"If not, I'm sure Sammy can pick the lock after he gets out of this mess." Vash comments, helping the Khalil-spider free their friend.
Once he manages out of the sticky web, Sammy proceeds to return the favor by using his delicate tools to pick the lock.
ELmer follows Nuruk outside with his deceased pet, and the two of them begin to dig. Nuruk's trinket keeps the water from filling the hole.
Snook slurped the side of Karley's face, trying to cheer her up, giving her hair a weird, large cowlick ... doglick? on the side.
Sammy tried for a full minutes to unlock the birdcage, with no luck. "So she spoke true, then. Sorry chap, I do appreciate the effort, but this cage can only be unlocked with its key. Not only is it immune to your skills, it prevents me from casting any magic. She told me as much, but I had rather hoped she was lying." He sighed. "Of course, that is their way. Always tell the truth, but usually in such a roundabout way as to mask it entiely."
"Who is this 'she' you're referring to? Ah...and who are you, for that matter?" Willow asks, standing in front of the bespelled birdcage.
Only waiting the briefest of moments, Vashrin adds to the list of questions, "Any idea where we might find the key?"
"Sir Talavar, of the Summer Queen's court, at your service, my lady. Though for the time being my service is not especially useful. As for she of whom I speak, none other than the most vile, wretched, toad-faced hag that has blighted these once-fair lands. Bavlorna Blightstraw."
He shakes his head at Vashrin. "Unfortunately, no. Nor did Bavlorna. She taunted me with the fact that she did not have it, and my cage would never be opened. That I would never again be able to return home, for even the magic to transport me across the realms is deadened by this accursed prison.."
"My name's Willow," She offers. She hesitates a moment, debating on whether or not to let the little dragon in on their mission. She had cautioned discretion earlier, but...the enemy of thy enemy, and all.
"We have a lot to resolve with the one you speak of. And her sisters." She narrows her eyes a tad at the thought, then glances at Vashrin, then to spider-Khalil and Sammy. "I'm thinking...take Sir Talavar with us?"
Vashrin nods in agreement with Willow's suggestion. "It would be cruel at best to do otherwise I think."
Turning his attention to the cage, "Nice to meet you, Sir Talavar. Sadly it is not under better circumstances. I'm Vashrin. Most of my friends simply call me Vash though."
Seeing that any threat seems to be gone and the ability to speak would be quite useful, Khalil-spider concentrates for a moment and reverts back into his normal form.
Stifling another web-filled sneeze, the druid pushes a lock of stray hair back under his hat and offers a polite bow of his head to Sir Talavar.
"Khalil Quietcrow." He says, introducing himself more officially to the faerie dragon before turning to Willow.
"Did the ettercap escape? Despite it's rather precarious tilt, if the tower is free of danger perhaps we use it as a local base of operation and place to rest? Sir Talavar may be safer here if that is the true. But if there is danger of the previous owner's return or other villainous creatures near, we should have him accompany us."
Willow pulls a distressed face and replies to Khalil: "It's complicated. With the ettercap. Its dog attacked us and when we killed it, the ettercap just started crying and trying to put it back together..." Willow shudders, then continues, "Nuruk and Karley are down there with it. I like your idea of this being a base of operations, but...that's entirely dependent on the ettercap. I'd like to look around briefly up here before we head down, though." Willow begins to look around the room for anything interesting or noteworthy.
Khalil opens his mouth to respond to Willow's news of the ettercap, but finds himself with little to add. And so he merely shakes his head in confusion.
"But then why snatch the cage from Sammy and I?" He says, not really expecting an answer as he tries to work through the surprising change of expectations.
"Oh! Queen's Grace. That means we're trespassing here. And killed." The blood leaves his face as he picks up Sir Talavar's cage. "I mean there might be extenuating circumstances because of Sir Talavar and his pleas for help, but still...we've violated The Rules."
Willow frowns deeply - The rules. Of course.
"This situation feels hazy. Sir Talavar requested rescue, and we held off until we were attacked by something. The ettercap made it clear it was hostile by snatching our new friend." She twists the end of her braid around her finger as she thinks aloud.
"We'll have a better idea of things if we regroup with the others, I hope." Seeing Khalil has the cage in hand, Willow heads back downstairs to Nuruk, Karley, and the ettercap.
