"This is crazy." Alynia stated still referring to the cave which the two girl had already left. Though it was relatively shady and cool in the forest Alynia was tired. They had walked a pretty far way from school. There didn't seem to be anyone around or nearby at all. Just an endless trail surrounded by exotic plants spilling over in every direction. Alynia was surprised that this single trail extended so far, but she didn't know she was walking in an illusion, Alynia just assumed that the island was a lot larger than she had originally assumed. "Do you want to stop and take a break?" Alynia asked Kim remembering the drinks and sandwiches the latter thought to bring. Alynia was feeling a bit weary. She wondered how long they have been walking wishing she had brought a watch.

"Sure thing," Kim sat down on a rock sling the pack to the ground, opening ot and rummaging through it for the food which was packed among her supplies. The hill with the tiny cave stretched on for a distance but she could see that it was coming to an end now just a little way ahead.

She ate reflecting on what she had seen eating her sandwich and drinking her bottle of water. She paused, staring out into the forest as if she had heard something but couldn't see anything. Of course Alyina hadn't heard anything but had the feeling that there was something out there watching them when all of a sudden a beaker was thrown into their midst spilling vapor into the air. The fumes quickly worked against the pair, Kim slumping to the ground already as she dropped her bottle of water.

Alynia remembered seeing a vague humanoid shape nearby as unconsciousness claimed her. When next she woke, her wrists were bond by what looked to be grass, rather large grass. The chamber around her was earth and there was a single entrance into the chamber. All manners of object seemed to be stored her, a statue of a warrior, a tapestry hung on one wall depicting a huge green dragon with a female rider and other tid bits mostly furniture.

She hardly had time to take it all in when the door opened up with a creak and a man dressed in green entered. He had a red beard though no mustache and a pipe hung from the corner of his mouth.

"Up, now are we lass?"

'what the heck is this?' Alynia remember thinking as she watched Kim slump over before the gas had the same effect on her. Alynia tried to move her wrists but they were bound with grass? Alynia wondered how this arrangement had come to be. Looking around the room she realized that she was in a cave, similar or even the same as the one she had taken pictures of earlier. She struggled to achieve a sitting position and was upright as a strange man walked through the cave enterance and greeted her. Alynia frowned at the red bearded man. "I think there's been a mistake" Alynia declared motioning toward her bound wrists. What had she and Kim done to deserve to be tied up in a dirt cave?

'what the heck is this?' Alynia remember thinking as she watched Kim slump over before the gas had the same effect on her. Alynia tried to move her wrists but they were bound with grass? Alynia wondered how this arrangement had come to be. Looking around the room she realized that she was in a cave, similar or even the same as the one she had taken pictures of earlier. She struggled to achieve a sitting position and was upright as a strange man walked through the cave enterance and greeted her. Alynia frowned at the red bearded man. "I think there's been a mistake" Alynia declared motioning toward her bound wrists. What had she and Kim done to deserve to be tied up in a dirt cave?

He gazed at her then towards her bound wrists. "I had no idea how you would react ... consider it a precaution. I was unable to save your friend though, Sable took her first and I imagine she would have come back for you in time but I made sure that you weren't there when she did.

"Now what were you two planning on doing? Going to the ghost ship no doubt, that's in Sable's territory unless you were planning on going to her fortress ... one of the two as I can't think of anything else of importance in her realm ... there's the village but no one goes there, there's nothing there which leaves one of the two destinations and since you were getting too close her people had to have thought of you as a threat to attack you as they had."

Alynia listened to the man intently but with confused expression. "Whos Sable? A precaution for what? Come back for me for what?" she asked not quite understanding what was going on. Looked around the room looking for Kim, Alynia was surprised to discover that she was not there. "My friend and I are here just to finish our botany project. Please let me go." After this incident Alynia was positive that she didn't want to go search for the ghost shop anymore, but without a doubt she needed to find Kim. "Are you saying my friend could be at any of those locations? Alynia wondered outloud, the worry was crawling into her voice.

The rapid fire of her questions told him how nervous she was. He tried to answer each in turn but kept finding that he was cut off by other issues and had to wait until she was finished before answering.

"Sable is a necromancer. She creates the undead and her realm is full of them. It is said she created the ghost ship in a way, or at least is responsible for the crew being lost. I do not know why she took offense or rather her guards, but the few living subjects in the realm are at the village and I guess they are not so trusting with new faces, I tend to keep out of their way as you should.

"Your friend would be there, most likely at the fortress though the village sits in it's shadow and would be accessed before it, or could be accessed anyway or avoided altogether.

"Your best bet is simple forget about her and be on your way before it's too late for your."

