The Twilight falls and the night is approaching.
I lay in bed with my hands under my head and looked up at the ceiling. Beside me lay Derek with his arm over my stomach and slept deeply. I could not fall asleep when it circulated so many thoughts in my head, like a thick porridge I mixed everything that happened. Fights, Hellboy, telepathic force between him and me, and what did Fripp mean?
My head ache and throb of all concerns. I moved away Derek's arm and slipped out of bed and left the bedroom.
Down the creaking stairs I skipped the steps I knew squeaked, I did not want to wake him up from his deep sleep.
In the kitchen I filled a glass with ice-cold water that disappeared quickly into the mouth and down the throat and I put the glass back on the bench, where our lunch was still unwashed but nothing I felt I had to deal with now.

Instead, I put on a thick sweater and my worn tennis shoes and quietly went out the front door and out into the chilly September evening, without really knowing where I was going, I let my legs directing me where they wanted. Still, I could not think clearly, everything spun around and I had trouble focusing on one thing. I sat down on a bench at the Silver Song river with an eye towards the bridge across the river and the stable. It was quiet outside. Not an uncanny silence, but more like a comfortable silence, everyone slept even the wind, the trees, the water and the animals around me.
I leaned back against the bench, breathed in and out slowly a white cloud from the mouth evaporating quickly.
It was cold, really cold, but nothing about what we would be involved. As we all felt the chill from the passage was icy. Cheeks and nose flared up in a red color when the icy winds passed through the lightning-shaped passage up in the mountain. I looked up at the mountain behind the Avalon's house, but as the night was quiet and could not hear the wind still blew through the passage.
Once again, I breathe in and then out, and leaned forward, hid my face in my hands and rubbed violently, eagerly and tried to get rid of all thoughts. It stung when I rubbed for a long time, I spread my fingers and my eyes looked down at the muddy ground that was as still as the air, nothing could shake it.
"Emma?" I sat up when Derek's voice interrupted the calm silence. My hands fell down on my thighs and without saying anything to answer, I sat there and looked over at the other side of the Silver Song river. Derek sat down next to me.
Dressed in pajama pants and a sweatshirt, he looked with me to the other side of the river without a sound to each other in a long while.
"I do not know what I feel about this!" I whispered, afraid that something or someone would hear us.
Derek did not answer, instead he waited until I continued, but I did not know myself how I would proceed or what I really meant. I took a shaky breath, held back tears as the pain in my head roared out a lot of things to me. It was just as if a herd of wild horses that ran over my head. Consciously I hit the hands of my head and started rocking back and forth, the pain was intense and I did not really know how I would deal with the pain.

Derek hugged me and held me close to him, comforted me.
The emotions washed over and everything burst. I put my arms around his neck, tears dripping down on his thick sweater and disappear into the fabric.
So much has happened in such a short time and neither of us became wiser, everything seemed to circulate around the same place without us getting anywhere, all our obstacles were met by the round circle that does not let us past, or let us find a way out of it. Our lives were trapped in a circle.
My grip on his neck came off, but I was still sitting close to him, close to his neck and heard his heart beating slowly.
"I should have told it before, but I think it ran me off the moment when I saw you!" Derek whispered back just as low. I did not move, but waited for him to continue, but as I was before, he did not know for sure how he would proceed. He opened his mouth to continue, but closed it just as quickly.
"I think we can take it another day when I do not have a headache." I said with a smile, it hurt to smile. My face was tight after the tears dried up and it hurt a little to smile, but I felt it was right, I could not receive more details now, but it had to wait until things calm down.
Derek stood up and got with me and we started walking back to the house again. Although I'd rather stayed out here, I felt sleep chased me and the only thing I wanted was to lay me down in a bed with the man I loved.