Sir Talavar bowed after your introductions. "A pleasure to meet you. Especially if you stand against the hag and her kin. The Summer Queen has been distracted -- our battle with the fomorians goes poorly. I was sent to Prismeer to persuade Zybilna to ally with the Seelie Court against my Lady's foes, when I discovered the treachery of the sisters. Before I could warn my Queen of the betrayal, the hag captured me and placed me in here."
He frowned. "A sympathetic bullywug named Wigglewog stole my cage from her and fled with me in one of Bavlorna's balloons. We were set upon by a malicious wind that sent us careening into this tower. Good Wigglewog died in the crash. I could do nothing for him. Bavlorna has many things to answer for."
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Outside in the fetid air, the water parts before the heavy steps of the paladin. Nuruk walks with a shovel upon his shoulder, the ettercap moving behind him with his fallen companion in arm. Stepping into the soft earth, the dragonborn would begin to dig away at the soaked earth. It clung to itself, dripping heavily with moisture. The added weight made his muscles ache but he silently worked to make a pile, sorting through it for rocks and rubble. Sweat began to drip down golden scales and he would soon remove his ceremonial cloak, the shimmer of chainmail catching the hazy sunlight that crept through the fog around them. Once deep enough for Wover to be buried, he would gesture that the beast be laid to rest.
First came the dirt, sealing the loyal dog forever in comforting darkness. To keep the muddied soil from disturbing the body, rocks were inlaid and a small cairn was made for him. The gold was dirtied with sweat and mud as the final stone was placed atop the cairn, Wover's final resting place.
"Tha am bàs a' fàgail cràdh-cridhe nach urrainn neach sam bith a leigheas; Tha gaol a’ fàgail cuimhne nach urrainn duine a ghoid." The sylvan words escape his lips quietly as he stands beside Elmer, his hand squeezing the man's shoulder for a moment before he looks up into the tower. He was certain his comrades were well but did nothing to re-enter the tower lest he bring half of the swamp in with him.
Willow makes her way down the stairs, careful of the trap that they had not triggered on the way up, and eventually gets to the level Karley is at. She peers around, looking slightly confused. "Where did Nuruk go...?" She asks, finally looking down at Karley. "You guys alright?"
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The Feywild is a magical place. It is also, as Mr. Light showed you, strongly affected by emotions. And so it was, that Nuruk's quiet prayer had an entirely unexpected effect.
As he rose to his feet and comforted Elmer, the rocks over Wover's graves began to shift. Vines burst forth, carpeting the cairn with greenery brighter than the down brownish vegetation all around. But the growth did not stop there.
The vines spread, wrapping themselves around the thick briars that served as hedgerows around the tower. Flowers began blooming amidst all the leaves, and the thick briars started to shift. Like massive, strong tentacles they gripped the tower.
And the slanty tower began to right itself.
Those of you still inside clutch to the nearest wall or railing as the difficult-to-traverse floors level out, the whole building shaking as it shifts in a worrying way.
Elmer's expression is not hard to read, even with his monstrous features. His mandibles hang slack, mouth agape, and he finds himself having to grip Nuruk's arm for support in his shock.
Wover's final resting place is bursting with blooms, and the tower against stands upright -- beacon of beauty in the midst of the dreary swamp.
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Nuruk steps back as fresh vines erupt from Wover's gravesite, spiraling outwards and snuffing out the brown and rotting vegetation with a beautiful, vibrant greenery proper to the Feywild. Fresh flowers began to bloom around them all, covering the smell of rot and bringing in a freshness that he had not seen since they began to travel through this strange realm. The greatest achievement was yet to come as these massive vines wrapped around the tower and pulled it upright once more.
In the dark and foreboding swamplands, Elmer's tower rose high above the muck and grime as a pinnacle of beauty. The two of them outside gripped onto one another as Nuruk stared with a slacked jaw, wide eyes, and a look of total awe upon his face. There were just a few moments of silence before he cleared his throat, stifling a break in his voice at the beauty of it all.
"Wover must have loved you very much Elmer. He's a good dog."
"Whoa!" Vash exclaims trying to steady himself.
Looking to his friends as the unsettling movement stops, Vashrin asks, "Everyone alright?"
