tree was no ordinary tree, and she was certain that it was a construct of machinery. That meant that putting it together would have some weak points, although perhaps the bark was there to cover it up.

She grabbed at a piece of the bark and tried to pull it off just to test her theory.

Artemis found no small amount of satisfaction when the two children finally revealed themselves. A cat and a mouse. Cute. Her satisfaction disappeared though when she was suddenly aware of some little rat trying for her pockets. Her hand snapped back and long fingers curled around the little girl's wrist. She turned her head to shoot the girl an unimpressed look before giving her arm a little push backwards, away from her pocket. Artemis turned her attention back to the boy.

Who the hell was Ty?

"'S mine if I say it is," she said in a bored voice. Her fingers hadn't let go of the iron rose yet. "And I've seen trees go after Kith as readily as they would a Pirate, so you can stop pretending like you have a leash on them." Pretending like she knew what she was talking about was one of Artemis' top five skills. She glanced back to the little girl. "But I'm not a Pirate, for whatever it's worth."

She looked between the two of them, coloring her voice with her Big Sister Authority she'd used on Idris countless times. "Now, are you two going to tell me why exactly you've taken to watching and whispering about me?"

The bark of the tree was stiff and brittle, but with a bit of prying Anise would snap off a piece of the white dead tree. It had lived once, and had grown naturally in this size and shape. But underneath was the plated ticking metal of enclosed machinery. If she pressed her hand against the cool metal, she could feel it ticking.

Peck perched on a higher branch, watching her with growing interest. As it became clearer that Anise was not about to control his mind or throw him off the tree, his shoulders relaxed and he leaned a little closer to see what she would do. Eventually he offered her the handle of a small dagger, and he picked up his own knife and used it to chip away at the bark.

"Th' last Lady of Light was swallowed by the Lord of Shadow," he explained conversationally as he worked. "After the Dragon was sealed, Shadow and Light went head-to-head in a colossal battle. Shadow had the Lady of the Pond, the Lord of the Gust and the Lady of the Stone on his side. Light only had the Lord of the Flame and the Lord of the Storm to fight for her and the Lord of the Wood went missing, and they lost. The Lord of Shadow swallowed her whole, and with that power he named himself king and enslaved the dead."

Another piece of bark fell through Anise's efforts, and a bright white light shone through a thin fissure in the metal. It glimmered and pulsed in tune with the blue Lantern; Anise had visions of flight, of long leather wings and wind in her face.

---

The little girl screeched pathetically, and as soon as Artemis had let her go she darted into the bushes with both hands holding her mask against her face.

The boy puffed his cheeks and swung back and forth on his knees. He glanced nervously at the iron rose in her hand.

"So, yer not a pirate, cuz you can work the mask," he deduced aloud, his voice accusing. "And yer not a kith, cuz you can touch iron. And yer not normal cuz you can hold the Lantern. So we were just discussing what the heck you are, Lady, because yer not nobody human."

"Tree spirit!" the little girl squeaked from the bushes.

The boy squinched his nose under the mask. "I dunno, she ain't no tree spirit. Aren't tree spirits glowy?"

"Kitsune!"

"Could be." The boy swung by his knees for a bit, arms folded. He grinned. "Hey Kitsune," he addressed Artemis. "You wanna help us steal a gryphon?"

"I wanna fly!" the mouse-girl squealed, emerging from the bushes with a big grin.

The bark gave a bit of resistance as Anise worked at pulling it off, but she still remained successful. She could recognize now that it had once been a live tree, but no longer. Perhaps due to the machinery beneath it. She tore off a chunk to see a plate of metal beneath it. She pressed her hand against the cold steel in awe. How could such a piece of machinery be built within a tree without destroying the entire tree? She felt the ticking within it reminding her of the tree that she had been summoned to when she first arrived.

