Just Another Day

Shanku kept her distance as she followed Zihna. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her ears laid back. Shape shifting kurach? She wondered. Bah! She has them fooled, but not me. She must be a fairy... Big fairy. Nah, too big. Goblin thing? Nah, too sweet. Hobgoblin? Nah, too pretty. Unless she's a witch! Shanku nodded once in concurrence with herself. I'm gonna keep an eye on her.

They approached an elderly kurach. He was in front of a wooden rack and tying leaves to strings. Other racks around him suggested he was drying herbs.

"Ah, Zihna! Preparing early for the festival?" He asked, noting Zihna's human appearance.

"Not quite. I have a guest for you today." Zihna stepped aside to reveal Shanku. "We cannot prepare Shanku properly."

Shanku squeaked in fright. Prepare me for what? Frog stew?

"I'll see what I can do," the elderly kurach smiled.

"Thank you Onami," Zihna nodded to him and left.

Thanks for abandoning me, witch, Shanku growled, her ears still flat.

"The Sylvans are a proud people, albeit a little ignorant," the old kurach sat back down to tie more herbs to his strings. "I do not believe I have seen one outside the Nyre in years."

"And even parts of that they daren't leave. You actually know my kind then?" Shanku relaxed.

"Quite. There is an old alliance between our tribes."

"Really?" Shanku sat beside him.

"Yes."

"Do you know why they never leave the Nyre?"

"Ah, that is a long tale..."