She strokes Ares' head, making sure he stays calm.

The horses rode straight at the side of the hill without slowing, Ares following. The mound neither opened up nor moved aside in any way; they rode into the hill and through.

They emerged in total chaos.

A massive courtyard stretched before them, a great circular platform of ivory pillars, marble statues, and flowering trees. Fountains hurled geysers of water into the air, multicolored lights danced over the pools, and flowers in the full spectrum of the rainbow bloomed everywhere. Strains of music reached their ears, a combination of harps and drums, strings and flutes, bells and whistles, somehow lively and melancholy at the same time.

Faeries were everywhere, sitting on the marble steps or benches, dancing together in small groups, or just wandering around. A man with a bare chest and shaggy legs ending in hooves winked at the from the shade of a bush. A willowy girl with green-tinted skin stepped out of a tree, scolding a child hanging from the branches. The boy stuck out his tongue, flicked his squirrel tail, and darted higher into the foliage.

"Wow." She stares at the scenery.

Lise went out of her way to inconspicuously avoid eye contact with any of them, and paid mind to the decorations only.

There were a couple of sharp tugs on their hair. Two tiny figures hovered near their shoulders, gossamer wings buzzing like a hummingbird's. The knights didn't so much as glance at it. The tiny creatures grinned and held out what looked like a plump grape, except the skin of the fruit was bright blue and speckled with orange to both the girls.

,, Thanks. ,, Dhe accepts the grape.

Lise took the grape from them. " Thank you. "

The creatures gave a delighted giggle, and sped away.


"Be careful," Grimalkin rumbled, as a heady aroma rose from the little fruit. "Eating or drinking certain things in Faery could have unpleasant consequences for someone like you. Do not eat anything. In fact, until we find your Puck, I would not talk to anyone. And whatever you do, do not accept gifts of any sort. This is going to be a long night."

,, Okay. ,, She ignores the advice.

She put the grape thing away. " Okay..."