Dorothea shifted uncertainly, her yellow eyes watching their little rescuers as they laughed and insulted one another. She couldn't imagine that they would in any way be connected with her enemies -- the princess was drawn to trust them, yet she didn't want to drag them into harm's way as she had done to Sam. Kind people had a tendency to meet tragic ends in stories like these. "Maybe over supper," she replied quietly. "I wouldn't want to surprise them terribly until we're out of danger." The Jockal was still somewhere nearby, as were the Queen's spirits that the Marshal had released from their bottle. With her cat's eyes she watched the forest shadows.

But soon they emerged into a wide grassy clearing, already warmed by a glowing campfire. The tents were built sturdy, warm and colorful, accented with childish drawings, sewn-on shells and dangling chimes, and blue embroidered leaves and animals -- the dwarves had habitually added more paint and decoration to the tents whenever they were bored, which resulted in curious and eclectic taste. There were crates and barrels stacked under awnings, makeshift shelves with all manner of cooking utensils, bags of food hanging from the branches, and dusty old rugs and well-used cushions arranged comfortably by the fire. It was a cozy and lived-in arrangement, as good as any family room with the stars for a ceiling.

Florian set to work tying up the Marshal against a tree while Coralie deftly set up pots and grills at the fire for cooking. A bag of food was taken down for the occasion, and soon enough the aroma of rabbit stew and cornbread filled the camp.

"Please, sit down sit down," Alphonse declared, puffing his chest proudly. "Tell us about yourself, Sam! And how did you come to be captured by the wicked witch of the wood?"

It occurred to Dorothea, then, that these dwarves had no idea that the [i]wicked witch[/i] they knew so well was actually the queen of Eldonia. Dorothea jumped down from Sam's shoulder and curled up comfortably on one of the cushions. She gave Sam a confident look, and she nodded. She felt it was all right to tell the truth.