Aaron followed Tahra down the hall. Not that he had a choice. But he said nothing. It was comforting in the middle of their sudden urgency to get out of the hotel. His heart was beating fast and hard, it felt like it was about to pop out of his chest. That was partially due to the adrenaline and partly due to the fact that he had been suddenly woken up and his heartrate forced up.

There was something eerily creepy about the hotel lobby. Not only because it was night and there weren’t any people. No, it was something else. Something that made the hair’s on Aaron’s neck stand. He had never believed in things like the sixth sense, but then again a while ago he hadn’t believed in ancient gods.

Aaron followed along as Tahra tugged his hand. She hadn’t let it go since she had first grabbed it. He didn’t mind that she was the one guiding them out of here. At least one of them had a plan. At the same time, he scouted every inch of the rooms they passed through, eyes peeled and ears strained to hear even the faintest thing. But all he knew despite all his efforts was that something felt strange.

When they approached the emergency exit, he felt his heart settle back somewhere in his chest. They were nearly out. That was until the room seemed to explode. They were showered with glass and the ground seemed to shake. Even before he saw him, Aaron knew who it was. Aaron could smell him. When he spoke, it shook as it resonated in his chest. Fenrir’s voice rang in his head and it was ferocious and hungry, his malice and cunning was in his eyes and Aaron could do nothing stare for a moment.

He discovered that Tahra had moved over to him. Aaron produced the raven’s feather and spoke it’s name. Aaron held out the spear in front of him, ready to strike should the need arise.

“I’m okay.” Aaron said reassuringly. “As if one giant wolf isn’t enough.” He added, looking from Fenrir to the fiery wolf.

How they were going to make it out of this one, he wasn’t sure. Time seemed to stand still for a second as he thought. The fiery wolf seemed like it contemplated challenging Fenrir.

“You don’t have a huge bucket of water and a giant wolf snare on you, do you?” He put his body close to hers, making sure they stuck together as they eyed the two wolves.

Aaron followed Tahra down the hall. Not that he had a choice. But he said nothing. It was comforting in the middle of their sudden urgency to get out of the hotel. His heart was beating fast and hard, it felt like it was about to pop out of his chest. That was partially due to the adrenaline and partly due to the fact that he had been suddenly woken up and his heartrate forced up.
There was something eerily creepy about the hotel lobby. Not only because it was night and there weren’t any people. No, it was something else. Something that made the hair’s on Aaron’s neck stand. He had never believed in things like the sixth sense, but then again a while ago he hadn’t believed in ancient gods.

Aaron followed along as Tahra tugged his hand. She hadn’t let it go since she had first grabbed it. He didn’t mind that she was the one guiding them out of here. At least one of them had a plan. At the same time, he scouted every inch of the rooms they passed through, eyes peeled and ears strained to hear even the faintest thing. But all he knew despite all his efforts was that something felt strange.

When they approached the emergency exit, he felt his heart settle back somewhere in his chest. They were nearly out. That was until the room seemed to explode. They were showered with glass and the ground seemed to shake. Even before he saw him, Aaron knew who it was. Aaron could smell him. When he spoke, it shook as it resonated in his chest. Fenrir’s voice rang in his head and it was ferocious and hungry, his malice and cunning was in his eyes and Aaron could do nothing stare for a moment.
He discovered that Tahra had moved over to him. Aaron produced the raven’s feather and spoke it’s name. Aaron held out the spear in front of him, ready to strike should the need arise.

“I’m okay.” Aaron said reassuringly. “As if one giant wolf isn’t enough.” He added, looking from Fenrir to the fiery wolf.

How they were going to make it out of this one, he wasn’t sure. Time seemed to stand still for a second as he thought. The fiery wolf seemed like it contemplated challenging Fenrir.

“You don’t have a huge bucket of water and a giant wolf snare on you, do you?” He put his body close to hers, making sure they stuck together as they eyed the two wolves.

Tahra felt her mouth go dry with fear and she knew she was trembling. Thankfully, Aaron chose that moment to press his back against hers. It was infinately more reassuring. The trembling lessened and she leaned back against him gently, making an effort to still her racing heart.