She then saw Peck hand her a dagger and accepted his assistance with a nod and a smile, although he could not see the later. "Thank you, Peck." He seemed much more relaxed now that she hadn't dominated him or killed him and that helped her relax some. Together they worked to peel the bark off the tree.

"Th' last Lady of Light was swallowed by the Lord of Shadow," he explained conversationally as he worked. "After the Dragon was sealed, Shadow and Light went head-to-head in a colossal battle. Shadow had the Lady of the Pond, the Lord of the Gust and the Lady of the Stone on his side. Light only had the Lord of the Flame and the Lord of the Storm to fight for her and the Lord of the Wood went missing, and they lost. The Lord of Shadow swallowed her whole, and with that power he named himself king and enslaved the dead."

Anise frowned at the mention of the Lord of Shadow. She had a feeling that it had been something like that. She felt that somehow, she'd have to come to an accord with the Spirit and knew for a fact that it would not be an easy task. Her first experience with the Lord had been a most unpleasant one, and now she understood why she had such a strong feeling towards his presence. Light and Shadow were opposed and she would have to overcome that in some manner.

Now she knew why the spirits of the dead were still lingering: the Lord of Shadow had control over them. She knew though, that with the power of the Spirit Lantern and her own willpower she had the ability to tear that control away piece by piece. His domination was not complete either since Tyaelaem's ghost had helped her and now she was going to help him.

"I will free the dead," she stated determinedly. "None should be forced to remain if they have the desire to move on."

Another piece of bark fell from the tree and this time she found a fissure of white light which sparked a vision of flight from the Spirit Lantern. The vision took her breath away for a moment as she anticipated the real feeling of flight again. After she caught her breath, she slid the blade of the dagger Peck handed her into the small fissure as much as she could and pried at it to test if this were a panel or door of some sort that could be removed.

Artemis raised a silver eyebrow behind her mask at the two children. That she might not be human in this world was… interesting. Troubling? Curious. Artemis had no idea what not being human meant. She didn't feel any different. Well, aside from the exhaustion, terror, and crushing existential pain. That all seemed downright reasonable though, considering the circumstances. Besides, they were just kids. While they certainly knew more than her about this world, they didn't know everything. The Witch's tale rang through her mind again.

Then the boy propositioned her. The corner of her mouth quirked up as something familiar sparked in her chest: curiosity struck against cockiness to create a mischievous little flame. It was something she'd always had, but Artemis had truly nurtured it in her previous life – the one that came after dancing and heartbreak, but before shadows and demons. It was out of place here, she knew. But it was the closest thing to home she had now, and Artemis clung to it in the darkness. As she looked at the two masked children, she felt its warmth zip through her. Her smile grew.

"Hmm," she hummed to herself. She looked skywards and tilted her head to the side, pretending to contemplate their offer. She dipped her head to the other side. The Artemis looked back at the boy. She had heard of kitsune before (though who knew if they were the same thing here) – tricky little fox spirits that stole from the unsuspecting and liked playing with fire. Her smile turned a bit sardonic at that. Being one wouldn't be too much of a stretch. "Well," Artemis finally drawled out, "I suppose you have earned my help since you managed to figure me out."

Artemis really hoped they weren't real in the forest. (They probably were.)

"Tell you what," she said, "you make sure the Pirate's properly distracted, I'll do what I can with the gryphon." Her eyes flicked over to said Pirate, still warring with the ruined saddle. They darted over to the gryphon that'd managed to make its way near, sitting at the edge of the Witch's barrier. "Then we'll see about the flying."

The gryphon's thumping tail pounded out a frantic beat on the forest floor.

This was stupid. Reckless. Ill-advised. Artemis didn't even know gryphons existed before this. They were probably dangerous. And if they managed this, stealing a mount from what looked to be a very armed man – and a friend of the Witch's, no less – was a horrible idea.

Just what Artemis needed right now.

