québécois

[her_imperial_radiance]

The Golden Coven stays in Québec for one year.

When Harley is eight and a half, they start packing.

Zeus is inconsolable.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

Bartholomew does catch up to them eventually and falls into step beside them. [Dad says I have to be careful not to drop you, but, duh, of course I don't wanna drop you,] says Zeus.

[pythbox]

[Duh!] agrees Harley.

[alicornucopia]

Running running running running it's the best thing Zeus could run all day long!

[pythbox]

Running is awesome! Zeus is awesome. Harley loves those things.

[alicornucopia]

Eventually Bartholomew seems satisfied that his son isn't going to drop Harley and turns back.

Zeus goes on and on and on.

[pythbox]

Harley clings to him and giggles intermittently.

[alicornucopia]

Soon they come upon a river.

[I dunno if I can jump that,] muses Zeus, skidding into a turn and running alongside it. [D'you think I can jump it?]

[pythbox]

[I bet you can jump it! Try!] he says gleefully.

[alicornucopia]

Zeus turns again, leaps.

He clears the river.

[pythbox]

But the impact of landing on the other side overwhelms Harley's grip on Zeus, and he goes flying over the wolf's shoulder, directly into a tree. Several things break, and only one of them is a branch.

Harley yells.

[alicornucopia]

[Harley! Harley Harley Harley are you okay call the princess tell her to fix you Harley Harley,] whines Zeus, digging his claws into the earth to arrest his movement and doubling back. [Or I can, I'll do it, PRINCESS - did that do it - how does it work -]

[pythbox]

Harley yells some more.

He's a bit beyond coherent requests for wishes, but he does manage, [Elsiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!]

[her_imperial_radiance]

[What's the matter?]

[alicornucopia]

Zeus sits hard on the ground, tail between his legs, and howls.

[pythbox]

[I hit a tree and Zeus is sad!]

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth tries a healing pentagon. [Did that do it?] she asks.

[pythbox]

Harley stops yelling.

[Kinda sorta,] he says, and aloud (somewhat shakily), "I'm fine! Elsie fixed me!"

[her_imperial_radiance]

She spends another. She doesn't bother admonishing him to be careful.

[alicornucopia]

Zeus makes another whining noise and noses at him. [Are you sure? All better, honest? You could've died! I shouldn't've jumped it.]

[pythbox]

"I'm fine," he promises, hugging Zeus around the neck and kissing his wolfy nose. "And no I couldn't, I'm immortal! It was fun."

[alicornucopia]

Zeus flops onto the ground. [But you could've died if you weren't immortal!]

[pythbox]

"But I am immortal," he says, "and I didn't die anyway, I just broke some bones, Elsie fixed me up fine, it was fun, I'm fine, it's fine!"

[alicornucopia]

Zeus can make some very impressively whiny noises in wolf form.

[pythbox]

Harley gives him scritches. It just seems like the thing to do.

[alicornucopia]

Zeus lays his massive head down on the ground and accepts scritches, making dismayed whuffly sounds.