In the middle of the night, surrounded by the nighttime noises of croaking frogs and chirping crickets, Jensen awoke. He lay on his back on his bed of moss and stared up at the stars. Shining crisp and clear in the sky, they twinkled down at him and he found he knew the constellations. He entertained himself for a minute or two finding the ones that were familiar to him.
Finding that he wasn’t drifting off again, he sat up and drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs and clasping his hands. It was then he remembered what must have been a dream.
I am a dryad.
But he was obviously not a dryad. Didn’t dryads have green skin and live in trees? No, if Jensen was a dryad surely he’d know, even with the amnesia. He unclasped his hands and let one settle on the earth next to him. Immediately he felt the connection with the Mother - felt her energy respond to his touch and make his fingers warm and tingle.
So, part dryad then, maybe? Were there such things as half-dryads? Dryads had no need to start fires using strange, foreign words, and the mayor had said that he’d had a deal with a wizard, although if Jensen had been that wizard then one would think the mayor would have recognized him.
Jensen dug his fingers into the dirt and clenched his hand into a fist. The connection with the Mother faltered and faded with Jensen’s sudden anger.
Who am I? Who are any of us?
He looked around the clearing at the sleeping forms of his travelling companions, all quietly content in whatever dream world they were immersed in. Jared snored ever so softly, so quietly that it was almost cute. In that moment, Jensen was supremely jealous of Felicia. At least she knew who she was.
***
“Do you suppose we were traveling together?” Genevieve asked the next morning while they all freshened up at the small river that flowed nearby. “I mean, it’s rather a long shot to think we’re all strangers, don’t you?” She splashed her face with water and shivered. “Oh, that’s cold.”
Alona ran directly into the river, barefoot and only wearing the shirt she’d found yesterday. She laughed and splashed a handful of water at Genevieve, who shrieked and jerked backwards.
“It’s not that cold, you big baby!” Alona laughed. Felicia looked at the water dubiously and sank her hand in up to her wrist. She lifted her eyes to Alona and shook her head.
“Not cold? You’re clearly insane.”
Jensen stood a ways downstream from the girls and their shenanigans but couldn’t help smile as Alona proceeded to splash Felicia in turn. Jensen cupped his hand in the water, prayed that it was clean, and started to drink.
“Do you think we’re married?” he heard Jared muse from behind him, and both the question and the voice startled him into inhaling instead of swallowing and he choked. He felt his face heat up - most likely from lack of oxygen - as he sputtered and dribbled water down the front of his shirt.
“What, married? Who?” Jensen was beginning to suspect he wasn’t known for his eloquence. He turned around to find Jared standing there with an amused smirk on his face, a look Jensen was beginning to be very familiar with. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
“Any of us,” Jared said, stepping closer to Jensen. “Well, any of us except Felicia. I’m pretty sure if one of us were married to her she’d let us know.”
Jensen rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh. “Oh, come on, you know you’re married to Alona, right? Or maybe Genevieve.” Jensen ran his hand down the front of his shirt, brushing away the stray water droplets that hadn’t yet soaked into the fabric. He turned back to the water to try for a second shot at a drink. Hopefully this time no one would make him choke.
“Or maybe you,” Jared said softly. Jensen wondered if perhaps he wasn’t supposed to hear that. He chose to ignore it. What did it matter who may or may not be married to each other? They’d either find out or they wouldn’t. Jared may be a handsome man and a flirt, but Jensen wasn’t going to entangle himself romantically with anyone until they figured this amnesia thing out.
He didn’t want his heart broken; neither did he want to break any hearts.
Jensen’s reverie was abruptly ruined by a splash of cold water in his face and Alona giggling. Jensen blinked owlishly at her, and she gave a coy little smile in return. Alona waded through the water until she was right next to Jensen, mischief sparkling in her eyes and in the curve of her smile.
“So, I think Jared has a thing for you,” she said. Thankfully her voice was only just loud enough to be heard over the babbling of the water.
“That’s impossible,” Jensen dismissed out of hand. “He’s only known me for a day. And he has amnesia. There is no way that he has a thing for me.”
Alona rolled her eyes. It seemed to be a special skill of hers. “Of course it’s possible. I just wanted to let you know because you seem the type to be annoyingly oblivious to someone making cow eyes at you.”
