#fenixtj

Ariel doesn't so much stop as pause and says "Well, tell me what's bugging you.. besides my poking you that is"

"Being poked bothers me, though."

"Yes, but before that. Something else bothered you. what?"

"Nothing."

Ariel frowns "Why are you lying to me?"

"Let's go see the horses..."

Ariel pouts

Salma looks up from her book. "Amigas who hide their stories don't get more stories."

Softly chiding.

"Salma, don't you want to see the ponies?"

"If you cannot speak with us, then who?"

"I have longer ears and a friskier tail. They don't have tales at all, and my books do."

Ariel says to Salma "Maybe it's me something I did or said but I can't fix it if she won't tell me"

A look to Ellie and she cajoles with that way pooka have, which is terribly unfair, "Habla con tus amigas, por favor?"

"I know you don't like Vaeltilde."

Her ears rise up like her eyebrows,, "Salma thinks Vaeltilde is a proper lady friend. She was never rude to me..." A look to Ariel.

Shrug.

"Oh.." Ariel mutters

"I'm going to go see the ponies." Ellie flees.

Ariel just looks miserably at Salma "I goated it up again"

She gives Ariel a hug. "I'll go talk to her? I have big ears and should use them. "

Ariel hugs Salma "i'm sorry, Salma, you shouldn't carry ALL my burdens. But.. thank you"

A nod and she traces after Ellie, heading over to where the horses are.

She's hugging her doll tightly, watching the horses.

Salma walks over and plops down next to her. "They're awfully big for ponies, aren't they?"

"I guess."

"Sir Buce is bigger, though. And has more ribbons in his mane, and I am SURE is too polite to ever do THAT." Remaking on what a rather rude horse just did naturally.

"Ew."

"I brought my sewing kit if you wanted to put ribbons in their manes, if they're polite enough. Or I could braid some in your hair." She lightly tries to draw Ellie into conversation.

"Do you think we could put ribbons in?"

"I might even have a purple one."

"Ooo.."

"Ariel is good at braiding too. But she's sad that you're mad at her, so I would probably braid better right now."

"I'm not mad at her!"

"She doesn't know that, if you won't talk about it?"

"I know she doesn't like Valetilde. And Vaeltilde IS really snobby to commoners..."

"And maybe I am too? I don't know."

"You are not." Salma said firmly. "You are dignified which is not the same thing."

"I don't know."

"I think she'll be mad if I'm nice to Vaeltilde."

"I don't think so. She might get fussy if Vaeltilde isn't nice to everyone else, but why would she be mad if YOU'RE being nice? It's called being the bigger person - and we're all pretty short so we have to do what we can. Except Holger."

"Because... because it's because Vael's a sidhe, too... and..."

"Ariel isn't like the others at the Farm. I promise." She gives Ellie's hand a squeeze. "We cannot control others, and sometimes they may not be nice, but we can try to be better? And we need to put on our best faces for this trip to make friends, si?"

"It's important to have good relations with all the holds..."

"But.. but it..."

"I'm scared."

She slides an arm around her and rests her head on Ellie's shoulder. "Of what?"

"That Ariel won't like me. Or you won't."

"Well, it is a good thing that we don't stop liking people for being silly. Or Tonto would be out on his hooves."

"But you might because I'm different. The Baroness always said nobles can't really be friends with commoners..."