The Queen was starting to make a den, one much bigger than herself, since she knew she'd grow a lot more than she already had. She shuffled forward and dug at the roots underneath the tree she'd chosen, a sizable hole having already been made. She ducked inside and moved the loose dirt out, before she started to pack moss into the ground for soft bedding.

Slowly, it was coming alive. Bits of glowing labradorite were pressed into the ceiling and the walls, the space glowing enough that she could see, but it wouldn't disturb sleep.

The faerie walked out of the new nest and made her way to the main pathway, looking back and forth before she scuttled through the trees, seeking fruit to eat. She crawled up a trunk and plucked an apple off, crunching into it and sighing gently, juices running down her chin.

If only excitement would come along... she was bored.

"People are puppets held together with string,
There's a beautiful sadness that runs through him,
As he asked me to pray to the God he doesn't believe in.

Time and again boys are raised to be men,
Impatient they start, fearful at the end,
But here was a man mourning tomorrow,
He drank, but finally drowned in his sorrow,

He could not break surface tension,
He looked in the wrong place for redemption,
Don't look at me with those eyes,
I tried to unheave the ties,
Turn back the time that drew him,
But he couldn't be saved,
A sadness runs through him,
Through him..."
The Queen sang softly as she made her way back, eyes down, swaying gently from side to side.

@Amaryllis

It had been a few days since Mary had managed to sneak away again. She knew she would be getting in trouble once again for going off without an escort, but she just had to come back. She had to come back to Pegasus, her last trip had been cut short when she had come face to face with one of Comet’s friends who had made her go home with them as an escort.

It had been a rather embarrassing thing as she had been scolded in front of everyone including Mayfal. That had been a horrible day, but she had decided that the scolding was worth coming back. Besides everyone else was busy and Renny wasn’t around, besides Renny lived in Pegasus so she could just say she wanted to go visit him and meet Pegasus his son. That was a good excuse but she wasn’t sure it would get her out of trouble for going off on her own again.

Pale blue extremities padded along the cave, long sharp claws for once silent as she walked over the soft ground. It was nice here and the ground didn’t hurt her feet. She thought that moving to Pegasus with Renny was a good idea and hoped that someday they would. Six brilliant green eyes looked about curiously at the towering spire of labradorite in between the trees.

As the girl walked along she felt a rumble in her stomach and she stopped looking up at the fruit filled trees. The little girl walked up to one of the trees and slowly climbed it picking a fruit she dropped back down to the ground and sat down and began eating. Having not noticed that she was not alone in the tunnel.

@Arwen

The Queen quieted as she saw the cub, eyes narrowing. She crept forward and poked her face around a trunk, putting a hand on the bark as she watched her. She knew that others were watching, staring at the intruder, eyes narrowed.

An intruder in her home.

She crept forward and around, coming up from behind, arms raised, ready to strike...

The Queen tapped Mary on the shoulder and clasped her hands behind her back, head cocked, "Hello! Are you just passing through?"

The tunnel gave off the impression of unwelcomness, that lingering would bring consequences. What consequences those were was a mystery, though.

The Queen of Lies circled the alien curiously, eyeing her. She was interesting... otherworldy. What a curious creature. Not typical at all.

@Amaryllis

The young cub chuffed as she sat down with the fruit held in her foremost right dexterous paw. Her hindpaws slid to point to one side, her six bright green eyes sparkled as she almost drooled over the piece of fruit in her hand. It was bright red and delicious looking. Amaryllis rubbed the piece of fruit against her chest fur to make it shine slightly before she opened her jaws wide showing sharp feline teeth with blunt molars meant for chewing, and she took a big bite. The little girl let out a pleased purr as her six eyes gazed about the tunnel for a moment.

Amaryllis was completely oblivious to the fact that she was being watched at all, not having actually faced danger. The little girl approached everything with a bright and friendly demeanor. The girl sat crunching happily on the fruit her fluffy currently deer like tail twitched this way and that as she ate. Amaryllis was completely oblivious until she felt a tap on her shoulder. This caused her stiffen her four rounded ears shooting up straight before she turned her upper half to look behind her. A feminine voice greeted her and she let a warm smile slip into place on her muzzle.

