It took a few days for Annifred to set up the warnings around Fulk’s farm. Larrikan risks going to check on them himself. He is his most careful, and remains out of sight. The markers are good, and he tells Dämeteakfrau so. He thanks Annifred for her help.
One of the days Annifred set markers, she came around to tell Larrikan how far she had gone. She found him at Aykchenhause, singing. People there had grown used to the fox, but the troll got some funny looks. It wasn’t clear if she ignored them or was cheerfully oblivious. She settled in with an ale to listen to Larrikan sing.
When he finished, he came over and said, “I’m sorry you had to wait, Annifred. I hope it wasn’t too long.”
“No, it good. Enjoyed song,” she tells him. “You come to trollhome, skalds teach you trollish songs!”
Larrikan looks interested, and says, “That would be fascinating, but I don’t know when I would be able to come. My new classes are harder for me.”
Annifred nods, says, “Yah, mine too. Complex maths and history of engineering taking lots of time.”
The two very different students talk about classes for quite a while. People sort of got used to the idea.
That was good, because Annifred is back a couple of days later, with a couple more students. One is a troll, the other human. Larrikan joins them after he sings and plays for a while. Aykuh does not mind, as they are well behaved and lively. Over the next few days a collection of other students begin to drop in. A human woman called Marie, a fellow called Hauk are regulars, with several others joining periodically.
Hauk brings a deck of cards one evening, expecting to quietly shark the others. He learns that trolls have a brilliant mind for what has been played, and Shy Folk have an uncanny way of knowing what he is holding. Both also take the game quite seriously, and are soon playing each other quite intensely.
In the end, Annifred out-counts Larrikan and they call it a night. Everyone manages to leave still friends, too.
Hauk decides not to bring the cards again, though.
The late winter/early spring rade is a soggy mess, rain drenching everyone and the dance floor becoming a sloppy mud hole. Larrikan brings only his recorder, and has one of the few instruments there. The music is thin and uninspired, and the dancing is slippery. Only the pixies seem to be having a good time.
Some of the mud is washed off by the rain by the time Larrikan gets back to Barrow Hall, but he is, if possible, wetter. It is very late, so he tries to dry off and go to bed.
In the morning, Larrikan can tell he has too strong an odor to be polite inside, and he tries to get to the baths to clean up, but is wet again by the time he gets back.
The wet dog smell is a problem all day.