“Cow eyes?” Jensen couldn’t help but laugh. Alona looked vaguely offended.
“Yes, cow eyes,” Alona said, laughing again. “Great big, shining cow eyes.”
“Shut up!” Jensen demanded, embarrassed.
“What’s going on over there?” They’d gotten Jared’s attention now, from where he’d been over talking with Genevieve and Felicia.
“Nothing,” Alona and Jensen chorused together, and then broke out in giggles. Jared smiled uncertainly and turned back around, and Genevieve cast them a curious glance before ignoring them as well.
Instead, she gazed into the water, holding perfectly still. When the ripples faded, she tilted her head.
“So that’s what I look like,” she said. With that statement everyone stilled. Jensen felt a little foolish - besides what he’d ascertained about himself through touch only yesterday he had no idea what he looked like.
Glancing down at the water, he waited for it to calm. His reflection was there but hard to see. It really didn’t show him what he looked like, despite Genevieve’s reaction. Jensen was disappointed.
“Felicia, how long is it going to take to get you back to your oracle?” Alona asked, finally coming out of the stream. Jensen wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or if her legs really did have a slightly blue cast to them.
Water’s not cold my ass, he thought.
“We should be there by early evening,” Felicia answered with a smile. “Hopefully in time for dinner, to which you’re all invited, of course. The other devotees will consider you returning me as your gift to the Oracle.”
“Gift?” Genevieve asked, her curiosity piqued. “Are we supposed to come with a gift?”
“That is how it is done,” Felicia said. “Anyone wanting an audience with the Oracle brings a token - usually money or something useful for our community. We had a musician a while back who offered music in return for room, board, and an audience with the Oracle. That was fun.” Felicia had a faraway look in her eyes. She shook herself out of her short reverie. “We should probably be on our way, if we want to make it before dark.”
***“Felicia!”
They were still about a half-hour away from Oracle Grove, according to the devotee, when they were met by a party of young women, all on horseback and riding as fast as they could. They were all dressed exactly alike in sandals, tight white leggings and knee length, loose dresses that flowed in the wind as they rode. Felicia’s face lit up with a wide smile when she saw them, and she waved madly at their approach. The newcomers circled round Jensen’s group as they slowed their horses, and Jensen’s horse nervously pawed at the ground. Felicia was off her mount as soon as it held still enough for her to dismount, and she was soon enveloped in the arms of the other devotees, who were obviously ecstatic at her return.
“Did you escape?”
“Did they let you go?”
“Who are these people?”
The questions all came at once, and Jensen imagined the words circling round Felicia in much the same way as the devotees had while on horseback. She held up a hand for silence but her smile did not diminish. Finally the chattering stopped and all of the girls waited for Felicia to speak.
“These four rescued me and will be my guests of honor for as long as they would like to stay. They would like an audience with the oracle as well,” she explained.
“Of course, come with us and we’ll present you to Caroline!” Jensen wasn’t sure which of the devotees was speaking, or if it was more than one. They were flitting around Felicia like hummingbirds, reaching out to touch her as if reassuring themselves that she was really there.
“Caroline will be very happy to have you back,” another of the devotees said. “She’s been itching to kick out the emissaries from Sheppardston since they arrived, but didn’t want to risk your safety!”
“The stupidity!” yet another devotee bemoaned. “To think that the oracle can change her prophecy just because the mayor doesn’t like it!”
“Yes, stupid in the extreme,” Felicia agreed. “But let’s go to Caroline right away. I’m tired and my companions are as well. Also I have news of the town - I fear the prophecy has already come to fruition.”
Felicia didn’t elaborate, but remounted her horse. The other devotees had calmed down a bit, but they still laughed and giggled as they accompanied the five travelers into Oracle Grove. They fell silent as the travelers took in the sights, and Jensen wondered how their ragtag group must look to the devotees. The journey had been dry and dusty, and both horses and riders alike wore the dirt of the road on their bodies.
The village, if one could call it that was small, but what really arrested Jensen’s attention were the trees. Old and ancient, they towered above the surrounding forest. High above the ground, some trees supported buildings that seemed to be fused directly into the trunk of the trees. Suspended walkways ran between these buildings, accessible by spiral staircases that circled round the trees. No, Jensen amended, looking closer. The stairs were also part of the trees, all of it seeming alive and growing right along with the tree.