He walked closer, eyeing her cautiously then produced a knife out of his back pocket and cut the strand of grass that bond her wrists together.

"The tonic will wear off in an hour or so."

"Thank you, sir." she stated graciously rubbing her previously tightly bound wrists. "Oh, my name is Alynia." she stated. Alynia blinked a few times before suddenly remembering her manners. "Thank you for saving me. I wish I had something to repay you with. she stated casually with a polite smile thinking about where her camera and Kim's supplies could be.

Alynia listened closely to his warnings but Alynia didn't feel right not going back for Kim.

"I have to go back for Kim". she stated confidently trying to stand, but her head throbbed terribly when she tried and was forced to sit back down.

"Do you think you could help me find the village or where Kim is? It would mean a lot. I'll get right out of your house after the tonic wears off and I know where I'm going." Alynia reassured not wanting to impose too much on the stranger.

"Corwin ..." he offered up his name after she provided him with one. But as she mentioned the village he hesitated, blue eyes regarding her for that long moment as he analyzed matters. "What you ask is far too risky. There is no reward in it and if Sable finds out she'll no doubt attempt to get revenge. She's not just limited in creating the walking dead out of giants.

He paused and considered. "I could point you in the direction of the village from here though."

Alynia shifted a little under Corwin's piercing gaze, she simply wasn't used to be stared at like so, but her determination was clear. "Finding my friend is good enough of an award for me. I will make sure Sable wont find out." Alynia declared. She admitted to herself that she did find this Sable frightening, but Alynia also knew that she would never be able to forgive herself of she didn't atleast try to find Kim. Alynia blinked slightly trying to rid herself of the groggy feeling from the tonic, she could tell that it was slowly fading. Her eyes perked up upon hearing Corwin's small gesture of sending her in the right direction. Alynia have him a cute smile. "That would be more than enough" she said with a voice filled with gratitude

"Very well, it will have to do." He moved a bit closer then crouched down. The floor of the chamber was dirt and so he could easily sketch upon it. He made a mark for their current location.

"You are here. The path here," he made a line next to the mark indicating the path was either right outside or close by. "If you follow the path you will eventually come to the beach but that is not where you wish to go rather, here," he made a mark on the line about half way alone it, "the path diverts leading deeper into the woods and eventually coming out to the village. If you follow the road on the opposite side it leaves the forest emptying out to the southern coast. Follow the road and it will lead to Sable's fortress but the road is treacherous and Sable's minions patrol it more frequently then here at the edges of her kingdom. Perhaps there is a better way you can discover at the village ..."

Alynia nodded as if she understood. "So I just follow this path." she mused tracing a finger along the path leading to the village. More to comfort herself than anyone. It made it sound so simple when she put it like that. Alynia took a shaky breath before pushing herself up into a standing position. Her head throbbed but not as much as before. "I think I might as well be on my way soon. Youve been very kind If there was anything I could offer as a thanks, please don't hesitate to ask." she stated kindly standing up fully stretching a bit.

He eyed her as she spoke, whatever thoughts had been locked away in his mind were left unspoken at least for the time being. "Oh, there is nothing lass."

Did he think that she wouldn't make it? He was a tough read and as she departed from the cave he escorted her. Once at the mouth of the cave she could not see the path but rather strands of grass that towered over her. As well as flowers ...

"Just follow the path until it forks," he pointed out a direction that she could only suppose he meant for her to travel in. But she could see nothing from here save for the cavern and the fellow standing beside her. She then saw it, what looked to be a yellow jacket though it appeared to be the size of a bus as it danced amongst the flowers.

Alynia let out a shriek at the gigantic yellow jacket even though it looked as if it meant no harm as it carried on with it's business. Her panicked eyes scanned the tall grass and even taller flowers. Taking slow steady breaths to help her calm down she glanced at the direction Corwin had directed her. She could barely see the path due to the thicket of oversized grass blocking the way.

"Corwin... Everything has gotten big..." Alynia started. She didn't want to be rude, and also she felt silly bombarding the man with so many questions. "Have we... Have I turned smaller?" she asked with a shaky tone.

Corwin chuckled at her reaction to the bee but when she asked he gazed at her calmly as if this were all normal. "No and yes." What he did was answer each of her questions then remarked "I did say the potion will wear off in about an hour. As you were you were too big for me to move otherwise.

"By the time you get to the path and make it back to wear I found you, you should be back to yourself by then, I forget that you are not bless with fey step and can move between plants by walking through and coming out elsewhere."

He explained all this as if it were an everyday thing. If she only knew that the red flower she found earlier was the main ingredient for the tonic ...