Yin is starkly alert as they walk into the forest. "So, are you going to drop the bread crumbs like a ninny, or am I going to drop the bread crumbs like a ninny?"

"I'll be a ninny," Alouette chirps. She takes out the container, slinging the bag over her shoulder... so much better. She walks beside Yin, dropping a sizable crumb every so often.

As the two move along, the trees grow more and more gnarled. Where birds had sang at the entrance, only the sound of frogs and insects continue within, the canopy thickening enough to block out much of the light. A wet-sweet scent rises from every corner of the ultra verdant wood.

"Look at that," Alouette purrs, pointing towards a soft, phosphorescent blue glow rising from a mushroom nearby.

"Natural phosphorescence, you think?" Yin looks at it, but doesn't touch. "Pretty in any case."

Alou gazes at it. "It's so pretty," she says, before catching herself. "Dammit! It's not pretty, it's a mushroom."

This she says, turning away, as a pair of bright yellow eyes fade into sight on top of the mushroom.

Followed by a beaming mouth of teeth.

The gleam catches the corner of Yin's eye, and her gaze darts that way, leary of danger. Pause. "Oh, for Christ's sake..." She rolls her eyes, and starts walking again.

"You'd better watch your step," the mouth says, floating along beside Yin. "Things are not as they seem here, in this dream."

Alouette turns her gaze onto the floating thing. "What are you supposed to be?" she demands, earning a brighter smile.

"I'm supposed to be a star," the pleasant voice laughs, "instead I just exist to guide the doomed to their doom."

"If you exist to guide people to their doom, why should we listen to you?" Yin inquires as she walks, still cautious. "And I believe that's the cheshire cat, Alouette."

"You mortals love colloquialism, it seems!" The cat materializes, a fat persian with purple stripes over black fur, and bounds from mushroom to mushroom. Each fungus bloom blazes to light as the cat touches it. "Doom means destiny, fate, the end of the road. I can show you the way, if you're blind enough to see it."

The path opens into a small clearing where a waterfall of modest proportions flows into the river.

"The way to where, physically?" the dragoon inquires.

"Wherever you're going, by the cat's paw," the cheshire cat answers, vanishing again into eyes and teeth. "Just watch the way for wolves, I hear they're very bad this time of year."

"But are they big?" Alouette almost timidly asks.

"Bigger than small, but smaller than enormous," the cat sings, turning over and over.

"Just so long as they're smaller than Millarca, we're good," Yin smirks at Alou. Actually, bigger could work if they don't plan and reason. There are some feral, non-sentient dragons out and about in the world, and dragoons are the slayers for those if they step out of line.

"I still don't like the sound of that," Alouette pouts. "Jesus! Now I'm pouting! I did the lips and everything."

The cat purrs, and chuckles. "You don't know for sure that the lips didn't do you!" It fades completely, and in its place there sprouts a plants-and-vines signboard with an arrow pointing down the path.

Yin glances to the arrow. "Follow the sign, you think, or...? Personally, I'm curious."

"Well. We don't know what might be the other way, so I don't think we're risking anything by looking for a different one." Alouette takes a step. Pauses. Another step. Frogs begin ribbitting off to the side of the path. "God, I hate this place already."

The path widens somewhat, enough for a carriage, and before long at all the pair reach a ravine cut deeply into the landscape. There's no bridge.

Yin immediately looks for a tree tall enough to span it.

There are a number of them. Alou steps towards the edge, and peers down.

"Yin," she quietly, quietly whispers, "I smell dog. Keep your eyes open, okay? I'm worried."

She nods. "You stay in the open and watch my back, right? I'm going to take down that tree over there," points to one closest to the edge, "and get us across this chasm." She heads that way, large, sturdy blade of ice crystalizing on one of her arms.

Alouette nods. She sets the bread down, turns her eyes to the forest, and waits for Yin. She wonders if the feelings she has for Yin are shifting into an older sister complex. Wonders if that is what she really wants.

The smell of dog rises as Yin approaches the tree. The sound of heavy breathing, a low rasp, and a liquid drip of saliva join the chorus from the trees.

"Alou...ette," Yin calls, happy to call more attention to herself since she's the stronger pure fighter, "can you still stick to things in the new-ish body? If so, you may want to be ready to jump down that chasm to take safety on the side."