“This is the work of dryads,” Genevieve said, sounding excited. “Partly, at least. Look, the rooms grow directly out of the trees. Oh, it’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I wouldn’t mind living in a place like this!”
Jensen didn’t think he’d mind it either, assuming no one tipped over a lamp or dropped a candle. Then again, they probably had spells against just such a catastrophe, or perhaps the dryads had warded against fire. There were traditional, man-made buildings as well, all planted firmly on the ground and situated here and there between the trees.
“You look worried, Jensen,” Felicia’s voice came from his left and he turned to see her next to him on her own horse. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here. No one, not even Mayor Sheppard, would dare violate the sanctity of the Grove.”
“So how did you get taken?” Jensen wondered, and then hoped it wasn’t an offensive question.
“I wandered outside of the Grove,” Felicia said with a wry smile. “Granted, I was actually doing something important but that’s when they grabbed me and took me back to Sheppardston. I hope the town is still standing.”
“So do I,” Jensen mused, his thoughts turning morbid. In his mind he saw Sheppardston decimated, crawling with the little Witherkin spiders and inexplicably he hoped they’d stay there and not return to the forest. What did it say about him that he worried more about the trees than he did for the citizens of Sheppardston?
They stopped in front of the largest building. Over the front door hung a large wooden sign, hand painted, proclaiming that this building was Oracle Grove Visitors Center. They tied the horses to posts set in the ground and then entered, the devotees once more surrounding Felicia like a flock of birds and twittering as they took her to their leader.
Jensen hung back and found himself next to Genevieve, who looked nervous.
“Do you think this is where the oracle holds court?” she asked Jensen. As the door swung shut behind him, he looked around. The building wasn’t as large as it had originally seemed. There seemed to be what looked like a gathering place with a raised platform, not quite a stage but not a dais or a pulpit, in front of a row of long, wooden pews.
There was a series of small rooms on the left, the doors closed on all of them so Jensen could not see what they were used for.
“Caroline! Caroline!” the devotees echoed each other as they hustled to the furthest door. “Come out! Felicia has returned!”
A woman emerged from the room. She was of average height with dark hair and eyes, and wore trousers coupled with a vest that left her arms bare (unusual attire for a woman, but no less so than Alona and her dress/shirt that she’d fashioned yesterday). The woman’s face lit up when she saw Felicia and she hurried over, enveloping the red-head in a tight hug.
“Oh, Felicia I was so worried about you,” she said. “We were at a stalemate with the emissaries - they refused to release you until the Oracle retracted her prophecy.”
“I know,” Felicia said. “They at least explained to me why they were holding me hostage, even if it was a ridiculous reason. Adrianne can’t retract her prophecies - they come from the divine!”
“I am going to go ask the emissaries to leave right this moment,” Caroline said, standing up straighter and determined.
“Wait,” Felicia said, reaching out. “I would like to introduce my benefactors before you leave, if I may.”
Benefactors, Jensen mused.
“Benefactors?” Caroline asked, echoing Jensen’s thoughts.
“Rescuers?” Felicia tried again with what appeared to be a self-deprecating smile. “Whatever. In any case, they saved me from prison and certain death when these evil spiders attacked-“
“Evil spiders? My word, child, what on Earth happened in Sheppardston?”
“I’ll fill you in later,” Felicia said. “But first, this is Jared, Jensen, Alona and Genevieve. They would like an audience with the Oracle, and room and board. I promised them this in return for my rescue, but they did not rescue me because of this. They, er, they have amnesia --”
“All four of them?” Caroline blinked a few times as she tried to keep up with the rapid-fire speech that Felicia was assaulting her with. The devotees all turned to look at Jensen and his companions, some of them with outright disbelief on their faces.
“Yes, all four of them, and that’s why they want to see the Oracle.” Felicia’s wide eyes were fixed directly on Caroline’s face, imploring.
“Of course they may stay!” Caroline said. “Devotees, quit standing around chirping at each other and make yourselves useful. Take these four to the baths and then give them rooms - the usual. Felicia, come with me to my office, I want to hear everything that transpired. Lissa, take Jared and Jensen to the baths so they may cleanse themselves. Orla, you will take Alona and Genevieve.”
