Alynia sighed heartily, this event had certainly hit her with shock, but there was nothing else she could do. She felt slightly comfortated by the fact that she was to return to her normal size. She was a bit confused still but Alynia bade Corwin another thank you and a polite goodbye and parted from the hospitable stranger. She had taken advantage of his kindness and knowledge for too long She walked toward the direction he had told her to go waving and smiling innocently over her shoulder. As soon as she reached the path slightly blocked by a thicket of trees sized grass Alynia realized how small she actually had becomez While keeping a fearful eye on the gigantic yellow jacket that was buzzing ahead of her hopping from massive flower to massive flower, Alynia made her way forward. Trying not to think of the impossible task that was ahead of her she began to lightly jog hoping to make better time.

Corwin returned her wave before disappearing into the cavern again. She was met soon after wards by the thicket of grass realizing that it now poised a greater obstacle now then it had in the past. Movement was slow and she had to press aside the blades of grass with her arms as she moved.

Fortunately this patch of grass wasn't huge but as she emerged from it she witnessed an ant the size of a horse! To make matters worse there were dozens of them strewn about boulders and dirt their mandibles mashing together as they did battle with a frog ... there must have been a pond nearby ... but then again there were no animals here, right?

In vain it tried to hop away from the ants but their were so many of them that it kept landing in the midst of these carpenter ants.

Alynia was breaths were short and labored. She hoped she could turn back into normal size soon, it was difficult having to push aside the stalks of thick grass. To her relief she made it to a small clearing free of grass. Alynia suddenly realized why this clearing was here, it was actually an anthill. Alynia stopped to watch the ants and the frog for a brief moment of absolute horror before she suddenly realized it would be best not to be noticed. Sadly Alynia knew that there was nothing she could do for the poor frog except hope for its safety. She quickly sidestepped back into the forest of grass she had been so keen to avoid before. Feeling much safer surrounded by the endless shadowy green Alynia realized that if ants were that large, she must be virtually microscopic. Alynia sighed heartily moving
forward.

As she treaded carefully, her mind made the connection about the frog and a potential source of water nearby. These thoughts also registered with Alynia's ever growing thirst. Her theory was proved correct when the sound of slowly running water met her ears. Alynia made her way toward the sound occasionally ripping pieces off of grass stalks as she passed them so she would be as to make her way back in the right direction.

Alynia suddenly reached the pond, basically the size of an ocean. She peeked her head out of the grass making sure the coast was clear before dashing forward to reward herself with a drink. In the back of her mind she knew that it probably wasn't safe to drink, but thirst overcame reason and she culled come water into her hands bringing it greedily to her mouth. The refreshing drink felt wonderful.

Back in the grass, her trek seemed longer but safer. The ants were clustered closer to the frog and the ant hill and she left without them getting interested in her before hand which was to her benefit. Running water soon caught her attention and while she moved toward it eventually leaving the safety of the grass to quench her thirst.

She got a mouthful of water before she noticed it. It had to be the size of a school bus at least ... a large green and yellow snake that was probably non venomous, though it's forked tongue sniffed the air as it's head lifted up and zipped at her in a strike that she barely evaded and only because she witnessed the serpent's reflection on the surface of the pond before it struck.

It reared it's head back ready to strike again as it slithered forth with incredible speed. As it prepared to strike again she heard the call of a hawk as it swooped down from the heavens, talons cutting into the serpent as it grasped it as it swooped down at it and took off with it dangling from it's talons.

Alynia screamed as the hawk swooped down before clasping her tiny hands over her mouth. 'This is just ridiculous.' she thought bitterly. Her chest heaves with heavy breaths she wheezed out. Alynia took another quick drink before making her way back into the safe shade of the grass in a hasty manner. She couldnt help but think a snake was one of the last things she wanted to deal with. She gulped softly, beads of sweat had began running down the ride of her face tracing rivers down in between her cleavage. Still filled with adrenaline, she moved back to where she was originally by following the ripped grass she had marked earlier. She made her way along the path again pushing stalks of grass out of her way much more frantically before. Wearing out much faster than she wouldve liked she slowed her pace down after a few feet. 'How far away is this village?' she thought to herself as she tried to mentally conjure up the dirt map Corwin had drawn for her during what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Was it the fact she was now smaller and distances far greater than before? How long would it be before she was back to her old self? She made her way along noting something odd around the time she was tiring. The grass was pulling itself into the earth as if a mole were in tunnels drawing it down ... no, she soon realized she was growing.

The world around her was shrinking. Eventually she'd be looking down at the grass rather than being obscurd by it. She had realized that in all of her travels she really didn't make it too far.

She followed the path, finding her phone, then from that point it felt as if she traveled for an hour or so before the smells of the village hit her. Animal dung mixed with the aroma of baked bread. She could hear sounds of activitity too. Someone struck metal against metal, she could hear the spokes of wheels, and voices though she was too distant to make out what they were saying. Not long after she could see the village. It consisted of short long nosed men and women that she towered over by two feet or so.

