{"sf1_id":2001958,"sf2_id":"P1E9yOo1","title":"MHO pt 3 - Highland Bunnies - Chapter 12","author":"Lloxie","words":6375,"posted_at":"2023-06-14T02:47:00.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Bunny","Canine","Cervidae","Cervine","Custom Species Names","Deer","Fantasy","Husky","Hybrid","Konuul","Lepne","Magic","Male","Rabbit","Sereva","Wolf","Wolpertinger"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2001958-mho-pt-3-highland-bunnies-chapter-12","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/P1E9yOo1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/c2/0d/c20df005-1070-4204-a8ca-8dd83b38e0ba","description":"#41 of Mystic Heart Odyssey\n\nWell, here it is folks- chapter 41, the last full chapter set in Clovaria! I had a couple more scenes planned for this chapter, but I'll probably slip them into the next one so that this one doesn't become monstrously long like several other recent chapters, hehe. Hope you all enjoyed the adventure in lepne lands! It sure ballooned way beyond the initial short jaunt I originally planned, but I certainly had fun writing it. \n\nAs always, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think! And stay tuned for the next episode to find out where Lykou and Kuna wind up next!\n\nPosted using PostyBirb","content":"_Mystic Heart Odyssey_\n\n  \n\n_Part  \n3: Highland Bunnies_\n\n  \n\n_Chapter  \n12_\n\n  \n\n_And  \nfinally, Lykou and Kuna's adventure in Clovaria draws to a close.  \nTime for farewells and... still more potential new friendships?_\n\n  \n\n_-Llox_\n\n  \n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna woke up before  \nLykou the next morning. It was already late into the morning, and he  \ncould hear that the adjacent common area of the lodge was abuzz with  \nactivity. He somewhat reluctantly sat up and rubbed his eyes. He  \nwould have loved to close his eyes again and doze a bit more, but he  \nknew that he and Lykou would have to readjust to their normal sleep  \npattern soon enough, and they had at least a half day of travel ahead  \nof them.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nWhen he glanced over  \nat his side, he couldn't help but blush and grin slightly at  \nanother temptation to lay back down- a nearly naked konuul. Since  \nLykou's new outfit was padded with armor bits, it wasn't well  \nsuited to sleeping in, so he'd decided to strip down for the night.  \nKuna had also taken off his robe. While not as strictly necessary as  \nit was for Lykou's outfit, he offered up a handful of excuses-  \ncombining it with the blanket was too warm, it was awkward to sleep  \nin, and, of course, it was 'only fair' to the konuul. Still, they  \neach came to the conclusion that they'd still each wear their old  \npants instead, at least for the time being. Unless they were in a hot  \nclimate. Where it would be strictly pragmatic to strip all the way  \ndown. And for no other reason, _obviously_.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nOf course, they'd  \ngotten in so late, they hadn't had the energy to tease each other  \nabout it much before they both conked out for the night. But he had a  \nfeeling that was coming, so at least for the time being, he opted to  \nquickly get his robe on and shake some potentially intrusive thoughts  \naway before he gently started nudging the canid awake. He definitely  \ndidn't think he'd find the time or place to deal with any...  \n_fallout_ of such thoughts until they left Whitlan, at the very  \nleast. Not without some awkward conversation he wasn't interested  \nin having with anyone about why he might need a secluded space to  \nhimself for a short time.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAfter some gentle  \nprodding, Lykou's eyes fluttered open and he stretched, groaning a  \nbit. \"Mmno fair. Tell the sun to go back t'bed for a bit,\" he  \ngrumbled playfully.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I don't think  \neven Lana's or Inkari's magic is that powerful,\" Kuna replied  \ngroggily, with a smirk. \"C'mon, we can't get too used to this  \nlate morning stuff. We've got traveling to do.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Mmm, need to find  \na sun spirit or somethin' t' teach you,\" the canid joked as he  \nreluctantly sat up and rubbed his eyes.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Sleep okay?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Mmm, yeah, just  \nnot enough.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Me either, but I  \nfigure it'll help if we get moving. And we can always camp early if  \nwe really need to. Let's just get _some_ progress today.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Fair enough,\"  \nthe konuul replied, then looked around, blinking the sleepiness away.  \nAfter a moment, he smirked at the sereva. \"Already dressed huh?  \nEager to hide that cute butt?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna blushed and  \nrolled his eyes. \"Oh hush, it's too early for that. C'mon, get  \ndressed so we can go grab some breakfast.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou got dressed as  \nKuna began gathering their things up, making sure everything was  \npacked away for traveling. Afterwards, they both walked out into the  \ncommon area, where they saw the Dunnyhill gang milling around,  \npacking things up.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Mornin' lads!\"  \nEalar greeted them.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ye were oot late  \nagain,\" Effie noted with some concern. \"Everythin' a'right?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yer lettin' th'  \nbig toun gie ye bad habits,\" Gavin teased, then chuckled. \"Ah'm  \nglad yer enjoyin' yerselves, though.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Er, yeah,\"  \nLykou said sheepishly. \"After we met up with the council again, we,  \num...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Went for another  \nlong walk,\" Kuna quickly interjected. \"Spent a long while  \nexploring the garden.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEalar looked at him  \nwith a perplexed expression. \"They usually claise efter sundoon. Ah  \nken ye met wi' the council, bit...