“Yes, Matriarch,” one of the devotees, a young woman with jet black hair and almond eyes said as she came towards Jensen and Jared.
“Oh, and you four?” Caroline said as they turned to follow the devotee, “Thank you for returning Felicia.”
“You’re very welcome, Ma’am,” Jared said. “It was our pleasure.”
“But not - not that kind of pleasure,” Felicia piped up, eliciting giggles from the other devotees, an adorably confused look from Jared, and a stern raising of an eyebrow from Caroline.
A different devotee sectioned off Alona and Genevieve, stating that the baths were divided by gender, so the girls went with her while Jared and Jensen followed the dark-haired devotee, who was apparently named Lissa, outside. The sun had started to set, and the lights had been lit and shone from windows in the various buildings, making Oracle Grove seem cozy and safe, and not a mystical place formed by dryads.
“The baths are filled with water diverted from the nearby hot springs, so it’s all naturally heated. The waters are sacred to the Oracle and will cleanse you as well as purify you for your meeting with her.”
Lissa stopped beside a tall tree and retrieved an orb-shaped lantern that was mounted on a long stick. It didn’t do much in the half-light of dusk, but Jensen was fairly sure he’d be grateful for the light once it became truly dark. He couldn’t imagine much moonlight trickling down through the canopy of trees.
“Do you know the story behind the waters that fill the pools?” the devotee asked. Then she winced. “Sorry, I forgot that you can’t remember -“
“It’s alright,” said Jared in a soothing voice. “We’re not offended. Are we, Jensen?”
“Huh, no, of course not,” Jensen said, caught off-guard.
“Would you like to hear the story?” Lissa asked as she led them away from the Visitors Center.
“We’d love to,” Jared said with a smile. That seemed to enliven their guide, and she gave a small smile in return.
Lissa beckoned them to resume following, and the light she held illuminated her, if nothing else.
“A very long time ago, before the archipelago was formed, there was only the mainland and this island. There was a child born from the union of a Salamander and a mortal woman, and they named her Femaya. She grew up on the mainland, becoming a great beauty who had many suitors, but she had been betrothed early on to Veris, the God of Springtime, and so she turned away all others who would try to win her hand. There was one suitor, though, who would not be turned away. He was a demi-god himself, a child of the Sky and a human, and he would not be dissuaded.
“One day when she was off on her own, he stole her and secreted her away on this island. Some say this grove is the very spot she was hidden away. The demi-god knew that if he stole Femaya when summer was waning that Veris would be at his weakest, and unable to rescue her from his island. Femaya wept for her betrothed to come and save her from the demi-god. Femaya was a creature of heat and fire, and could not abide the touch of water, and so the demigod knew she couldn’t escape from the island without help. He left her here to think about her rejection of him, certain she would change her mind. She did not, and as time passed she grew despondent, while Veris grew more and more desperate to reach her. Finally, using the last of his power he summoned land to rise from the bottom of the ocean, forming the islands of the archipelago, in the hopes that Femaya would be able to leap from island to island and be reunited with him.
“The demi-god saw what Veris was doing and engaged him in battle, knowing that he was weak and easily overpowered, and so the land bridge was never completed. The demi-god left Veris lying in the mud and half-dead, where he would lie until Spring came again. The demi-god then returned to Femaya and told her that he had killed her beloved, and showed the image of him lying lifeless on the mainland. Femaya wept for days and her tears formed the Pool of Tears. We know the pool was formed by her tears because of how warm the water is, and it is still warm to this day.”
“But what happened to Femaya?” Jensen wanted to know, entranced by the story.
“Oh, it’s not a happy ending,” Lissa warned. “Once her well of tears ran dry she decided she would rather die than marry the demi-god, and so she stepped into the ocean. She killed herself.”
“That’s so sad,” Jared said. He sounded genuinely upset by the story. Lissa nodded and was silent. As she’d told the story, she’d led them past the trees with the elevated walkways and quite a ways after that, past trees that dripped with moss and other clinging vegetation. Jensen could imagine fairies living here, flitting about from tree to tree. Above them, the sky steadily darkened and the forest below it darkened even more, so that Jensen was growing concerned about finding his way back to the grove once he was done bathing. Nearby, he heard running water.