As the dragoon speaks, the large, hardened blade she'd manifested separates from her arm so that she doesn't break or dislocate anything from the impact, hefts it, and slams it into the chasm-edge of the tree. It lasts three hits, shatters, and another blade crystallizes. She repeats this two more times, then walks around to the other side of the tree.

The tree creaks, and groans, giving sufficiently beneath Yin's blade. It tips a bit just as a pair of bright blue eyes peer out of the darkness. A low, furious growl warns Yin away, the slavering rumble of a wolf.

Yin gazes that way a moment, silent, as the last blade finishes crystalizing. She swings for the tree with all her strength, burying it deeply opposite her original cut, and the ice tries to expand suddenly and take the tree down over the ravine.

It works swimmingly. The snapping wood cracks like a baseball bat plowing a home run, sending the tree toppling over and across the ravine. Alouette moves to the side, watching it fall almost gleefully.

And the wolf attacks. A rush of leaves eject from the forest floor when it lopes into sight, a phenomenally muscled, brown haired slavering monstrosity in every sense of the word. Alouette freezes, staring open mouthed. The wolf's enormous head swings to look at Yin, staring down from a height of no less than nine feet. It's sickle claws contract and relax, sunlight glinting blue off their absolute blackness.

"Oh. Wow. So maybe Little Red wasn't just a pussy." Yin's stance hardens, ready to spring, as a small throwing dagger crystallizes and is flung directly at the thing's eye. "Alou, get across, now!"

The beast tosses its head, the dagger shattering against its jawbone. Alouette nods, clutching their provisions as she runs across the tree as fast as she can manage to wait on the other side.

The wolf takes a loping step forward and swings its gargantuan paw laterally, claws extended, at Yin.

Yin tries to spring backward. She's not growling or any such herself, yet...unlike during her encounter with Millarca, she doesn't daydream about the wolf burning in hell. Several throwing darts appear in her hands, and are flung low at the wolf, hoping to stick in fur...she wants to expand the ice and freeze its legs to the ground.

The darts stick, and the claws just miss Yin's torso. The werewolf howls suddenly, a piercing, vibrant sound that drops Alouette to her knees on the other side of the ravine, hands over her eardrums.

"Nnng...!" Hands over her ears, Yin, who's much closer to the source of the sound, tries to back off, but ends up off-balance and drops to a knee, too. One hand grudgingly removes itself from her ear, to a wince, and a small throwing dart is flung at the wolf's muzzle. She wants to freeze its saliva at least enough to startle it quiet.

The wolf yelps a muffled yelp when the ice coats its jaws, shakes its head back and forth in fury. The ice, however, quickly begins to melt. Apparently the wolf has an unnaturally high internal temperature.

Alouette tries to stand, but vertigo takes over. She hasn't the strength to fight back when something grasps around her waist and begins to drag her, clacking softly with every step. The bag of bread spills to the ground... sans container.

Yin lets out her breath, strengthens the ice on the wolf's legs, and takes off running for the makeshift bridge. Eyes widen once she's on it. "Alou!" Picks up the pace what tiny bit she can, sprinting, sword appearing on one arm and a large dart in the other hand.

The wolf, furious, wrenches itself free from Yin's ice bonds and leaps, bounding across the path to the ravine and stepping onto the tree to chase Yin. Almost instantly the tree creaks, giving in the middle.

Alouette and her captor, a cloaked individual whose feet knock like wood with every step, vanish around a bend.

Yin snarls. Whirls to a stop, about ten feet before the end, and plunges the spike into the wood, then springs away from the tree as it expands rapidly, trying to shatter it.

Wood dust sprays everywhere as the tree gives way. The wolf howls in desparate fury as it tumbles with the ends of the old tree, vanishing into the water far below.

"He'll be back, you know," a woman's voice calls from the brush near the path. its owner leans against a tree, clutching her bleeding right arm. A blood red hood and cape conceals part of her face, and she wears a catsuit similar to one of Yin's beneath.

"Don't doubt it." This said as Yin sprints in the direction Alou had disappeared in. No time for the newcomer, intereste aside, priorities elsewhere.

She watches Yin go. Huh. Picks up her walking staff with her good hand and follows as quickly as she can. "Wait, was that your friend?"

The landscape on the other side of the ravine darkens, shifting with purple, shadowy mists. The frogs here rumble deeply, and there are no birds. There is, however, a trail of bread crumbs leading along the path.