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"He's a druna,  \naye? Special privileges, ah'm sure,\" Finlay chimed in.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Y-yeah! Druna  \nstuff,\" Kuna quickly agreed. Eventually one of the lodge porters  \ncame to check in on the group and noticed the boys were up, so he  \nbrought them some food and drinks. It wasn't hot, but they didn't  \ncare at that point.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEventually, Bhaltair  \nwalked in from the cart stalls and saw that they were finally awake  \nas well. \"Aboot time ye two got up!\" he said playfully. \"Ah wis  \nstartin' tae think ye wis thinkin' aboot turnin' intae night  \nguards fer Whitlan.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou chuckled.  \n\"Nah, sorry for sleeping in again. Guess everything that's  \nhappened over the past week has messed with out sleep patterns, heh.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel, efter  \nhelpin' us lik' ye did, ye kin sleep whene'er ye want, as far  \nas ah'm concerned,\" the caravan leader said, walking over to  \nembrace them both lightly. \"Unfortunately, we've got oor own  \ntravelin' tae do, sae we're heidin' oot efter lunch. Ah did put  \nin a word wi' th' lodge master 'n' he dinnae mind if ye  \nwantae spend th' night here again, but come tomorrae, ah'm afraid  \nye'll 'av ta find ether arrangements.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"We appreciate it,  \nbut we were going to head out soon ourselves,\" Lykou replied.  \n\"We've dragged our stay out long enough, and as much as we both  \nhave enjoyed Clovaria, we really do need to get on with our trip  \nhome.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah sure hawp ye  \ncome visit again someday, then,\" Effie said, setting down a bag she  \nwas carrying in order to give each of the two a hug in turn, which  \nthey happily returned.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, wid be great  \ntae see ye again,\" Bhaltair agreed, then patted them both on the  \nback. \"Ah need tae git back oot there, bit in case ah dinnae see ye  \nafore ye leave, safe travels to baith o' ye.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Likewise!\"  \nLykou said as he and Kuna both gave him another quick hug. \"Who  \nknows, maybe one day we'll find out a way for you to come visit  \nLakefire, too!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Soonds crackin'!\"  \nBhaltair agreed, then headed out the door.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"If at all  \npossible, I definitely want to come visit here again, too,\" the  \ncanid said with a smile. \"Love the open hills out there and  \neverything. And of course all the great people like yourselves.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, other than  \nthose bandits, this has been really nice,\" Kuna agreed. \"Thank  \nyou all for letting us travel with you.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, we're th'  \nones thankin' you!\" Gavin said. \"Ye saved all oor skins, havin'  \nyer company wis oor pleasure!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"'n' ye better  \nbelieve ah'm workin' on a song fer ye two,\" Finlay added with a  \nwink. \"Two strangers fra far away come 'n' save th' day- tis  \na perfect story tae tell by a campfire.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"A song about us?  \nGosh,\" Kuna replied with a bashful smile.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou grinned and  \nhugged the sereva. \"Well, rest assured we're looking forward to  \ntelling the other Ashers about all of you and Clovaria when we get  \nback, too.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Mak' sure ye  \nget 'im guid 'n' tipsy first,\" Ealar teased, poking the  \nsereva playfully as he walked past to pick up a box of goods.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh definitely,\"  \nthe canid responded with a grin before the sereva could interject.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna just smirked  \nand rolled his eyes. \"Right...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nSuddenly Bhaltair  \ncame back in, followed by an unexpected guest- a familiar  \n'groundskeeper' from the garden. Only she was dressed up a little  \nmore formally- more like an official of some sort than a gardener.  \n\"Er, lads? This here's Aelana, she says she works fer th'  \ncouncil 'n' wants ta speak wi' ye two?\" he said, uncertainly.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh... yeah,\"  \nLykou said, perking up a little. \"We uh, met.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Hi Lana,\" Kuna  \nadded with a small wave and a smile.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, guid then.  \nIf ye need anythin', let me know,\" Bhaltair said to Aelana with a  \nnod, then turned to head back out. \"Ah'll be oot here if ye need  \nmeh.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana nodded back,  \nthen turned to the boys. \"Mornin' lads,\" she replied with a  \nsmall, guarded smile of her own. She was clearly in disguise mode,  \nincluding the way she carried herself. \"Th' council wid lik'  \ntae see ye one last time at yer earliest convenience. Nae rush tho,  \nye kin tak' yer time.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Goodness, th'  \ncouncil must really be fascinated wi' th' two o' ye,\" Gavin  \nsaid.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Seems that way,\"  \nLykou said, smirking knowingly at the 'council servant'. \"Tell  \nyou what, why don't you join us while we eat breakfast?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh, tha's  \na'right, ah should really-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nonsense, I  \ninsist! I happen to remember most of your work is in the evening,  \nright?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna smirked and  \nshifted over a bit, patting a stool next to him. \"Trust me, he  \nwon't stop until you join us.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana shot them a  \nsubtle look, then glanced around nervously for a moment. \"Weel...  \nah suppose ah... dae 'av some time...\" she said as she hesitantly  \nwalked around, then sat down on the offered stool.