Larrikan says, “Oh!” and remember why he came. He thanks the pixie and goes out to dance.
The dance floor is full of fae, many kinds Larrikan does not know, and many he has heard only dangerous things about. He moves into the crowd, somewhat tentatively, but is soon dancing in the moon’s silver light, filled with energy and high spirits.
It isn’t long before a dancing nymph grabs Larrikan and dances with him, laughing at the fox’s surprised look, but enjoying his company and sure-footedness.
Larrikan dances with several partners. The very beautiful human looking woman turns out to only have a front half – the back is hollow – and dances well. She whispers in his ear, “I’m glad I didn’t eat your soul earlier, fox. I’d have missed your violin.”
“Better not eat me on the way home, either,” Larrikan boldly tells her, “or I won’t be able to come back next time.”
For the last dance of the night, Larrikan finds himself dancing with the pixies. The leader stays in front of him as his partner, while the other fly around them. They are given a lot of leeway on the floor. No one wants the diminutive fey angry with them.
As the music fades, and the fey begin to slip off to their homes Larrikan finds himself surrounded by the pixies. The surround him, and return his violin and boe. He tells them, “Thank you for all your help. If I see you before the next full moon, I will sing for you.”
This makes the pixies laugh, clear, bell-like laughter. They swoop around Larrikan and each darts through his fur before flying off.
Last is the leader, who tells him, “Silly fox. Never trust a pixie!” before she, too, darts off into the night.
Unsure of what to make of that, but knowing it is late, Larrikan heads home.
He has one difficult moment when he realizes he is on an island, and the magic, moonlight path has gone. He sees a twiggy fey walking over the water, as if it were on that path and wonders how it got there.
“How did you get here?” he asks himself, “Magic!” is the answer, so that must be how to get home. He gets his recorder out and plays the melody Iorwen taught him. It got him here.
Nothing happens.
Larrikan realizes that spell won’t work. He’s already here. He needs to go home. He needs a magic path the other way.
As soon as he thinks of it that way, he knows what to do.
He plays the charm backwards.
The silver path, getting fainter as the moon sets and the night ends appears. Larrikan scampers over it, relieved to reach the ground on the other side. It lasts just long enough to get him back to the University.