Yin's fangs are bared into an annoyed snarl. Still, she pauses, waiting, and looks back to what's probably a bad-assed Red Riding Hood, nods once. "Yes. It looks like she still has her wits about her, luckily. Do you know anything about what just happened?"

"Yeah, I tried to stop it," Red answers, huffing a little from the pain in her deeply sliced arm. "I heard the wolf, and I was going to stop it when I saw Rosencrantz heading towards the ravine."

"Rosencrantz?" Yin glances down the path, and hesitantly elects to take a few steps back towards a maybe-ally. "And I can fix that arm for you, if you'll allow me."

Red hesitates a bit as well. Her hot green eyes study Yin, searching for any hint of danger. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are marions from Hamartia. Sometimes they come into the woods to steal travellers away." Holds out her arm, expression neutral. "They usually announce theirselves at the top of their lungs."

Yin frowns a bit. Takes Red's arm gently enough, just above the injury, as her hand lights in gold. She's gotten entirely too accustomed to the spell in recent months, really, as it's become known that she can help with serious injuries--and very good for diplomacy. A president's daughter healed does wonders. "So they'll be taking h...er to the mansion, then?"

"Yes," Red mumbles, eyes rolling just slightly at the delicious sensation the spell produces. "I can take you there, if you want to go, but I can't say with any certainty what's going to happen to your friend. Hamartia is a place no one comes back from."

Yin nods, though she moves to turn back to the crumbs once she feel's the other woman's injury seal. "I may want to. I'd like to try to catch them before they get there, though. Interception is easier and safer than infiltration, as a general rule. How fast does this Rosencrantz marion move?"

"Fast. It's why I felt safe enough to stop you, knowing where they're going. Rosencrantz will be there before you could catch him." Red rolls her shoulder, stretches her arm. "You're something special, with magic like that. You might be able to get in and out of Hamartia."

Yin smiles a little. Doesn't trust Red fully, of course, but...enough, and she's the best help she's got at the moment. "Hopefully. Apparently I have a good friend counting on it." Glances that way thoughtfully, then back to Red. "Alright. However far you're willing to guide me, I'd be grateful."

"I'll take you right to the front door." Red offers her a guarded smile. "Come on." She steps on ahead, the blade-tip of her walking stick just visible occasionally in a glint of light. 

Darker and darker the path grows, until almost every turn ends up blind. A light at the end of Red's staff pierces the shadows enough that a normal person could see-- though Yin may not be having trouble anyway.

"Keep your eyes open," the hooded woman warns, "there is a witch in this forest. A cannibal."

Pauses. "Let me guess. Does she live in a house made of candy?"

Red glances back over her shoulder. "How did you know?"

Yin sighs quietly. "Lucky guess. Did you ever have a day so surreal you kept trying to wake up but never quite succeed?" Is warily scanning for danger.

"Sometimes, yeah." Red waves her staff into the mists, parting them to reveal a fat, complacent caterpillar the height of a labrador retriever. The caterpillar lifts a cigarette to its mouth, and walks on past them. 

The path here pinches in, enough that Red walks in front of Yin instead of beside her. The trail of bread crumbs continues, and the frogs ribbit.

"Look," Red quietly insists, pointing down the path to a pair of huge, fangy mice. "Momeraths."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Only when they outgrabe."

"Only when they what?"

One of the mice sits up, meerkat style. Looks around.

And then it explodes in a ball of blue flame.

"That," Red notes as the momerath draws back together. "We'll need to get past them without getting close."

"Is it safe to just kill them from here?" She needs to get to her friend, damnit.

"I don't know that you can kill a momerath. Even the wolf stays away from them." Red touches her bottom lip, thinking. "What other kinds of magic do you have?"

Yin frowns, considering, eyes evaluating the rodents. "Just the ice and healing. I'm more a 'shoot it if it moves' kind of person, myself. You? Also, am I right in assuming they don't like water?"

"They don't care for it," Red answers. "I'm not really magical. I have some magical toys, but usually momeraths are just to be avoided."

"Check." The dragoon considers. Walks to a quick-flowing stream nearby, hand held just safely over the water's surface until it freezes and she can set her palm directly atop it, and an ice dam quickly builds beneath it, withholding the water for a minute or so at least. She waits until the water flow slows, and then looks downstream.

