Larrikan has set Aykuh down anyway, but the deep voice gets his attention. Before he can turn and look, a huge hand has landed on his shoulder. The fox finds himself firmly turned around.
Staring down at the slight Shy Folk is a huge figure. He is tall and broad for his height. Larrikan is sure it is all muscle, and the red, glowing eyes, long horns, and blunt muzzle complete with gold rung in the nose make an impressive and not entirely friendly face.
Larrikan looks up, further up, and up some more, and actually squeaks. He stammers, “Yes sir, mister minotaur, sir.”
“Be nice to the dryad, fox,” rumbles the eight foot tall horned minotaur.
“Always, sir!” says Larrikan, “She is my friend, and always nice.”
The big bovine man lets the fox go, saying, “Good.”
Aykuh gives the big bull a smack on the forearm, which he can probably barely feel. He looks shocked and horrified. She tells him, “Don’t be silly, Hotspur! That was a hug, and this is my friend Larrikan. He is a nice Shy Folk.”
Larrikan sees immediately that Hotspur is mortified to have made this little mistake, and really wants to set him at ease. Larrikan grins his winningest grin and says, “It’s all right. You couldn’t have known.” He puts his paw out, as if to be shaken.
Hotspur appreciates this and reaches out to shake Larrikan’s hand.
Larrikan times it perfectly, and steps past the big man’s arm, and turns the handshake into a warm greeting hug, saying, “A pleasure to meet you.”
Hotspur is hugged. He is clearly unsure of how to react. He winds up patting Larrikan on the back somewhat awkwardly.
Before it has gone on too long, Larrikan steps adroitly out of the hug, and grins at Hotspur, saying, “I hope we can get along well. New friends are always welcome.”
Hotspur smiles, and says, “True.”
Larrikan says, “Did you ever hear the story about the Shy Folk who tried to be friends with a porcupine?”
At the minotaur’s confused, “No?” Larrikan bursts into song, and begins singing a silly song that is more tongue twister than sense. The words and the accompanying dance soon have everyone smiling, Hotspur included.
After an evening of singing, dancing, silly stories, and upbeat music from his fiddle, and generally being an entertaining nuisance, Larrikan heads out.
He hears Hotspur tell Aykuh, “Yeah, that fox is nice.” Larrikan considers it a great accomplishment, at the end of an already excellent day.
Hotspur is soon cooking for Aykuh, and between his excellent food, the musical fox, quite a few come to Aykuh’s regularly.