Travis' humming grew louder as he strolled through the overgrown grass. He hadn't quite been able to grab shoes before being rushed out the door, but he didn't mind. The grass brushed softly against his bare feet, and the crunch it made when compressed was enjoyably satisfying.

A bird chirped along to Travis' song, a melody made of only a few notes. He had no show-stopping gift in singing, he was aware, but his modest voice brought him pleasure and little butterflies fluttering in his stomach. The birds accompanied his choir in a song otherwise so isolated and lonesome.

Travis skipped along the back paths of Phoenix Drop, scouting for the rare appearance of a patrolling guard. None ever dared to venture deep enough to find him, though the faint galloping of horse hooves somewhere in the distance found his ears. Travis brushed it off and happily sang on with his white curls rustling around playfully in the wind.

It was a bright bluejay that echoed each of his notes. It flew beside him, peeking over his left shoulder, then his right, and twirling around him. Travis smiled and gently stroked the bird as it had quaintly settled on his shoulder before taking off once more. Neither knew of the audience of two that curiously eavesdropped on their duet from within the foliage.

The forest flourished thick and dense with tree trunks and leaves filling in every corner. The eye was unable to escape the endless shades of green. Mossy deep-brown trees surrounded Travis and overcast cool shadows onto the rich ground. The air breathed comfortably, and the breeze swam through the trees as refreshing as the one that swept across an ocean. The sky rested as a peaceful shade of gray after a light, early morning drizzle, and the handle of the woven basket swayed back and forth on his fingertips.

The blue bird perched on a straggly tree branch beside a green bird that stood slightly larger in size. It puffed out its chest, rustling its feathers like it intended to dance. Travis hummed his melody to them. He swore he saw a smile on their tiny beaks as they cuddled one another and sang back. He laughed and gently tapped them both on the head. A red cardinal and its friend, a yellow finch, hopped over to also receive a pet. "How does every bird have someone to sing to, but I still haven't found anyone?" he mumbled yearningly.

Travis continued on deeper into the forest, tweaking his song a bit as he went with riffs of "I wonder" spiraled into the melody. The scamper of footsteps followed. First, it was a curious squirrel, and then the patter of hopping rabbits. And right before him, with a swoop fell a brave owl that sank from its high treetop bed. It gravitated downwards to a branch and then settled down right in Travis' woven basket.

Travis, now starry-eyed at the animals scurrying by his feet, moved forward slowly, seeing if they'd follow. They gleefully did, hastily bounding through the grass to keep up. He must have looked so cool, he thought, leading a parade of animals through the forest. They marched along with him towards a log bridge.

He had to be careful while crossing, especially with all of the new spectators to potentially make fun of him. Otherwise, he'd fall right off and from experience, that was not fun. Travis slowed his pace and cautiously stepped across the log with calculatedly placed footsteps. However, it didn't take long before he quickly gained confidence and picked up speed. The wood creaked.

Travis accelerated to a heavy-footed sprint, the wind whistling in his ears. He clumsily leaped off the edge of the log, soaring through the air. He hit the ground hard, tripped, and screamed, "AGH," as he stumbled and nearly face planted. The rabbits ahead turned back at him, tilting their heads. The squirrel snickered. "I'm okay," Travis called, flustered, "I'm just not as graceful as you guys."

He grunted in effort as he stood up, then awkwardly regained his balance and walked on. The embarrassment was still hot in his cheeks. It certainly took quite a bit of time but eventually, the destination approached and his thoughts traveled elsewhere.

Travis mindlessly danced around the moss and overgrown grass, picking a few berries, tripping over his feet, and humming dreamily to himself. His cheeks remained the color of roses and his focus unclear, though he wasn't flustered anymore. At least, not for the same reason. A slight smirk was stuck on his lips. The animals brought a few berries his way and proudly dumped them into the basket. Travis thanked them but soon assured them they could stop.

Travis caught a glance at the castle that stood tall and proud in the misty distance. He approached it cautiously. The formation was bold and sturdy, probably like its ruler, he thought. Its silhouette was that of a giant that peered down on the winding valleys and rivers below. With gloom, he rested his head on a thick tree branch and stared in wonder. "Why do they still treat me like a kid?"

"Who?" The owl cooed, hovering in front of him.

Travis shrugged, "My uncles," he turned around harshly and strolled along through the dense trees. He quickly added, "their names are Garroth, Vylad, and Zane."

A small pond hid behind a line of bushes. He pushed his way through and sat down on the surrounding rocks, letting his feet dangle above the water. "They never want me to talk to, or even meet anyone," Travis lamented wistfully. The birds chirped sadly.

