Harmonious_Echos

Just throwing out a few of the ideas that keep pestering me (Muse, stop that! I have work to do!) ~A young girl from an abusive 'reality' becomes a lucid dreamer and discovers a way to telepathically communicate with beings on other planets; At first she thinks she is still dreaming, but they give her "proof" by changing her circumstances (kind of like a sci-fi redoux of Matilda?)... ~A little boy wanders off from a family picnic and falls into a mysterious pool that transforms him into an ant. He discovers that the ants have a whole life and community and world down among the rubbish beneath a pine tree, and even strange magical powers which make him question the whole idea of human freedom... ~A girl discovers she can produce portals into other planes of existence, and has to learn to use them in order to stop her powers from turning her whole 'plane' inside out and destroying everyone & everything she knows. (on one of these planes she befriends a massive 12 foot tall white otter named Finx. It helps her discover the tools to repair other bridges of worlds, and move on to the next plane). .. ~a mother in a town about to be destroyed by a volcano has a prophetic dream about the destruction of her entire town. She attempts to tell everyone but gets jeered out of meetings and laughed out of the town hall and finally sent to an asylum for treatment since they all think she's crazy. Her children discover she's right and use newfound super powers to rescue thier totally sane mother before the town gets destroyed. They don't make it in time, though, and everyone is buried beneath the ash and gas clouds, and the children have the tough choice to either save everyone and show thier powers, or hide them and escape with thier mother. The mother helps them decide... ...will add more as I think of them... Feel free to use or to add more!

Harmony glanced at Muse, who was busying herself with a hard roll from the basket Granny had passed to her. They were now seated at the table; Kyir was snoozing peacefully in a reed basket, covered in some odd white and brown downy material, which Granny had called "Waterwort fur". Harmony hadn't known where to start on thier story to Granny; so she had started with the simplest version she could. "We are from a country called Joei, and I don't know how we got here...I'm a mage, where we come from. I was asleep, and then awoke and found myself pregnant and alone in a cave in the mountains with Muse. We found our way out and I had the baby outside on the mountain. We just want a place to stay and we don't mean anyone any harm. Could I find work in Grebefal? Do you need a mage here?" Granny looked Harmony up and down, as if she was assessing a horse or a cow. "Well, we've no Mage here, but I dinna what we've need of one fer. Unless someone gits in some fearsome way. We coulda used ya a few years back when ma house caught afire. Ma sweet Bertie passed after that fire." Granny's eyes softened and she turned away for a moment. Then she coughed and cleared her throat. "Ye, well, I reckon it'd be right fine to have a mage in Grebefal for a time, if ye'r fixin to stay. But y'll have ta see the Lord and git ye an order and a room claim so's you can set up shop. I kin take ye there in the mornin'. For now I'll take ye ower to the inn." Harmony nodded. "Thank you, Granny Jak. That would be much appreciated." Harmony rummaged a moment in the folds of her cloak and pulled out the wand. "Might I offer you some payment for your help? Is there something I might help you with?" Granny eyed the wand. "Mayhaps. Kin ye fix that old shutter-strap on the high window there? I'm a mite too short to reach 't, an I like bein' able to close it after I look out." Harmony raised the wand and focused. The leather strap wriggled, stretched, looped itself over and tied to the window-handle, then around the large nail above; then grew down, down, down to coil on the floor, a leather rope now, instead of just a broken strap. Granny eyed it, as if expecting it to leap at her like a snake. "that's mighty strange, but ye did fit 't. That's a good work ye do. Ye'll be in high demand with a skill like that." Harmony sighed. It had been such a long day, and hse was still feeling the effects of blood loss, the long hard ride, and now magical drain as well. "If there's anything else, Granny, I'd be glad to help. But I will need some time to renew the power I used. It isn't unlimited." Granny nodded "Ye, makes sense, that does. Well, let's go git ye and yer bunch a bed." She hopped up from her place and shooed them outside with surprising quickness. "Ower there. The big yellow house. That's our inn. It's closest t' Market and has more floors that t' rest. Hope you've coin though, or Aga'te will have ye sweepin up and muckin out for yer bed." Harmony nodded. She was too tired to explain that she could easily magic up money, if needed, besides which it probably wasn't a good idea to let too many people know she had such powers. So far, the people of Grebefal had been pleasant enough, but unlimited funds could, and often would, ruin anyone.