She gave a small, loud, exhale through her nose at Aaron's joking question. It was a ghost of a laugh, too anxious to really chuckle. But something he said did strike a chord. Water.

Tahra's eyes darted around the room until she found what she was looking for, behind the partially destroyed bar. A fire alarm pull and an extinguisher. If she managed to run past Fenrir without being eaten, then she could pull the alarm, probably set off some sprinklers..maybe use the extinguisher as an improvised weapon?

The question was...how to distract two demonic wolves? And how, without being overheard, did she Express her idea to Aaron?

"The building has passed its fire code inspection..." Tahra murmured trying to get him to follow her gaze. She tried to think, because hopefully, the water would douse one problem..Gwylligi...but Fenrir probably wouldn't be taken down by a bit of indoor rain.

"Do you think he plays fetch?" She whispered to Aaron, indicating Fenrir with a shake of her head. Gwyllgi was still growling and approaching, each step melting the glass on the floor like liquid magma. Or...was it just drooling liquid magma? "I'm not very good with dogs here..."

The seconds that passed seemed like eternities in themselves, but there were not. Aaron's mind and heart were racing so fast that time seemed to slow. It wan't pleasant in any way. It made him acutely aware of his own fear. Only the fact that he could feel her body close to his seemed to still the fear slightly.

"What?" He hissed, utterly confused. Aaron didn't know what she was talking about, and it seemed very out of place in their current situation. Something in the back of his head made him stop and consider what she had just said. He looked at her and then followed her eyes. They lit up as he realized what she was trying to make him understand. "Gotcha." He half whispered.

Aaron also realized that she would need a distraction. He hesitated before making up his mind. "Don't let them see you." He said and gave Tahra a gentle push in the direction of the fire alarm pull and the extinguisher. Here goes nothing...

He used the few moments the wolves were distracted, to give Tahra a head start. Then Aaron stepped forward in front of the two monstrous beasts. He trembled, but gripped his spear tighter and found courage.

"Hey! Mutts!" He started, sounding more confident than he thought he would have. "You," Aaron pointed his spear at Gwylligi and made a face. "Do you really think you're a match for him? Fenrir? Come on." Aaron turned to Fenrir. "And you... Not nearly as mighty as I thought. The rumours weren't true it seems, but apparently the smell increases with size." He waved a hand in front of his nose and shook his head. "The real question, however, is why you are here? I mean, you didn't think you'd catch us now, did you? 'Cause if you think you've got us...." He scoffed and shook his head again. "You're so wrong I can't believe it.."

Aaron sounded confident, but if one of the wolves lunged at him, he was going to be dead for sure. He hoped that Tahra would make it in time and afford them enough distraction to get out of there. Aaron made sure that not one of the two wolves' movements went unnoticed as he gripped his weapon, hoping that he could take one of them with him, if this was the hour of his death.

Tahra grinned as Aaron connected the dots. Charging forward as her distraction. Bravely. Stupidly. She would thank him later somehow. If later wasn't them being dead..

At Aaron's mocking, both wolves snarled loudly. Baring teeth. One crackling like a burning house.

Then, a sound like...laughter? Fenrir's great shoulders bobbed as he cackled.

"I can smell your fear...little one...even from here. You are already caught. Gwylligi has blocked your escape and I will eat you in one gulp if you try to run." Fenrir growled, seeming pleased with himself. Gwyllgi seemed to echo Fenrir's pleasure. Howling in a crackling way.

Tahra swallowed hard and grit her teeth. Now or never. She dashed toward the half destroyed bar to the left of the wolves. Throwing herself into the fire alarm pull just as the wolves heads whipped around. Catching her sudden and rather ungrateful motion. Glass crunched under her shoes and her fingers nearly slipped from the metal alarm pulled from the nervous sweat. It clicked heavily and for a second, a horrifying second...nothing happened. Perhaps the alarm was broken or disconnected in the crashing in of the ceiling?

