Take Me to the River

He was afraid that she would shy away from him, perhaps reprimanded by Delah or disgusted by his bloody battle with the large fish. Instead her smile was a gift that sparked his own, rueful and a bit embarrassed as he tried to squeeze the water from his dripping tail of hair. "This one? None that human mouths can manage," he admitted with a chuckle. "More of a scent than anything vocal. I've asked his help before in fishing, and since he gets a good meal out of it he's usually amenable. Though at the moment I'm trying his patience rather sorely." With a sheepish grin he called out silently to Isuma, who Reep!ed excitedly and leapt from the beetle's head, flapping her blue-tipped wings to fly - clumsily, but steadily - over to the waiting fish.

Only then did the bard nod to them both, grinning as fox and gryphon both tore into the meal with gusto. A touch of his thoughts reminded - strongly - the fox to be polite to the gryphlet and let her have a fair share. He turned his attention back to Hazel a moment later, sighing with the contentment of a job well done. "I've been promising her a proper fish since I had one here a few weeks ago, when I was fetching some scales for Ludo," he admitted. "The ones in the barrierlands are small, faded things, without much flavor." He hesitated, then gave a humble half-bow, in a way that few within the barrier would recognize from the overly-confident persona he usually projected there.

"I'm sorry if I intruded. I hoped no one would mind if I stayed as a fox... or at least, that my presence wouldn't frighten or offend anyone. I didn't expect anyone to come along this stretch of the river," he admitted, genuinely sheepish at having been caught. "Though... I'm glad it was you." The smile he offered was genuine as he rested his wet arms on his knees, already beginning to dry in the summer heat. "I was worried about you getting him safely after last time."