Chiara:
I guess it was more than I had trouble sleeping. From the living room window, next to the white glass cabinet full of small and big bottles with different content, I watched Emma and Derek sat alone in the cold and held each other before they eventually started to walk home.
Our lives had really put our friendship to the test many times and although it grew stronger than ever. I spun around the living room table, where the center of the table stood a candlestick with a new candle, it has been there for several days without having had to face a lighter.
Without wearing it with my eye on several nights, I walked past it and up the stairs to the upstairs bedroom.
The lamp beside the door was on and Avalon sat leaning against the wall at the head end with a thick book in his hand. Completely have his nose in the book did he not reigned until I lay on the bed beside him.
He closed the book and laid it down on the floor underneath the bed, turned off the light and lay down under the blanket close to me.
"What did you do?" He asked curiously while his hand caressed my cheek.
"Nothing special!" I replied, and lay on my back. Avalon sneaked over with his hand on my waist and pulled me closer to him.
With a smile, I turned around and ended up above him and pressed my lips against his.
"Not tonight!" I said and put me back on the bed and laid me on the side with my back against him. Surprised, Avalon remained at the back without trying to persuade me to continue, very soon I heard the calm rhythm of his slumbering and I looked down on the floor beside the bed, where a candle burned down halfway.
I concentrated on the light. Flaming orange, red and blue fluttered it before then faded out completely. A gray streak of smoke rose before it disappeared completely and the candle remained quiet, as well as the outside world. 

Emma:
When the morning sun opened up, I thought that my headache would be released, but the moment I opened my eyes, it was there and it had no plans to leave my head. Derek had already stepped up a long time ago, and at the foot of the bed, it was two backpacks, prepackaged. I sat up slowly and held my hand to the head, rubbed the temple before I threw off the blanket and stood up.
In just simply pajama pants and sweater, I went down the creaking stairs and into the kitchen there sat Derek with the morning paper and a cup of hot steaming coffee beside him. Opposite him, my place, was another cup of coffee, a glass of water and two aspirin.
I smiled and sat down opposite him, swallowed my pain pills with water and drank then gently the hot coffee, immediately I felt better. I reached for a roast sandwich without something on your sandwich, took a bite of the crispy, crumbly bread.
"Nothing toppings today either?" Asked Derek as he leafed through the newspaper and reached for the cup.
"You know I do not want any toppings on the sandwich." I smiled and took one to chew, it was good and I did not notice how hungry I was. "I saw that you packed?"
"I took the opportunity when you slept, I have even picked up the clothes we're having on us." He said, reaching for his cup of coffee and drank cautious of it.
Wonder how long I slept?
Automatically, I looked at the wall clock above the entrance to the kitchen and I was surprised it was not more. Half past eight in morning then.

"Avalon was past before when you still were asleep ..." Said Derek and folded the newspaper and laid it on the table. "We're off to the point of sale and rent horses that can handle the cold!"
"Rent horses?" I asked in surprise, my horse did not handle the cold inside?
"Yes, we need cold-resistant horses and, apparently, would our horses freeze to death in there. He said we should be safe than sorry!" He reached for a custom stainless sandwich and spread on with butter and put on a slice of cheese.
I munched on sandwiches again, the taste was dry and it was not as wonderful as it was before.
Derek got up from the table with the sandwich in his mouth and hurried up the creaky stairs to the upper floor, it was not long until he came down with bags and were fully dressed in winter clothing. My clothes hung over his arm.
"I would rather prefer to switch on upstairs!" I muttered and put down my half-eaten sandwich. Derek smiled before opening the front door and disappeared. Why was he in such a hurry?