Goddamn but I wish I had a gun.

Since ice isn't able to create something flexible like a bow, she's gotten in her practice with the only alternative method a primitive society ever developed: a boomerang with razor-sharp edges crystallizes in her hand.

The dragoon lets out her breath, taking a few steps back. These things are so hard to work with. Rushes forward in a crow-step and flings the boomerang with all her force, hoping to cleave some small tree branches a short distance downstream of the momeraths into the water. The boomerang will almost certainly break, but if all goes well, some branches and ice will fall together and then freeze into a solid damn downstream.

Red watches all this intently. It's been a long time since another warrior woman came through these parts -- in Grimoire, most of the heroes are blond men on white horses. An inordinate number, actually.

The ice-rang twirls in a clean arc, splitting multiple branches from their trees before shattering against the trunk of an ancient oak. Most of the branches topple to the side of the river. Some, especially the thicker ones, fall straight down to join the remains of the ice and float downstream, past Red's somewhat amused eyes.

"What are you trying to do?" she softly inquires, eyes set on the attentive momeraths.

The fallen branches downstream, seeded by the shattered bits of boomerang, freeze hard. "Make the path a very unattractive place to be." Her eyes are on the creatures a few moments. Then she looks down to the ice damn to their right, where a tremendous amount of water is already swirling angrily.

A thin ice wall forms on the path a short distance down, between them and the momeraths. Nothing heavy-duty, just to discourage them from running this way. This done, the closer dam shatters. If all goes well, it will hit the second damn and flood out the momerath's lower ground.

The mice-ghosts watch the entire spectacle unfold with interested eyes.

Until the wall of water streams for them. With squeaks of irritation the little monsters try to dash into the forest, bursting into flames and streaking to either side.

Red's eyes light up. "Oh you are just amazing! You are!" She beams, but her smile cuts short when the scent of dog and and the rasping gind of werewolf breath sounds from somewhere behind them. Red turns, peering down the path. No sign of the wolf, but she's positive that he's close.

Yin's fangs bare a little as she glances that way...of course seeing nothing. She's partly taking her cues from Red, who's clearly very familiar with the wolf. The downstream dam shatters, letting the water flow properly again, and the water begins to thin. Yin sets out that way, the five inches or so of diverted stream freezing beneath her footfalls to avoid "burning" herself.

"I don't want to waste strength fighting that thing that I may need in Hamartia. We should get moving." She's already beginning to tax her ice. Needs to watch it. "Hey, Red, do you have a sharp metal knife or something I can use for a moment?"

Red tilts her head somewhat as they go. "Maybe." She throws her cloak open, showing off not only a pair of gurkha knives at either side of her hips, but a number of kunai as well. "Take your pick."

Yin has to grin a little at the spread. "This may dull the blade a little, so one of the kunai would be great."

Red takes one of the hand-length knives, offering the blunt end to Yin. "I have plenty of thse," she assures the dragoon. Her eyes avert again, searching down the path. She can hear pounding pawbeats now, the rabbit b-b-boom, b-b-boom of the werewolf at full speed.

"Thank you." Yin smiles a little, but sighs inwardly at the footfalls. Well, she doesn't want the distraction, but it can't be helped, then. She finds a flat stone on the ground and fishes a solid silver coin from her purse. Sets the coin on the rock. The kunai turns out to be quite sharp...presses it down against the coin, applying pressure with another rock. Two cuts later, she has a sharp little point. Three sharp little points, actually. Gathers these and stands, examining them critically. "Do you carry a bow, and if so, can I use it and two arrows? Sorry I'm under-equipped, I didn't expect to do anything today except play with a few obnoxious lowlifes."

Red shakes her head. "I don't use a bow, no. I--"

She rolls to one side midsentence, only just evading a sick slice from the werewolf's forepaw. The monster emerges beside the path, snarling, focusing its burning eyes at Yin.

She drops her bag, and slips two of the silver slivers into a pocket. "Red, would you mind getting back so that I don't have to worry about hitting you?" Eyes scan their surroundings as a large spike of ice crystalizes in her hand, tipped with a silver point.

Red has no compunction about this, and dives out of the way; though she does rip her daggers free.

The wolf charges for Yin, loping, bent slightly at the waist, arms spread wide to slash inward in the hope of preventing a sideways dodge.

