She grinned again, thoroughly pleased that he genuinely believed her now, and nodded, trying to remember what she'd already told him and what was left to tell. "He said that he'd told someone his story a long time ago and they lied about it, but that everything from before his curse was true. But he doesn't stone birds, just eats them. And doesn't have a blizzard following him--" she gestured at the now-erased hoofprints, proof that he hadn't brought snow with him to cover them up. "And... and... I don't know." What was she supposed to say now? She took a step towards where she'd hidden the fur.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Gaius followed. "Can he read? Write? Where does he travel to? Has he been beyond the Northern Realm?"
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
"I don't know," Ky admitted. "He didn't really say, and I was a little... surprised by it all." That was the understatement of the century. "Didn't really know what to ask in the heat of the moment."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
"I don't know." She sighed. "That's what I tried to ask, but he just told me not to come out of the tent, so I don't know how I could... I hope so, though. He's really nice. You heard how nice he is?" She asked, looking at him. "I don't think he'd hurt anyone at all if he wasn't cursed. He doesn't want to."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"He sounds like he's got a good heart," Gaius allowed. "You've certainly made an impression on him." He wanted to meet the Marrow Man himself, but that was foolishness. Ky might be on his good side, but who knew where Gaius stood. "And he'll be following us home, as I understand?"
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
"Seems so." Ky eyed him, suddenly uneasiness settling over him. Gaius wouldn't want to hurt him... would he? "But, like, not in a bad way! He just wants to help."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"No, I gathered that," he assured her. "I'm glad. But he can't come inside, you understand that? Even if he was able I wouldn't allow it."
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
"I know." She nodded. She doubted Ruh would be okay with that, either. He seemed wary of Gaius, which, honestly, she couldn't really blame him. "Probably best to keep him away from the children, just in case."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"And most everyone." Gaius paused. "I'll have a stag sent over the wall for him, perhaps."
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Ky grinned at that, thoroughly pleased that Gaius wanted to be friends with Ruh, too. "I'm sure he'd appreciate that! He seems very hungry."
They were to the carriage now, and Ky pulled the blanket back, revealing the white bear fur. It was bloodier than she'd noticed, since both times she'd seen it had been in the dark. But she imagined that would be able to be washed out. Hopefully. And even if it couldn't, well, it didn't matter. She'd remember him all the same -- the rough, but good-hearted, cryptid that she'd befriended. She gestured at it proudly.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Gaius stood there staring at it for a moment, then tentatively ran his good hand over the fur. It was without a doubt the fur of a white bear, if a bit bloodied and ragged. "It could use a wash," he mused, staring at a dried handprint where the Marrow Man had patted the bear's flank. "But that's magnificent. Very, very generous of him."
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Ky grinned and nodded, pleased at the approval. “… can I make a blanket out of it?”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"No need for my permission. Do what you like with it! There's plenty there for a blanket and probably something else. White bears are massive animals." He would have liked to see the size of the thing; he was still trying to wrap his hand around the fact that the Marrow Man had taken this thing down single handedly.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Ky nodded, not pointing out that she, in fact, had neither the money to have this tanned nor the skills to do it herself. But hopefully, that meant he planned to help her out.
"I think he wanted me to make a cloak out of it," she said. "But I'm pretty sure it weighs as much as I do -- I'm not anywhere near strong enough to carry this thing very far on my own... and I already ruined one cloak." She looked down at her arm, still upset that Nyler had destroyed Sara's gift to her. "Don't want to endanger this one, too."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
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