”Oh!” Mary cried startled as she swallowed her bite of fruit. ”Oh yes, I was heading to Pegasus.” The young girl offered in a friendly sweet tone. Her six bright green eyes looked over the newcomer. Amaryllis turned completely around to face the newcomer as she thought talking turned half around was rather rude. ”Are you just passing through as well?” The girl asked gently in return curious if she were the only one who had been on their way and stopped for a snack. ”Oh!” She cried realizing she had still yet been rather rude. ”My names Amarylis but my friends and family call me Mary.” The girl offered a friendly introduction of herself as she still held the fruit firmly in one dexterous hand-like paw. The girl not having taken note of the unwelcome feeling in the air.

@Arwen

The Queen's eyes widened and then narrowed under her mask. She'd so freely given her name... foolish.

"Ah, I live here," she said, "I and my fellows reside here... we don't get many visitors. Maybe Gembound pass through quickly, which is fine by us."

She didn't give her name, for such a thing was kept close. A name could be trodden upon or cursed and she didn't want to take such a chance.

"If you're headed to Pegasus, we could walk together," she said, secretly wanting this creature out of her tunnel as fast as possible.

She didn't appreciate strangers eating her people's food supply. There was plenty outside of the caves.

"What are you doing in Pegasus?", she asked idly, walking towards the tunnel exit, feeling eyes on the back of her head.

The Queen shook her golden hair out and brushed it with her fingers. It was getting longer and longer as the days went by. Either she found a way to brush it or she cut it. Either way it was something that needed to be crafted, and soon.

@Amaryllis

A warm smile rested on Mary’s muzzle as she listened to Arwen saying that she lived here. That must have been nice, it was pretty and cozy here. Not at all like the mugginess of Eridanus. Her fur wasn’t really suited for the warmth of Eridanus and so she often wandered to find cooler places to rest. Oh, forgive me I didn’t know anyone actually lived here, I thought it was just a pass through.” She admitted sheepishly not having realized that others would make homes nearly anywhere if it suited them. ”I don’t mean to intrude, I just got hungry.” The girl admitted again, this time lifting her other free forelimb to rub back behind her ears gently in thought.

The girl noticed that the newcomer failed to give their name, and so she just brushed it off as if they just didn’t feel like sharing. Perhaps that was how it was, or perhaps they had other reasons for keeping their name to themself. ”Oh, Yes I was. I’m sorry for eating your fruit, as I said. I didn’t know anyone lived here.” The girl spoke with the warmest voice she could muster, trying to at least make up for having taken something without asking. She honestly hadn’t known that anyone lived here. Last time she had come through she hadn’t stopped long enough to catch the heavy scent of gembounds actually living here, just the mix of muddled scents from passersby.

As the other gembound began moving towards the exit of the tunnel, she stood and began to walk as well. Though only on four legs rather than all six. One holding her fruit the other held up as she sat up and back a bit. ”I’m going to visit my Renny and his son.” She answered eagerly with a bright smile. ”By the way, you’re really pretty.” She complimented the gembound, she did think they were pretty. As they moved the girl felt a strange itch on back that she brushed off as nothing, though it was her instincts telling her she was being watched.
@Arwen

The Queen hummed softly, "Well... I can forgive you once. Just try not to do it again, we get the majority of our resources here and in Pegasus, but mostly here. I'm guessing you come from somewhere else... you seem familiar climbing, perhaps Eridanus?"

She paused and stared at Mary, her thoughts screeching to a halt.

"... Renny? Like your parent?"

She looked away, she didn't know what having a parent was like. But... she could allow Mary to pass without incident. She blinked after a moment and put her hand on her cheek, giggling.

"Oh... thank you, you're pretty too," she said softly, before clearing her throat and moving forward again, quicker this time.

She wrung her fingers and breathed out before moving forward again, "What's your family like?"

@Amaryllis

Mary smiled brightly as she listened to her companion speak. ”You’re right actually, I come from a big treehouse in Eridanus my daddy grew for us.” The girl offered her information readily, her naivete due to the young age being only several weeks old. She didn’t know the value of keeping things to herself about her life, she didn’t know that every word she spoke of her family could possibly put them in danger.