The animals curled up around him, the squirrel gazing upwards. "You all are really cool but I think I need some human friends. I mean, you make me not alone, I guess, but you can't really talk." One of the rabbits nudged him affectionately. He could've sworn the rest glanced at each other as though worried for him. Perhaps communicating?

Travis perked up. "But guess what? I pranked them," he smiled smugly, "I have met someone." The glimmer returned to his eyes as his cheeks became even pinker.

He stood up and twirled, giggling. He dizzily turned and flopped down on the grass, sprawling out his arms and legs. His thin cloak bunched up underneath his back. Dozens of more animals scurried down from the trees and swooped from the air. They twittered and squeaked while the owl asked once more, "Who?" Travis didn't answer, however, and closed his eyes, daydreaming. One of the rabbits sniffed his ear.

"Who? Who? Who?" cooed the owl impatiently. It perched on Travis' chest, shaking its feathers with uncontained excitement.

Travis took his time to get up. He wandered some more, the animals following. "Oh ya' know, a princess." The birds fluttered excitedly around him. "She's... She's really pretty and... she's just..." he smiled, hiding his face.

The squirrels pawed at his feet, urging for more information. "We walked through the forest together and talked about the things we love, and I may have flirted a little with my totally awesome pickup lines," Travis bragged, glancing off to the side.

The owl cooed a, "Wooo~"

"Shh," Travis laughed, flustered, "and then right when I'm about to tell her I care, to say "I love you", I reach out my arms to her and then..."

The animals drew in closer, their big eyes wider with anticipation. Travis' expression fell. "Then I wake up," he sighed. The creatures' heads sank.

"I know, daydreaming about girls is dumb but..." he confessed, "who knows, maybe dreams can come true. Sometimes, at least," he shrugged with a little spark of hope fluttering in his chest.

He didn't notice the four birds, the owl, or the first two squirrels and bunnies sneak away. They all huddled on the shore of a nearby pond. They squinted and peered across, their attention set on a blue jacket and hat swaying back and forth on a tree branch.

The animals all scurried around, hiding in the neighboring trees. "I don't hear many people singing in the forest other than me," a young woman, perhaps seventeen or so, laughed, "It was kind of cute," she glanced up at her horse which was snacking on some tree leaves. "Just next time, if you hear something, don't jump into the lake." The horse huffed.

She continued, "Though, I bet even he'd be better than all of the dumb suitors Dad keeps trying to set me up with." She brushed her long blue hair over her shoulder, ringing out a few droplets of water. "It was like--" a squeal of alarm split the air.

She whirled around. Birds latched their talons onto her jacket and hat and took off. Close behind, rabbits snatched her boots and dragged them through the grass. "Hey!" she cried. "What the hell? They just took my stuff!" She scrambled up, shaking droplets of water off of her fingertips and tore off.

Travis had sat himself down on the roots of a tree. The smallest of the rabbits laid in his lap, very fond of the attention it was receiving as Travis pet it. The other animals still huddled around.

The grass rustled beside Travis and he heard what almost sounded like a chuckle from the owl. Confused, he sat up and quickly looked over his shoulder. His expression immediately flipped to a smile. He fake gasped, "It's my dream princess!" He laughed at himself.

The owl had stuck its wings in the long, lace-lined sleeves of the jacket. It puffed its chest out proudly as the blue and green birds carried it by the cuffs across the open grass. Travis giggled and bowed. He outstretched a hand toward the "princess" as she curtsied and twirled, and he amusingly praised, "You're highness."

Travis stepped closer and inspected the face of the lovely "woman". The birds wrapped the sleeves around him for a hug and the squirrel, hat on its back, perched on the owl's head. "Nice to meet you too," he laughed.

Travis thought for a moment and sang, "I know you, I've walked with you once upon a dream," he pridefully waltzed with the birds and squirrel. The rabbits hopped around in the boots, mimicking his steps. Travis continued, happy with his lyrics, "I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam." He continued to sing, a smile never disappearing from his face.

The blue-haired woman and her horse emerged slightly from the teal bushes. They looked at one another, and back at Travis. She smirked mischievously.

"You'll love me at once," Travis serenaded the bird, "the way you did once upon a dream," he la-da-d around in circles. He closed his eyes and let himself travel into the world of his dreams. "But if I know you, I know what you'll do~"

"You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream," sang a second voice. It was beyond beautiful. Travis' eyes flew open. It was a real person he was embracing in his arms. He jumped back in alarm, their fingers still intertwined.