🤣 Yes, it has been every other year, how weird is that?! I feel old now... *cough* ANYWAY It was pretty odd, coming back and seeing "five years later".... and "three years later"... etc, on my posts. Embarrassing. But Muse and Harmony are very much still alive & kicking, so I'll keep going!

This story has really taken on a sort of "life of its own" I think... With Harmony becoming more and more her own character, and Muse as well, and adding in new characters.... and I'm wondering if I should continue to write it here, or take it and try to produce it, in a more formal sense. Opinions? It's definitely in need of a lot of polish and fleshing out, and it might take me another 10 years to complete, since (as we know) I take long breaks. Long, long breaks. But it's been really nice to write it here and see it grow into more than just a silly whim-post about myself (Yes, I actually WAS pregnant when I started this story). My army of small, semi-rabid monkeys has grown to 5 since the time I started this tale. Muse, however, abandoned me until very recently when I finally published that book. Now she's back, and much more solid than before, with helpful hints and a toothy grin.... but I digress. Either way I'll probably continue writing bits here from time to time, since I like it here. It's quiet and smells of old libraries and squirrels.

Up close, the dusty paths and small gardens were much, much larger. The houses, too. Harmony gazed around at the structures, wondering; second, third, and even fourth stories loomed awkwardly above them, looking very, very old. The massive foundation timbers were cut and sunk into solid rock, with a precision that hinted at a high level of engineering expertise, and tools that these people definitely didn't have. The walls greyed with age, and with sun--but no decay. Vines climbed over them, and the fruit trees wrapped hug limbs around the sides. These were houses for not just a family. "you could house a whole village in one of these!" Muse murmured, and Harmony agreed. The "spiked roof" house was the only house that showed some wear and tear; black sooty streaks down one side and a newer-looking roof, of thatch, not slate like the rest. It, too, was grey with age, but seemed not to have any other form of decay. The straw thatch stood up in a spiky edge, along the ridge. At one corner a clay chimney-pot rose through the thatch, and at the top of it, a large black bird sat, eyeing them. It croaked loudly and dived, and Muse stared as it seemed to vanish, diving down the chimney into the house. "How odd.." Harmony tapped on the heavy wooden door. A small window above it popped open with surprising quickness, and a tiny, withered face peered out. "What you want?" Harmony, taken aback, stared with mouth open; Muse grinned her wide grin and answered in her stead. "Are you Granny Jak? We've come with a new babe and a mother who needs a healer. We've come a long way, from over the mountain. Have you any heal spells or potions?" Granny Jak, for it was she, frowned. "Naw. I have herbs and poultices. And nawt for a babe. But for you-" (here she eye Harmony suspiciously) "For you I've briar tea, to help the milk come in, if you like. But you're in fine fettle; anyone can see that. Dunno why you'd call on an old lady and waste her time for nothing" The window slammed, and the door jerked open. The old woman stood staring up at them from Harmony's waist level, and Muse stifled a giggle; Harmony glared at her, because she heard full well the roars of laughter in her mind. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHa......she's so short! And she looks like a bog-troll! I can't HELP it!" Granny eyed Muse sharply, and grasped Harmony by the hand, pulling her through the door. "come on. You need to let that babe suckle so's he can stop his whining. There's a seat in the kitchen. I'll fetch the tea." Harmony gratefully followed Granny Jak into the kitchen, and almost fell to her knees at the smell of fresh bread and savory stewed meat. Granny snorted and pushed her into a high-backed chair. "sit. Feed the babe. I'll get you and your little maidling something to eat and drink. Then I want to hear more about how you came here. You can pay me with your tale."

**Stares ominously** YOU ARE NOW MY FAVORITE DECORATION PREPARE THE CARBONITE

Wrote this one standing at my kitchen sink. (I wonder why....) My house is full of ghosties! You cannot see them there They leave thier dirty glasses And stinky underwear I make so many passes Round and round the house, They're louder than six elephants But shyer than a mouse! My house is full of ghosties! You'll never see them first, You'll see that all the lights are on, And piles of dirty shirts! My house is full of ghosties! They never seem to care Where there's a chore Or several more You'll never see them there. But bring out all the sweet things The drinks and things to eat Then suddenly they all appear! Consume, and then retreat... **These are the selfsame ghosties which love to leave dishes in my sink. Or rather, all over the house. IT NEVER ENDS *cries*