Then the alarm screamed overhead. Blue and white lights spun across the room as emergency lighting took effect. There was a resounding click as all the fire sprinklers started, spewing water into the room below from the parts of the ceiling that hadn't caved. Broken spigots gushed as well. There was a howl of outrage and a hissing sound as smoke began to fill the room. Making her eyes water and sting. Gwyllgi, apparently panicked by the unexpected deluge, charged into the center of the room, seeking escape from the water. Fenrir howled in outrage and turned toward her. Fur matting with water, his eyes burned with hatred.

"Foolish demi god! I will devour you!"

Tahra let go of the alarm pull and dove under the bar remains, just as Fenrir's massive jaws came snapping towards her. Instead, he got a mouthful of drywall and metal. Hands shaking, Tarha fumbled the fire extinguisher loose, pulling the pin. She charged from between the debris of the bat toward the smoking, scratching, Gwyllgi. Screaming as she pulled the trigger. A cloud of foam erupted from the nozzle, coating the fiery wolf's face.

Well, they weren't dead yet...

The seconds that passed were enough to make him doubt his decision. But Aaron kept his face stern and held the spear tight. He could not falter now. He had come toward the wolves so full of confidence. Or at least it has seemed that way. He caught Tahra dashing and pressing to activate the alarm out of the corner of his eye. It was louder than he had expected it to be.

The water that fell upon all of them caused Gwyllgi's fire to be put out. At the same time it filled the room with smoke. It gave Aaron a bit of cover. He used this to his advantage to move into position just as Fenrir lunged at Tahra. While she charged Gwyllgi with the fire extinguisher, so did Aaron charge forward, driving his spear deep into Fenrir's flesh. The wolf let out an impossibly large growl that seemed to shake Aaron to his very core.

He yanked the spear free and backed off as fast as his feet would let him. He had struck the giant wolf deep enough to make him limp. But it didn't seem to help their situation, it only seemed to make the wolf more dangerous. The desperate, pure rage that had been so clear in Fenrir's eyes before had doubled in ferocity now. This made Aaron's heart sink in his chest. He realized that he had absolutely no idea how to defeat this overwhelming enemy.

"Tahra!" He shouted as loud as he could. She had attacked Gwyllgi with the fire-extinguisher. "We need to get the fuck out!" He pointed with his spear toward the main entrance, which Fenrir had covered before. If they were fast they should be able to make it, but they had not a second to lose.

The Gwyllgi snarled in outrage, but backed up as it received a face full of extinguisher foam. It smoldered like a hot coal, its body twisting with smoke and embers.

Tahra turned as she heard Aaron shout her name.

"Right! Go!"

Tahra flung the empty extinguisher canister as hard as she could at the giant, now bleeding, Fenrir. It made lucky contact with the soft part of the beast's nose, making him instinctively pull back, snarling in anguish, eyes watering. Tahra snagged Aaron's hand and ran for the exit. Not waiting for either wolf to recover.

They were through the melted remains of the exit door just as the howl of fire truck alarms began to come close. Smoke poured out from the shattered dome, windows and doors of the hotel, and Tahra felt her lungs burning. She wasn't sure if it was from the exertion of running or the smoke. Maybe a combo, but she determinedly kept running, yanking and half dragging Aaron behind her in her fright. She didn't stop until she could no longer smell the smoke. She coughed violently, bent over and gasping...eventually being physically sick from the effort of trying to breathe. She hunched over a sewer grate just in time to not leave a mess on the sidewalk. She spit a few times for good measure, worried that the aftertaste of half drunk beer would make her sick a second time.

"F..fuck... " she eventually managed to gasp. "W..where do we go?" She slowly stood, wiping her mouth on her shirt. Classy. But she was still shaking too hard to worry about how disgusting she must be right now. "Those things..they can track our scent...wolves..." she gasped, holding a stitch in her side. She needed to think. How could they throw wolves off their scent?

Tahra tried to steady her breathing. She watched Aaron carefully, making sure he was ok. "I'm sorry I grabbed you. And dragged you. Are you ok?"

They couldn't stay here long. Once wolves had your scent there was no deterring them. Well..not without pepper...

The speed and resourcefulness she displayed then and there took him by surprise. She even had the capacity to fling the fire extinguisher at the giant wolf. Aaron caught himself staring at her in amazement. She was tough this one. He smirked as she came running toward him in surprising speed. She grabbed his hand an off they went. Aaron had to struggle to keep up initially. Mid-sprint, he had not the bravery or capacity to look behind him. The last thing he wanted to see was one of the wolves snapping its jaws shut behind him. Or in him.