"If the big guy went outside, we ought to go too. Besides, I don't want to be in here if this place decides it wants to move again."
Willow crouches low to steady herself as the tower shifts, a reflex reaction from her few years of training on the lyra. Her face is drawn in alarm, but it settles as the tower does. "I'm okay, but I agree...let's head out and find Nuruk and the others.
Willow heads out the door, gesturing for those down in the base of the tower to follow.
---
As she heads outside, she's stunned: the vibrant flora that has sprouted is a drastic juxtaposition to the noxious swamp surrounding things, making her feel as though she's standing in an oasis. She takes a deep, cleansing breath and then peers around, looking for the large, golden dragonborn.
She spots Nuruk and Elmer and assumes that since Nuruk isn't actively fighting the creature, things are okay. She approaches carefully, chewing on her lower lip, and raises a hand in greeting.
"How did this happen?" She asks, her voice full of wonder.
"Wha! Whooaa!" Is all that escapes Khalil's lips as the tower rocks and shifts beneath his feet. He keeps a firm grip on the cage, not wanting Sir Talavar to go tumbling down the stairs. Once the tower is satisfied with its need to adjust to a more comfortable pose, Khalil does his best to clear the numerous combwebs coating him from head to foot and follows Willow downstairs.
Arriving outside, he finds himself once again speechless looking upon the transformation of the bit of swamp and the tower's exterior. He whistles softly.
"Maybe we aren't in so much trouble over the rules afterall." He ventures quietly more to himself than anyone else.
Muddied and humbled, the dragonborn looks towards his allies and gives a wave. He gestures to the cairn that blossomed into a thousand flowers, each one almost certainly a memory of love.
"Friends! This is Elmer, owner of this tower. He was cursed by the hag of this swamp, he and his faithful pup." He gestures all around them and nods. "This...is a product of that love made manifest."
Nuruk takes the time to explain what had befallen Elmer and his poor pup and what led to the tragedy here. The dragonborn gives a nod towards the contained pseudodragon, glad to see him well.
When Nuruk finishes explaining, Willow's eyes are brimming with tears, a hand covering her mouth. She finds herself unable to make eye contact with Elmer and stares pointedly at the ground. She draws a shuddering breath after just a moment and wipes away her tears with the back of her hand.
"The hags have taken too much," she spits, suddenly furious. "When we find them, I want them to suffer."
"Good gracious!" Sir Talavar exclaims, clutching the thin bars of his cage to steady himself as the tower shifts and Khalil corrects himself from a stumble. As he's brought outside he opens his mouth in a smile.
Elmer stands up a bit taller and collects himself. "I...I started acting like the monster she turned me into." He looked to Sir Talavar. "I...planned to eat you. But couldn't get your cage open, and then they all rushed in." He scratched the back of his head with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. And I'm glad you all stopped me."
Sir Talavar bowed. "All is forgiven, chap. Especially given the impossible nature of your attempt. The cage is magically locked, I fear, and only its key can open it. Even Bavlorna was unaware of its location. I'd almost have preferred being eaten, to a life trapped in here and sealed away from magic."
Elmer frowned, and looked back to the grave, then to Willow at her angry outburst. The greenery around her feet wilted as she fumed, and the ettercap held out his hands in a soothing gesture. "She is the source of all Hither's woes, it's true. But finding her?" He looks hesitant. "I know where she resides. And I also know somewhere you might find a way to open his cage. But going against her...she's very, very powerful. It's dangerous."
Vashrin puts a comforting hand on Willow's shoulder. "Indeed they have, and if I have my way they will suffer at least as much misery as they have caused."
With tensions between the "hob-ettercap" and Sir Talavar seemingly quelled, the bard say to Elmer, "Perhaps if we are all lucky, once we have dealt with this Hag of Hither, your curse shall end too."[b]
When Talivar mentions knowing the way to find her and possibly a way to open the cage, Vash excitedly blurts, [b]"We've come too far to worry about the dangers at this stage. Pray tell where she is and where we might be able to find this way to free you."
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Danny makes some gestures no one but Nuruk understands .
Clearly he means that they all lost something important and they'll go all the way through to the end, no matter how powerful she is.