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nice tae meet  \nye,\" Ealar said as he walked back past. \"Aelana, wis it? Ah'm  \nEalar.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"And ah'm  \nGavin,\" Gavin said, then proceeded to introduce the others.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Whit dae ye do  \nfer the council exactly?\" Ealar asked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah, ye ken, jest...  \nerrands 'n' such,\" Aelana replied. \"Nothin' tae  \ninterestin'.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nFinlay chuckled.  \n\"Errands fer the high council soonds plenny interestin' in  \nisself.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah suppose,\"  \nshe said with a slightly forced smile. She then leaned over and  \nwhispered out of the corner of her mouth to Lykou when nobody was  \nlooking at her. \"Did ye want somethin' lad? Or ye jest tryin'  \nta mix meh up?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"You should get to  \nknow these folks some. See for yourself they're trustworthy,\" he  \nreplied with a wink, then spoke back up more normally. \"You want  \nanything to eat? You can have some of my stuff if you want. I should  \nprobably have some of my salted meat, to be honest.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae thanks, lad,  \nah'm nae hungry,\" she replied, then twitched slightly as an odd  \nsensation briefly flashed through her. She flagged down the lodge  \nporter. \"...ah might could use a drink tho...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"A drink, er a  \n'drink'?\" Gavin teased, then chuckled. \"Ah'm sure they kin  \nbring ye some water er somethin', bit ye may 'av ta wait a bit on  \nth' guid stuff. Tis still mornin', efter all.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Water will be  \nfine,\" she replied flatly.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe porter left and  \ncame back in short order with a copper cup full of water, setting it  \ndown in front of her. \"Forordinar onleh trade folk wid get anythin'  \n'ere, bit if yer wi' th' council 'n' thaes lads vouch fer  \nye, ah'd be happy tae bring ye some food as weel.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe shook her head.  \n\"Thank ye, bit this is all ah need fer noo.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, jest let me  \nken if ye change yer mind,\" the porter said, then turned and walked  \naway to help Gavin carry a larger box out to the stalls.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe three sat and  \nmade small talk for a while, with each other and the Dunnyhill gang  \nas they worked. While it wasn't especially obvious, there was a  \nfaint bit of awkwardness that Lykou picked up on. He could tell she'd  \nnot engaged in such extended casual conversations about mundane  \nsubjects in a long time.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEventually, as Effie  \nwas passing by, she paused and shook her head as she caught a glance  \nat the cup in front of their guest. Luckily, Aelana picked it up to  \ntake a sip before she could get a better look at it. Kuna caught the  \nlook though. A thought occurred to him and he warily spoke up.  \n\"Everything alright, Effie?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...aye,\" she  \nsaid after a moment with a small grin. \"Sorreh, mah eyes must be  \nplayin' tricks oan meh. Mibbie ah'm nae as awake as a thought.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Tak' a break,  \nthen,\" Ealar suggested. Aelana looked at Kuna questioningly. The  \nsereva tried to subtly point to her cup with a quick glance. She  \nlooked down and stiffened up slightly, then made sure to keep both  \nhands wrapped around it, as her eyes scanned the room for any other  \nreflective surfaces. \"Nae much left tae pack away ennyway, we've  \ngot th' rest. Ye bin workin' at it sin' afore some o' us wis  \nawake.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie started to  \nprotest, but Finlay spoke up, \"Aye, 'es right. Rest up fer a  \nspell, ye need some energy fer travelin', ye ken.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nBefore Kuna could  \ncome up with anything to draw attention away, Lykou nudged a stool  \nout with his foot and smiled. \"C'mon, listen to the others and  \njoin us.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nFinally, the smaller  \nlepne conceded and sat down with a smile. \"A'right, soonds guid.  \nS'pose ah 'av bin keepin' busy this mornin',\" she said,  \nthen turned to Aelana. \"Sae ye run errands fer th' council, aye?  \nDoes tha' mean ye met 'em?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana looked around  \nuncertainly for a moment, then slowly nodded. \"...aye, tho usually  \nah jest talk t'the guards. The council bein' sae busy 'n'  \nsuch.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ye ever get tae  \nsee 'em use thir magic?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAnd so the  \nconversation continued for a while. After around an hour or so, once  \nthe boys had finished eating and waking up, they stood up along with  \ntheir guest and decided it was time to bid everyone farewell. They  \nwalked around distributing hugs and swapping well-wishes, then  \nfinally picked up their things and headed for the door.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana was still  \nholding the cup carefully when she began following them out. The  \nporter cleared his throat and arched a brow at her as he was cleaning  \nup one of the other tables, giving her hand a meaningful glance. She  \nsmiled sheepishly and set the cup down before hastily making her way  \nout. The porter went back to his work without another thought, along  \nwith most of the rest of the lepne. Effie, however, having been  \nresting up, caught another glimpse of something odd right before the  \nstranger walked out after the boys.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe glanced around a  \nbit, then excused herself as she walked to the door herself. Once  \ncould be dismissed as a trick of the light or her eyes, but twice  \nseemed odd. And she couldn't shake the feeling that something  \nseemed a little off about the council 'errand-runner'.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Where ye goin'?