Aedaith says, “What about her?”
Larrikan says, suddenly projecting his voice through the murmur of the crowd, “Feina’d like to go on adventures, wouldn’t she?” Several sets of fox ears flick in the direction of this bold statement.
A slighter, slightly shorter version of Aedaith appears to teleport next to Larrikan. She says, “Hihi, Larrikan!” and gives him a short but high-intensity hug.
Having braced for it, and recently having survived an energetic troll hug, Larrikan is prepared for this. He returns the hug with genuine warmth, too, as he knows Feina, like her sister, is a good fox.
Hug successfully completed, Feina says, excitedly, “What did you mean by adventures? Where are we going?”
Aedaith’s glare stabs Larrikan, like icicles through the heart. She mouths the word, “Bastard.” at him. With a deliberate effort, she smiles sweetly, and soothingly tells her sister, “He is just teasing you, Feina. You know he’s a very strange, boring fox who just stays in one place.” She glares at Larrikan and adds, “It’s not nice to tease people, Larrikan.”
Feina’s ears droop, and she says, “Oh, yeah.”
Before she can slink away, Larrikan says, “Ah, but there is an adventure to be had! I’m stuck here but my friends,” he points to Sakura, who is watching curously with the big cougar and armadillo visible amongst the trolls, “are going on a great adventure.”
“So they clearly don’t need a fox-girl getting underfoot,” states Aedaith. This earns her a dejected look from Feina.
Larrikan is ready for that opening, “Oh? I thought I’d heard she was a trained adult now?”
Feina perks up and says, “Yeah!”
Aedaith looks horrified, and says, “Well, but… still. What would they want with Feina?”
Larrikan looks innocently surprised at the question – the adroit storyteller that he is – and says, “Well, they are off to follow a clue the Dreamwalker gave them.”
Feina looks enraptured, and says, “Ooo.”
“To recover their powerful flying ship,” continues Larrikan, reeling Feina, “which was stolen from a field surrounded by dryads.”
Feina looks impressed.
Larrikan finishes, “Apparently for the warlord Drekaris, by no less than the Wild Hunt themselves.”
“Ooo!” says Feina.
Aedaith tries to downplay things, “Oh, that must be untrue. The Wild Hunt indeed!”
Larrikan shakes his head and says, “I was there when the dryads told us about the Hunt. We had all heard them come through town.”
He adds, sealing the deal, “I’m sure they will have more adventures. They are riding off with the trolls after the Gather, and will not have a bard in the party to write them a proper song.” He looks right at Feina and says, “Unless you go with them, that is.”
Feina is nearly agape, but then squeals with delight, and hugs Larrikan. Aed looks crushed.