Pushing away from the tree, Artemis considered her options. They gryphon was… not what she was expecting. It seemed oddly tame for a mythical winged beast. Friendly, even. Downright dog…like…

Artemis froze at this revelation. Because… no. Would that work? She stared at the gryphon for a moment longer. Then she began searching the forest floor. Before long she found what she was looking for, and Artemis rose to her full height with a hefty half-rotten tree branch in her hands. If this actually worked, she was going to fling herself at the nearest carnivorous tree. She waggled the branch a bit in the gryphon's direction, then turned on her heel.

With one last prayer that the kids were dealing with the Pirate, Artemis flung the branch as far as she could into the forest.

With one last prayer that the kids were dealing with the Pirate, Artemis flung the branch as far as she could into the forest.

The gryphon stood up at the first waggle of the branch, its eyes fixed on Artemis' movements; it pawed the ground eagerly, tail swinging with excitement, wings shifting -- but when Artemis flung the branch deeper into the forest, the beast bounded forward only as far as the iron barrier. It would not, or could not, enter the forest.

The gryphon whined, fussing at the edge of the witch's property, upset that the stick was out of its reach. It stuck its beak over the barrier, then pulled back and fussed again, flapping its wings in frustration. Its fear of the woods was far greater than its desire to play.

Meanwhile, the Kith children sprinted off around the outer edge of the barrier, circling closer to the Pirate.

The Pirate had just fixed a part of the saddle, and was examining his work when a squishy, yellow-glowing fruit dropped onto the saddle and burst. Sticky, glowing goop coated the saddle and sprayed his face with the impact. The pirate stood up, wiping his face, when another fruit burst messily against his chest. He looked out angrily to find a couple of Kith brats chucking fruit at him from the edge of the forest.

"Trashy pirate-face!" the little mouse-girl squeaked, flinging another fruit. The cat-boy threw one a bit harder. "Kid-killer!" he squawked. "Go home!"

The pirate dodged a few more squelching projectiles, drew his sword and marched toward the offending Kith. "Turn around before I skin you," he threatened.

Behind him, within the Witch's house, something screeched a metallic alarm. There was a flash of light, and the Witch was gone.

---

"I will free the dead," she stated determinedly. "None should be forced to remain if they have the desire to move on."

"But the only way to do that," Peck said, his brow furrowed, "is to kill the Lord of Shadow -- or convince him to let them go, and I don't think that will ever happen."

The blade widened the fissure only slightly; it was only a crack, not a door, and only a great deal of power would widen it enough to remove the Lantern inside.

Something below them groaned and scraped with slithering movements against the wood; Peck reached out suddenly and grasped Anise's wrist to stop her -- but he was too late.

A branch of dead wood suddenly snapped out and wrapped itself around Anise's waist, yanking her away from the fissure and dangling her in midair. Peck scrambled to keep his balance, staring at Anise with wide eyes as the tree branch twisted itself around her securely.

Below, the Witch frowned up at Anise. Her hands were raised, controlling the tree. "I've had just about enough of you," she called up to Anise. "I've had just about enough of this day." The Witch was in a foul mood, and had absolutely no patience for games or conversation. She would make sure Anise didn't cause any more trouble than she already had.

---

It was quick like a blow to the head.

Hot, crippling pain exploded in Aslynn's skull. A piercing light flashed behind her eyes. A terrible, trembling horror ripped through her like knives of ice. Blinded, she would feel as if she were falling from an impossible height, down and deep into a hungry hot chasm stretched wide to receive her like the great maw of a beast. Its damp swirling breath smelled bittersweet, like chocolate laced with a hint of cinnamon.

And then she woke up.

Aslynn was lying in the dirt, deep in a forest at night. The air was fresh and scented with flowers and sap; branches, heavy with leaves, moved and rustled overhead.

Beside her in the grass, a toppled lantern glowed bright violet; it illuminated her surroundings in a soft purple light, though there was no flame inside. The lantern's casing was thick iron, decorated with carved symbols; the iron encased an oblong shape of glass. Inside the glass was an egg, which was producing the violet light.