When they finally made it outside, they both kept running. Aaron had no intention of stopping either. The feeling of your breath almost not being able to keep up with your body's need for oxygen was not unfamiliar, but it was something he hadn't felt in years. Aaron kept running though. When they finally stopped, far away from the hotel, he heaved after his breath and had to lean against a wall to recover. Somewhere along the way he had managed to put the spear away and tuck it in his pocket. He had not even noticed.

Aaron looked with pity in his eyes as Tahra threw up. He wouldn't have had the air to throw up right now. The smoke was still caught in his throat and it hurt slightly to draw breath. Tahra asked a lot of questions he didn't have the answer to, when she finally had recovered.

"Uh. Fuck..." He said and tried to steady his breath. "I don't know." Aaron tried to think. He didn't know how to throw wolves like these off their scent. They were magic wolves as well and he was not convinced that it made it any easier. "Well I think we should change clothes, they're going to be able to smell the smoke off us for miles, aren't they?"

The only real suggestion he had for what they could do, or where they could seek help was back at the small shop where the scary old crone had been. Maybe she would know what to do? Aaron didn't want to go back there though, that would be marching straight into their jaws.

"Yes, I'm okay. Thanks for sweeping me off my feet there." He managed a laugh as he nudged her shoulder. It disappeared quickly again though as the serious nature of their predicament quickly returned to him. "I don't know anywhere to hide from these fuckers, though..."

Tahra listened carefully as Aaron responded. Always quit to try to crack a joke. She admired that about him, but barely felt herself capable to smiling, never mind laughing. She felt her lips sort of twinge into a weak smile. But it was quickly doused as Aaron admitted he was just as lost on this as she was.

Tahra felt suddenly more exhausted than she ever had in her whole life. She slowly sank to the sidewalk, her legs shaking. The adrenaline was wearing off, that must be it. Instead, it was replaced with dread, exhaustion and...much to Tahra's horror, she felt tears begin to drop down her cheeks. She was ashamed of them, but there was also no stopping them. They rolled in fat, salty drips down her sweaty, soot-stained cheeks. She looked away from Aaron as best she could, trying to deny the onslaught of sudden emotion, making it seem like she was just scratching her face.

"I...I can't think of anything...either..." She said, voice halting. Damn. Her voice was breaking now too. She felt that awful pressure in her chest, like when she was small and would sob until she was hiccuping. She swallowed thickly. "We...need to find somewhere..t-to..hide...but..but I can't..."

There was no denying the crying at this point. She couldn't get herself back under control. Tahra covered her face with her hands, ashamed of her lack of self control. She felt her shoulders shudder as she tried to gulp in air. "I..I'm sorry.." she murmured from between her fingers. "I don't know why..I'm.."

Tahra felt small cool hands suddenly press gently on her left shoulder, as if consoling her. This might have actually been consoling...had Aaron not been standing on her opposite side. Tahra jumped and crawled backwards, nearly barreling Aaron over in her surprise. Her weapon was in her hand, trembling and unfortunately, still a branch.

A small girl stood with her hands raised, in surprise or perhaps surrender. She didn't say a word, but gave them a small, shy smile and waggle her hands at them as if saying she hadn't meant to startle. She looked no more than six and no apparent adult chaperone was in sight. She had shoulder-length dark hair, pale almost luminous skin and wide brown eyes. Around her neck dangled a large, spiral seashell on some kind of chain. She didn't seem badly cared for and was dressed carefully with cute red wellies and what seemed to be a white hoodie tied around her waist.

"W..what? Kid...where's your parents? What are you doing out here at this hour? A...are you lost?" Tahra growled, wiping her eyes as best she could. This kid wasn't bawling her eyes out. Would scare her if she saw a big person doing that.