Good, they were almost to their destination.
A man-made - or perhaps dryad made - fence appeared in front of them, marring the primeval feel of the surrounding forest, but it was a welcome sight nonetheless. They followed Lissa through a tall gate in the fence and found themselves standing in front of a large pool of water.
“This water is from the sacred pool of the Oracle,” Lissa said. “Treat it as such.”
“In other words, don’t pee in the water,” Jared whispered, leaning close to Jensen. Jensen’s eyes widened and he choked back a laugh, earning a disapproving look from their guide.
“Sorry,” Jensen said. “Yes, I understand. Don’t worry; we will treat it with respect.”
“Thank you,” Lissa said. She turned on her heel and proceeded to light the lamps that were arranged around the bathing pool every so often. Once the area was illuminated Jensen could truly take in the beauty of the bathing area, and it was breathtaking. The basin of the pool was carved from stone and the water was crystal clear despite the steam that rose from the surface. Around the edge of the pool a walkway of wooden planks had been fashioned. Cushioning the ground between the walkway and the privacy fence was a bed of moss that had sprouted little white flowers, and the fence itself was covered in flowering vines.
“Wow,” Jensen breathed. “This is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Lissa said. “We work hard to keep it that way. There are fresh towels and robes through that door over there. Please leave your soiled clothing in the basket by the gate and we will wash it for you. It will be returned to you in the morning.”
The door Lissa was referring to was attached to a small but well-built shed that looked to be part of - or was perhaps growing from - the fence.
“Enjoy your bath. I’ll await you a ways down the path when you are done to lead you to your room for the night.”
“Thank you,” Jensen said to Lissa’s back as she left the bathing area. She shut the gate behind her and then it was just Jensen and Jared.
Jensen was suddenly shy, which was ridiculous considering he’d been completely naked when he’d met Jared. Rolling his eyes at himself, he quickly took off his clothing, deposited it in the basket and made a beeline for the water, pointedly ignoring Jared.
The water was unexpectedly warm, despite what Lissa had said. He sank into it with a groan, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation of the water sapping the stress from his muscles.
“Oh, that’s nice,” he heard Jared say. Jensen felt the water ripple around him as Jared entered the pool.
“Mmmm,” Jensen said in agreement, which the best he could muster under the circumstances. They stayed like that a little while, both men just relaxing and enjoying the warm water.
“I suppose we should actually bathe,” Jared said. Jensen opened his eyes to find Jared standing in the water directly in front of him. He lifted a hand and pushed his dripping hair out of his eyes - eyes that were fixated on Jensen’s face and full of intensity. Jared looked like he might reach out, might touch Jensen. His hand lifted slightly, and Jensen tensed, holding his breath. His skin tingled in anticipation and it confused him. Jared let his hand drop back to the water, a sheepish grin on his face, and Jensen relaxed.
“What do you say, I wash your back, you wash mine?”
“Sounds good to me,” Jensen agreed. There was a bar of soap and two washrags sitting on the edge of the pool, which Jared retrieved. He handed a washrag to Jensen and the soap, and then turned away.
Jensen lathered the soap on the rag and then used it to gently scrub Jared’s back for him, watching the way the suds ran in rivulets over the muscles there, slowing as they reached his lower back and pooling in bubbles around his hips. Jensen rinsed the rag in the water before lifting it to Jared’s neck and squeezing, watching as the water followed the path of the suds. Jared’s wet skin reflected the light from the lamps and before he realized what he was doing, Jensen lifted his hand and ran it down Jared’s back, skin to skin, his fingers tracing the line of taut muscles. He realized he was holding his breath. Something had changed in the air - it felt charged, different.
Jared turned around to face Jensen.
“Oh hello there,” Jared said. “Fancy meeting you here, gorgeous.”
“Do you really think this is the time for flirtation?” Jensen groused, narrowing his eyes.
“I have amnesia,” Jared said with a smirk that made his eyes twinkle. “As far as I know there’s never been a better time. Turn around, I’ll get your back.”