Mary stopped for a moment seeing her companion pause, she tilted her head slightly to one side. She didn’t realize that others didn’t have parents like her. That most were born alone. Then her companion asked what she meant by Renny. ”Well yes. He didn’t give life to me, but he is the closest thing I have. He was once my Daddy’s partner.” The girl explained readily with a sweet innocence to her voice.

A bright eager smile crossed Mary’s muzzle as she saw the way her companion reacted to her compliment. ”Thank you very much, but you are far prettier. You look so soft and smooth.” The girl gushed about how her companion looked. SHe did look absolutely cuddly, and it made Mary want to reach out and touch her, but she refrained taking note that her companion probably wouldn’t enjoy the invasion of space. The girl picked up her pace following beside her companion.

The bright smile turned into a fond sweetness. ”Renny is a worry wart, but he’s really nice. Big brother Sun, he’s smart and gentle. Big sister Comet is fun, she always has a new story to tell us when she visits. Sprig is always looking for some new flavor for his food, Abraxas is quiet and standoffish, but she watches over us making sure we stay safe. Then there is Adonia. Renny, Comet, and Sun tell us that Adonia looks like daddy when he was little and that she acts a lot like him. She really kind and friendly but is always taking care of if we get hurt.” Mary happily explained about her family. ”We’re supposed to be moving to Pegasus sometime, so maybe you could meet them on our way through!” Mary offered, she would gladly introduce her companion to her family even if she didn’t know their name.

@Arwen

The Queen was honestly uncomfortable with how many names were dropped. Didn't this person care for their family? Or were they just stupid?

"Dropping names so freely is... frowned upon, to us fae," she said, giving Mary mercy, just this once.

"Names can be used for bad things," she explained, "I could spread the world that you are a horrible person, that you attacked me, and that the masters ought to cull you before you hurt anyone else, for you are too dangerous. And since I have your name and appearance, then I can weave that into a lie. Keep your name to yourself around us, and the name of your family."

She stopped at the exit of the tunnel and turned to Mary, eyes hard, "Flattery might get you on my good side normally, but I don't appreciate stupidity. Leave our cave, and if you return, make your journey through here brief."

@Amaryllis

Mary tilted her head curiously at her companion’s statement, but then that also explained why she had not given her name when they had met as she had. ”Oh, I see. In my culture it’s just being friendly to give your name.” She paused for a moment thinking as she walked. The little girl offered a kind warm smile at her companion, now understanding why they had not given their name. Though she had no idea why giving one’s name was such a bad thing.

Four rounded ears listened as her companion explained why it was bad to give one’s name. Her squared head nodded softly as she listened to the explanation. She had never thought that someone might use her name to create lies about her for no reason. She was after all a child she wouldn’t think about these things, she was innocent and kind. She wanted to know others and to become friends with them. She wasn’t thinking that others could be malicious with her name, after all Sun had not told her the reason why Renny and Daddy had split up, or what had happened after. He had only told them that Daddy had passed on. ”I see. I never thought of that.” The little girl mused softly in thought.

Mary stood at the exit of the tunnel looking at this gembound. They were rather rude, she was being nice. She wasn’t stupid she had no idea what she meant. She looked at her and growled silently. ”I was just trying to make friends. You asked me questions and I answered the best I could. It’s not my fault I don’t know about you. You don’t tell others about you, how are they supposed to know.” The little alien girl scolded the grub centaur. Bright green eyes squinted at the creature with a scrutinizing look. She could understand being scolded for eating someone else's food, that was fine.But being scolded for something she didn’t know was just wrong.

”The next time you decide to escort someone out of your home, you’re better off remaining quiet if you don’t actually want your questions answered.” Mary spoke in an even calm tone though she was clearly irritated for being scolded. She would wander slowly through the tunnel if she pleased. If they didn’t want their home invaded they should have made it somewhere that wasn’t a main thoroughfare. However the girl politely stayed to listen to the grubs remarks.

@Arwen