Tahra sniffled a little, looking to Aaron, as if for confirmation that he was also seeing the little girl. The little girl took in Tahra's questions with wide, placid eyes. She shook her head with a small smile and gestured to the shell on her neck. She gently gripped it in both of her small hands and brought it to her lips. As the little girl blew into the shell, a light, musical sound cut softly through the night air and the shell began to emit a soft glow. Tahra froze, both entranced and nervous. The girl nodded at Tahra and Aaron and gestured to them as if asking them to come closer.

Tahra looked again to Aaron, too shaken to move or speak. The girl walked a little ahead of them and sounded another lulling note on the shell. From a distance, the girl looked ethereal. Like a living firefly. Behind her, apparently summoned by the sound, a trail of green, glowing lights began to blink into life, making soft murmurs as they popped to life, like the whispers of ghosts. The girl glanced over her shoulder at the lights, seeming satisfied, then looked back to Aaron and Tahra. She beckoned them forward with a hand, calmly and with surprising gentleness.

Tahra licked her dry lips.

"A..are those? Wisps?" Tahra whispered, still sitting on the ground. A little stunned. "W..what should we do?" She whispered to Aaron croakily. She found herself still trembling, much to her shame.

He watched as her expression changed from a smile to something much more worrying. She looked very tired for a moment. And the next, she was crying. Aaron wouldn't have thought she would cry, so it caught him by surprise. In fact, he had been pretty sure he would have been the first to cry, out of the two of them.

"Oh, don't be so-" He was equally startled as she nearly knocked him over.

The little girl caught his attention quickly, however. Upon closer expection, it soon became clear to him that she was not entirely human. If at all. He watched her as she stood there. She had an air and a glow about her, that seemed not of this world. Aaron wondered what exactly that meant for him, now. He wondered if the world he had known so far, the one without gods and mythological creatures was a separate world from the others, or if everything was all jumbled and mixed up together. Was the realm of his father the same as this one?

Quickly, Tahra staggered to her feet, wiping the tears away. He felt a tinge of guilt that he hadn't reacted in time to offer at least a little bit of consolation. He wanted to do that for her. The girl didn't say anything to either of them. Instead she did her trick with the seashell and went off, beckoning them to follow. Aaron caught Tahra's eyes and shrugged, a serious expression on his face.

"I don't know what they are. But they don't seem.. Hostile?" It was more a question than a statement. More uncertainty than certainty. Aaron laid a warm hand on the small of Tahra's back - an attempt to soothe her. He nodded toward the girl and the wisps. "Do we have a better idea?" He offered. He knew that he didn't. They had nowhere to go, as far as he could see. They had stayed at a hotel, where they had quickly been found by one of the most ravenous beasts in Norse mythology.

Tahra swallowed roughly, feeling Aaron's warm hand against her back. It was somewhat grounding. She swayed a little on her feet, staring at the small girl.

The girl, noting their hesitation, walked forward slowly. With a tiny hand, she reached up and gripped one of Tahra's shaking fingers. With the other, she reached for Aaron's free hand. Tahra had often seen this with small children, clutching a parent on each side as they walked. Parents would swing the child and laugh. But here, the child gently tugged at them. Urging them toward the path lit by the green whispers ahead. Tahra looked to Aaron, eyes full of deep uncertainty, but he was right. What other options did they have? The girl was not strong or forceful, but Tahra let herself be led forward by the small child.

Her eyes felt swollen and puffy. And she had that strange hollowness in her chest that often followed crying. A numbness that took it's time fading.

They walked through some alleyways between homes. Winding down paths that didn't seem possible, and Tahra felt, wouldn't be without the whisps. Looking behind them, it was clear the whisps doused as they passed them. Leaving no sign of their path.

Though, the faint scent of fire still followed them (probably from their clothes) it soon faded and gave way to the salty scent of the ocean. Tahra felt herself calming almost instinctively. It smelled like home. Like the north end in the morning. A walk by the park and marina. The sound of waves lapping against wood soon followed and out of the darkness loomed the shapes of shops and restaurants.

"I think....this is pier 39...right?" Tahra asked, breaking the long silence that had lingered while they walked. The girl looked up at her and smiled with a nod. Yes.

It was still early, and it was clear nothing was open. Ahead of them, the faint green glow of the whisps lead forward toward the tented shape of a carousel.