\"  \nGavin asked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Jest hoppin'  \ndoon tae th' market real quick. Willnae tak' lang.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"A'right, jest  \nremember ta be back afore lunch!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana led Lykou and  \nKuna back towards the garden, ducking down the quietest,  \nleast-traveled alleys along the way. Finally, when they came to a  \nparticularly isolated spot with no other lepne within sight, she  \nstopped them and waved her hand in a large arc, sending a curtain of  \nsparkling light around their section of the alley, which shimmered  \nfor a moment, then faded.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I take it we're  \ninvisible to others again now?\" Lykou asked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, naebody wull  \ndetect us fer th' moment,\" she said, relieved. But then she  \nturned and glared at the wall for a moment as she waved her other  \nhand, temporarily turning part of the wall reflective. The boys could  \nsee their own reflection, but hers was... missing. She crossed her  \narms and tapped her foot. \"Oi. Daisy. Ah ken yer there. Quit  \nhidin'.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe tinger finally  \nappeared at the bottom of the reflection, grinning sheepishly. \"Aye,  \nwhatcha need?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I think that's  \nwhat we should be asking,\" Kuna helpfully suggested before Aelana  \ncould snap.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Whit were ye  \nthinkin' tryin' tae peek in back a' th' lodge?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah jest wanted  \ntae get a peek a' these 'Dunnyhill' folk, a'right?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana groaned and  \nrolled her eyes. \"We experience th' same things, ye numpty! Ye  \nalmost gave us awa'!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy frowned and  \nlooked away, her ears drooping a bit. \"...fine. Sorreh. Ye were  \nchattin' wi' 'em 'n' ah wanted feel lik' ah wis really  \npart o' it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou shot her a  \nsympathetic look. Aelana's expression softened and she sighed.  \n\"...aye, bit ye 'av tae be careful. Ah'll kip mah promise, bit  \nah need time, a'right? Warm folk up tae th-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Who are ye  \ntalkin' tae?\" a curious voice spoke up behind them, causing the  \nthree non-reflection-dwellers to whirl around in surprise.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Effie??\" Kuna  \nsaid in surprise.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"What are you  \ndoing here?\" Lykou asked with a nervous grin, trying to help Aelana  \nblock her view of the reflective portion of the wall without being  \ntoo obvious about it.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie raised a brow,  \nglancing between the three suspiciously. \"Thas whit ah wis gonnae  \nask you three,\" she said, a faint smirk starting to form on her  \nface. \"Jest an 'errand-runner' eh? Didnae ken th' council 'ad  \nother drunas workin' under 'em in secret. Whit kinda magic ye  \neven' got goin' on here?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Hah! Other way  \nar-\" Daisy blurted out behind them.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"SHUT IT, DAMMIT!\"  \nAelana snapped, turning back to the wall briefly.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou sighed as he  \nand Kuna shared a look. \"Weren't we supposed to be invisible?\"  \nKuna asked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"She must've  \nbeen hidin' 'round th' corner 'n' gotten caught in th'  \nspell,\" Aelana grumbled, clutching her head as she began to panic a  \nbit. \"Ah should've made it smaller, dammit. Ah'm losin' mah  \nedge, lettin' mah guard doon...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou glanced  \nbetween her and Effie for a moment, then gently laid a hand on  \nAelana's shoulder. \"Hey, she's good people. I know it wasn't  \nplanned, at least not so soon, but is there really any harm to her  \nknowing?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Whit ye talkin'  \naboot?\" Effie asked, then grinned sheepishly. \"Ah'm sorreh fer  \nsnoopin', bit ye really caught mah eye back a' th' lodge.  \nCouldnae help mahself. Er... ah'm nae in trouble am ah? I didnae  \nmean tae interfere in council bus'niss!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana wilted a bit,  \nglancing around uncertainly. \"Weel, no, s'not exactly a council  \nmatter... considerin' only one o' 'em even ken aboot me...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah'm sorreh...\"  \nDaisy weakly chimed in behind her.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Who's back  \nthere ennyway?\" Effie asked, trying to peer around Lykou.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...weel, guess  \nthir's no hidin' it noo.\" Aelana finally conceded, then shot  \nthe other lepne a very nervous smile. \"...ah'm... nae exactly  \nnormal, ye see...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"She's ha-  \nmnmnfff!\" Lykou started trying to help explain, but suddenly felt  \nhis mouth seizing up in the middle of his sentence out of nowhere, as  \nif some unseen force was forcing it shut. He shot Kuna a bewildered  \nlook, then turned to Aelana.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna raised a brow.  \n\"Er... he's trying to say she-mmmnpf!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana couldn't  \nhelp but smirk in amusement. \"Geas, remember? Ah tellt ye the words  \nwouldnae leave ye,\" she said, then rolled her eyes a bit. \"Ah  \nhereby grant ye permission tae talk tae this one aboot meh.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe boys' mouths  \nreturned to normal and Lykou couldn't help but smirk in spite of  \nhimself. \"So _that's_ how that works...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"No more 'gesh'  \npromises for me, thanks,\" Kuna added with considerably less  \namusement, his eye twitching a bit.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...whit jest  \nhappened?\" Effie asked, growing visibly more confused by the  \nmoment.