A while had passed since Princess and Edith had talked. Princess was quite sure how long, as the Feywood was a constant dusk, the only clear passage of time being the growing of plants, and the rotating of the twinkling stars that sat just above the amber band created by the always setting sun. She did know however, that she was always seeing something fantastical and new, something that only artists could draw for fantasy books, or that the biggest budget movies could produce. When she left Edith’s house however long ago, she was not very surprised to see that she had stepped out of a large tree. The door separating the elements and the small, grandmotherly cottage of knick knacks was something like a fairytale. It was a heavy wood, carved with floral patterns and reflected in gold paint to make it pop against the brown. The large stone ring that made up the handle gently latched as she carefully stopped the door from slamming. A step further from the door as she backed away, would have led to a grisly end, as she saw herself standing atop a massive branch, nearly 8 feet across, and so high above the ground that she couldn’t clearly see where the tree ended, and the dirt began.. Small patches of green and blue moss dotted it’s massive trunk she noted, and the branches seemed to intermingle with all the nearby, similar titanic trees. The overlapping branches and trees clearly split off into various other pathways, all lined with wooden stakes and connected with rope. The safety rail, if one could call it that, would likely snap off in case of emergency, but Princess still found comfort in running her hand along it as she walked. She wasn’t sure where she was to go from here, or quite how to get down from the massive maze of tree branches she found herself in. While normally, she would turn around and simply ask Edith for help, she recalled how the old owl said that it was her tea time, and that she was nearly going to bed. Perhaps it was time for Princess to find her own answers. As she wandered the canopy, she quickly realized that she was moving about in a large village, with various branches, trunks, and impossibly dense clusters of leaves having doorways, signs, decorations or other signs of residence. She saw a few people milling about, mostly bird people, owls, eagles, and swallows of various shapes, colors and sizes. Most of them gave her a polite nod, or a “Goodin” as she walked by. Eventually, Princess stopped by what was clearly meant as a viewing platform. She climbed the few steps it had and looked over a large, diamond shaped hole where no trees stood. Still, she couldn’t see the bottom of the trees she had been walking on, the dusk sun provided odd sunrays that came from below the leaves, giving everything an underlighting where she stood, and no obvious light much further below her. She could swear she saw an occasional dim blue, violet, or green light dance around like a firefly in the far distance below; Small balls of chaotic and somehow cheery energy. She pondered for a moment what could make such different colors, before she realized that perhaps a plan was in order. ---------------------------- Edith had explained a great many things to Princess before she bid her farewell. She explained that this was the Feywood, and that it was much bigger than the earth she had come from. She explained that she too was once a young human woman, before she had a run in with a Wey. A Wey, Edith explained, was a gate between the human world, and the Feywood. They took hundreds of forms, and she alone had heard of lakes, mushroom rings, cave entrances, and even crossing a river in a specific place could lead you here. She surmised that Princess likely found one by accident, and based on her wounds, she was lucky she did. “Why wasn’t I chased then? Did I drown? Am I dead?” where all questions Princess would interject with, assuming that she was somehow in a coma, or perhaps simply dead, and this was some form of afterlife. “Love” Grandowl Edith would always say, calming down Princess in a single soft word. “We folk are special, not everyone can use Wey’s, even if they know where they are. Not every human can become an animal like us, we are a select few. We are the elves, fair folk, fae, or whatever your culture decided to call us. We are the ‘boogie men’ that stole men and women in the forests.” Edith took a long sip of her hot tea, letting Princess soak in the words a moment before continuing. “Of course, ‘we’ is a bad term. There is no force we know of, no king or god that controls this place. It just.. Is. A place of whimsy. A place so wonderful that many choose to not leave.” “So then, can I go back?” Princess asked, a clear relief in her voice. “Well yes, of course you can love. There are plenty of Weys all over. They are here, and they are there. The issue is.. Very few recall going back. Some people stumble here, and desire their old office job and small talks so much they leave just as quick, and i’m sure somehow rationalize to their family and themselves where they went, or what happened.” “I see.. Do you.. So if I go back, I won’t remember any of this? I won’t remember my pink fur or horn, and I won’t remember you?” “Ah, I don’t think so." Edith pondered. "I have yet to meet someone who's gone back and forth as they wish. Sometimes they stumble back however, and this all has to be explained again.” --------------------------- Princess had those last few words stuck in her head now. That last idea of the possibility of her having been here before, or what her human life was like on the other side. The problem was… She still hadn’t gotten much back from before. She only could recall the past few minutes, her attack and the pond before she woke up. Was she happy as a human? Was this old lady filling her head with nonsense? Had she just had too many drinks before watching some sword and sorcery fantasy movie? If she had been human before, it would explain why she was so shocked about her fur and the kindly old owl, but that was instinct. Wasn’t instinct what animals ran on? Wouldn’t that mean she’s always been an animal? It didn’t matter. Not now at least. Princess WAS here, and she WAS going to at least get a glimpse of magic and wismy before she made any kind of choice. Maybe some hideous monster here would shake her memories, or a hard hit on the head. Maybe her instinct would draw her somewhere, or to someone. Maybe someone here knew exactly what the hell was going on, and could help her. That would come with time Princess finally decided. Something was bound to happen when people can be birds, villages can be built in canopies, and magical portals could send people into a realm of fairies. She was determined she would find something here. She would have answers.