This time through, a draconic snarl rips from the vampiress's throat. She springs onto a stump and then high into the air, trying to get above the beast and onto its back.

Yin sails over the monster and does indeed land upon its back. However, its forward dash carries tremendous momentum; she stands a fair chance of being tossed off.

Ice spikes adorn her knees and one hand as she falls, trying to stab into the creature's side like spurs and hang on for dear life. It slips through her fingers, though, to a quietly rumbly, frustrated growl. She lets herself slip back so that she doesn't take an uncontrolled tumble, and springs backward, looking for high ground and another chance.

The wolf whirls, swift and furious, and throws its head back to howl.

That'll do. A small shield of ice manifests on one arm. The silver-tipped spike draws back and lunges forward as Yin, looking like a vampiress for once and only slightly less feral than the beast, springs for its throat spike first.

The howl screams upward, shaking the trees and causing Red's daggers to vibrate. If Yin can withstand the screeching, banshee wail, her attack will almost certainly connect.

She winces, eyes tearing up. Her eardrums feel like they're on fire. One breaks. She jerks, overcome at the pain, but the spike stays on track.

The howl cuts off, replaced by sputtering and screeching as silver pierces throat. Red, who'd thrown her hood over her ears to dampen the sound, sees an opportunity and rushes in with her bladed staff, piercing her enemy's breastbone as the wolf snarls and flails, claws splintering tree trunks and shredding brush. It rocks, and falls, a heap of rising gas that smells like burning fur.

Yin cringes in place off to the side at first, severely off balance and in more pain than she can recall experiencing in...well, this month, anyway. Takes a deep breath, and stands...another piece of the silver freezes to the tip of her borrowed kunai. She's cautious for flailing as she approaches the animal from behind, taking care to stay out of its range of motion, and raises the dagger to plunge into its skull and put whatever poor bastard this once was out of his misery.

It works, without resistance. The monster stills, its body contracting, shrinking, and burning until a form remains beneath.

A blonde girl, no more than twelve years old, lies still within the gas and ash.

Red closes her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Shattered my eardrum with that howl, but no lacerations. I'll be fine" Thinks over whether she has anything to cover the girl's nakedness. No. Damnit. Stands. "Did you know her?"

The hooded woman gives a slow nod. "Yeah. My little sister." Smiles a little bit, but only a little. "Come on. We have to find your friend, but you need help first."

"Probably...I should be okay. If you point me in Hamartia's direction, I wouldn't be afronted if you stay to bury her."

"You have a shattered eardrum, you said," Red snaps back, "you need medical attention. And the forest will reclaim her. It's what our Grand Mother would have wanted."

Yin smirks a little, though it's serious underneath just for the solemnity of what just happened. Red's obviously tough as hell, but it's the first time she's challenged the dragoon directly on anything. "Fair enough." Pauses when she reaches down for her dropped hat. Has to catch her balance, which is definitely not functioning right. It's probably not smart to walk into Hamartia right away, anyway. She hopes Alou's okay, but for Alou's sake, she can't attempt the infiltration when her chances are impaired. She's hurting, can't stand without leaning, and her ice is just about exhausted.

"By the way. I'm Yin."

Red offers her arm for Yin's balance's sake. "I'm Manteaurouge de Tourmaline. But Red will do." She coughs softly, not the cough of someone ill but the cough of someone slightly embarassed. "People call me that. So let's get you to Oszurial, where my Grand Mother lives."

Smirks a little at the "Red" bit. Takes the offered arm...glances back to the girl on the ground a moment, murmuring a draconic prayer as she turns to go. "Sounds good. Thanks."

"We can reach Oszurial quickly without the wolf following us," Red assures Yin as they walk together. "Most of the creatures and illusions here are harmless tricks meant to confuse you. There are a few dangerous elements left, but nothing we can't handle." She's talking mostly to keep from bawling, from breaking down in front of this tough, badassed woman over her sister, finally laid to rest.

"How quick is quickly?" Yin inquires. She's worried about Alou and potential effects of lost time, and she should be at least able to function more or less fully again with a couple hours' rest.

"A few hours' walk, I think. I know a shortcut that will shave off a half day." Red stops walking, still supporting Yin's arm. "Unless you have a better idea?"