After relishing the return to her original size, Alynia wandered around looking down with interest at the short men and women. She peered at the little huts and houses that obviously were homes, her mind quickly wondered to the idea of a delicious home cooked meal hidden behind grass walls. Her mind quicklg registeres that it mustve only been an hour since she had woken up, but who knows how long she was asleep. Her stomach growled slightly before Alynia's mind suddenly snapped back to reality, if you could call it such. Some of villagers peered back at her with mirrored interest while most of them just walked and worked along with what seems like their daily tasks. Even though they were smaller than her, Alynia was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. Alynia gulped quietly and She walked forward moving her head scanning the village hoping to find a glimpse or a clue of Kim's red hair.

Pressing forward she noticed that by this stage a lot of the little people went indoors as if they could simply ignore trouble. One man approached her as she came forward, a woodsman perhaps as he had a tiny had tied to his belt.

His hair was a copper colored and spilled out from beneath his green cap. There was a red feather in it. His green eyes glared at her approach.

"We need no trouble here human."

Alynia watched as more and more people began to retreat into their houses. She was startled as the man approached her.

"Oh! Um, I don't mean to cause any trouble..." she begun to explain shaking her hands.

Even though the copper haired man was small, his stern glance was oddly intimidating. Alynia paused for a moment to prevent herself from rambling.

"I'm look for my friend. She might have been taken by Sable?..." her voice trailed off wondering of she had remember the name correctly.

"Anyway I need to find her. I was told to pass through this village first." she declared

"We need no trouble with her," he retorted. "We are a simple folk. Your friend is probably with Sable now, turn back now while you have the chance, Sable won't be so generous to offer that to you."

Then he paused as he analayzed what she had said and something just clicked in his head. "Who told you to cut through?"

Alynia shuddered. All these warnings about Sable was making her feel uneasy. Maybe she should stop searching... Alynia shook her head stubbornly. She had to keep trying, surely Kim would do the same for her. Alynia sighed.

"I wont give up." she stated stubbornly, though her will power was wavering. How dangerous was this Sable? She sighed before perking up to the man's next question.

"Someone named Corwin.." she responded a bit nervously. Why did he want to know?

"Corwin, that fool," the gnome muttered as if to himself before casting a glance over his shoulder then back at her. He regarded her for a long moment, a hand coming to rest on his jaw as he thought. Of course he had not struck the pose for long.

"Suit yourself about Sable, it's your funeral. I don't have to understand it." He glanced around to the few people who remained out doors but most had gone back inside and only the bravest remained out doors. He did not find what he was looking for as he turned back towards her.

"Sable gathers up all the young pretty girls ... she baths in their blood to retain her youth ... we were cursed by her minions for years before ..." He trailed off, shock his head then repeated that they didn't wish to get mixed up in Sable's business.

Alynia watched him turn his head, looking around for something or someone.. Despite he more than warm weather She couldn't help but feel a chilly feeling rushing through her body after hearing the gnome's words. There was a moment of silence as Alynia's terror was creeping over her mind. She mentally cursed at herself and told herself to snap out of it. Alynia forced herself to believe that Kim had to be alive, she couldn't imagine how it would feel if she wasn't. After letting out a shaky sigh, Alynia folded her arms under her chest stubbornly.

"There must be something I could do to stop her!" she exclaimed sounding much braver than she felt. "Sable seems horrible, she must have some sort of weakness. There has to be a way to save my friend without getting caught."

The gnome chuckled amused by her words as he shook his head. "Very rotten indeed but if they were a way to stop her then someone would have done so already. Our village ... well it isn't much but since Sable tends to bathe in the blood of beautiful females our women have come to scarring themselves to ward against her undo attention since they are unworthy in her eyes.

"It is too late for friend or soon to be. If you proceed you are likely to draw the notice of her minions, be captured and taken before her. That is a fact, she is a powerful witch, some say she's more than that but all agree she's powerful and has lorded over us for countless generations.

"This is about as far as you can safely go and even then here is not so safe in her shadow as you already know with what has befallen your friend."

Even Alynia was beginning to think it was pointless to continue pursuing her friend. Her terrified and meek expression came though after listening to him. She knew that standing here listening to the stranger's words was going to eventually pursuade her to give up. She shook her head losing confidence by the second.

'I can't be thinking like this!' her mind scolded.

"I must go." Alynia declared suddenly before she could change her mind. She walked away from the man through the village with long quick strides trying not to think of the impossible task that lay before her. As she walked she couldn't help but notice the villager crowding at their windows only a select few standing outside glaring at her as she passed. Were all of them eying her with pity?

Suddenly she was at a clearing. She could see the distinct line where the village dirt ground stopped and a dark shady forest that lay ahead. The forest was much more like an actual woodland than the jungle she had passed through earlier. She slowed down her pace glancing over her shoulder one last time at the receeding village. With a shaky breath she proceeded her way through the trees. The trees blocked out the majority of the sunlight. Everything seemed to be cast under an eerie dark green shadow, Alynia shivered. It was much colder without he sunlight. Alynia glanced around timidly, doing all that she could to not let fear consume her.