The pixie Queen laughs at this revelation, and replies, “As soon as it is good and dark, I will have you taken home. If you hunt pixies, we’ll kill you later.”
“Never fear, I have no intention of hunting pixies,” assures Larrikan, “I have only high regard for all of you.”
The pixie Queen is as good as her word, and has Larrikan flown back to the outskirts of the University by the four pixies who brought him in the first place.
Larrikan finds himself standing in a sea of giant blades of grass, with four pixies hovering around him. They each dart in and give him a slightly claw-filled hug. The last says, “Bye, fox! Don’t forget us!” She nips his nose, and there is a blue flash of light.
Larrikan wakes up, aching everywhere. He sits up slowly, with a headache and nausea. Four pixies circle him, watching. They cheer when he seems to be alive.
“Bye, pixies!” Larrikan tells them, “See you at the rade!”
The pixies cheer and circle him a few more times before zooming off.
Larrikan makes it back to Barrow Hall, nearly twenty four hours later than he expected. Sleep is high on his priority list.
As it is late, Larrikan slips into the room quietly, hoping to wake no one. He needn’t have worried as Adelin, Emblem, and Eloise are all still up. They look surprised to see him, then relieved.
Eloise says, “You’re back!”
Emblem says, “Are you okay?”
Adelin says, “… What is that smell?”
Bathing is apparently required, along with a brief explanation. Larrikan finally gets some sleep.
The next day in class Coldwillow gives Larrikan the hairy eyeball and says only, “Talk to me after class.” Thim looks dismayed that Larrikan won’t be chewed out in public.
After class, Coldwillow lets Larrikan know she does not appreciate when students skip her class.
Larrikan apologizes and says he didn’t expect to be kidnapped by pixies.
Coldwillow says, annoyed, “Don’t tell tales here, boy. Why would pixies kidnap you, and how? I don’t need to know what took your fancy – or who – but I don’t want to hear bullshit. Don’t lie to me, and don’t miss my class.”
Larrikan’s ears are down, and he is unhappy to upset Coldwillow. He struggles for a moment to explain, without giving away the rade. He finally says, “The pixies did me a favor and I promised to sing for them. I didn’t know they would take me for the whole day!”