The dragoon frowns a little, glancing back in the direction of Hamartia. "I would have like the chance to grab some better equipment, but I think it may be better to take a short rest here, an hour or two. The trip is just more time than it's safe to burn, without knowing what's happening to Alouette. It may be fine, but...statistically, the first four hours in a disappearance are far and away the best chance of getting someone back unharmed. I heal fairly quickly, so...after about that long, I think I should at least have my balance back, which is the biggest problem right now."

Red's eyes dampen a bit, their alertness slowed by consideration. "I can go to Oszurial and get things you might need," she offers, "just tell me what. And that's if you feel safe here alone."

Yin considers this. "I do," she admits. "And I'm assuming you could move a lot more quickly alone than with me, under the circumstances. And if you don't mind the trip, of course."

"I can move fast. This is my forest, you know." Especially now that her sister's claim is invalid. "What do you want me to bring?"

"If this place has crossbows...one, and darts. Straight daggers, at least two that can be thrown, and a short sword. A sword breaker, if they have those here." Fishes in her wallet as she speaks, retrieving several gold coins. There is, of course, the chance that they're about to just disappear and not come back, but...she doesn't think so. Holds these out. "This should cover, I think. And I know you know battle quality from the blade I held."

"Well." Red takes the coins, smirking a bit. "I could kick your ass. But maybe some other time. I'll get them for you. Here." She hands Yin one of her gurkha knives. "Just in case, you know."

Yin smirks, amused. Maybe, maybe not. Who's she to gauge? Nods, though, and takes it. "Thanks, Red. Hopefully it won't be needed."

"Hopefully. I'd better dash. Be careful, okay?" She turns, pulling her cloak tightly over her face. "There's a Jabberwock about." And she sprints away, springing into the brush and vanishing.

A Jabberwock. Of course. Yin rolls her eyes. "No one," she murmurs to the trees in general as she scans for danger and carefully sits down against one, "is likely to convince me that I'm not just drugged and lying comatose somewhere."

She has some cursory emergency medical supplies in her purse-- bandages, needle and medical thread, and disinfectant--and withdraws the bandages to address the fact that she is indeed bleeding out of a head-hole.

It's a little while before anything happens. Perhaps an hour, or forty minutes, but after that period of time a deep, airy snuffling begins to sound in the trees. Followed by a heavy, brush-softened crashing and bombastic hooting.

Yin's situated herself up on a tree branch for a more security, half-dozing against the trunnk and held steady by a little ice. She's maintaining a careful state of "aware enough"...so, grudgingly opens her eyes from resting, glancing in the direction of the sounds. Jabberwock?

A fierce round of hooting sounds, as the oddly proportioned monster peers between a pair of Tumtum Oak trees. It's eyes flicker like a sputtering torch, blue and white and orange, and occasionally it lifts its long fingered hands to its face to rube its flat nose. When it sees Yin it gives a burbling hoot, questioning, and cranes its long neck around.

There should be no question about it. This Jabberwock is a funny-looking dragon.

Yin blinks slowly, sitting up on the branch to look its way. Now she's glad she's not wearing her hat and...well, it's worth a shot, anyway. <"I apologize if I am intruding upon your land, sir. I am simply trying to rest."> This is in Draconic...an older tilt to the dialect, on a whim.

<"You do me no dishonor. I know none who speak the language in this area."> The creature's voice warbles shrilly, but resonates the deep thrum of a very old dragon anyway. It steps inside on lanky birdish legs, peering way down at Yin with its lagamorphic incisors bared. <"You are wounded?">

Yin lets out her breath. Oh, thank god. Complication averted. Even with ferals...even now, she's so thoroughly a dragoon that it makes her positively ill to fight them. <"Not badly, sir."> She bows politely, as much as she can sitting in a tree. <"One of my ears, and temporary balance disruption in result.">

The jabberwock snuffles her, a warm snuffle that moves the greenery around her. "<A breath of mine may help you. Do you contest to this?>"

She blinks. Wow. That's an unexpected nicety, when she'd expected to just sit here in pain defending herself against this or that storybook villian. <"Certainly not, sir.">

<"Very well then."> The Jabberwock lowers its head, which is three to four times the size of Yin's, and opens its sizable mouth. A mint green gas floats from a vent beneath its blue tongue, translucent, but very sweet-smelling. The brush seems to spring to life at the touch of the gas, flowers blooming where there'd been none and saplings standing straighter than before beneath the forest deity's breath.

