There was one place better to be on a hot day than under the cool shade of the trees, lounging on a batch of snow moss, and that was splashing about in cool water that flashed and sparkled in the sun. Even the ever-dignified lorekeeper wasn’t immune to the charm of the Stonesong in Longheat’s punishing light, but he was no fisherman, able to wield rod and pole with deft mastery to snag a tasty meal from the water depths.
He was, however, a clever fox, long-limbed and elegant in his moon-white coat as he padded through the Wildwood with a pair of local guides: two red-coated foxes, sleek and plump as the creatures of the Greatwood tended to be. The trio made their way to the banks of the great river, Jigano’s desire for fish, sparkling-scaled and fat compelling his companions to lead the way to a quiet stretch of shore where they had more than once batted such tasty creatures from the current. It was a lovely little place, secluded and glittering in the early afternoon light as the sun struck figurative sparks from water and stone both. The river ran clear and cool over a bottom of sand and smooth stones, and the shore was shallow and slow-moving enough to be seductively inviting.
Better yet, as Jigano hopped up onto a dry stone to survey the area he could see big, fat goldfish swimming lazily along in the sandy shallows, occasionally rising to the surface to try for an insect foolish enough to hover near their watery home. An excited trilling grumble brought his compelled assistants trotting forward into the water, tongues lolling with eagerness. He needed only the lightest touch of his will on their minds for this, enough to guide and orchestrate their timing, but all three foxes were eager to do some fishing. A meal for each of them, and the scales for Jigano, seemed a fine bargain as the red-furred pair waded belly-deep and began to circle a particularly fat fish with scales of spotted red and white, herding it closer to where Jigano crouched above the water, quivering and tense as he readied himself to pounce as soon as the aquatic appetizer came into range.
Ianto
He was, however, a clever fox, long-limbed and elegant in his moon-white coat as he padded through the Wildwood with a pair of local guides: two red-coated foxes, sleek and plump as the creatures of the Greatwood tended to be. The trio made their way to the banks of the great river, Jigano’s desire for fish, sparkling-scaled and fat compelling his companions to lead the way to a quiet stretch of shore where they had more than once batted such tasty creatures from the current. It was a lovely little place, secluded and glittering in the early afternoon light as the sun struck figurative sparks from water and stone both. The river ran clear and cool over a bottom of sand and smooth stones, and the shore was shallow and slow-moving enough to be seductively inviting.
Better yet, as Jigano hopped up onto a dry stone to survey the area he could see big, fat goldfish swimming lazily along in the sandy shallows, occasionally rising to the surface to try for an insect foolish enough to hover near their watery home. An excited trilling grumble brought his compelled assistants trotting forward into the water, tongues lolling with eagerness. He needed only the lightest touch of his will on their minds for this, enough to guide and orchestrate their timing, but all three foxes were eager to do some fishing. A meal for each of them, and the scales for Jigano, seemed a fine bargain as the red-furred pair waded belly-deep and began to circle a particularly fat fish with scales of spotted red and white, herding it closer to where Jigano crouched above the water, quivering and tense as he readied himself to pounce as soon as the aquatic appetizer came into range.