I have FINALLY managed to finish my book of poems and wanted to share that here... it is LARGELY thanks to this forum that I even have these to publish, some of which I wrote as far back as 1997. I'm very grateful to have had those written and archived here in a post I made, back in the "good old days" of MySpace and Yahoo messenger chats. So, without further ado; I introduce "Twilight Riddle, a book of neurodivergent poetry (and winged frogs)" I don't expect anyone to buy it, but if you ever see one at your local library, don't hesitate to check it out and have a chuckle at my expense. To all my Pen friends, gratefully, Helena J. Marfell https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twilight-riddle-helena-marfell/1143987004?ean=9798855610208

*Muse busts down the door swinging a lamp like a weapon* NOPE NOT GONNA LEAVE, YOU CAN'T MAKE ME *transforms into giant toad & chains self to floor* SEE, I AM LEIA THE HUTT

(I never knew my grandpa well, and am now wondering what I may have missed!) My condolences for your loss? And nice to see you back again.

Harmony wanders in, followed by Muse, who sniffs around for the dust-bunny and pounces in corners, shrieking high-pitched gibberish. (Harmony ignores her) Loving this story; please don't stop! I immediately connected because of Scherezade and James in the tale, but I'd still appreciate it even if the names were different. Great to be back at the Mighty Pen. ❤️

Ugh. Gross amounts of money are for dragons, or miserable rich widows who stare morosely through tall dark windows in overly-elegant rose-colored bathrobes... The second place sounds nice, though. Too bad they couldn't actually help there! Sending comforting thoughts to Vibs, I too have felt the existential dread of the Ages on this side of the pendulum's swing. And I have a thing for frogs, obviously.

Muse was nearing the gates, now. They weren't gates really, more of an open arch guarded by four tired-looking, middle aged men with rusty polearms... no armor, not in this heat. Just dusty linen tunics and loose pants, stained brown from sweat & long wear. The length was too long on one; another's tunic pulled tight across his chest, slightly bunched at the armpits & hanging down at a comic angle. Hamony smiled. There was nothing threatening about this lot! Still, it was better to be cautious. One never knew what sort of traditions these villagers were accustomed to, or what their rules were about outsiders. Muse shook her mane. "Harmony. I have a feeling it's better if I don't transform here. What should I 'be' while we are here?" Harmony thought for a moment. "A cat would probably be good, but if I needed you to do things for me, it could raise questions... Can you do a normal-looking person?" "what is normal to you?" "Ah. Well, something similar to these people... or to me? But not an exact copy. A human or an elf, maybe, with skin the same as mine, and hair close to the same color?" Muse seemed to consider. Slowing to a halt, she knelt to allow Harmony to get off, and then trotted behind some nearby boulders for a moment. When she emerged, she was a small girl-child, an elf. She stood shoulder-height to Harmony, with pale, luminescent skin, long white hair, and Muse's classic purple eyes. Harmony grinned. "Do you ever get tired of white and purple?" Muse returned the look. "Well, no, but I CAN do other colors..." she snapped her fingers and her hair darkened a few shades, to a soft dusty blonde. Harmony gaped at her. "Muse, you can TALK!" "well, yes, when I need to. I prefer the rift-speech, mind to mind... but I can pretend?" Muse blinked her deep purple eyes, which faded to a soft lavender hue. "And I can't very well rift-speak to the villagers without raising questions about who we are..." Harmony nodded. "Yes, I'd rater not explain, since I don't even understand it all myself. If I can't, who could?" Muse snapped her fingers and clothed herself in a long linen tunic, like the guard's, but without ornamentation. "Needs something..." she looked around, then grasped some dry grass and twisted it. A rope belt & pair of simple sandals appeared, which she clumsily put on. Hamony giggled, hugging Kyir who had been quiet for the whole ride, asleep. Now he stirred with sleepy squeaks, and nuzzled at Harmony. "Muse, I think we might need to wait a bit before going in--Kyir needs to eat." Muse smiled a tiny bit too-toothily and glanced meaningfully at the guards at the gate. "If he's hungry, it's a good excuse to let us in, right?" "I suppose..." They approached the arch, sticking to the trail that emerged from the grass to wind up through the gate. Beside the trail, farm fields could be seen; some type of cluster shaped grain, and a small, deep red fruit, ones Harmony wasn't familiar with. A mouth-watering smell wafter from them, and Muse frowned. "Why does my body ache from the smell? It is pleasant, but it makes me hurt." "that's hunger, Muse. You aren't used to it, but in this form you must need to eat." Muse sighed. "And I suppose it would be bad form to eat those fruits...." Harmony smiled again. "Yes, at least until someone who works in the fields offers us some. They don't belong to us." As they approached the gate, the largest of the men snapped to attention and said "Halt!" Muse & Harmony stopped, waiting. The man sputtered a bit, as if he had expected them to pressure him, and had forgotten what to say if they complied. Harmony smiled at the man, and he blinked, then stared. "ER, excuse me, my lady. What brings you to Grebefal? There isn't much for a fine lady, to be found here..." One of his fellows approached him at this, a taller, younger man with a thin black beard & hair, studying them closely. "Vern, she's not a lady, look at her. What lady travels barefoot with nowt but a single servant and a mewling babe?" He frowned. "Where have you come from? You can't have come far, with those companions." He turned back to Vern. "we should take them to the castle, to see the --" He broke off as Kyir suddenly let out a hungry wail, flailing his tiny fists in the air. "Um. I mean, probably they need the inn..." Harmony nodded. "Yes, please. And is there a resident healer here? Or a mage?" The young man shook his head. "naw, Grebefal is too remote for such luxuries. We heal ourselves, mostly. There's Granny Jak, who does births and deaths. That's all." "May I see her, then?" He nodded, motioning them through the gate. "Yep. Second house on the north side. The one with the grey spiked roof 'n the raven on the chimney". Muse and Harmony walked through, looking around. Muse looked back at the guards and grinned at the dark-haired man. "What's your name?" He looked unnerved, but smiled back. "Neil Jaksson. Granny Jak's my Grandma. We're all related here, one way or another." Vern nodded, leaning against the wall "Yeah. I'm married to his sister 'n he's-" -here he motioned to the other two guardsmen- "-my sister's man, and our other brother. Kade and Hasren. We're here most days. Lord's orders." Harmony lifted the now-wailing Kyir to her shoulder. "Harmony and Muse, and this is Kyir. My thanks for the directions. I should go now, Kyir needs his meal and I am in need of a rest." The guards nodded and Muse cheerfully waved as they crossed the market-space and down the path, towards the first house.

