Boyce opened his eyes to see some birds flying overhead. He quickly sat up but after he saw they had made it across the bridge he felt more relaxed. He stared back, at the immensity of the Dark Forest and its perpetually clouded tree tops. Now he wondered, more than when they were inside the forest, if the mythical lore about the gremlin city, in the cloudy tree tops, was true. Lloyd now sat up, as well, and with hazy eyes looked towards the forest, too. He glanced to Boyce who wasn't looking at him at the time, very much intent in his study of the canyon. "That place will get a man -- one way or another!" Lloyd said waiting for a response from Boyce. "Boyce ... I can't begin to say how sorry -- " " -- Let it be, Lloyd!" Boyce cut into his apology, but not in a manner suggesting disrespect. "You weren't yourself and nor was I. I suppose the forest reached the both of us." Lloyd nodded and sighed as he stared towards yesterday's events. "It was an awesome teacher, my friend." Boyce began. "It taught us what we feared the most. It taught you the pain of loneliness and duty and it taught me that fighting, and killing, is unavoidable." Lloyd placed his hand firmly on Boyce's shoulder, offering a silent thanks for his understanding and forgiveness. "I know the need that you had for the company of someone like Grenadine. I suppose the forest knew that and used it against you. Yet, it didn't have the power to turn us against one another!" Lloyd felt ashamed of his behaviour of the last few days but he did believe that Boyce was genuinely sympathetic about it all. He also knew that Boyce was right about the Forest using fear against its trespassers. Boyce finally looked away from the Forest and riveted his eyes on Lloyd. "Your father told me about Charnan." he admitted to Lloyd. "I can't tell you how very sorry I felt about that. That's the only reason that I am able to understand." Lloyd's eyes glided down to his hands. "I began to fall in love with her." he confessed, remembering how soft and smooth Grenadine's skin was to his caresses. " She was very beautiful ... too bad she was a gremlin." "She was a lycanthrope." Lloyd corrected. "In ancient times they called her kind, werewolves!" "Whatever she was, Lloyd, I will never dismiss myths or legends after this trip." Far across the canyon the winds carried the howling cries of the dogs that never made it to the bridge, in pursuit of the two men. Through the telescope Boyce peered at the other side of the canyon at a scant few dogs that paraded back and forth, and then throwing themselves off of the cliff to join their dead comrades below. He passed the glass to Lloyd. "The parts couldn't survive without the rest of the body." Boyce listened and nodded at Lloyd's insight. It was personal to his friend, but Boyce understood the consequences of the dogs'suicide.