Just realized I hadn't already done this, haha. Sorry! I uploaded the chapter kinda late last night and then went to bed early since classes have started up for me again. Boo. I'm taking a lot of hours, so hopefully it won't be too stressful (and I'll have time for the important things ;)).
Anyway, as promised, a 'cool' character reunion, and other fun things. And a semi-cliffhanger, I guess, but considering who our next POV is (and the condition we last saw him in) it shouldn't be too suspenseful. :P
@Swyfte: To be honest, I'm not sure if we will ever hear the whole story, at least not from Sage! It's quite long, and since his style of story-telling often skips over a great deal of dialogue, we would be missing a lot!
If I may ramble about the Pan/Lorelei thing for a moment, their story actually came from a (complicated and confusing) dream I had months and months ago. Most of the details (two foxes, where they came from, magic flowers, sun/moon etc.) came straight from the dream itself, and worked out nicely, but obviously it was the sort of tale that would not work as a decent plot on its own - at least not with a bit of context. The dream helped me get thinking about my old foxy characters (Sage & Sprite again) and after a few good shower-thinking sessions, Vulpine was born! I do think it would be fun to make it a story in itself someday, but it's such an out-there kinda thing (since it's in the spirit of a folktale, but would be a full-on story instead of just a side note) I'm pretty sure no one would actually want to read it, haha. Ah well. It is a fun thing to slip into the main storyline now and then, and I might end up just writing it in my free time and hoarding it for myself. :P
Anyway, back on track: Are you sure I have nice days? Holly's brush with death was planned from the beginning, after all, and so are a number of others. Really, I think every day would be a mean one, since each one brings us closer and closer to the endgame bloodbath (and all the misfortunes along the way). But if you want to pretend I'm good and fuzzy on the inside, that's okay too. :D
@Lynxeye: You know me too well, haha. Certain circumstances might force my hand earlier than I would like, or not - it just depends on how a few things in the story pivot. We'll figure everything out eventually, though - and this story definitely won't take two years to get to the end. xD
@Pain: Sprite's mostly upset because not only was Trap her father (despite the rather horrible things he did, she and her brothers always assumed he had some reason for them, and there is that blood bond that's difficult to shake; accepting that Trap was just nuts/abusive would imply that those traits might be lurking in Sprite herself, and she's probably no ready to admit that yet), but also because Sage never told her what he had done. Everything Sage does is to protect her - but Sprite does not exactly welcome this, as she has that age-old I-can-take-care-of-myself streak running through her, along with the I-should-handle-my-own-problems-so-others-don't-have-to thing. She sees Sage keeping the truth from her for so long as a breach of trust; it's actually one of many, as she now knows he has been keeping a lot more from her, if he somehow knows Musk and other things he shouldn't. It probably doesn't help that they come from entirely different points of view; Sage is old and crotchety and cynical and remembers the dangers of his youth all too well, whereas Sprite is endlessly curious and starry-eyed and thinks everything can be better if you just belieeeve. They don't share much common ground, and while that was fine and dandy when she was younger, now that Sprite is nearly an adult, they need to figure out a new arrangement before they end up biting each other's heads off.
Bit of a ramble there too, but ah well. Thanks for tagging along, guys, and I'll see you next Sunday! :)