It was a cold and restless night for Harmony, even with the exhaustion, Muse's warmth, and the forest's goodwill seeping into her bones. The crackling fire seemed to whisper into the darkness, and the small, hot form of Kyir on her chest made her painfully aware of how vulnerable they were... a few hours after her first sleep, she work with a moan, flinging off the weight of a horrible nightmare about ghouls coming out of the grave-cavern and tearing them apart. After that her eyes would not close so easily. The bleeding had stopped, thankfully, and she found herself in need of relieving herself. She wrapped Kyir tightly in her cloak and managed to squat awkwardly behind a bush while hanging onto the babe with one arm and a tree branch with the other... not the most comfortable of positions, but it worked, and she hadn't soiled herself. She heaved her still-heavy body back up to standing and kicked some forest trash over it, then wobbled back to the fire. Muse was already there, a white were-cat with purple eyes, staring at the fire. When Harmony approached, she glanced up and sniffed a sigh. "what do we do now?" Harmony shook her head. "I don't know...Kyir needs real clothes, and shelter. We need a place for him. A village, or something." Muse stood up cat-like, stretching out to nearly three times her seated length, then arching her back, and then finally standing. She turned her gaze eastward, where a glimmer of sun could be seen staining the sky pink and gold. "A village is there." Harmony looked; a faint black outline of mountain, trees, and other shapes--man-made shapes--stood black against the far horizon. "That's a least a day's travel by horseback, Muse... We can't walk that!" Muse grinned a cat's grin "have you forgotten ME so soon?" She lept into the air, and came down a white war-horse with a beautiful, flowing mane and tail. Harmony smiled in admiration and appreciation. "I guess I did forget. That's a nice one, you should use it more often!" Then lifting her wand, Harmony flicked water from the creek onto the campfire until it was out, and even the ashes flowed away into the grass. Muse laid down to let her mount, and soon was cantering tirelessly across the ground, hooves missing rocks and branches in a way that would never be possible without magic... Trail-less terrain that would've taken a normal horse a day, or even two, took Harmony and Muse less than a day to cross. Soon the shapes that were seen by early morning's light became wooden buildings, rugged but sturdy, a group of about 10 in all, surrounded by a high stone wall and a guarded gate. On the far side of the wall, it thickened and stretched upwards into a small stone castle, simple and sturdy like the houses below. From the mountain-side, Harmony could see directly into the town itself. Dogs barked and chickens pecked on the ground; a few fruit trees grew beside houses, and small gardens dotted the spaces between. On the gate-side, the wall opened up to a wider space where a few market stands stood, and on a raised platform a bard in a wild costume waved his arms and some kind of instrument, telling news of other lands for a mixed group of children and adults. Beyond the market-space, a second lower wall separated the castle from the town & protected a large, low building where a furnace was obviously burning, from the large smoke-stack that was billowing smoke. Harmony smiled. The place reminded her of a great stone mother hen, hovering over her chicks. It felt warm and quiet and safe, and Harmony ached with the hope that she could find a place there. She knew it might be too much to ask.

