Rory didn't pay much attention to where he was going: he was too busy waving the happy gryphlet through the air, laughing warmly as her wings fluttered and she voiced her obvious delight. And once the fox noticed, well.. the corners of its mouth stretched into that grin again, and it almost seemed to stumble. Rory was torn between feeling self-conscious and unashamed, and in the end just gave the fox a small smile. "She looked like she might enjoy it," he said, following as they went on again.
Then they paused again, the fox's body language indicating that it was close to what they were looking for. Rory's hands stilled, his fingers running reassuringly across the gryphon's body as he hushed her gently.
He stayed behind when the fox slunk off like water across the snow, watching as it scaled a small crest in the terrain. "Any idea what we're looking for?" he mumbled to the young creature he was holding. She didn't offer much explanation. "No? Well, that makes two of us."
But then the fox's head moved again, beckoning him closer. Crouching a little and minding where he stepped Rory climbed the little ridge and peeked over the edge. In the sunlit clearing beyond were a couple of Luxere, unaware of their presence, foraging for whatever still existed on mostly-bare branches. "Luxere," he said quietly, his voice almost a sigh.
Shifting in the snow he sat up, putting the owlkitten in his lap and reaching out with one hand to scratch the fox.
Then it was time to deal with his glowing reindeer. First he gave a low whistle, just to let them know he was there, before clearing his throat. He didn't precisely know what to sing, so while he thought about it, he launched into a made-up and not entirely well-structured song about a fox, a man, and an owlkitten going up a hill.
Then they paused again, the fox's body language indicating that it was close to what they were looking for. Rory's hands stilled, his fingers running reassuringly across the gryphon's body as he hushed her gently.
He stayed behind when the fox slunk off like water across the snow, watching as it scaled a small crest in the terrain. "Any idea what we're looking for?" he mumbled to the young creature he was holding. She didn't offer much explanation. "No? Well, that makes two of us."
But then the fox's head moved again, beckoning him closer. Crouching a little and minding where he stepped Rory climbed the little ridge and peeked over the edge. In the sunlit clearing beyond were a couple of Luxere, unaware of their presence, foraging for whatever still existed on mostly-bare branches. "Luxere," he said quietly, his voice almost a sigh.
Shifting in the snow he sat up, putting the owlkitten in his lap and reaching out with one hand to scratch the fox.
Then it was time to deal with his glowing reindeer. First he gave a low whistle, just to let them know he was there, before clearing his throat. He didn't precisely know what to sing, so while he thought about it, he launched into a made-up and not entirely well-structured song about a fox, a man, and an owlkitten going up a hill.
