#dreaming

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Most trods in this day and age can be patch work at times, or strong but spindly in form....this silver trod is more like a great argent roadway wide and strong and straight at the start

Earl says "Incredible, its as if it was maintianed by a whole squad of rovers"

"A highway."

"I wonder how long it will stay so strong and fresh? No wonder Clem was concerned, one could march and army on this" Earl observes

A soft hiss.

Blissfully, strong as the trod is, the near dreaming still dictates the landscape, not it, so Zara maybe pleased to see her winter streams have become something of a cold marsh , with passages of slight bits of ice sticking to the edge of the waters.. some streams clearer, other areas near stagnant even in their freeze. The trod shines, the trod is solid, but the land about it, oh it is full of life, but not necessarily a life that is happy about this bright intrusion. Indeed, in the knothole of one hollowed out cypress tree, there are blinking yellow eyes glaring not at the two travelers, but the trod as if someone has been so rude as to put a light right thorugh it's window

"Oh, I know. Poor thing. This trod glows so..."

'most annoying " mumble mumble "wasn't here last week, and i didn't vote for it" a miserable slightly snively voice from whatever it is

"Mayhaps it goes to another lodge? Some great viking hall?"

"don't know, liked the glamour, could hibernate for years on that, but then... of course, there's always a cost," Another miserable mumble "nothing good in this world comes without a price, even here in the dreaming. not for me anyway. Poor old dumplump...dragon dies, but who suffers? me. big trod right out my home shining up. could be vikings, could be more monsters. its why i stay in my tree. if one has to be miserable, be miserable at home I say, only now home is even more miserable because when trolls kill ancient legendary enemies they don't think of poor creatures just trying to get some rest"

Zara considers, expression thoughtful.

"Friend, have you seen any travellers besides us on this glowing abomination?"

"oh yes, yes.. hard to miss it, the trod so bright, when it dims you just know someone has taken up a spot on it.." dumplump snivels "they didn't say hi like you did, not that i like people, but it is the principle of the thing. if youre' going to cut in front of someone's lawn, only mannerly to at least nod mmm? lost souls came up.. trolls I think, but the rath was blocked... big stompy fellows, not cold at all. and the marshes have been stirred... Nadniri is awake, all thirteen heads. Who needs to talk that much? I ask you? not me... I just suffer in silence ... beyond that I think you'd have to further out."

"Where did the trolls go? The same direction we head?"

"i believe so, hope they don't find Nadiri... for their sake really. i'm not a monster you know? just a long suffering bit of dreaming floatom"

"Aye, but Nadiri is."

"oh yes, thirteen lovely female heads, on thirteen not so lovely tentacle ends, and each of those heads with fangs that could siphon the blood right out of you"

"Charming. But can she step upon the silver?"

"Thank fully no, unless some idiot invites her... then again, if there's one thing the dreaming is running out of , it's not idiots I fear. why do idiots thrive when poor dumplump barely hangs on?" the creature snivels a bit at a cruel world

"Idiots and children are charmed by God. Alas." With spidery fingertips, she 'scoops' some of her own shadow and weaves it like lace... lace, no, a lacework of foliage, spinning out and growing into a dark ephemeral bough. "Thank you, you are a mannerly creature. I hope you may find some peace to sleep."

Zara releases the shadow-bough with a gentle push, so it may float over to envelop the tree with mock-leaves. Mock leaves, but quite real shade!

"oh my... well, this isn't nearly so miserable as before" Dumplump says surprised, "I may even be able to rest, though likely eventually I'll have a nightmare or my back will get crooked. it happens" A sigh "You're most welcome, of course, and I really should thank you for providing a bit of shade there. Not sure how long it will last, but every little bit"

"Oh, it happens. But then, mayhaps, a cup of tea or some reading and then you may sleep again."

"Yes, tea is nice" he sniffles, "yes well, good bye... to you both, of course. do try not to get eaten. The worst things happen to folks I find tolerable. it's hard sometime to deal with but I guess I'm used to it."

Earl blinks and looks tempted to say something but doesn't

"We shall endeavour. Is there aught else we should know about Nadiri?"

"Fangs, thirteen heads... she's dangerous if she sings in harmony, but then..." A chuckle "its easy enough to cause disharmony. Just favor one over the other and she goes quite confused and it just snowballs from there"

"Ah. I see. Rest well, Dumplump. Dark and gentle dreams."

"I doubt it, but thank you" a sniffle 'probably going to dream about falling again... only this time with spikes who knows.." Shuffling sounds in the tree

Earl takes Zara's hand and with a pained look, guides her away

An eyebrow.

Once they are more paces beyond, probably out of earshot, he says "I'm sorry, his whining was getting to me."

"Ah. He is a bit of a Puddleglum, but... a helpful one, too."

"I suppose so, but that voice, was it nassaly or was that just me?" He says "I wanted to shake his tree"

"Glad you didn't."

"Not his fault, beside,s I have learned some manners thanks to good company" A smile at her

"And so now we are looking for a battalion of trolls."

"Lost trolls possibly... and I feel kind of bad. They almost made it to our farm, only to to be locked out. "

The trod stays strong and bright, but the marshes do spread out in gloomy contrast, less icy though, as if the season were a warm autumn. Zara may find, shining trod aside, that this is her kind of terrain in some regards.

Indeed, the river witch seems quite pleased.

"This is not what I expected" He said "near dreaming, but in Iowa? It's a marsh? I wonder... maybe old dreams ""

"I mean, maybe iowa had marshier periods , and it's latched onto that with this old glamour returned?"

"Perhaps. Imagine if we were to see a mammoth!"

A grin on his face "Trolls used to have those, you know that? Humans would hunt them, but trolls kept them as pets"

"Like a tiny puppy."

"We were much bigger then" he says "When your Mountain is actually as tall as a mountain? Yeah.. Mammoth's are puppies"

"Exactly."

"I doubt a Mountain would have even spotted something so small as me, in those days..."

"Depends on how much he appreciated beauty in the marsh" Low mutter, fond and wistful