[h3][color=6ecff6]Down The Rabbit Hole[/color][/h3]

Giggling Eveline gracefully disengaged from the strange dance the girl's found themselves being lead in. The mild annoyance and trepidation at dissappearing was long gone as she continued to absorb her new friends, even the owl watching them with an annoyed glare did not send warning signs fluttering through the girl. But the voice of a male echoing in her mind gave her pause, a flicker of a darker emotion at the thought of something or someone breaching her solitude and personal space. She cared little that the voice had asked for help, if it was caught in the forest then it was his problem. Her scalp tingled slightly as the owl's talons scrapped across it claiming her flowers and the voice with it, crushing the bright white flower in its grasp the others glimmered undeterred in the soft glow of flowers, lantern, and the fire flies linking their path. 

[color=6ecff6][i]'Follow the lights child, if you wish to live, follow the lights.'[/i][/color]

Another whisp of her nursery tales echoed back to her as she followed the others aware of the strange vermin scurry behind them, retreating back through them seemed ill-advised at best and her concern for the owl mixed with wanting her flowers back pushed her forward. Being alone in the forest was of little concern to the small woman, she had spent most of her childhood alone in the woods, playing games with animals and chasing her own shadow. 

The pleasure of company was something new to her something foreign, and as the forest slithered and shaped around them she had a dark thought on just how long would their little peace last. 

The smell of fire still carried the wind towards them, they walked in silence serene and enchanted none of them wanting to break the spell. The silent girl looked at the hand she held, mystified, she had never held hands with a boy before. This Robin's hand was softer then she thought it be, the rough calluses gave it texture and a story. 

[i][color=6ecff6]'How strange.'[/color][/i]

Everyone else ignored the strange girl but here she was between a woman earlier decked in extrinsic designs of ringlets and sparkles and a messenger boy with soft hands that paid her mind and seemed honestly interested in her. Perhaps it was the ridiculousness of their situation that they had all been cast into that gave them this closeness of perhaps it was something more.

Distracted from her thoughts as the owl dropped into the tree with a heavy thud, she found herself slipping away from the others and in the tree moments later. No one had said the small girl wasn't quick as she nimbly made her way across the branch where the owl eyed her with a mix of annoyance and distrust. A reaction she was used to for once, she held up her hands in a reassuring gesture though she wasn't sure the creature could see it. Either way he had settled down enough for her to reach him. A cursory glance told her that while it was a bleeder it was superficial only having grazed the webbing on the bone. A sharp clank of his beak was meet by a hard stare that boaded for little argument as she slowly shifted the owl onto her lap ignoring his disapproving glare as she gently spread the wing out enough to properly examine the poor creature.

[i][color=6ecff6]'Best not tell him you thought him hapless.'[/color][/i]

She chuckled once at the thought before neatly tearing off a strip from her dresses hem, giving the owl an apologetic look as the make shift dressing, her fingers moving tenderly and lightly against his soft feathers, the glow from her garland still glasped in his talons made them glow a pleasant gold as she applied a make-shift field dressing to the wound. The exasperated look on his face making it seem like her efforts were unneeded but as she finished he released her flowers back into her care begrudgingly. A small attempt to pay back the services rendered. 

A quick shake of her head as the flowers settled nicely back into their place, a happy smile as the intruding voice from before failed to re-emerge. Giggling she carefully allowed the owl to perch on her shoulder purposefully moving slowly as she left the tree favoring the lit path below. The others were waiting at the bed of a river, the fire raged like a wild beast devouring all in its path. The only breach was a bright metal bridge shimmering red in the firelight.

Eveline disliked the idea of having others intrude on their solitude as she slipped her hand back into Mc's giving the strangers a wary look. 

The bright green lantern danced in tune with their purple one as the messenger boy held it high to illuminate their position.

Taking the chance she glanced back as the fire flies hung back away from the small clearing on the bank. Even the vermin would not venture close, they were wise. It was best not to get close to unknowns. Reaching out she tugged slightly on the boy's hand wanting to draw him and the other woman away from this place. The shifting and fidgeting of the owl echoed her sentiment as she followed his gaze to the battle adorned pair in the middle of the bridge. She disliked them almost as much as the voice that had entered her head. The desire to flee was at war with the desire to stay with those who seemingly accepted her as she was.

Caught between the two she once more waited silently to wait what unfolded, yet without the same amount of glee and excitement as the first time.