The Dream Sparrow

It Began In The Forest Of Traps

A step forward and she would be ripped apart, a step back would seal the same fate.

   " Well this wasn't in my day's plan." Ixia managed to let a nervous laugh escape her throat while a pack of wolves with an unnatural glint of hatred in their eyes circled around her. Bearing the blood of fallen victims on their dagger teeth.

 she reached for the knife in her belt loop while trying to make the needed split second decision. Stay still, and the wolves might lose interest....or see an easy meal. fight back, and she might be able to escape....or die trying.

she knew the stories of those who had ventured out into Fluffuff forest and never returned, Who hadn't?

What? Fluffuff not a menacing enough name for you? fine. call it whatever you want! See if I care....picky picky picky.

well anyways, where was I? see what happens when you complain? I lose my train of thought! oh right,

Fluffuff forest.

A hunters forest.

a place supposedly filled with creatures more terrifying than the farthest fathoms of any ones imaginations could ever muster up. Yes! even you! I don't care how imaginative you are.

Well anyways, hundreds of years ago, so the villagers said, people would venture out, setting elaborate traps to capture the monsters that belonged the strange noises and red glowing eyes that lurked behind the trees, just out of reach. when they returned home, or shall  I say, IF they returned home,  the few villagers that were still around to tell about their experiences would NOT shut up about them. Comparing scars and stories, but not a captured beast in sight. Eventually, the forest was deemed too dangerous to step foot in. Oh no! not because of the mysterious deaths and and strange noises, those were expected! But because the traps set were so elaborate ,so countless and so..... hard to keep track of, Nobody could navigate three steps without getting tangled, snarled,twisted,knotted and/or jumbled. There was absolutely no chance of anyone bringing home prizes to compare! That is, anyone but the construer. someone who had mysteriously and furtively mapped the entire fluffuff forest, traps and all. It was their job to destroy every single ambushing trap in the forest. The original map had been passed on for generations. That is, Until it was mysteriously stolen. No worries though, the map had already been memorized, taught to  sons and daugters of past construers through-out time. Ixia's father was the last construer before her. A kind, intelligent man with bright eyes, and a slight paranoia about well, everything.

 Thus leading to why Ixia was venturing into the forest of traps today.

She had been warned about what might await her for years, but this? No one had ever said ANYTHING about deranged ,monstrous wolves. Terrified but determined, she swiftly held out the gleaming throwing knife in front of her, ready to attack, when all of a sudden a sound that shook every single ancient vine covered tree in fluffuff forest to its roots, the roots that drew out the seemingly carefully planned the labyrinth like forest floor. A Sound that reduced the wolves to mere pups. Hate disappearing from their black eyes, which now seemed more of a soft gray.

" Well that was easier than expected." she said aloud, brushing off any dust particals from her skirt." Now to actually do my job." but instead of forcing her feet to walk in the direction that a map had drawn out for her for so long, she looked in the way of the strange roar from the depths of gnarly, twisted Greenery. there was a pain to the voice that had terrified both her and the wolves. So for whatever reason, she set off in direction that it seemed to come from. Don't ask me What compelled her to do that. And also, don't expect me to use the whole cliched "And that decision changed her life forever blah blah blah blah.........." thing. So instead i'll say "that decision definitely didn't lead her to a free puppy."

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This was just perfect, Ash had set off to do something that no one had even attempted. Find the legendary dream sparrow, a magical being that was said to be able to grant one wish in its life time, and all that he found was himself stuck in a stupid trap with a stupid elf chattering about stupid things.

Yeah. Fun.

" ............And I have eight brothers and sisters. If you're wondering where they are, they're at home probably, i'm not there because my parents insisted that I leave. They even packed my bags for me to help me make the decision of whether to stay or go! Isn't that nice of them? My parents are great! Wow! You're big! I wish I was big. I'm the smallest in my family! one foot. Most everyone else is two or three inches taller than me! Can you believe it? I don't Like being short at all!  Did I mention my name is Artichoke?"

"Yes. EIGHTEEN TIMES."

"Oh good! Just making sure you knew! Oh! Look at that squirrel! Did you know that....." 

"COULD YOU SHUT UP FOR FIVE MINUTES?!"

The sound of his shout shook the forest. But Ash's scream had no affect on him. 

" Jeez! No need to scream like that! Anyways, where was I? Squirrels, yes. Once I saw a squirrel that had polka dots! It was so weird! Have you ever seen a polka dotted squirrel?"

" No."

"Wow! I guess i'm the only one! Maybe they......."

This was going to be one long day.

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