Puck gave her a very eerie stare. "They are alive, Princess," he warned in a low voice. "Not in the way that we're accustomed to, but do not take them lightly. The Briars are a force, one that cannot be tamed or understood, even by Oberon or Mab. And they're always hungry. It's easy to get in--getting out is the tricky part. Not only that, but the things that live in the Briars are always hungry, too."

She rolls her eyes. ,, And? ,,

(i like your new avi)

" what lives in the Briars? "

(Thanks :3)


"I...you'll have to see for yourself. The only reason we're using them is because the Briars have the greatest concentration of trods in all the Nevernever," Puck replied. "There are doors hidden throughout the Briars, some constantly shifting, some only appearing at a special time under special circumstances. Rumors are that, within the Briars, there is a trod to every doorway in the mortal realm, from an L.A. strip club to some kid's bedroom closet. Find the right door, and you're home free." The grin grew wider, and he shook his head. "But you have to get to it first."

,, Then lets get to it. ,,

" How hard can that be? "

Puck only shook his head at that.

Rain began to hiss through the branches of the trees, a cold, gray rain that leeched color from everything it touched. Even Puck's bright auburn hair turned dull and colorless in the misty deluge. He'd rake his fingers through it, streaking his hair with red, only to have the rain soak through it once more, bleaching away the color. Grimalkin was nearly invisible; not even his eyes glimmered in the gloom.

Above them, the massive wall of black thorns rose into the air, tendrils creaking and curling about. Some of the thorns were longer than them, waving about like the spines of a sea urchin, and the whole thing bristled with eerie menace.

she simply ignored the rain, staring up at the wall of roses.

She seems unbothered.

The Iron faery steamed in the rain, surrounded by writhing smoke, as water struck his hot metal skin and sizzled away. Ironhorse gazed up at the wall of thorns, craning his neck to stare at it, billowing like a small geyser in the storm.

The wall shifted. Branches creaked and moaned as they peeled away to reveal a narrow, spiky corridor through the thorns. Mist curled out of the hallway, and the space beyond was choked in shadow. Puck crossed his arms. "Looks like we're expected." He looked down at Grimalkin, a gray ghost in the mist, calmly washing his front paws. "You sure you can get us through, cat?"

Grimalkin gave one paw a few more licks before standing up. Shaking himself so that water flew everywhere, he yawned, stretched and trotted forward without looking back.

"Follow me and find out" were his last words before he vanished into the tunnel. Puck rolled his eyes. Holding out his hand, he gave Lise an encouraging smile.