The breeze blew her blue locks just off her face revealing a woman whose beauty left him stunned. She had gleaming irises bluer than a clear sky that were focused on him, solely on him, and she had a pure look of adornment in her gorgeous, shining smile. She had long, full lashes that traced her calm, tranquil eyes and eyebrows that curved with just the slightest hint of eagerness. She was something out of a dream.

Travis' eyes were wide as she finished the song. He gaped at the owl, which shrugged, innocent, with the jacket still on its feathers. "Oh my Irene," he whispered breathlessly. He brushed his bangs off his forehead, worried about the dirt he had accumulated on his clothes during his adventure. He retreated backward and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.

She reached forward gently to hold his hand, blushing, "Hey! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she apologized. He swore he heard her mumble something encouraging to herself.

Travis was sweating profusely. He smiled a little too brightly as his eyes drifted down to her soft hand in his. His heart was fluttering in his chest, so much so that he was sure it'd fly away. He slowly slid his hand out from hers and started to turn away yet couldn't bring himself to stop facing her. "Oh, no i-it's my fault," he trailed off. Her silky blue hair seemed to flow like a waterfall lighter than the wind. "It's just you're uh," he laughed breathlessly.

"A stranger," she finished, a playful tone in her voice. She had a facade of confidence about her from the way her body relaxed with a hand on her hip and head tilted ever so slightly. It was almost intimidating. That or stunningly attractive. Yet, her stance read a subtle unsureness, perhaps just as nervous as him.

Travis partially nodded and replied, "Mhm." He became aware of his heated cheeks and racing heartbeat. He struggled to find the next words to say to her, the witty line he would vocalize with utter confidence to win her heart of gold, but his mind fell flat.

She smiled and teased, "Come on! Don't tell me you forgot. We've met before!"

"When?" There was no way he could forget meeting someone like her.

"You just said when. Once upon a dream," she gestured with open arms.

THAT WAS SO SMOOTH! Travis blushed to a color redder than her rose-painted lips.

The woman began again, "I know you, I've walked with you once upon a dream," her voice was heavenly. It was as though the queen of the angels stepped down into the forest and sang a lullaby just for him. Travis was entranced as they walked hand in hand through the trees. He no longer saw loneliness in the gray clouds of the sky, all he could think of was love. No, all he could think of was how he loved her. She brought a new, enlivening life into his eyes; amazement he couldn't possibly describe.

Soon they found themselves dancing beside a pond, their wavy, joined reflections gliding in the glittering water. They twirled and spun with the leaves whirling and descending into the soft grass around them. The animals watched in awe. They squeaked and chirped, cheering the two on.

Travis and the woman gazed deeply at one another, warmth in their cheeks and nervous grins on their lips. Their hearts beat in sync. Their delicate steps paced in a loose square, the woman guiding Travis through his clumsiness.

And when they were too tired to dance another step, Travis guided her over to the cliffside that overlooked the castle. He held her hand and ensured she didn't step too far. He cautiously wrapped his arm that had finally lost its shakiness over her shoulder and held her close as their backs rested against the tree branch.

This girl, he'd known her for who knew how many minutes had passed, but Travis' adoring gaze was golden with affection. Butterflies in the thousands awoke in his stomach. With her by his side, the forest and the view, no the world was more breathtaking than he'd ever known. This feeling, he was sure, was love.

"What's your name? I guess I should've asked that before." The woman laughed softly.

"Hm?" Travis turned. His mind blanked at the sight of her face once again.

"Oh! Ha, my name. It's..." he hesitated. The animals hushed in pure silence. They had yet to hear their new friend's name themselves.

Travis pushed away in a panic. "No no no, I-I can't!" He ducked under the tree branch. "I'm sorry! You are a very pretty lady and I'm very happy I met you!" He stepped on a branch, cracking it in half. He started to run back to the house.

"What? Wait! You're leaving? When will I see you again?" called the woman.

"Um, probably never! Sorry!" Travis called back.

"Never?" The woman and his heart cried, unable to understand. She chased after him.

"Well, uh maybe another day! I don't know yet!" Travis responded over his shoulder. He leaped over a puddle, nearly tripping.

The woman ran around it, "When? Like, tomorrow or something?"

"Probably not!" Travis yelled, "Actually tonight! At the cottage in the woods! That's where I live!"

The woman, Katelyn, stopped. She watched as he disappeared. Utter bewilderment halted her mind. "Did he really just tell me where he lives?" She could not wrap her head around the reality, but she eventually resigned, laughed, and turned to her horse. "He's such a dork," she sighed, dreamily gazing off.