They say a picture's worth a thousand words. What words would you use for this one? I feel like there's definitely a story here.

I think we could totally world-build a cooperative writer's group game, not necessarily actual D&D but we can definitely use the characters or design it along similar lines? For example; my family like to play & I, although I have never played, greatly enjoy listening to them talk about their campaigns back & forth and laughing about the stuff they did. Taking it 1 steep further we could just have our own no-rules campaign with a bunch of Pennites, jumping in to play whomever or whatever character we "are"... it definitely would be a lot like Death of the Mighty Pen or other threads here I say let's do it I mean I'm already a Muse, might as well continue flitting around obnoxiously chitttering at people until they talk back 🤣

(munches popcorn) Wow!! I love this character-building. It's funny to me that although I have ZERO history I'm still pretty much following this, it's very scifi but I would love to see more.

Thoughts on a platter, sounds like me A little bit rhymed and clunky, a little bit short and chunky, a little bit out of the water now-- splattering thoughts like drops from the clouds. Thanks for freeing this rainbow-- these shattered bits from a day's life wrapped in a scarf of expressions, shone through by an inspiration's light. ❤️

Oi! Sir, If you would PLEASE My wings are fine and full of breeze, Not stapled thus, or glued, but magic'd on by author's art. (Athough at times, they smart!) I'm here to fan this flow, paddle the wind, Make the drafts blow Shake the cobwebs from the corners of this Pen and start again-- Sending fairy-frog-dust-glitter out and bringing PEOPLE in. ❤️

interesting..... I wonder what would make a 6 inch warrior turn into a giant? ...A Muse, perhaps? 🙃😆 Lovely to see you on the Pen.

Snypiuer Bard 591 Location:Over here. NO! Over HEERRRE!! Posted August 2 O.K., I'll probably, eventually, send out a bulk email about this, but if you're one of the few that lurk, this will give you a head start if you're interested in it. I have a problem. *Ha-ha, I know, "You can stop there Snypiuer!" reaalll funny😒* ANYWAYS, I have this concept for . . . something. Not sure if it's a poem or a story, how long it is, genre, etc. just the seed of an unknown flower. What I need is others to grow it and see what they come up with. So here it is: "A small child finds a box under its bed that wasn't there before." That's it. I have NO idea ANYTHING else: Where it goes. Is the child alone. Is it day or night. How big the box is. How old the child is. Is the child curious or afraid. I can't come up with ANYTHING beyond the nascency of what it can be. So, if you've been wanting to write something for a while, let's see what you can come up with! I have a LOT of these seeds, so I may make a section for them. Let me know what you think. (Harmony could not reply to the post "help!" So I am starting another to see if this one is better) How about-- A small human child finds a box under her bed that wasn't there before. She puts a shoe into the box thinking it is a shoebox. That night she dreams an amazing dream about shoes and hotels and fairies and wakes up, writes it down, and turns it in as an english project for school. She gets an A, and her teacher commends her for her creativity. Curious about the origin/connection of the box to the dream, she tries experiments; puts food in, dreams of a feast and a great festival, and dances the night away in a medieval castle with an elven prince. She puts in a toy car, and dreams of a racetrack and for one night is the star of NASCAR. She puts in a feather, and dreams of a great phoenix who carries her above the clouds. She starts experimenting further. One night she puts in a paper with her best friend's name on it, and a peppermint candy. The next day her friend comes to school raving about this dream she had about a Peppermint Planet that was so real she could just taste it. Then she tries something more dangerous--she puts in a paper with her bully's name, and a Grimace toy she got from McDonald's. Her bully says nothing, but when she mentions going to see Grimace at McDonald's, the bully flinches and looks ill, and then leaves her alone... The girl is thrilled at this newfound power and spends the next day wondering how she'll use it next. She makes a list of people she'll send dreams to and how she wants to use the dreams... She gets home and finds the box gone. Heartbroken, she hunts all around her home and finally goes to bed without it. She knows she can't ask her parents about it without revealing why she wants a plain little cardboard box so badly. Unbeknownst to her, her mother cleaned her room that day & found the box, and thinking it was a nice size & shape for storing things, had stashed it under her own bed...full of her mother's "personal toys", and a tiny, labeled glass jar of the girl's baby teeth.... (that's all I've got but I think the rest writes itself, don't you?) 😐 😅