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weird magic, not  \nthe kind drunas usually do,\" Kuna answered, rubbing his jaw a bit.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right, so... want  \nme to explain?\" Lykou asked Aelana.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, fine,\" she  \nsaid, then adopted an almost manic expression as she dramatically  \nstepped to the side, revealing the reflective portion of the wall.  \n\"Explain away!\" she said with a theatrical gesture towards the  \nnow visible wolpertinger, before burying her face in her hand. \"Oi...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy looked a  \nlittle startled at the sudden reveal, then gave Effie a slightly  \nnervous grin and a small wave with one forepaw. \"Er, hi there...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie's eyes  \nwidened as she took a step back, unsure how to react to the  \nrevelation.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Errr... right,  \nso... this is Daisy. It's kind of a complicated story, but suffice  \nto say Aelana is more than just a druna. She's only half-lepne. The  \nother half is a being called a wolpertinger, which is represented by  \nDaisy here.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie glanced back  \nand forth between the two for a moment. \"Er, come agin? Ah dinnae  \nfollow.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah'm a powerful  \nsorceress fra anether world- nae th' spirit world, bit one most  \nfolk hae forgotten called Sylthea. Ah went magically a bit dotty tae  \nth' point tha' mah 'tinger half became her oon sep'rate  \nperson, 'n' tha's Daisy 'ere,\" Aelana chimed in, then shot  \na sidelong look to the wolpertinger.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...did ah git  \nblootered 'n' ferget it?\" Effie asked incredulously, rubbing  \nher head a bit. \"Ah dinnae usualleh drink, bit ah suppose it'd  \njest hit meh harder when ah dae...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nope, this is all  \nreal and you're sober,\" Lykou said with an awkward smile. \"I  \nknow it's... kind of a lot, but it's all true. The council runs  \nthings for the most part, but she's the secret leader of Clovaria  \nas a whole, in a way.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, realleh?\"  \nEffie said, perking up a bit. \"Sae th' high drunas hae a high  \ndruna o' thir oon?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yes, and um...\"  \nKuna chimed in, then glanced around between Aelana and Daisy for a  \nmoment, then walked over and gently laid a hand on Effie's  \nshoulder. \"...she needs friends. I know this is sudden, but please  \ndon't tell anyone about her, and consider getting to know her. This  \nis just scratching the surface of things she's kept secret for  \nlonger than you can possibly imagine, and it's taken a toll on  \nher.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Och, ah'm  \nfine,\" Aelana bristled, straightening herself up. \"Nae need tae  \noverstate things lad, ah-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ye lit'rally  \ncreated me oot o' half yer damn heid frae loneliness 'n'  \nstress,\" Daisy interrupted, shooting her a look. \"Yer nae fine.  \n_We're_ nae fine.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana deflated  \nagain. \"...weel...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie looked up at  \nKuna, then back to the other lepne- or half-lepne, rather, and her  \nmirror-half. She slowly nodded. \"...weel, ye certainly seem off,  \n'n' tis hard tae believe ye really rule Clovaria somehow, bit if  \nthese lads think yer guid folk, ah'm inclined tae believe 'em,\"  \nshe said with a small smile. \"Er. Aboot tha' whole...  \n'half-lepne' thing tho, ah'm still a smidge confused. Ye look  \nfull lepne tae me, is tae ether half jest in yer heid then?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae ennymore, na  \nfully anyway,\" Daisy said with a smirk.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae helpin',  \nyou,\" Aelana said, shooting her a look, then turned back to Effie.  \n\"Lik' ah said, tis... complicated. We're both th' same person  \nbut also not. S'all... magic-related stoof. Specifically Sylthean  \nmagic, which tends tae get weird sometimes.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Why don't you  \nshow her that hybrid form? That was basically your 'true' form,  \nright?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye...  \ntechnically,\" she replied, then waved her hand around, surrounding  \nherself in the glittery cloud of dust for a moment, before emerging  \nin her full halfie form. The sight earned renewed shock from Effie.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Crivvens, ye  \nreally are streenge,\" the small lepne remarked, then smirked a bit.  \n\"Nae offense. Yer... actually quite beautiful.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana smiled a bit  \nat that. \"Thank ye. Bit aye, tis oor original 'true' form, if  \nye wantae call it tha'. Sin' we split, tho, ah tend tae stick tae  \nlepne form, 'n' she tends tae stick tae 'tinger form when ah  \nlet her oot.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Which doesnae  \nhappen near enoof these days,\" Daisy commented pointedly.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Let her... oot?\"  \nEffie asked curiously.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye,\" Aelana  \nsaid, then looked sidelong at her other half for a moment. \"...ach,  \nguess we might as weel show her, sin' ye wis gonnae come oot later  \nennyway. Jest promise tae behave 'n' stay hidden lik' we  \nagreed, okay?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy perked up and  \nnodded. \"O'coorse! No funny bus'ness, jest flyin' t' th'  \ngateway 'n' mibbie aroond Clovaria fer a bit, nae lettin'  \nmahself be seen,\" she replied, then tilted her head a bit. \"Ah  \nken ah'm a radge shite sometimes, bit ye kin trust me oan tha'.  \nYe need a break fer a bit, 'n' ah got plenny o' shenanigans  \nlast night ennyway. Ah'll jest be happy tae be oot fer a bit 'n'  \nenjoy th' air under mah wings.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"What's this  \nabout the gateway?