"What am I doing here?" Snow said, looking back at the forest whence she came, and at the purple flowers in the grass that looked unusually saturated in the moonlight.

"This is a dream, isn't it?" she said to Chow Chow. Behind him, she saw snow-capped mountains and a wide, glimmering river in the valley below. The whole scene looked otherworldly, like the person standing before her. "You're in my dream," she said.

A coy smile played on his lips as the wind tousled his white hair, which seemed a few inches longer than she last remembered. "Oh, Princess, I could say the same, though I'd say that you're in my dream." He chuckled at the befuddled expression on her face and turned to admire the landscape beyond the edge of the cliff.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

She came to stand closer to him. His clothes look a little different, she thought, as she studied the silvery edges of his collar that shimmered like mother of pearl against white silk. The cloud-shaped lavender jade pendant hanging from his sash belt, caught her eye.

What am I wearing? she wondered. She looked down and realized that she was wearing the same blue robes, leather belt, white trousers, and flat black boots that she had worn during the imperial hunt about two years ago. Throughout the months that she hid from the Empress at the dwarves' cottage, she had practically lived and slept in this ensemble.

Why couldn't I have dreamt up a better outfit? she thought grumpily as she looked up at him. Oh, he's taller than I expected. Why didn't I notice that earlier?

He wasn't as tall as Erden, who towered over most people, but he stood a good head and a half taller than Snow. Ah, I know, the first time we met, he was sitting down, she thought, recalling their first meeting on the boat in the Heavenly realm.

He turned to her, still smiling coyly, his eyes soft beneath thick dark lashes. "We're in the Hidden Realm. This is another plane, or another dimension, one that only animal spirits like us can enter. Think of it like an invisible layer interwoven with the Earthly Realm," he explained.

"Oh, so this is not a dream? We're actually somewhere together? Like our souls have left our bodies to come here?" she asked, looking around.

Ever since Snow was a young girl, she had always been told to never sleep facing a mirror, or else when her soul leaves her body for the astral plane at night, it might get startled by its own reflection and never return. She'd never believe in such superstition as told to her by her nanny, but many a night she'd wished she could leave her body and the Palace behind to travel the world.

Chow Chow took a step towards her, and she caught a whiff of his rose-tinged scent. "If this is a dream, can you feel this?" he purred.

She felt his fingers touch the back of her head, and trail down her braid, causing her to inhale sharply. "And this?" He tugged at the end of her braid.

"Hey! No pulling!" she cried, yanking her hair out of his grasp.

Chuckling, he said, "I was about to go on a run to scope out the area. Care to join me? Bet you can't catch me." He slowly loped towards the forest, all the while grinning cheekily over his shoulder at her.

She snorted at his challenge. "I've caught you many times before! I'll catch you again!"

"Wa!" he cried when her hand nearly grabbed the back of his robes and he took off at speed with her in hot pursuit. They ran through the forest, laughing breathlessly as he dodged behind tree trunks to escape her. Whenever she closed him on him, he would pivot away so that he was always just out of her reach.

I've ran through a forest like this before, she thought. Yes, I've dreamt of something similar! In that lucid dream she had many months ago, she had run tirelessly with a surefootedness she never had in real life; now, she was doing the same, running over tree roots effortlessly with an agility she'd never thought possible.

"You nearly caught me! But you're still too slow!" he goaded as he ran in a zigzag fashion between the trees. "No, I'm not! I'm going to catch you!" she said, as she leaped over a fallen tree trunk after him.

In that first dream she had, she recalled turning into a bird and flying through the air towards the Jade Palace. Will something similar happen again? she wondered. She immediately regretted having that thought, because a strange sensation travelled through her limbs, like her bones were growing in some places and shrinking in others.

Oh no! I know this feeling! I felt it when I. . . The ground rushed up towards her and she landed somewhat ungracefully on four legs, the momentum pitching her face forward into the moss and fallen leaves. She raised her head and saw Chow Chow's boots slide to a halt.

"Princess!" he said, running back towards her. She peered up at him. If previously he was only a head and a half taller than her, now he was like a mountain. With his mouth opened in shock, he crouched down in front of her.

Don't just look at me like that, do something! Help me! she pleaded.

He picked her up under her arms. What are you doing? Put me down! she thought, kicking her hind legs near his chin. In between her furry legs, she saw a fluffy white tail swishing about angrily.

