"It's these boots that are the worst," Rosella muttered, extending her legs a little and pulling back the blanket to display the riveted leather boots. "It's bad enough trying to--to run through the forest, and doubly so in things like these."

But she was calmer now, and the cave was cool and dark and quiet. It felt right, and that made it much easier to cope with. "Is he all gears and things too? I don't--it'd hurt his feelings, I think, if I saw him and screamed. But music...that'd be all right. And you know I like stories."