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"I can't understand you," Kindra answered dryly. Jenifaire merely lowered her gaze, wiped the final dampness from her cheek.  As she did so, Kindra felt a sobering heaviness decend upon them both. She glanced down on the parchement Jenifaire now carefully folded and replaced in its holder.
What manner of message, once  a delightful discovery, had now disturbed her so?  Kindra, pondering this, saw the Rulanden draw a deep breath, square her shoulders and turn to a  searching appraisal. First to the forest, and then to the sky.  No. You are not a child, Kindra reflected. Not even among your own people. And you are certainly on a journey, as am I.  This is lonliness, this heaviness. She nodded to herself, finally understanding.  Jeinifaire was homesick.
Kindra busied herself, sorting pouches and her. Soon Jenifaire moved to do the same. Thanks to their foraging there was a bit remaining of her own provisions.  Wolf nudged her thigh. Kindra looked down as the great creature shook himseslf, scattering drops of water.  Ah. Good Wolf! Intuitive timing, he had found a nearby stream.  She gathered both their waterskins, and then a few items from her own pack in afterthought.  Gesturing to Jenifaire her intentions, she followed Wolf's lead; feeling that Jenifaire's gaze followed their departure. 
A short while later, refreshed from a cool bath, she returned to what had so quickly become a true camp.  There was the warm glow of the Song Stones, complete with a small heating platform.  Jenifaire had set out Kindra's own equipment, and was in the process of making sleeping places for both of them from leafy boughs.
Kindra waved to the the Rulanden woman, nodded agreement, and gave her a most and appreciative smile. 

The two creatures once more disappeared into the forest. Absent were both the formalities of their greeting and any gesture of parting.  Kindra felt her limbs grow numb, even as her heart began to race.  She swallowed the panic, saw that Jenifaire now looked to her with an expression of concern. She drew a calming breath. For so long Wolf was all that she had. It was Wolf who keep heart and mind strong. But Wolf was Wolf. He belonged only to himself now, to this place.  
Kindra offered the young Rulanden woman a helpless shrug, and was offered a gentle smile of reassurance in return. The day faded into night as Kindra observed Jenifare in her toils.
Again the two women were left to wait and wonder. Both seem minded to redouble their efforts to learn each others speech. But with every distant cry of the forest, Kindra felt a deep chill in her bones.  Wolf in pain. Wolf dying.  The sounds were not of Wolf, no. It hurt that she might not even hear his cries. Only once did trust herself to release the tears; brief with bitter heat.  Her own work here was not yet done.
At night she dreams the dreams; memories and meanings fed by waking thoughts.  By day, Jenifaire was a relentless teacher. Intense now, and deliberate; every word and gesture demanded her keen attention.
Once Kindra, restless, investigated a shining gem which seem to hand from the trunk of one Rule tree. It was indeed a crystal such as the one the Rulanden used to provide their warms.  Rune sap.
But the greatest discovery was that when Jenifair made the gesture to describe her world, her home, it was to encompass more than place.  
"Twórca Boga," She had used stick and the hues of berries and stalks to convey the meaning, and with her gestures and tones of reverance as she drew her entire realm to her embrace... "The artist God ."
Another night felt. Kindra was suddenly awoken from her fevered dreams by Jeniifaire's soft inquiry.
"I hear.. heard...,human" in the soft glow of Song, Jenifair mimed an action for which she had no word.
Jenifaire had heard a human scream?

Then suddenly...and very swiftly....Jenifaire had gone. Like a whirlwind, she disappeared into the Rule' grove. Then as suddenly as Jenifaire had gone, Kindra heard her name as loud and clear as if Jenifaire was standing right in front of her.

Kindra arose and hurried to find her...and it actually felt as tho forever had gone by when she finally did. Jenifaire was standing there pointing up. Kindra raised her gaze until she saw this "comical sight"! Then Kindra felt a little ashamed of herself for such a thought....but, it was quite funny...indeed!

There, hanging upside-down was this little, scruffy looking man. His ankle had gotten twisted up in a stalk apparently from trying to climb up to the top of a Rule' thicket!

(Hmmm...Perhaps he was trying to retrieve one of the beautiful hardened sap droplets that grow up high?)

Kindra shook her head and then looked over, and Jenifaire was laughing so hard she could barely breath...in fact she was almost as purple as her eyes had gotten!!

Well, both didn't really know what to do...for their own safety. Ha! Hmmm.... Kindra armed herself and Jenifaire just stood there...looking up. Jenifaire sure did chuckle....yet she was  feeling compassion for the fellow as well....which Kindra could see in her eyes. Kindra just shook her head...compassion for that...ah...per-son? she thought. 

Kindra looked over at Jenifaire and saw something she had never seen before - her eyes had turned black...jet black. They looked like the midnite sky at that second when she finds herself in between worlds. She also noticed that Jenifaires cheeks had become almost a copper color..."hmm, reminds me of the color of the sunset. I wonder wh..." Then suddenly Kindra was awakened from her thoughts by a strange sound.

She turned to her left and then to her right...and then she turned completely around. First she noticed that she was standing there alone...where had everyone gone? Then, before she could take a step to investigate - there was Wolf. He was coming out from behind a thicket, with the Wilk following behind. Then, following Wilk, was a very unusual, but yet pleasent, looking creature. It appeared to be able to walk on it's back two legs like the Wilk...yet when it ran quickly to Wolf's side, it went on all fours. It ran to Wolf and nudged him, looked into his eyes, then began running again...straight AT Kindra!