What would YOU do? I know what I'd do I'd prank my dear Papa with condiments in his shoes I'd laugh like a llama with my face to the flue I'd eat lima beans--they taste JUST like glue-- that's what I'd do How about you? How would YOU wish? I know what I'd wish I'd catch my dear Mama a sackful of fish I'd repair my heirloom deviled-egg dish, I'd make all my worries and bank-loans vanish that's what I'd wish How about you? How would you fight? I know how I'd fight I'd whisper the war-cry in the dead of night I'd tickle my daughter to hear her laugh bright-- I'd paint rainbow bubbles under every street-light that's how I'd fight How about you?

It's just MUSE. In hedgehog form, rolling across the floor, looking for these so-called suicide squirrels 'cos I've half a mind to give them a good thwack, suicide is no way for any decent squirrel warrior to meet their end... hmph! 3 AM is the perfect time for hedgehogs and dragons and frogs with wings and other such things. Also pizza. There's never a bad time for pizza. *offers Snypiuer a slice*

Harmony's legs began to shudder almost immediately at the strain of standing up, and black dots danced before her eyes as her blood pressure dipped sharply. She sank back against the tree trunk for several moments, struggling to hold onto the baby. Trying to distract herself, she studied him in the dim light. He had a fuzz of pale hair, large, almond-shaped blue-black eyes....ten fingers, ten toes... so tiny and fragile. His fingers wrapped around her thumb and tugged it towards his mouth, and he blinked at her sleepily. Muse bumped her rabbit's head against her leg. "what should we call him?" she asked. Harmony stared at her, at the white fur scuffed with Harmony's blood, black against the fire-light which turned the white fur flame-colored. A name rose unbidden to her lips, as if it had been waiting all along. "Kyirtana....yes. I'll call him Kyirtana. Kyir for short." Muse rolled over, transforming into a milk-white snake, and shed her skin, leaving the blood and waste on it; the "skin" shimmered and then vanished. Muse stood, then, for once taking the form of another human being, a milk-white mirror image of Harmony herself. She reached out carefully for the baby, offering a tiny white blanket. Harmony smiled, exhausted, and handed Kyir to Muse. Carefully, then, she lifted off the tunic, lowered herself to the ground beside the stream, and washed herself, as best she could. The water was cold, but not icy. She watched as it turned red, and scrubbed off any blood that had dried onto her. There would be more, she knew, but this would help. Then she remembered the wand; was it still beside the fire? She glanced at Muse; Muse had turned 1 hand into a wash cloth & was carefuly bathing Kyir's face; Kyir was studying hers as if memorizing it. He still had not made a sound. Harmony knew that was odd, for an infant, but right now she was only grateful. Too many things responded to an infant's cry, on a dark night, and she was not prepared to fight after such an ordeal. The wand lay in the grass beside the fire, and Harmony found it after a few moments of careful searching. Lifting it, she reached into her reserves. She didn't have a lot to spend, just now... but the mountain and the forest were replenishing her, even now. A good night's sleep would have her magic at full strength again. She ran the wand across her skin, and tapped the tunic; it vanished, and another garment appeared, similar, but clean--and longer, narrower. This one Harmony slid on, and tied at the waist, forming a simple dress with an attached cloak. Muse's purple eyes looked reproachfully at her as she took Kyir back, but she said nothing except "keep him warm.." Muse herself became a massive white bear, and laid down facing the forest, back to the fire. Harmony and Kyir snuggled in on the fire-side of Muse, and soon fell asleep. It had been a long night.