It was not many minutes before myself standing outside in the courtyard, fully dressed in winter clothes with the two backpacks leaning against my legs. I organized everything in my head to see so I do not forget anything, food, water, clean clothes, turned off the lights in the house, locked the door, everything seemed to be in order when Derek came up the road and approached me.
"Are you ready?" He asked me and picked up his backpack and hung it over his shoulder.
"I think so." I replied and picked up my backpack and together we went to the point of sale.
"Where did you go?" I asked him before we arrived. Face-forward on the sales premises Derek raised his hand and pointed to the retail outlet where Avalon was talking to the Manager of the stall and shook hands.
"We selected the four North swedish horses!" Said Derek and took my hand in his. Beside Avalon stood Chiara ready in winter clothes and had her eyes on the Manager of the stables, shook hands with the man and waved until she saw us coming up the small hill to the point of sale. I still could not quite really understand why we could not ride on our own horses without having to hire new ones.
Avalon saw my disapproval at the four large North Swedish horses came out of the stall along with their master.
The horses were big, no, huge and had a real winter wearing coat, thick and fluffy. Hoof beard was just as it was flying above the ground, mane and forelock hanging far over their face. The bodies were really muscular.
"Okay ..." began the man and began to hum a little. "This is Dragonkid" He held the bridle to Avalon itself. Dragonkid had a really beautiful brown color and a wide and beautiful blaze with black mane and tail, really beautiful to look at.
The man who rented out the horses tried to bring order to his horses that really stood completely still when he was, in fact, that had been difficult to keep track of which bridles that belonged to who, but after a few minutes he managed to bring order to the bartack and gave Chiara bridle to an equally beautiful North swedish horse as Avalons.
"This is the Wild River, you seem to look to be able to keep track of the horses you can ride her." The man smiled and then came up to me and Derek.
Now it was just the two North Swedish horses remained - a beautiful and light horse and an incredibly dark horse. Derek got the brighter of them while I got the dark, and that was also the biggest of them all. I swallowed and uncertainty ran over me.
The man cleared his throat a little laugh when I stood next to the huge North Swedish gelding.
"This is Dark Madness, he is the most reliable of them all, and according to what your husband has said, you need a horse, you can trust." Said the man behind the hand he held over his mouth, it was hard to interpret what he said, but when he mentioned the words "your husband" I stared hard at Derek who has had the nerve to say something about my fear of horses.
"Derek, your horse named North Flame, she is the mother of Dark Madness and the two work excellently together at the outdoor rides." The man continued to tell us that if he were to be commended for all the effort just because we should rent horses by him.
Derek exchanged a look with me when the man continued to talk to Avalon.
"You could have been more discreet when you mention my horse fear." I muttered low to him while I took a step away from the huge North Swedish horse who insisted to take a step after me, the further I moved myself from him.
"I do not think we should discuss it now." He murmured low back to me. Sullenly I looked down at the ground and scraped my shoes. Dark Madness followed my example and he dug well with its huge hoof.
"Are you all ready?" Asked Avalon us when he started to fasten his backpack in front of the saddle to Dragonkid.
I said nothing but did the same as Avalon, though I found it hard to reach the saddle, I managed to stand on a rock sticking up from the ground and fasten my backpack at the saddle of Dark Madness.

We sat in the saddles of our new rented horses and sat still for a moment, felt after before Avalon made the go-ahead to ride off. Avalon rode first with us behind.
Chiara rode up beside me, she smiled even though I could see in her eyes that she was tired and exhausted.
"Do you have a fever again?" I asked her when the North swedish horses' hooves clattered over the stone bridge. Chiara's smile disappeared and she nodded.
"Yes, it will never go away, I'm afraid." She whispered low so only I could hear her. Now when I looked at her I could see that she was hiding something from all of us, it could have a connection with what Fripp had talked to her about? We still did not know what it is?
"Due time perhaps!" I smiled encouragement to her. Chiara did not smile back, but I could see in her that all was not as it should, something big weighed her down, even though I could see that she was trying to hide it.
The horses began to walk up the steep hill to the entrance of the convicted Dinosaur Valley and would very soon a new adventure begin; in the cold.
"Be careful!" Hellboy's voice echoed in my head. I closed my eyes, trying to clear the mind and opened them again.
"I promise!" I answered him in my head. If he heard me, I could not answer, but it felt quiet and lonely without him, even though it had only been twenty-four hours ago I was told that he could hear my thoughts.
I still had not told them that I and Hellboy could hear each other's thoughts, although it is an important part of Aideens patron so I should tell them.
I jumped when Derek's hand touched mine.
"What?" I wondered. Derek pointed in front of us and we stood at the entrance to the Hidden Dinosaur Valley. The chill from the valley blew on us and our noses got direct a shade of red from the cold.
Avalon swung around in the saddle against us.
"I hope you have everything I said you would take with you?" He said, and drew upon himself a thick scarf, rough cold-resistant mittens and a thick winter hat with earflaps. I checked in my backpack and saw that Derek packed the same for me.
I hurried to put on my clothes and then turned my white hood over me, even if I hated it and did not want it on me, I could not refrain from it because it belonged to the mission. 

And it was time. Now we took our first steps right into Hidden Dinosaur Valley and into the unknown and we did not know at all what we would face in there, much less know what would happen to us.