With these words, the Winsome Witch flourished her hands once more, and the tunnel was filled, not with the warm sunlight of the witch's forest grove, but with the bright luminescence of the glowing Ercinee Bird which now rested on the witch's palm. Winsome held the bird out to Amanda, and the Ercinee immediately took flight, first circling once around Amanda's head, then heading west along the tunnel, lighting the path ahead of Amanda with its phosphorescent glow.

Amanda wasn't at all certain that Urd was on her side, with the way things were shaping up on this day, but she followed the Ercinee anyway, hoping that the Winsome Witch's spell would work and that Fate really would shine favourably upon her quest.

As Amanda headed west, following the trail of the Ercinee, she looked back over her shoulder to see that the Winsome Witch had once again conjured for herself the forest grove, and was leaning back against her oak tree, enjoying another glass of mead. She didn't blame her for wanting the comfort of that fantasy over the dark, damp, tangled mess of her imprisoned reality within the Tanglewood tunnel, she just felt a bit put out that she seemed to be the only one doing any work here. At least she had the glowing bird now and could see where she was going.

Amanda could not see the eyes of the watchers, now that the Ercinee's phosphorescent wings shone so much more brightly than the tunnel dwellers' eyes, but she felt certain that her old companions were still there. She could feel their presence.

"Hello?" Amanda called out tentatively.

"Halloo!" came the reply from all sides at once.

"I hope that my bird does not frighten you."

"Bir friya yoo!" called out the tunnel dwellers.

It was rather strange as far as conversations went, but Amanda felt some protection from her unseen travelling companions - as if their happy voices held some power to frighten off the menacing Tree Trolls - so Amanda kept chattering away to the tunnel dwellers as she followed the Ercinee bird towards the Tree Trolls abode.