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It was dawn, daybreak just peeping out of its resting place, preparing for another duty of lighting the world. Ava roused from her sweet sleep as if from faraway land. She knew she had spent about a month in the forest, remembering the full moon last night. The lovely cave had become more than a home to Ava. It had become her family house, her military base, meeting headquarters, her social club and her fortress, a place of refuge from the harsh weather of the forest, and the cruel rogues. Ava looked around the homely cave, hidden within the Gingham Forest. She glanced at the entrance, guarded by a tapestry of tangled foliage and gnarled branches, which made the cave blend easily into the surrounding landscape, like a chameleon, making it nearly invisible to the unsuspecting eye.

Ava drew in the scent of damp earth and aged stone, synonymous with the cave. She listened to the sound of dripping water echoing off the walls, a soothing melody to lonely souls. The dripping was in harmony