#fenixtj

"I'm a Countess. I have to be responsible."

"You're a little girl" he chuckles gently and shakes his head "And we grumps should be responsible for our own behavior. Particularly in our own homes. It is not your fault Agnes was scared and hateful. It is not your fault that you just wanted to play. That' s what childlings do. And Ariel wasn't upset at you. She was angry, and rightly so, at our Hearth. Because Ariel loves you. Now, I know Ariel. She's an emotional little thing, but she's sincere. She loves you. You are her friend. That tells me that there is much in you worth loving. "

"I can't be. It... it's easy to forget here... I like getting to be Ellie and play, but that's not..."

"I really promise I'll do better and visit the Farm."

"Salma likes the Farm, too."

"Does she?" he nods "I'm glad" he considers "IF you visit the farm again, is htere anything we can do to make you feel more at ease? Agnes has offered to stay out of sight if you wish"

Shrug.

A nod.

"I won't make any diplomatic problems. I recognize your gesture."

"I know you won', you didnnn' make any the first time" he says "And you taught Agnes, partly- there was something else. She has been more tolerant of the sidhe girls and boys who came to learn at our school. Slower to condemn"

"So, in a way, though it's not fair to you, you helped her learn to be less of a ... how did Ariel put it? A real jerkface scowlmonster'"

He says that last immitating Ariel's voice PERFECTLY

Softly. "Okay."

"Not okay, another debt" he says "And I..."

It at this point the Winged Chamelion lands on his beard... and shifts colors.. now looking like his beard has FLAIR of some sort

Romona? She looks ready to pounce!

"Princesca? It's past lunch time, this naughty book distracted me. Are you coming? They have tortas today..." Salma walks in without knocking, then stops short. "Oh, los siento. A meeting?"

"This is Mountain Emmitt from the Farm."

"Mmph" Says Emmit as he tries to fish a chimera out of his beard "Nice to .. mm darn this little thing ... good to meet you, Salma. Ariel told me alot about you. I was trying to make amends for our poor treatment of Eleannor. Could.. one of you girls fish this out of my beard before the cat goes for it?"

Ellie, being closest, reaches for the little lizard.

"Oh, the Farm." She says, and tugs at an ear, and looks to Ellie... then has to stifle a giggle. "Do you grow lizards on your farm? A seed is in your beard."

She flutters onto Ellie's hand, shifting colors to match her sleeve

"It's like a fairy Pascal."

"No actually" he admits "Why I took her down here...it's still too cold for a tropical style dream like that. I mean, our summer would be fine, but that's still a ways off."

"She doesn't have a name yet. I was afraid if I gave her one I'd get attached. We shaman are sentimental types" Wry

"Ramona, no. Be nice."

Salma scoops up the naughty kitten. "A Shaman? Is that like a bruja?"

"Si."

"Yes, or a wizard." he answers

She looks UP at the mountain. "He's bigger than the bruja-cabricito." Remembering Zane. "-He- brought purses for us. But I suppose a lagartija..." To Ellie, she says, "A lizard, is almost as good. She is not big enough to make into handbags yet."

"But she's magic, she can't be a handbag. Look." Showing off the now-purple reptile.

"Ah, like Pasqual! La camaleón!"

She then moves "Pascal" to Salma's sleeve - where the fairy chameleon promptly turns yellow.

"Si!"

"Will you come back to take her away when Summer comes?"

"Well, honestly she's not mine. I just don't want her to die" He says "Wait, you two want this pesky little thing? I have to warn you, she can rob stuffy old trolls of their dignity. one time she landed on my forehead and made me look like..what's it called? A klingon?"

"We have lizards here. Little anoles."

"But they only turn TWO colors."

"Oh, she is yellow! Now she is pretty!"

Salma smiles at the little thing!

"She is pretty." Ellie agrees.

"Well , if Bonita Pascala or whatever your'e calling her is not a pest, maybe you girls don't mind if she hangs here for the summer? I can drop her off some other warm place but I thought a hold would be safer. Don't worry about yoru cats. I think she likes playing hide and seek with them"

"Pretty things are nice, like pretty words. But pretty deeds are better." Salma says. "Otherwise it's just empty, and she's no camaleon, but just a Gila lizard." There is a pun there that Emmit may not catch... Gila - stupid! ¡Qué gila!

"Oh - oh, ha!"

"You are very right, Salma. But sometimes finding the right deeds to make amends is hard. So, what deeds do you suggest ?"

He smiles as he asks

Ramona is now in the Mountain's lap, and he's stroking her

A touch of frustration. "I said I accepted. I said I would visit and be good."

She ponders, looking at Ellie thoughtfully, and at the little lizardo.

"I want to make Ariel happy!"