Willow's frown deepens at the wilting foliage, feeling a shame over causing the destruction of something so beautiful. She leans into Vashrin's touch for comfort, then huffs a smileless laugh at Karley's impression. She kneels down and gathers the eccentric halfling into a hug, murmuring, "Thank you both. I need to calm down."
She straightens, arms crossing over her chest at Elmer's news. "I would love to know, too, but I am hesitant to just...go straight there. We need more information. I just wish we knew where to get it."
She glances around at the sky, trying to gauge the time, a wave of exhaustion crashing over her. "And we need some sleep...we only just reunited this morning and have come quite a long way."
Seeing that they may have indeed found an ally rather than an enemy in the Elmer the Ettercap, Khalil nods with the others about eventually confronting Hither's vile leader. But it is Elmer's mention of a way to open Sir Talavar's cage that causes him to refocus his attention from the transformed and rebalanced landscape.
"Elmer, you mentioned also having an idea about how to open this cage." He asks holding Sir Talavar's prison out in case the ettercap needed to take a closer look. "Perhaps that would be the best way for us to immediately further our quest. For Sir Talavar also has reason to disrupt our enemy's plans and could also warn the Summer Queen as to the trouble's plaguing portions of her realm."
"I'm eager to hear what your idea might be."
Nuruk's face frowns a little as the growth around Willow wilts for a moment, the look disappearing for just a moment before he turns his attention towards the conversation. Elmer knew exactly where the hag laid and where this key likely was but it was going to be exceptionally dangerous.
"Sammy is right, we all have had something...and more...stolen from us and we will get it back. There will be no stopping us." The paladin's words are resolute before he gives a scoff, shaking his head. "She's just the daughter of Baba Yaga, a force of nature more than a woman. How bad can it be?" Nuruk responds condescendingly before snapping free from her curse, rolling his eyes for a moment. "It could go horrendously. Very, very horrendously."
"I agree that, rather than just directly confront her, we try to undo the wickedness that has infected this land and repair it. There have to be many who live here, many who would wish to have Zybilna freed again." Nuruk muses before looking towards Elmer. "I am certain it has been some time but...can you remember the neighbors you used to have around you? Perhaps we can aid them and they can help us?"
Elmer nodded at Vash and Khalil's questions. "The Watcher. They see everything that happens in Prismeer -- they'll know where that key is, if it's anywhere in this realm, at least. They can be found south of here, not too far-- but you're welcome to stay and rest here, if you don't mind the erm...cobwebs. What happened today was...awful." He looked to the grave of Wover. "But I blame Bavlorna, not you. And if you folks really can put things back the way they were...well, I'd surely like to be myself again."
Elmer ponders Nuruk's question a while. "Kept to myself, mostly. There's a place north of here a ways, run by a nice couple up north a ways who raise bees and sell the honey. Plenty of other folks as wander about. Downfall's home to a whole society of bullywugs, and then there are the damn harengon." You recall the trap on the first floor of his tower was baited with carrots. "Always trying to steal things, them."
Vash looks to his companions and says, "If our new friend, Elmer is gracious enough to allow us to rest here after all that has happened, I think we should take him up on that."
Turning back to Elmer, Vash adds, "We make no guarantees that we can put things back the way they were, but that is our sincerest wish and we will do our best to do just that."
"Who or what is this Watcher you speak of?"
Willow huffs at Nuruk's condescension, but manages to brush it off by paying attention to the others. Knowing it was a curse did make it easier to shrug off the reactions to her concerns, but the sting was there, and it lingered.
"I would like some rest... and some food," She says, nodding at Vashrin. She looks to Karley, raising an eyebrow. "You brought your cooking stuff, yeah?"
"Mmmhmm," Willow replies to Karley, nodding. She turns to the group. "Maybe we eat and talk about the Watcher? and whatever else comes up?"
"A meal and a bit of sleep would be welcome." Khalil says realizing much had happened since he set out from the farm just that morning. Although it was impossible to tell the true time of day in the perpetual twilight and fog of Hither, his body was certainly telling him it was well past his usual time for bunking down. "And a place to sleep without threat of being drenched in swamp water would be even more so. Cobwebs or not." He adds with a smile toward Elmer.
Sammy frothes his belly in circular moves with his hands, indicating he approves the part about eating something.
