My guest seems confused, like he isn’t sure he’s my guest, which I suppose is to be expected. It’s not as if this has been a planned thing, with invitations and the like, but still, he is here now, and that makes him a guest. I smile widely, wiggling my fingers at the dark gryphon on him (such a difference from the last one I met, like night and day!) and release his face. ”Every one of you has had one so far, though I suppose there’s more than two people in the whole of the hidden lands, isn’t there?” I pause, and then to him, suddenly serious, though there’s the twinkle of a joke in my eye, my voice. ”Isn’t there?”
With a laugh, I dart around to his side, a not unfriendly hand on his shoulder, leading him further into the clearing, towards my preparations. ”Of course I was just waiting. That’s how this works, isn’t it?” I shake my head, like he’s being silly, and fly to the other side of the bowls and food I’ve set out, sitting cross legged on the ground and gesturing for him to do the same. ”I was hoping to meet some of you, and I wanted to be a gracious host. This is all set up in the style of tm mother, and I promise you, it’s all delicious.” As if to demonstrate, I pluck a bright red berry off a stem and pop it into my mouth, smiling while I chew.
”We’re you exploring? Now that the ban is gone? I can’t think of any other reason someone would be in the woods right now, and I can’t think of a better reason either.” My talking is fast, animated, almost too much so, and I try to reel it back in, though I’m not particularly successful. I’ve never been good at controlling myself when I’m excited.
Tarasha
the adnascentia of my soul will crack the earth