Behind her, a child screamed and sobbed.

A little boy -- dressed in leather and dented armor -- had been tied to a tree with several lengths of rope. Tears streaked down his ruddy face.

Two older children stood over him, laughing. "Gonna grow up to be a great Kith-killer, hah?" one of the older kids mocked. The two older children were each dressed in simple gray clothes, barefoot, with white wooden masks covering the top part of their faces. One of the masks resembled the face of a deer, while the other was the face of a songbird. The girl with the deer mask was speaking, her arms crossed haughtily.

"What were you gonna do with your little sword and your lamp?" she mocked the tied-up child. "This is our territory. You know what we do to trespassers."

The little boy tied to the tree wailed again.

None of them had seen or noticed Aslynn.

"But the only way to do that," Peck said, his brow furrowed, "is to kill the Lord of Shadow -- or convince him to let them go, and I don't think that will ever happen."

Anise figured he would say something like that. She decided to say nothing. She felt that not responding would be the best course of action for this. She pried at the fissure before she realized that it wasn't a loose plate or anything like that, however that didn't stop Peck from reaching out to grab her hand as she heard a noise below her. A branch wrapped itself around her as she pulled her hand away from Peck's grasp. For a moment, she was completely clueless as to what happened and why the tree reacted like it did.

She then looked down.

Below, the Witch frowned up at Anise. Her hands were raised, controlling the tree. "I've had just about enough of you," she called up to Anise. "I've had just about enough of this day."

Anise could tell from the tone that the Witch spoke in that she had little time to react. The Witch likely believed that her actions were to bring destruction to the Forest. Her adrenaline kicked and it felt like time slowed down around her as her brain kicked into high gear. Before, everything seemed to move faster when fear coursed through her veins, but perhaps she just got used to it. Perhaps it was the assistance of the Lantern of Spirit.

She remembered the symbol that was on her hand after he conversation with the Lady of the Pond. She considered the Lantern itself. She considered her absolute faith in herself in becoming the Lady of Light. She turned her focus inwards with the guidance of the Lantern of Spirit. Perhaps she had something within herself? She was not at all interested in dying to the Witch here and now. She wanted to bring her focus and determination into a physical form. She wanted to find the Light within herself and bring it out.

She finally focused her gaze on the Witch all while pulling out any Light she could find within herself out. "I am the Lady of the Light." She projected her voice towards the Witch. "I have been acknowledged so by the Lady of the Pond. I am here to free this Forest of this perpetual darkness and to bring balance back. I need the power of the Dragon and the assistance of the other Lords and Ladies in order to accomplish this task. I will not be deterred."

Her skin tingled with goosebumps as she focused the power of the Lantern of Spirit on herself to pull out all of the potential she could from within her. "I ask for you to put me back where I was so I can complete my task."

The smell of cinnamon and chocolate mingled with the deep scents of the forest, the decaying fungi, soft dirt, the stink of iron from the lantern and sword, the scent of fear, all of them mingled clouding the young woman's head adding to the icy pain and grogginess clawing at her mind. The tree's towered threatening to fall in on her; even though she was on solid ground the lurking sensation of falling still clung to her senses as she desperately reached out to the light blurring her vision. A soft whimper of pain and despair slipped from her pale lips as she could hazily see three figures covered in an eerie purple glow gave birth to thoughts of phantoms and spirits.

The boy's tears and cries were sharp as knives, cutting through the fog of her mind; piercing the fear ensnaring her thoughts and stoking the fire in her breathing life into the dying embers.