"W..why have you taken us here, little girl?" The girl looked up at Tahra again, letting go of her hand to point to the shape of the carousel. But Tahra still didn't understand. She hoped the kid didn't just want to go on a ride this whole time. Without much else the girl lead them forward.

As they approached, it was clear the carousel was locked up for the night. Though, the girl didn't seem bothered. She simply put her shell to her lips again, blowing another soothing note. The padlock glowed green and fell off, and the door swung open. The girl urged them forward again. Impressed, Tahra followed.

Even without the lights. the carousel was beautiful. The animals shadows seemed to smile at them from the dark. Only emergency lighting from the center column, where the gears and such were kept, allowed any view of the place.

Tahra reached out and stroked the ears of a carved rabbit.

"If we weren't running for our lives...it would have been cool to ride this...I bet it's really pretty all lit up." She mused.

A bright green light suddenly cast an eerie pallor around the space. Tahra looked to the source and found the girl standing next to a horse with a pink mermaid's tail. She had her shell pressed into the tail, in a space that seemed meant for it. The light was coming from a space that had opened up in the nearby carriage shape, apparently opened by the girls shell key. The girl waved at them and entered the newly opened doorway.

"This...feels like a fairy tale...like Alice in Wonderland or something....I guess we follow, huh?" Tahra said looking to Aaron with a half smile. She had to duck a little, but she managed to follow after the girl. "Here's hoping we don't die.."

It was with a certain apprehension that he followed along. But there was no resistance. It almost felt like there was a purpose beyond just following, as the little girl gripped their hands. It was firm but gentle. Aaron caught Tahra looking at him. They almost looked like two parents being led along by their child. The idea sat strange with Aaron as he mulled it over for a brief moment. He had never thought about kids.

The salty air called him back to reality. Or what he thought was reality, at least. Aaron had always enjoyed the air by the ocean. It left his hair and his skin feeling a certain way and his clothes smelling like salty and fresh air. But he had no time to notice this; partially because they both smelled of smoke and partially because he had plenty of other things on his mind.
"...pier 39?"

"Huh?" He didn't know what she was talking about, but the way he could feel the air change as Tahra calmed down, had the same effect on him.

He would have stopped and gaped if he wasn't being led by the girl. There were restaurants and shops surrounding them now. Moments ago, he was in the street, having just escaped the fire. And if you asked him, Aaron couldn't tell you how he got here. It felt like some sort of smooth transition of which he had no clear memory. It felt.. Hazy. As if the haze of the wisps clouded his mind as well.

Magic...

No sooner had he thought it than the little girl performed a little more. She deftly rid them of the padlock on the carousel.
"I bet it is." Aaron looked at Tahra with a smirk. She had a certain way about her when she had moments like this, where she would stop and not hold that stray thought that came into her mind. A stray thought that tore away from all the chaos and the unfamiliarity of their situation. It soothed him. Probably because he was sort of like that himself.
He watched Tahra go through the newly opened portal.

Portal, right? Doorway? Passageway? Aaron’s mind raced. He had no idea about magic. And that struck him at that very moment. He had discovered and had been thrust into this magical, mythological world, but had no knowledge of it. But he agreed with Tahra. They followed.

Stepping through felt like stepping through the finest, thinnest silk sheet. As if someone dragged it across his body and over his head. His mind felt hazy again and it was hard to focus. Then, seemingly far off, something started to materialize and become clearer. He began to sense the shape of trees in the distance. Then music filled the air vaguely, drifting on the breeze. There was also a certain smell, the smell of…

“Horse?” Aaron had reached out and was touching something furry and firm and warm. The scent of horse filled his nostrils. When he could focus, he looked up.

“Would you mind?”

The voice was deep and booming. Echoing with a rumble from within a wide, strong chest. Aaron nearly fell over as he saw the centaur towering above him.

“S.. Sorry. Uh. Pardon.” He managed to stutter. He lingered for a moment, but decided to move on. The centaur shook its head and chuckled. It seemed like this wasn’t the first time it had happened. That made it slightly better. He quickly caught up with Tahra, half-smirking.