Elmer leads the way inside and up to the third floor. He moves the table, once shoved to the side of the tower, into the middle of the room. "I don't have enough chairs..." he apologized, as there were only four total. "Please, make yourselves as comfortable as you can." He gestured that Karley was welcome to make use of his kitchen, which was stocked with a variety of spice, both familiar and decidedly strange.
He settled into a seated position near the wall, leaning back against it. "The Watcher is Zybilna's first creation. At least, that's what the stories say. When she was designing Prismeer, she wanted to fill it with magical creatures. The Watcher was first, and was her favorite creation for a time. In the presence of her teachings and magic, the Watcher grew in intelligence, and gained the ability to see everything that happened within the realm."
"Give us a shout if you need a hand, Karley."
Willow doesn't take any of the chairs and ends up sitting on the floor, fidgeting with her holy symbol as the hobgoblin-turned-ettercap speaks. She listens carefully, intrigued by all the things she's been learning about her patron deity.
"I'll sit on the floor. Will make me level with everyone for once." Nuruk chuckles, rubbing his stomach expectantly. The halfling was off into the kitchen to create whatever it was that she was going to make. Once seated somewhere somewhat safe, Nuruk couldn't suppress the yawn that suddenly left him. The stress and energy of the day had suffused his being but now that he was settled, the aches of adrenaline and exhaustion began to finally settle in.
"So the Watcher sees everything and would be able to see where this key is. To the north are honey-sellers with a load of bees and to the south are the harengon. We encountered them but they didn't notice us hiding amidst the trees and muck." Nuruk paraphrases, taking out his canteen and drinking eagerly from it. After wiping his lips, he continued. "Since the harengon are also in the south, we should know of them some. Have they always been thieves or have times forced them into it?"
Willow takes the food the adorable, doe-eyed halfing hands her with no small amount of skepticism, raising her eyebrows at the mess. She dips her finger into the broken sauce pooling around the mass, touches it lightly to her tongue, and then grimaces. "Karley, my friend." She looks at the halfling with sympathy. "I say this with love...what happened?"
Elmer shook his head, distracted as he watched Karley go to work in his humble kitchen. Ettercaps did not see color quite the same way mammalian humanoids did, and his unblinking eyes kept watching the halfling instead of focusing on Nuruk. "The harengons aren't to the south. They've got a warren to the north, actually, called the Tollway. On account of no one gets past it without paying a toll. Most of 'em probably weren't bad to start, it's just that damn Agdon Longscarf. their leader. Once Bavlorna took over she declared everything in Hither belonged to her, so them stealing doesn't break the rule of ownership, so long as they give the hag her pick of the loot."
Vash, leans against a wall listening to Nuruk and Elmer. Taking a bite of the meal provided by Karley, the young bard tries to subtly to spit out the gruesome bite into his napkin, not wanting to offend his friend.
Vashrin is almost relieved when Willow gently questions the halfling about the meal, happy that he wouldn't have smile and pretend for the sake of Karley's feelings.
Despite the somewhat overcooked nature of the duck, Vash finds himself still picking at bits of the dish, his hunger over-ruling his taste buds.
"Elmer, is there anyway for us to avoid this Tollway?" the bard asks before turning to his companions and following the question with another, "Or since this Agdon Longscarf is in league with the Hag, should we simply do what we can to take one of her allies out of the equation?"
Willow picks around the more unpleasant bits, powering through as Vashrin is doing. She's been the victim of her own terrible cooking more than once, and it had been a long day...
"Well, I imagine...given the way the tower and the area surrounding reacted to Nuruk's compassion," she nods at the Dragonborn, "If we can do anything to improve the mood in a positive direction, that would be a win and make our position stronger. We can see if Longscarf is in this deal with the Hag willingly or if he's looking for a way out." Willow shrugs. "If he's not, then. We take him out. Make life better for everyone."
Khalil dives into the food with gusto. It had been a long day and he was young and hungry. Sure the nectarine and tomato salad was a combination he hadn't experienced before but it beat the usual burnt porridge and grilled vegetables Gorm used to always make.
The good stuff is for market, we'll survive just find on the leavings. The old sod used to preach on a daily basis. Since the old man's incarceration, or whatever happened following his 'removal' from the Queen's favor, Verity had tried a couple of times to teach Khalil how to cook something more than stews and simple breads. Unfortunately her tastes ran to the rather sweet side. Thus Khalil could make shockingly good truffles, cookies, and the occasional berry pie, but an actual meal was pretty much beyond his scope.
