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Lyssan sighs and shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Kero... but she can't have that box... my trunk... my crown... I'd give her all of it if she needed it...but the box no... and she already knows this... she's playing ye against me, I'm afraid. I've tried explaining it to her, but she just won't listen."

Luna starts crying, "Buff it my box.... I wuv my box..... Daddy.... I wann my box...."

She looks from one to the other, then flies from the room crying her eyes out.

"Look... I'm sorry, Kero... really I am.... I know she's attaached to the thing but... it's my gate. I need that connection." says Lyssan raising her hands slightly in frustration.

"Then make her another one." says Luciel from over by the sink.

Lyssan flinches. "I don't know iffin it will work. I think she's got some sort of residual attachment to the smells and feel of the shrine."

**munch away, kiddo... cya l8r...**

Lyssan sits down at the table and rests her head in her hands. "I kind of know how she's feeling. I just don't know what to do... I need that box... she doesn't, but she's so attached to it... maybe a substitute... but what... something that links her to a place all her own... does she ever speak of the swamps or shores?"

Luciel whistles in alarm. "No way... she's too on the edge fer that, that's fer sure. Too easy to tip her to the dark side of her nature iffin she's exposed to that."

Lyssan nods. "But maybe we could form a tiny pocket here fer her... a sheltered cove or something... heck if we can find one and screen out anything dangerous, tossing a bubble shield about it... giving her a special spot to escape to.... a playground so to speak... now that's well within my realm of possibilities... What do ye think, old friend? Ye think she'll go fer it?"

**sorry... ye hopped on and off so fast on me... I'm terrible at paying attention to who's popping in when I'm playing a game...**

"Find the location and filter out the baddies and I'll bubble it, like I've done my realm. As she gets older ye can cue the shield to letting her through, but until then, it will be a bonifide playroom... the only things in it will be the ones ye want there. That's how we screen the realm. Good creatures pass through freely, dangerous ones are kept out. We have low level predators now, but when the kids were small I even had those barred. Now sure what we should link it to. It needs to be something she has to interact with that's keyed to her, like the doors on my shrine. Otherwise, people will be tumbling through without warning." says Lyssan thoughtfully. "As for keeping all the bad things out... don't. Keep it as natural as ye can get, it's easier on it's environment then. So bees and hornets, small snakes and the such should be left go... they'll help keep the eco-balance stable and give her something to practice on..."

How deep is the swamp there? Can she fish? And is there any place we can put a cave fer her... I'm thinking we should make this thing grow with her... a playground fer now... a home fer later... what do ye think?" says Lyssan thoughtfully. "She's small now... but she's growing by the day... in a few years she's going to be the size of a small draft horse... she'll slow down a bit then fer a few years, but she'll need to be looking for a lair about then as well."

Sniffling she back into the darkest corner there, praying he doesn't find her. She had thought long and hard about her hiding place, feeling angry and sad, and somehow very empty. Then it had come to her that Kero wouldn't look for her under his bed. But now, there he was, puttering about the room and she is scared half out of her wits.

She curls up into a tight ball, tears leaking from her eyes. All she wanted was her box, the box with all the nice smells and dreams....