Instead of helping her, Chow Chow started guffawing. "Oh, Princess! You're so adorable as a fox!" he said, hugging her to his chest while she squealed in protest. "You're so small and cute, I can tuck you into my robes and carry you around," he said gleefully, before cradling her on his forearms in front of him.

"Hmm, so this was how the eagle snatched and carried you away, huh?" The corners of his mouth suddenly turned downwards, and she saw something like a flicker of fury in his black eyes.

Uh, can you put me down, please? she thought. Without another word, Chow Chow lowered her to the ground. Thank you. Now, tell me how to turn back to human form.

"Turn back?" he said, resting his chin on his fist as he sat on the grass, while a naughty smile slowly spread across his face. The fury she had seen earlier had dissipated without a trace.

Yes, how do I turn back to my original form?

"The same way you turned into a fox, my dear Princess. Only, you do it in the reverse order," he said loftily, as if it was something she should be able to do naturally, like breathing.

That's not very helpful, she thought, narrowing her elongated, almond-shaped eyes at him.

"You haven't tried yet, how would you know?" he said, twirling a lock of hair around his finger.

Fine! she huffed in her head. How did he do it? she wondered. I saw him take a deep breath and close his eyes when he turned into a dog. Maybe I should do the same, it looked easy enough. She inhaled and held her breath while closing her eyes.

Think, Snow, think of your human form. She opened her eyes to see Chow Chow watching her intently, like a cat observing a bird. Have I done it? She looked down at her paws and yowled in frustration, as he burst out laughing.

Why are you laughing! This isn't funny! she bared her tiny teeth at him, which made him laugh even harder. What if I can't change back into – hey!

He picked her up by the scruff of her neck and brought her up to his face. An evil-sounding chuckle emanated from his throat.

"Princess, it looks like the tables have turned. But it's alright, I'll be a good master. I'll treat my little pet fox very well." He flashed his canines in a wide smile.

The nerve of this guy! She twisted in his grasp and tried to swat at his face with her little paws but he held her an arm's length away. With one great effort, she swung her front leg at him, and suddenly found him flat on his back on the forest floor.

"Who wants to be your pet?" she growled above him with her hands on his chest. He blinked up at her in astonishment. "Oh, I've transformed back," she said, looking down at her hands.

"Urm," he said hesitantly. It was only then that she realized she was straddling his body with her legs on either side of his torso.

"Oh no!" she cried, hurriedly rolling off him and scrambling to get up. This is so embarrassing! I've got to get out of here! she thought as she ran away, feeling like she could self-combust from the shame.

"Princess, wait!"

She ran faster still, not knowing where she was going until she reached a clearing in the forest and Chow Chow caught her by the elbow. "You don't have to run away," he said, as they both came to a stop. "There's nothing to be ashamed about."

"Look," Snow panted. "I don't know what you're thinking, but that's not okay. I'm a married woman, I can't be doing things like that!"

"Things like what?"

"Like. . . like. . ." She covered her burning cheeks with her hands, and frowned at him. "Don't play innocent with me!"

His eyes twinkled as he said, "But I am innocent! Or at least I was, until a moment ago." He sniffed melodramatically and clutched the front of his robes. "I was pure and untouched until you sullied my person earlier."

What the-

"Princess, my honor has been besmirched! You have to take responsibility for me now!" he wailed with an exaggerated furrowing of his dark brows.

Goddess almighty! Snow thought, pulling at her hair at her temples. Why did my mother choose you of all the beings in the Heavenly Realm to protect me! she thought as he cackled aloud.

"I don't know what you're thinking, Princess, but all I have to say is. . ." He stopped in mid-sentence, his amused smile dying on his lips.

Don't tell me you're going to cough blood again, she thought as she stared at him.

His gaze went to a point beyond Snow's head, as if he was listening out for something, then he turned to look at the night sky behind him. He suddenly grabbed her around the waist.

"Watch out!" he shouted.

They hurtled through the air and a second later, a long, curved scimitar struck the ground they had been standing on.

Author's notes:

Oh no, what do you think is happening?

Would you pull your hair out if someone did a melodramatic Chow Chow on you?

The header image is a drawing I found of various jade pendants, which are hung from the sash belt on a decorative tassel.

Any guesses where the sword came from? Come back next week to find out!