Shadewood tap your toes and clap your hands

there was something about the forest val loved, and alyx hit it close to the head -- it was old. ancient, even. a thousand lives had been spent and extinguished in these halls, and the forest was rich with the tapestry of life and history.

he dove underground, weaseling his way down the tunnel until he heard his name called tentatively behind him. with all the ease of a woodchuck at home in the dark, val turned around and began to rush back to alyx.

at that moment, alyx had began to crawl in and the tunnel was momentarily eclipsed from the sunlight above. val hadn't registered alyx was descending, and before he could stop his nose bumped gently into alyx and a scarlet flush of excitement and embarrassment rushed to his cheeks.