Yin's instinct is to sneeze, but, somewhat to her surprise, the nose-tickle never comes and she doesn't need to. His breath is...not entirely unlike Revilier's spell, really, for the tingling newness is produces. More like the feeling she gets from Revilier's blood than the spell itself. It's definitely possessed of an utter uniqueness to anything she's felt before, though. The pain her ear, hugged beneath a slightly bloodied bandage, fades, to a sigh of relief. The vampiress climbs carefully to her feet and finds her balance no longer inhibited. A grateful, respectful bow from the branch follows. <"That seems to have worked entirely, sir. Thank you. May I ask your name?">

<"Wock,"> the dragon informs her, the burbling hoot sounding behind its voice again. <"And yourself?"> The dragon seems no less bemused for its efforts, its great head bobbing up and down and its body swaying to and fro.

<"Yinxirziji Iejir. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Wock."> She wonders whether, healed, she should wait for Red or attempt Hamartia. Time may be critical. The weapons may be, too.

The Jabberwock turns its head, looking towards the great mansion. <"Do you intend to venture inside of that clockwork house?">

<"Yes sir. I was travelling with a friend, but she was taken and is likely inside. As I know little about it, I must assume the worst, and wish to retrieve her before she comes to harm.">

Another nod of its head, which is more like the bobbing of a ground bird, sets the Jabberwock to hooting again. <"I have been inside. The magic within those walls holds enormous sway over its victims. I believe that the caretakers' powers would be negligible outside of it, and that is why they emerge so rarely from within. Their servants, on the other hand, possess strength wherever they go. But I speak too much."> 

<"Not at all!"> Okay, so this probably isn't what he meant, but Yin has to grasp at the first hint of real answers she desperately needs. <"What are the caretakers like, and what exactly is it that becomes of 'victims'?">

The Jabberwock hoots authoritatively. <"They are unnatural creatures. Art fiends, the both of them. One is as black as vulture plumes. The other is white like a winter moon. Their names are Comedy and Tragedy. You'll see a number of duplicities within. They use their victims to stage their plays and masques and fill their galleries.">

People in their galleries...? <"I see...what if the victims don't want to cooperate, Lord Wock?">

<"There is a tremendous force inside. If anyone has ever resisted, you would not know from touring the gallery."> The Jabberwock shuffles around until it can sit, wrapping its club tail around its body. <"It really is a sight to see.">

<"I should like it better if my friend does not become a permanent fixture in it,"> Yin observes. <"Is there anything that you can tell me that may help getting in and out of there safely, Lord Wock?">

<"Well,"> the Jabberwock ponders, its tongue flicking out to clean its eyes with a swipe, <"you must pass through the hall of winding. That is where enchantment magic lies. Keep your eyes closed whatever you do, until you are out.">

Yin nods thoughtfully. <"Thank you."> Bows her head a little. <"Is there anything else?">

Lord Wock tilts his head until his neck twists and his face is upside down. <"Only if you had further questions, youngling.">

Yin has to smile a little. He's an amusing sort, for sure. It fads after a few moments. She looks down, considering. <"Only one, sir. This is a long shot, but...my friend and I aren't from here. I don't really know how we got here, or if this is the right world, or if this is the right time, or...something. Do you know we're from, or how we can get back there?">

The Jabberwock turns its head over and over. <"I sensed that. But I am afraid the forest is my domain, and not further. You must speak with lady Tourmaline in Oszurial for such matters, or one of the witches.">

Yin nods a little...finally bows. <"I think I'm done. Thank you for your help, Lord Wock. You've been most kind.">

<"You speak to highly of me. It is only what dragons do for each other in this land."> Its head corkscrews, neck twisting and spinning until it is straight and upright again. <"May your fangs gleam with the blood of knights in shining armor.">

The vampire-dragon has to grin at this, thoroughly amused. <"I will do my best, sir.">

The Jabberwock takes this as its cue to finish the conversation. It rises, tail unwinding as it turns to lumber back the way it came, snapping at mushrooms now and again.

"Oh, frabjous day," an echoing voice sounds beneath the crashing of Wock's steps, "calooh, callay! You seem to have met the Jabberwock and come out well!"