Jensen did, leaning his head forward. Jared washed his back gently yet quickly, and Jensen sighed as it relaxed him even further. Jared’s hands soon replaced the washcloth and ran over the skin of his back, down his sides. He wrapped one long arm around Jensen’s waist, easily tugging him backwards through the water until he was pressed against Jared’s naked body. Jared let his fingers explore Jensen’s torso, trailing from his sternum down his belly. Jensen shivered. They were close. Too close, Jensen thought. He turned back around to face Jared.
Jared rested his forehead against Jensen’s, breathing heavily. Jensen pretended that he hadn’t just been pressed up against the beginning of Jared’s arousal.
“What - what are you doing, Jared?” Jensen asked, his heart racing. Jared raised his own hand to Jensen’s face, not caressing, rather just touching.
“I have no idea,” Jared said, before leaning forward and closing the distance between them. It took Jensen just a moment to realize that yes, this was happening and that Jared was kissing him.
Jensen stopped breathing. This kiss had stolen that from him. It was warm, it was gentle and tentative. This kiss was a question, and that question sought an answer that Jensen wasn’t able to give. Not now. Perhaps not anytime soon.
Jensen pulled away. His breath returned, a little ragged - a little heavy.
“Jared, we can’t,” Jensen said.
“We can,” Jared said. “I know that I’m not married to Alona or Genevieve. I can feel that. I may have amnesia, but I don’t think that would change my preference, do you?”
“I don’t know, Jared,” Jensen sighed. “Maybe?”
“I doubt it,” Jared said. “But I don’t want to do anything you don’t want me to do. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Part of Jensen wanted to lean forward and draw Jared down into another kiss, but the rational part of his brain knew that was a bad idea.
“I can’t do this right now, Jared,” Jensen said finally. “You don’t know me yet - I don’t know me yet. I don’t even know what I look like, not really. You say you know that you aren’t with Genevieve or Alona, but it’s possible that you could be with someone. You could have a family. I could have a family.”
Jared’s eyes softened. “Fair enough,” he said, but he sounded disappointed. Jensen stood firm though. He at least needed to hear what the Oracle had to say before he entertained the idea of kissing Jared again -- despite how much he might want to in the meantime.
***After they bathed they were shown to their room. This one was situated at the base of a tree instead of elevated, and was very cozy with two beds and a table. Some baskets of fruit, bread and glasses of water had been set out. Lissa said it was to tide them over until breakfast since they had arrived too late for dinner.
Jensen and Jared ate all of it, and then Jared disrobed and climbed into the bed he’d claimed as his own. It was then Jensen noticed that there was a mirror in the room. Curious, he walked over to the mirror and stared. He’d seen his reflection in the river, of course, but this was different. Seeing his reflection in the river water had been distorted, like looking through a windowpane in a rainstorm. This was clear, and at the same time unexpected and surprising.
That he was good-looking was obvious. It explained the looks he’d gotten from people - it explained the looks from Jared. Jensen was a little disconcerted by his reflection. Nothing seemed wrong about it, but he was doubly glad that he’d stopped Jared in the pool. It was possible that Jared was only attracted to him on a purely aesthetical basis.
He looked again, evaluating. He hadn’t expected to have such green eyes. His hair was lighter than the river had shown him, more of a dirty blond than brown and he had freckles. Huh. Freckles were cute on a kid but a grown man had no business having freckles.
“I like your freckles,” Jared said from his bed. When Jensen threw him a surprised look Jared grinned.
“You just growled the word freckles, did you not realize?”
Jensen shook his head no and went back to examining his reflection. Besides the freckles, he noticed his ears stuck out a little and when he scrunched his face up, he catalogued the slight crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes.
“Are you going to stand there looking at yourself all night?” Jared asked, his grin narrowing into a smirk. “I mean, you’re pretty, but you know what they say about vanity.”
“No, not really,” Jensen said, turning to face the other man. “What do they say?”
Jared shrugged and his eyes twinkled in amusement. “I can’t really remember.” He tapped the side of his temple with one long finger. Jensen rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress his smile.
“You’re ridiculous,” Jensen said, moving over to his own bed and snuffing the candles that lit the room.
“Got you away from the mirror, didn’t it?” Jared teased.
“Oh, go to sleep, Jared,” Jensen said, laughter in his voice.
“Goodnight, Jensen,” Jared replied, and that was that.
Chapter Four |
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