\" Lykou asked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, th' reason  \nwe originally came tae git ye wis tha' she wanted tae giv' ye a  \nlift as thanks fer spendin' time wi' us fer so lang last night,\"  \nshe explained. \"And honestly, she's right. Ah need a break. More  \nthan ah ever realized.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"So tha's where  \nye two bin these past two nights,\" Effie said with a bemused look.  \n\"Long walks, eh?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna smiled  \nsheepishly. \"Well, to be fair we _did_ spend a lot of it in  \nthe garden...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Riiiight,\" she  \nreplied, then turned back to Aelana. \"Still tho, flyin'? Lettin'  \nher oot? Ah'm still waitin' tae-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Jest watch,\"  \nthe halfie said, rolling her eyes up with a sigh. She conjured up  \nanother cloud of glittery lights and dust, which gradually grew  \nlarger and larger, forcing Lykou to take a few steps back out of the  \nway, joining Kuna by Effie's side. When the dust disappeared, Daisy  \nwas out in the material world, and Aelana had taken her place in the  \nreflective surface.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie gawked at her  \nfor a minute. \"...ah see.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy grinned and  \nbent down to sniffle at her a bit. \"Hi.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"H-hi there miss...  \nDaisy, wis it?\" Effie replied, hesitantly reaching out to stroke  \nher snout slightly. \"...this feels a smidge weird, nae offense. Ah  \nfeel lik' ah'm dreamin'.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"That's whit  \nmakes it fun!\" Daisy replied cheerfully.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"She gets...  \nrambunctious, but she's nice, don't worry,\" Kuna assured Effie.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, ah tellt ye,  \nah'll tone tha' shite doon fer noo,\" Daisy whined slightly,  \nrolling her eyes. Then she grinned back at Effie. \"Ah wis gonnae  \ngive these two a ride, yer welcome tae come alang if ye want. Pretty  \nsure thir's room fer three o' ye,\" she offered, unfurling her  \nwings a bit.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...wait... ye  \nmean lik'...\" the lepne responded with growing incredulity as she  \nlooked over her wings. \"...in' the sky? Lik' a damn bird??\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yup!\" Lykou  \nchimed in. \"It's amazing, like nothing you've ever experienced  \nbefore! She took us up last night, it was awesome!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"That's  \ncertainly one way to describe it,\" Kuna said with a slight shiver.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah'll... pass  \nfer noo. Th' gang's preparin' tae leave 'n' ah need tae be  \nback afore lunch,\" Effie replied, causing the wolpertinger to wilt  \nin disappointment. After a moment, Effie grinned and stroked the  \nwolpertinger's snout some more. \"...bit hey, ye got me all kind  \no' fascinated 'n' wantin' tae ken more aboot ye two. Mibbie  \nye kin pop by tonight when we mak' camp? Ah'm sure th' others  \nwid be jest as fascinated.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel... tha'  \nsoonds nice, bit...\" the tinger replied, glancing back towards  \nAelana. \"We made a deal tae tak' things slow 'n' nae reveal  \noorselves tae too many folk at once... originally we wis gonnae try  \n'n' ease intae revealin' oorselves t'Moyra 'n' her lad  \no'er in Kerney fer noo.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh, aye, they'd  \nbe guid fer secrets,\" Effie agreed with a small nod. \"Still, if  \nye ever wantae visit, lik' ah said, ah'd love tae ask ye more 'n'  \nget tae ken ye both better.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Definitely!\"  \nDaisy agreed.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"And hey, like we  \ntold you, the Dunnyhill gang are all good folks. Seriously consider  \nopening up to the others, too,\" Lykou suggested, glancing back at  \nAelana.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana shrugged. \"Ye  \nknow whit? Ah'm pure scunnered. Ye kin make yer oon decision while  \nyer oot there,\" she told Daisy, then arched a brow. \"Jest be  \ncareful, tha's all ah ask.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy lit up with  \nexcitement. \"Aye, o' coorse! Thank ye Lana!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae need ta thank  \nme. We're supposed tae be equals efter all, ah'm sorreh ah fergot  \nthat for a while,\" Aelana said with a sigh.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy grinned and  \nturned back to Effie. \"Right, guess ah'll pop by tonight efter  \nall,\" she said, then paused and thought for a moment. \"Tell ye  \nwhit tho, fer Lana's peace o' mind, how aboot jest th' two o'  \nus meet at first. That a'right wi' you?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah cannae exactly  \nsay no tae th' high druna's boss, can ah?\" Effie said in  \namusement.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy snickered.  \n\"Nae need ta think o' it tha' way. Tha' whole secret leader  \nthing is a wee bit overblown thaes days,\" she explained. \"We-  \nmostly Lana- jest go aroond secretly keepin' an eye oan things 'n'  \noccasionally nudgin' folk in wee ways noo 'n' then. Powerful  \nborin', tae be honest.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"But safe and  \neffective,\" Aelana spoke up somewhat defensively.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, sure, sure,\"  \nthe wolpertinger said with a small eye-roll.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel, ah best git  \nback tae th' lodge afore the others start worryin',\" Effie  \nsaid. \"Bit ah'll look forward ta seein' ye again. Still 'av  \nplenny o' questions.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Wait a minnit!\"  \nDaisy said. \"Dinnae leave jest yet, yer invisible tae everyone  \nelse.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie blinked a few  \ntimes and glanced down at herself. \"Right. Tha' magic thing yer  \nether half started off wi'.