Larrikan tries to settle in to a routine, and mostly succeeds. He studies, works, performs, and learns the secrets of the written word. The only thing he might not be doing quite enough is sleeping. That hardly seems unique, however.
Another moon passes, and Larrikan goes to the rade. He plays and dances, and is only a little terrified. The pixies look after him, as do a couple of the others. They like his fiddle.
Larrikan is usually an early riser, but sleeps late the day after the rade. When he finally wakes it is fully light out, and he needs to move a little quickly to get to class.
Larrikan is moving a little slowly when he steps into the Barrow Hall washroom. He snaps fully awake when he sees Saer in front of one of the washbasins holding a very sharp knife to his own throat. Galvanized into action, and shocked fully awake, Larrikan becomes a black-and-russet blur, darting across the room, grabbing Saer’s hand to try and twist the knife from it, and shouting, “No! Don’t do it!”
Saer, who is a broad-chested, bulky young man has no trouble fending off the much smaller fox. Larrikan winds up having half-climbed Saer, using both hands to try and keep the sharp blade away from the bigger human’s throat.
Saer, who has half a face full of shaving cream, has no idea what has gotten into Larrikan. He does stop, and says, “What has gotten in to you? Get off me!”
Larrikan continues to grapple ineffectually with Saer. He tells Saer, “I will not let you do this!”
Saer uses his other hand to grab Larrikan and lifts the fox off his arm – and the floor. He says, “You what? Why not?”
Larrikan is apparently choking, his shirt cutting off his air, but he does not stop trying to get the blade from Saer.
Saer does not want Larrikan to pass out, and blue is a bad color for foxes. He lets go of the razor, and drops the struggling fox on the floor.
Larrikan clings to the blade, triumphantly, despite the fact he has cut himself with it when he landed on the floor while holding it. He says, “I can’t let you do this!”
Saer says, “Why not? I do it every day or two.”
“You… what?” says Larrikan, floored.
“I’m just shaving,” Saer says testily. He sounds genuinely concerned when he adds, “Aw, shit. You’re bleeding.”
There is a bit of scrambling around to get Larrikan to the Wise Woman’s without letting him bleed to death. Saer makes sure he gets there.
Ragna is surprised to see Larrikan – Shy Folk are usually pretty dexterous – but she can put in a few small stitches and bandage his hand carefully.
Both young men are embarrassed about what happened, once the misunderstanding is explained.