Morning finally came, the thin sunlight breaking through the sparkling clean glass of her small room.  Sitting up slowly she rubbed her hand through the heavy sable locks of her hair.  Sleeping hadn't come easily and hadn't lasted.  She felt stretched then, and images still tumbled through her mind.  Swinging her long legs out over the side of the bed she stood up, making sure her feet hit the braided wool rug and not the cold wooden floor.  Pulling down her tshirt, she knew that Aunt Mary Lin would be in the kitchen already, despite the fact that she'd been up just as long as Tara.<br/><br/>She dressed quickly, a long green sweater, just the hint of cleavage in the v of the neckline, and black trousers with boots.  More plain and american than she usually dressed here, but she needed that little dose of home to remind her of a more logical world.  One were there were no creatures whose hats dripped of blood and others that were the size of one of Snow White's little dwarf friends.  And this wasn't any kind of circus performer either!<br/><br/>Braiding her hair as usual, she headed down the stairs, humming determinedly top 40 tunes, as she rounded the corner with only the slightest glance out to the burned bush in the front of the Inn.  The scent of warm bread filled her head and then even the top 40 song disappeared from her thoughts.  "Aunt Mary Lin?  I'm up!  That bread tastes good even by just smelling it!"<br/><br/>She stopped short, her blue eyes widening at her aunt wearing her clothes inside out but still singing softly as she worked.  Above the door the hawthorne was retied into a bundle, and a thin line of salt was just inside of the door.  The other window also had hawthorne over it and if she wasn't mistaken, there were several pots of vervain now on the long dark mantlepiece of the hearth.  "Ah, gude mornin' me dearie..."  The older woman looked up at her niece as she pulled out several trays of rolls from the ovens.  "I hope ye sleep well, for in truth we'll be needin' tha' energy o'er the next few days."<br/><br/>Confused Tara poured herself a cup of coffee and settled onto a stool, snagging a hot roll from the tray and breaking it open, the fragrant steam rising up into her deep breath.  "Why?  is the village going to talk about the road again?"<br/><br/>Her aunt shook her russet head and smiled at Tara, "Nay, ya silly gel. Now tha' the fae done show themselves they'll probably be here again.  Once ya been fae touched there ahn't naething tha' can change tha' agin."  Much to Tara's blinking surprise, Aunt Mary Lin beginning talking... no teaching Tara what she knew about the fae and how they might come back.  She had doubts that they'd see the red cap anytime soon, but now the boggin... he might be back.  Tara sat there listening, her mouth half opened in surprise as she heard all that her aunt would say.