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.

[hr]

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 [i]normal[/i] cuz you can hold the Lantern. So [i]we[/i] 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.