Again, before Kindra could do anything...the creature leaped into Kindra's arms! Kindra's heart mysteriously calmed almost instantly. Then, for what seemed like a night and a day...Kindra and the lil' beast gazed into each other's eyes.

What snapped Kindra out of this trance was the snap of a twig! She looked up and there was the dwarf mumbling to himself...but where was Jenifaire??

Her eyes fell again to perhaps meet the eyes of the soft lil' one that had leaped into her arms...but found that it had fallen fast asleep...     

Jenifaire crept tentatively toward what looked like an exit, as she felt a 'whooosh' and then could see the cave opening close quickly behind her. She, and Bumble tailing closely behind, had begun to investigate the inside of the cave to see if there was any sign of Wilk...as she had sensed a deep alarm inside of her that perhaps Wilk had gotten herself in a jam...which was the reason she left camp...and which was also the reason for the color change in her eyes.

However, after just a few steps forward she could tell that Bumble was not following anylonger....which means that she 'should' be alone. BUT, she could tell that she was far from being there by herself! Then after a few more steps, Jenifaire took her eyes off of the path right in front of her...and raised her eyes, to meet another pair of eyes - however, much bigger and wider apart then her own. The eyes were all she could see...so she was not sure how big the creature was.

Jenifaire stood there looking into those eyes for what seemed like forever...until the creature began to rise up showing himself to be as tall as a Rule' tree. His body was covering up what looked like another exit out of the cave...as the light began to show brightly between the beast's legs.

Jenifaire was surprised to see the large cave dweller turn around and quickly duck into a nearby tunnel. Then as quickly as it left, it reappeared with a large chest in it's mouth and set it down within inches of Jenifaire. She was amazed at how gently it had set the ornate box down in front of her...as it made barely a sound. Then he..as Jenifaire was assuming it was a male...backed up and laid down just like he was when they 1st stared into each others eyes. However, this time he put his head all the way down on his front feet so the light from behind him could shine in. Then Jenifaire also noticed that his tail seemed to wag a bit.

She stood there for a moment and figured it was now up to her to take the next step. She took a walk around the chest to give it a once over. "Oh, my!" thought Jenifaire aloud. The large chest was beautiful, although quite dusty. Infact, as she tried to find the handle to open the box, she had to dig through at least an inch or two of it before she found the latch.

Jenifaire, figuring that opening this would be hard, took a deep breath and pulled on the handle as hard as she could...but almost sent herself flying as it probably would have only needed one hand to open it!

Immediately, as she looked inside, Jenifaire recognised some of the contents. In fact there was a beautiful lace shawl that looked identical to the one her mother had and would take out at certain times throughout the year. One time, Jenifaire remembered coming into her mother's room...and her mother had the shawl wrapped around her shoulders and she was weeping uncontrollably.

At every move of her eyes and tilt of her head as she looked over the contents, she could tell that the beasts gaze was fixed onto every move Jenifaire was making...and especially when Jenifaire reached in and picked up something that caused her heart to jump, but yet she had absolutely no memory of....and along with this effect it had on her very soul, it also immediately brought Kindra to mind...

"Ah...and where is Jenifaire again!?" exclaimed Kindra. ...sigh.................hufff....pufff....

Kindra thought of getting up and going to look for Jenifaire, however, leaving pup....this wonderful gift of warmth and company sounded very...well, sounded - very undesirable indeed!

Kindra, proped up against a rock, fell fast asleep. Bumble came around the rock shortly afterward and saw her sleeping...and he could not help himself..(as he had little self-control)...or his fingers from getting into things! He bent down and pulled open one of Kindra's eye lids, as tho he didn't believe she was actually sleeping. But, she was. In fact Bumble could tell that she was in deep sleep as her eyes were moving back and forth very quickly. Bumble didn't know it of course, but Kindra was having a dream that she could fly. Her eyes were quickly darting back and forth because in her dream she was not the only one who could fly...and so as she flew, she was also trying to watch as everyone else flew from place to place as well. She also noticed as she soared over people and looked downward at them, that almost everyone of them were looking up and flapping their arms as they were trying to fly too. Then at that very moment, Bumble....as he had sat down nearby...looked over at Kindra as she continued to sleep...and saw her smiling.

Bumble, mumbled to himself about never having good dreams....then he heard "Whoooosh" and then his name, "Bumble! Come and help me!" Bumble quickly  ran toward the voice. When he reached her, Jenifaire was standing next to the beautiful chest. Bumble looked at her and the box that was right next to her. Bumble gruffly spoke up, "I didn't know where ya were..I thought the beast ate ya!"  Jenifaire just shook her head. "Why NO...why he do that?" Bumble, you not know dragons...these kind anyway."

As Jenifaire turned and began to open the chest, she continued to explain to Bumble that the whooosh means that the dragon is taking himself places, or taking other's places...which is how the box got here. "Now Bumble..." Jenifaire stood up straight and began to turn around as she began telling him that he needed to help her drag the box back to camp...however, when she turned all the way around, Bumble was gone....