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Maybe a geas as  \nweel?\" Aelana suggested. Kuna winced and subtly tried to gesture  \nfor Effie not to go for it if she could help it. \"...or nae.  \nSorreh, yer call, Daisy.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae, ah think we  \nkin trust her,\" Daisy assured her, then smiled down at Effie.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, nae worries,  \nah'm guid wi' secrets,\" the short lepne assured her. \"Ah  \nwillnae tell a soul ye dinnae want tae ken aboot ye.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right, lemme  \njest-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n\"Wait, so ah'm invisible tae everyone bit th'  \nfour o' you, aye?\"  \n\n  \n\n\"...aye?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie rubbed her  \nchin thoughtfully for a minute, then slowly grinned. \"...ah almost  \nwish Dougal were still aroond. Ah kin think o' some fun ah could  \n'av wi' this,\" she said, surprising both Lykou and Kuna.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy beamed. \"Oh  \nwe're gonnae git alang famously, lass.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana groaned  \nslightly and brought her palm to her face. \"...jest be careful o'  \ncausin' real trouble, a'right?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right, right,\"  \nDaisy said, then waved her head around a bit, conjuring sparkles up  \nfrom the tips of her antlers, which surrounded Effie for a few  \nmoments before vanishing. \"A'right, goan 'n' git tae lunch.  \nAh'll see ye tonight tho, aye?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEffie grinned and  \nnodded. \"Ah look forward tae it,\" she said, then turned to the  \nreflection on the wall. \"Wis crackin' meetin' ye both- fer real  \nmeetin', ah mean,\" she said, then turned back to the boys. \"Seems  \nlik' streenge 'n' amazin' things follow ye two. Guid luck oot  \nthere, lads. Ah look forward ta hearin' more stories fra ye  \nsomeday, ye unnerstan?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou grinned and  \nnodded. \"Absolutely.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Take care,  \nEffie,\" Kuna said, then hugged her briefly and leaned in to whisper  \nto her, \"And thanks for giving them a chance.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe lepne just  \ngrinned back at him and winked, then smiled back at the others.  \n\"Weel, best be goin'. Safe travels ye two,\" she said, then  \nturned and sprinted off.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel. Ye two  \nready fer another flight?\" Daisy asked with a grin.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Not really,\"  \nKuna said with a slight shudder. \"But I guess it beats walking all  \nthat way.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Hey come on, you  \nhave to admit it's exciting,\" Lykou encouraged him, then narrowed  \nhis eyes with a playful look as he stepped behind him and wrapped his  \narms around him. \"And don't forget we figured out how to make it  \nmore-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Don't even say  \nit,\" the sereva playfully snapped back, blushing and looking away  \nwith a coy smirk.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy and Aelana  \nshared an amused look. \"Lik' ah said, jest as lang as ye d-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"You either. I've  \nnot had enough sleep for the 'fluster Kuna' game, dammit.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAll three of the  \nothers snickered.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n  \n\n  \n\nA short time later,  \nDaisy was soaring through the air with the boys on her back. Much as  \nKuna denied it, he did find it comforting having Lykou behind him and  \nhis arms around him. And once the fear began subsiding a bit, he did  \nfind the view all the more spectacular in the daytime. They flew for  \na few hours, giving them a breathtaking view at the rolling landscape  \nof Clovaria, and he was glad to be huddled up between the  \nwolpertinger and the canid- both for his nerves, and as a bulwork  \nagainst the cold air. Lykou was slightly chilly, but Kuna had  \npre-emptively loaned him his poncho to put on over his new outfit in  \npreparation for the extended flight, so it was at a tolerable level.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nIt also helped that  \nthe wolpertinger was flying a bit lower than she had at night, which  \nalso allowed them a closer view of some of the landmarks. While much  \nof it was rolling, grassy hills, they did eventually come into  \nrockier territory with a few scattered mountains in the distance. And  \nsome streams fed into a small river that eventually cascaded over  \nsome impressive falls. They also spotted another town in the  \ndistance, though they didn't get close enough to see much of it.  \nEarly on they'd followed the road out of Whitlan, but eventually it  \nveered off from their course and towards the distant town.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nFinally, she started  \ndescending down as they spotted the old arch on top of a hill,  \nsitting out in the middle of nowhere and overlooking the smaller  \nhills nearby. She set down in front of it and allowed the boys to  \nclimb off, then sat up again. \"Weel, here ye are. Dinnae ken where  \nit leads, tae be honest, so be careful.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Well, ultimately  \nit leads home, and that's the important thing,\" Lykou said as he  \nhelped Kuna down.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"So you never used  \nit in the past?\" Kuna asked curiously.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae. We used one  \n'er two o' th' others when we wis a wee bairn, bit tha' wis  \nso lang ago we dinnae remember much. Bit only a few o' oor cousins  \nused this'n. We jest stick tae thaes hills. Oor domain 'n' all,  \nye ken?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"You don't ever  \nwant to explore elsewhere?\" Lykou asked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah widnae mind  \nseein' some ether sights some day, bit Lana has a point aboot us  \nneedin' tae keep watch o'er Clovaria. 