“Can’t even be here for 5 minutes without groping someone…” He sighed. “Though.. I am not quite sure where here is.” Around them were tents and trees. The tents were more sporadically spread where they were, which lead him to believe they were on the outskirts of some sort of camp. The trees seemed to thin as he looked toward the direction of the music and the noise and the light. In the distance he could make out wooden buildings as well. Built from huge logs. There also seemed to be a large hill as well, that loomed over the camp ominously. “Whatever this place is I hope they’ll share food. I am starving.” Aaron made a face and looked at Tahra.

Tahra blinked and blinked as they entered the strange doorway, her eyes adjusting to the sudden light. The scent of the sea washed away, replaced with fresh grass, campfires and...horses?

Tahra couldn't help but hiss air from between her teeth as she watched Aaron grope the creature in front of him, much to his chagrin. His face turned a lovely shade of pink and aside from that it seemed to pass without further incident. Tahra chortled loudly, suddenly, and clapped a hand to her mouth to stifle it.

"Tsh...sorry. Sorry, I'm sure that was awkward for you. I shouldn't laugh."

"Here is Tir na nOg...the faerie world...well..part of it anyway..." said a small soft voice. It had a twirl of brogue to it. Tahra looked down to see the little girl, only she had donned her white hoodie..well.
Tahra had thought it was a hoodie. It was clear now that it was a soft white seal pelt.

Selkie.

The word came unbidden to her mind. Of course. The girl was a faerie. A selkie. They could only speak when they were in the spirit world or...Tir na nOg...Tahra must have looked as surprised as she felt. The girl smiles gently, and took her hand.

" I promise miss, you're safe here for now. Though mortals cant stay long..we can hide you for a little from the wolves.." she gently began to lead the way, heading toward what seemed to be an encampment of many mythical creatures. Selkie, Centaur, satyrs and nymphs wandered the camp. Apparently going about their business. Oversized animals that seemed to possess human intelligence joined the ranks.

"Its like...those Narnia books..." Tahra murmured in awe looking to Aaron to confirm he was seeing the same thing.

"Well, the books are based on here..not the other way, silly." The selkie girl chided lightly. "And of course we will feed you both and get you cleaned up and rested before you continue your journey." The girl said, beaming at Aaron.

"Y..you know about our jouney?" Tahra asked nervously.

"Oh yes. But no need to worry. We want you to find the bridge too. Like your parents..without the bridge, travel here becomes..much more difficult..."

The doubt and confusion surrounding their location and environment was relieved when the little girl opened her mouth, which in turn surprised the two of them. Tir na nOg. The name rang a bell, and he raised his eyebrows when he heard it. Aaron was content with being guided through the area by the little girl. There were all different scents in the air. Toffee apples, roast, the smoke from a fire, sweat and sweet scents of flowers and wine. It felt as if the impressions truck him more here, than they did in the real world. Aaron was not quite sure if this place was less or perhaps more real than where they had just come from. He wondered if it was beacuse his nostrils had been filled with smoke up until now.

"Funny," Aaron said as he leaned close to Tahra while they walked. "I never thought I could be so reassured by a little girl." He chuckled and kept walking. It made him feel safer, hearing her say that they could take care of them for now. The grim thought that they might be bringing them all in danger, was there in the back of his head though.

He nodded at what she wondered aloud. The talk of food made his stomach growl loudly. He thought to himself as they kept walking. If the creatures in this camp were also interested in the success of their quest, that meant they had allies aside from their respective fathers. That meant they could always reach out for help here.

"Wait, do you think C. S. Lewis knew about this place? Do you think he was here?" The thought struck him hard and it was clear that Aaron was amazed by the possibility, but the feeling was reinforced when he realized the historical magnitude of this possibility. How all of this fit into the history and religions of the world was something Aaron desperately wanted to know now. But first, he wanted food.

"You'll have to forgive our puzzled expressions." Aaron said to the selkie girl. "But we're still getting used to everyone knowing more about most of this than we do, I think."

The selkie giggled; light chiming sound.

"As I said..the books were based on here. Lewis was born here, much like myself. He returned here every few years but mostly made his life in the mortal plane." The girl said with a smile. She pulled Tahra and Aaron towards a nearby tent, waving to a nymph who stood tending to a fire and bubbling stew pot outside.

