The grigs safely secured, the party settles in for the night. Erf stays awake for a long time, poking at the fire and whispering to his companion.
In the morning, Erf is up early, and skitters about nervously, muttering to himself and repeatedly trying to scrub accumulated dirt and swamp residue off of his clothes. He even tries to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the surface of the swamp, but only greenish ooze looks back at him.
Around sunrise, the reason for his apprehension becomes clear when an exotically beautiful green-skinned nixie approaches the group from the uphill forest. Tightly clothed in rather revealing garments of supple leaves, she shows no signs of having accumulated any of the mess that clings so stubbornly to Erf.
Erf immediately rushes to greet her, then stops short, suddenly embarrassed. "Kshatrya! You came! I... I wasn't sure if ye would."
Kshatrya smiles at him. She looks slightly tired when she smiles. "Yes, I'm here. I've thought hard about it, as you told me to. I've decided that I want try to learn to serve Galatea properly. I'm going to see Sister Anemone and ask her to take me as an apprentice."
Erf smiles, but his foot starts to trace small circles in the mud. "That's great! I'm sure ye'll be great. But, um, I was wonderin' if... Well, that is, if ye... You see, I started to worry about sendin' ye to her all unannounced and such, and... Well, d'ye think maybe..."
Kshatrya looks alarmed. "What is it, Erf? Do you think she might not take me? Oh, no! I thought you said she would!"
Erf hastens to reply. "No, no, I'm sure she'd love to have ye! It's just... well, I don't know if she'd understand, not knowin' ye like I do, and ye bein' not so experienced with the rest of the world and all... Well, I thought maybe I should go with ye. To introduce ye, like? And... and get ye settled? Unless ye don't want me to..." His voice trails away uncertainly.
Kshatrya shrieks with joy, and bounds forward, scooping Erf into a crushing hug. An interesting effect, given that she is about a head taller than him. "Oh, I'd hoped, but I didn't dare ask if you would come with me. That will make everything so much nicer. Oh, I'm so excited! Come on, let's go!"
Erf, grinning like a beholder, scampers to pick up his pack. "Come on, Fenenn! Here, boy! Bye, Gildrim, Ter-raen! It was fun workin' with ye! I'm sorry to leave ye so sudden, but.." he shrugs, a helpless smile on his face as he turns to leave. He half-turns as he trots away, calling over his shoulder. "I put the candle and some of those cards next to Ter-raen's pack. Look us up when ye come back to Cragger's Rest!"
Kshatrya calls belated greetings and a hasty farewell too, and Fenenn barks joyfully as the three disappear into the swamp.
A long moment of silence passes, and then Apikotoa breaks it. "Who was that?"