His spoon clatters in the little dish Karley used to serve the pudding. as he finally leans back, lightly patting his filled stomach.
"Thanks for the fine meal Karley." He says oblivious to the various looks and circumspect glances circling the table. "Couldn't have done better myself."
Pushing back from the table. "I agree with Willow." He says tipping he head toward Elmer. "If we can't reach the Watcher without running into Longscraf, then best we not make any snap judgements but see where he true allegiance lies. Still, I'd rather we avoided them altogether, at least until Sir Talavar is free."
"I'll help with the washing up?" He adds starting to stack plates and dishes in order to carry them back to the kitchen.
"I'll join you, Khalil," Willow says, standing up in one graceful movement and taking some of the dishes from him to lighten the load.
On her way back to the kitchen with Khalil, she leans down over Karley and kisses the halfling lightly on top of the head. "Thanks for dinner, even if it didn't turn out as intended. Next time."
--
In the kitchen, whenever Khalil joins, Willow will turn to him with a thoughtful look. "I just wanted a chance to apologize to you for...this morning, I guess?" Willow shakes her head and shrugs, wiping down the countertops and putting away the myriad spices that Karley had used in the making of her dinner. Time is fake, she thinks to herself, a brief wry expression flickering across her face, then continues. "It's been tense, and I treated you with far more suspicion that I feel you deserved in hindsight."
She inclines her head, brows raised in what she hopes is a friendly expression, wishing she could smile. "I know that I woke up this morning hoping to see my childhood friends again. I didn't expect a new one. I'm glad you're along with us."
Nuruk tries the goop that is presented to him, the gold scales blanching for a moment before he gives a smile. His father had always taught him a polite trick in case you had to eat something unpleasant. So with that trick in mind, he shoveled a large amount of the food into his mouth and gave a teary-eyed thumbs up before he would appear to burp. A few seconds later, smoke would rise out of his nostrils as he swallowed down the deeply incinerated foodstuff that had graced his tongue.
"That...that was an experience. Thank you Karley." Nuruk choked out before clearing his throat and nodding to the others. "Indeed, we need to tread carefully lest we taint the land with our anger and sorrow. I know that for many of you, you've suffered deeply. We cannot let those wounds fester with darkness, only by remembering the light can we cleanse them." Nuruk says, blushing a bit as he realizes he is preaching again. He clasps Elmer's shoulder again for the lesson that he had forgotten; they must act with kindness first.
"Hopefully, Longscarf can be negotiated with. I do not believe that anyone is happy with the hag's ascendancy even if it came with more power." Stretching slightly, the paladin would look to the transformed hobgoblin. "Is there anywhere I may wash up some before I rest? Being so full of food goodness has me tuckered."
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He can feel his cheeks glowing in the dim light of the kitchen when Willow apologizes. Unlike the usual starlight that tends to gleam from his flesh in the twilight of the Feywild, this is a much more natural human apple-red blush.
"Was that really only this morning?" He says in sincere momentary bewilderment as he reviews recent events from pulling into the carnival with his wagon full of produce all the way to scraping the last bit of Karley's pudding from the dish. He can't help but laugh lightly and quickly holds his hand up to stave off concerns about Willow's curse.
"Truly, thank you for your kindness and the apology." He says with warm grin and chuckle. "Looking back upon the day, were I in your shoes, I may have acted the same. Some crazy bloke stumbling across a carnival shouting about constellations and stories and lost memories. I'd have been looking for either a prank or a healer of minds. Not too mention that poor noblewoman who fell prey to my own clumsiness...twice."
"Not exactly the best first impression." He says with a self deprecating snort as he stacks some of the dishes into the cupboard. Returning Willow's gaze he smiles again. "Still, together, all of us, we've managed to do a bit of good and bring some hope to places where it was in all too short supply. That is certainly more than I woke up expecting to do this morning. And to do so while making new, or perhaps renewing, friendships, well that is a Boon and Blessing I'll gladly cherish."
"I am glad to be with all of you." He adds holding the door open for Willow once all is tidy and back in its proper place.