“Okay,” Larrikan says, and holds the ladder.
There is no problem for the first two baskets that Fray and Larrikan hang. Frey thinks he can reach a third without moving the ladder, and leans far over one side, stretching for one of the suspended ropes.
Larrikan braces the swaying ladder and calls up, “Hey! Come down, we’ll move the ladder! You’ll fall!”
Fray, not looking at the fox struggling with the ladder says, “Almost…” and then screams as he falls off the ladder. A moment later, the ladder hits the ground next to him with a heavy thud. Almost the same moment there was a brief “Yip!” and Larrikan vanishes with astounding speed into the nearby trees.
Coldwillow isn’t much slower getting to the fallen young man, and asking him, “Are you all right?” She seems equal parts concerned and annoyed.
It takes a moment of holding on to the reassuringly still ground and catching his breath for Fray to say, “I think so.”
Coldwillow sends one of the others after the Wise Woman to make sure. She also looks around for the fox, but he seems to have fled.
Ranga, the town Wise Woman, was nearby and arrives quickly. She gives Fray a quick checking over, and tells him he’s going to have a whopping bruise, but will be fine. She advises he avoid falling off ladders in the future.
The rest of the lights go up without incident, and Coldwillow finally can stop a moment to think. She goes to find Ragna, and tells her the story of the fall and the missing Shy Folk. Coldwillow is somewhat frustrated with herself for nothaving prevented the accident, saying, “If I had any sense I would have told the fox to go up the ladder. I can’t imagine any one of the Shy Folk falling off of anything!”
Ragna asks the older woman, “What is really bothering you? Fray is fine, and a stout young fellow. A fall like that isn’t too serious for him. What is your worry?”
Coldwillow sighs, and says, “Someone always hurts themselves hanging those things. Fray is fine, I’m not worrying about him. I’m worried that the fox fellow will be scared off and I don’t know what he wanted. He said it was about magic, and Shy Folk never want my kind of magic. I wish I knew what he wanted. What if it was important and I blew him off?”
Ragna smiles, and says, “Well, I know how to find a Shy Folk.”