'sides, tis a pretty big  \ndomain,\" she replied with a shrug, then smirked. \"'n', as  \nye've seen, we dae get oor own excitement tae deal with here noo  \n'n' then. Thanks again fer dealin' wi' Kerr.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"So... did you  \nalready know about him before we got here?\" Kuna suddenly asked,  \narching a brow.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, 'n' we  \nwis plannin' tae intervene, bit then we sensed ye two show up, 'n'  \nah had a feelin' aboot ye. So we waited ta see how things went in  \nKerney.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Were you  \nfollowing us all along or something?\" Lykou asked. \"No offense,  \nbut that sounds a bit like-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae up claise,  \nlad,\" Daisy assured him. \"Aelana uses scryin' windas all th'  \ntime 'n' only goes oot o' Whitlan when she feels tis urgent.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Scrying...  \nwindows...?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, watch!\"  \nshe said, then manifested a sparkling light on the tip of one antler  \nand used it to draw a circle in the air. When the magic dissipated,  \nwhat looked like a hole opened up within the circle, showing part of  \nthe garden back in Whitlan.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh wow,\" Kuna  \nsaid with wide eyes.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"That definitely  \nseems useful,\" Lykou commented. \"So uh... were you watching us  \nthe whole time?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae, jest  \ncheckin' in noo 'n' then. 'n' nae jest oan ye two,  \nobviously.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Shame I can't  \nlearn that one,\" Kuna said.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Who says ye  \ncan't?\" Daisy replied with a wry grin.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh? Isn't it  \nSylthean magic?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, Syltheans  \ncame up wi' it, bit tis one o' th' ones mortal folk kin learn.  \nTisnae easy tho, 'n' ye 'av tae 'av claise ties to th'  \nperson or place ye want tae scry oan. Luckily fer us tha' means  \npretty much ennywhere in Clovaria tis fair game fer us.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh, right, that  \nmakes sense. Still... think you could teach me?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Mibbie sometime,  \nin yer dreams- lit'rally. Bit tis a more advanced spell, sae fer  \nnoo ye got plenny else tae learn first.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah, right...  \nguess now's not the best time anyway.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Well she saved us  \na lot of time flying us here. We can always camp here so you can  \npractice magic stuff for the afternoon, then go through the arch  \ntomorrow morning.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nah, I'm  \ncurious to see what's on the other side. And the more we travel,  \nthe sooner we'll get back to Lakefire,\" Kuna said, smiling at the  \nkonuul. \"We've stayed well distracted lately, but I know how  \nhomesick you are, Kou.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou smiled and  \nlooked away a bit wistfully. \"...yeah, fair point.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel goan then,\"  \nDaisy said, playfully nudging them both. \"Off ye go. Yer journey  \nawaits!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Thanks again for  \nthe ride, Daisy,\" Lykou said, rubbing her head lightly. \"It was  \ngreat meeting you both.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, it really  \nwas,\" Kuna agreed, then smirked. \"Also nice in general to meet a  \npowerful individual that's not all creepy and scary, let alone two  \nof you.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger  \nsnickered. \"Aye, guid luck wi' her, too. Bit ye got us oan yer  \nside noo, sae dinnae let her skeer ye tae much if she shows up again  \nsoon,\" she said, then winked. \"Tis nae bye, after all. Ye got yer  \nastral charms.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right, thanks  \nagain for those, too!\" Lykou said, patting his pocket. \"I can't  \nwait to give that a try.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Jest mak' sure  \nye get at least one guid night's sleep afore ye use it, lad. Ah ken  \nye need it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right, hehe,\"  \nLykou said, then turned to Kuna. \"Well, guess it's time then.  \nUnlock the uh... gateway, almighty druna!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna chuckled and  \nrolled his eyes, then walked over to the arch, manifested his soul  \nmagic, and lit up the runes around the gateway. After a few moments,  \nthe swirling portal opened up underneath it, disturbing the grass and  \nany debris around them with the winds it stirred up.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, bin a lang  \ntime sin' we saw one open,\" Daisy said, watching it with some  \nfascination. \"Ah fergot how wild they look when thir active.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yep... it was  \nintimidating the first time we saw it,\" Lykou said as he walked up  \nnext to Kuna.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Still is the  \nsecond time, too,\" Kuna said, then took a breath to steady himself.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Well, off to our  \nnext little adventure?\" Lykou said after a moment, taking the  \nsereva's hand in his own and smiling over at him.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna smiled back.  \n\"Right...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThey stepped through  \nhe portal and a bright flash lit up the area as they vanished through  \nthe arch, leaving the wolpertinger to watch the swirling images  \nwithin until they eventually faded. \"There go some damn decent  \nlads,\" she said to herself, then turned and jumped back into the  \nair to fly off.\n\n  \n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Mystic Heart Odyssey","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1999436-mho-pt-3-highland-bunnies-chapter-11.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2002963-mho-pt4-quality-time-chapter-1.json"}}