Aslynn didn't know how long she had laid there, or how she got there but she knew that she could lay there for much longer. Her father would never stand for her whimpering and languishing over her own pain and new found fate while someone else was in danger. Her hand scraped against the ground feebly inches from the lantern's wire handle; the movement sent pain jarring up her arm, rattling her teeth and drawing another whimper from her. Gritting her teeth, stilling their chattering she forced herself to reach out clawing desperately to hook the lantern drawing it closer to herself. The soft warmness of it seemed to ease the pain tearing its way through her body; even the pain of having to learn to wield hammers and weapons twice her size, the pulling and tearing of her muscles into shape would pale in comparison.

This new pain seemed like it cut straight into her soul, and the little boy's cries continued to drive the pain deeper.

Focusing on her breathing she started counting to five between each breath before blowing it out slowly, a technique taught to control her breathing learning to time the release with the strike of the hammer; now it had become an old habit she fell back on when she became overwhelmed. Slowly the pain was devoured by the need to protect the small child, at least she thought it was a child. Her vision was still blurry but none of the three figures looked tall enough to be considered an adult, a soft grinding could be heard from her jaw as it clenched her teeth together in anger. A quick shake of her head dispelled the tears welling up in her eyes, strands of red hair flashed with the movement echoing her sentiment of anger and pain, angry at those who would bully someone smaller than them, angry at herself for not being strong enough.

Another breath of air, in and out slowly reigning her emotions and her thoughts back in.

It would do her no good to cry about it, slowly she rolled over listening to the others berate the little boy speaking something of territory. The word seemed odd to the blacksmith as she moved carefully not wanting to rush and over extend herself, her small town was long gone. She knew that, this place, this forest was new but old. The scent of the place spoke of life, but there was a lingering scent of death of something needing to be reborn. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain, her left side felt like it was on fire she tenderly pressed on it cussing slightly under her breath as the pain spiked. It seemed that whoever or whatever caused her to come to this place wasn't very gentle with its delivery. She herself didn't understand her thoughts or knew what to do but there was one thing she could do.

She could save the boy.

Aslynn focused on that thought drawing strength from it, steadily she rose to a kneeling position, the lantern hanging gingerly from her left hand swinging lightly. There was a numbness to her limbs that spoke she had only been laying there long enough for her nerves to be put on edge, her motions slowly started to massage life back into them. The soft brush underfoot crunched with the added weight as she hesitantly stood up fully, wobbling slightly she used her right hand to support her side. If she had the time later, she would need to at least wrap her ribs to keep her movement's from worsening the injury.

'Heh, seems like I paid attention to mother's lectures after all...'

The thought of home rang hollow as her thoughts turned to her dad and to her work, she knew he would return to the shop without her there and a crease appeared on her face, a telltale sound she was worried.

The kids wailing cut through her thoughts again drawing her back to her current situation.

She mentally chided herself for being so absent minded before setting her sights on the two strange children wearing masks, another oddity to this place another note filled away.

"Hey!"

Her voice rang out sharp, a displeased frown on her slender face, even with her apparent small build she towered over the trio. The light of the lantern glimmered happily shinning dully off a rusted sword laying in the flower bed a few steps, it also illuminated the rope tying the armor clad boy to the tree. His look of hurt and tear stricken face only added to the anger fueling her movements; taking the slight window startling them created she moved for the short sword with fluid motions, her side screamed in protest as the lantern swung wildly along with her. The soft leather wrapped around the hilt gave slightly forming to her grip, another step placing her between the boy and the pair of older children.

"I don't know what he's done, and I don't care. People aren't animals. We. Don't. Tie. Them. Up."

Her last words were pointed and followed by a slight growl as the blade shone in the light in a wide arch slicing cleaning through the rope before clattering to the ground by the tree. Her right hand quickly returned to her side, short gasp of pain lacing her breath causing her to hunch over slightly; the knuckles on her left hand had gone white from grasping the lantern forcefully. Even with the pain written across her face, her eyes blazed with an unspoken anger, anger at them, anger at being in this place, anger at herself, anger at what her stubborn father would do in her absents.

It seemed strange that such a small girl could contain so much anger.