In a puff of smoke the Cheshire cat reappears, tail swishing amusedly as it climbs a tree and peers down.

Yin smirks a bit, and looks up to the cat. "Well. He seems like a nice enough guy."

"Oh, you just wait." The Cheshire cat beams. "I ca'nt wait to delight in the sight of lord Wock playing havoc in a moment and a half."

A soft sound nearby precedes light, rushing footsteps as a racing Red streams into sight, carrying Yin's things.

The Jabberwock's head whips about.

Yin blinks. Cringes at the cat's words. What can she really do, though...but to try to indicate that Red is an ally of hers. "That was quick. Thank you." Glances nervously back after the elder dragon.

"The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!" The cat vanishes into eyes and mouth, chortling. "Beware, beware!"

Red skids to a stop when those blazing dragon eyes fall upon her. The Jabberwock hoots questioningly, twice, speaks a touch of Draconian to Red, and then splits the sky with a cacophonous roar that trembles the earth.

A final warning.

Yin doesn't waste time with another cringe, jumping between them, back to Red. Her hands are upraised, but palms towards him and empty. To the dragons she knows, after being spared and given passage, and healed no less, it would be an insult of the highest caliber to brandish a weapon in anything but self defense. <"Please, Lord Wock, she helped me to discover my friend's whereabouts and, at my request before knowing that this forest was yours, brought me some metal supplies lest I exhaust my ice. I'd implore you to allow it, this one time."> This tumbles quickly, of course. No time.

Red, watching Yin, draws her daggers.

"This is not the first time we've met," Red calls to Yin. Lord Wock glares at the both of them, though his ire seems to have hesitate at Yin's insistence. His great head turns over, and he nods to Yin.

<"She is not permitted here. Hers is a doomed line."> With that, the monster lumbers away, club tail swinging irritably back and forth.

"Manxome pussy," the cat hisses at his back.

Yin breathes out a shaky breath, and just bows a very respectful bow, a dragoon to her superior. <"Thank you so much, sir...I bear that in mind for that for the future, as well as appreciate this incidence of tolerance."> Looks to Red. "At least he's understanding. Not many elder dragons allow themselves to be dissuaded so easily. We just finished talking and he healed my ear, so...yeah. I'm glad it didn't come to blows this time. Your trip went well, then?"

"Swiftly," Red answers, shaking a little bit as she puts up her blade. "I am not fond of him. The last time we met, I cut off his forearm and he broke two of my ribs. But I have your things, nonetheless." She holds out a bag full of the articles, and the bow separately. It's a wrist-mounted device, not small, but not cumbersome either.

Yin smiles a bit. "Wonderful, thank you." Takes the weapons one by one, arranging them and getting a feel for what and where everything is. "Honestly, I hope the need for most of these doesn't come up. They're mostly contingency when my ice is," was, as the Jabberwock's restorative spell partially restored her energy as well, "approaching a detrimental level of exhaustion." Finishes getting everything situated, and stands from where she'd taken a knee.

"So in you go, eh?" The cat calls down again. "Well, so you know, you'll never get out. I warn you because I think you're too stupid to figure it out yourself. Your cloak-ed friend already knows the score, and it's ten to two."

"I'm used to being 'two'," Yin shrugs. "If anyone has a better suggestion for how to get my friend out, I'm all ears. But I'm not heading for home without her."

"Please," the Cheshire cat snorts, "you know purrrrfectly well that you'll go home when your friend decides to bring you home."

This, of course, nabs the dragoon's attention entirely. "He's still able to do that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know. I'm sorry, we're closed for the evening." The eyes and teeth begin to fade, a hissing chuckle sawing in the air.

Yin rolls her eyes a little. Of course. "Chinese food." Still, she takes it as a note that Kaz is still working on it. Looks to Red. "I'm trying to figure out what should come next. From his wording, the Jabberwock will leave you alone right here, and if you leave, but won't necessarily if we press on, and I couldn't fight him."

"Well." Red draws her cloak a little bit tighter. "I guess this is farewell, for now. I'll mark the way to Oszurial for when you get out. Be careful, eh?"

"Always." Yin tips her hat and smiles a bit, glad she hadn't had to suggest it. Would have been pragmatic, but rather rude to someone who's helped her. "Thanks for everything, Red. I'm sure I'll be along. See you soon." This said, she turns, face quiet, to head towards Hamartia.