"Hullo, Trillia. I've brought our guests for supper. It smells delicious!" The selkie girl said, inhaling deeply.

Tahra mirrored the girl and found herself sniffing something that was stew like but also had a hint of apple pie. Her mouth watered and her stomach complained loud enough for the selkie girl to hear. The girl laughed and Tahra flushed, embarrassed. The tree nymph, Trillia, smiled.

"You're just in time. It's ready. Please sit." Trillia said, gesturing a wooden spoon towards a nearby slab of wood surrounded by cushions like a very rustic table. The selkie nodded and lead Tahra and Aaron that way.

"So, I know your names." The selkie said as Tahra settled into a cushion. "I forgot to tell you mine. I just realized...sorry...that's so rude." The selkie looked disappointed, but Tahra shook her head.

"I wouldn't call saving us..literally from the wolves...rude.." Tahra said with a bashful smile. She hadn't even been in the right mind to ask for the girl's name before.

"I'm Saoirse." The selkie said with a grin. "That's Trilia. She makes the best apple stew you'll ever eat."

Tahra smiled. It had been what felt like ages since she last felt so...safe....her smile faltered briefly when she realized they couldn't stay here long. It was beautiful. Bright. Nothing was trying to kill them...practically paradise.

Saoirse saw this change, and furrowed her brow.

"Ah...its been a rather hard journey so far for you two...hasn't it?" The selkie reached out a tiny hand and stroked Tahras head. It was strange how soothing that was, seeing as this appeared to be a child. The role reversal wasn't lost on her. " You are only allowed to rest here for a few hours before I must take you both back...and for that...I'm deeply sorry. Any longer and you could risk becoming something....not human..."

Tahra's eyes went wide.

"Not human? That can happen?" The young girl nodded somberly.
"Unfortunately so."
"I see...well...thank you all.the same. If we can get..even just a little sleep...I'd be grateful." There was a small silence then, heavy with Tahras worries..

Trillia placed bowls in front of them, humming happily, breaking the mood.

"Enjoy!" The nymph cooed.

Tahra didn't need any additional encouragement. She was pleased to fund that Saoirse wasn't kidding. The stew was delicious.

He had no idea what to say to that. It was clear that there were connections between their two worlds, despite the veil that separated them. It was dizzying to think how some of the things, that some individuals had experienced here had been drawn into the “real” world. Aaron found that it was an endearing thought, however, that they knew nothing about it in their world. Magic and unicorns and wizards and nymphs and….selkies were children’s stories.

“Oh how wrong we are…” Aaron said absentmindedly, letting himself be dragged along to the tent. He was wakened from his trance by the scent of food rising into his nostrils. It did smell delicious. Likely reinforced because he was so hungry. He nodded a thanks to the tree nymph, as she gestured for them to sit.

As they sat at the low table, in a tent surrounded by beings that wanted them no harm, Aaron felt like he wanted to stay forever. But he knew they couldn’t and it made the sense of hope he felt, sour in his chest and sink into his stomach. He noticed Tahra seemingly realized something similar.

Two hours?! he almost said it out loud. He had expected to stay there until the morning. He kept his silence though and was slightly soothed when Saoirse apologized. She seemed genuine and it was clear that it was for their own good. He chose to believe that, anyway.

Aaron gave Tahra something he hoped was a reassuring smile when their food was placed before them and then began to eat. As he had never had this dish before, he was wary with his first bite.

The rest went down just fine.

---

“That was an absolutely delicious meal. Thank you so much, Saoirse.” Aaron said, pushing his empty bowl away. He felt a sort of bubbling sensation in his chest and a warmth spreading to his extremities. His index finger met his thumb and they rubbed against each other, as he tried to figure out what this feeling was. He felt less weary and clearer than when he had arrived at the camp.

“So. Um..” Aaron began, leaning on his elbows on the table. “Seeing as you have to show us back soon, do you have any advice for us? Any help? We’d appreciate if you could point us in the direction we need to go.” He figured that they could need their help. The two of them weren’t really aware of where to go when they left here.