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Leo gave Elliot's hand a squeeze as they walked, knowing that theman was excited. "i don't like boots because of my training, Nix is far wiser than i." he said softly, winking at Elliot. the trip to the edge of the forest took a little longer than usual, but that was because the forest itself was sad to see him go. he'd communed one last time the day before, but it had been a joyous occasion. Nix had been summoned and he'd been chosen to be her guide during her first commune. he had enjoied the experience and had been able to say goodbye for now, but he could sense the trees' sorrow at their leaving. both he and Nix wore woven bands around their necks. it had been a parting gift from the trees, on that would keep them connected no matter how far away they were from Falia. it was long enough that the woven cord was hidden under his clothing, but it was a comforting warmth.

Soon they reached the edge where Henry and the guards were waiting. the people walking along with them spread out along the tree line and he turned to bow to them all before walking past the line and into the open. "it has been a while, Henry-san. i hope you were well looked after while we were gone?" the last time he'd seen Henry was when Nix had told him of that night and Leo wanted them to simply put it behing themselves and forget it happened.

Nix bowed to the line of people, but she looked at the carriage with excitement. "can i ride in front with you?" she asked, moving to Henry and taking his hand, being very, very careful to not read his mind. "please? i promise i'll be good."

Tsume snorted, "i'll be running alongside, thanks." he looked over at the guards and grinned, last time they had really met, he'd kicked their asses. he wondered if they still held gruges because of that. "no horse can outrun me, and the charriage will make you even slower. it'll be easy to keep pace."

Nix frowned and thought for a bit before she smiled brightly, an idea coming to mind. "i'll sit on Ipo's lap!" she hurried over to the hare and took hsi hand, looking up at him with her best puppy-dog eyes. "please? can i ride with you for a little while? i promise to be good."

Leo shook his head a little, "don't cause trouble, either of you." his gaze fell on Tsume who's smile faded a bit. "Elliot, shall we get in while they decided who rides what?" he moved to the carriage, needing to sit down, and stepped inside. he gave one final wave to the watching people before sitting down and placing a hand over hsi stomach while he was out of sight. he fished for some of the plants Birch had given them and carefully slipped a single leave into his mouth, chewing it to help ease the nausia.

Tsume shifted and started trotting forward, not waiting for everyone to get themselves in place. he was a wolf, most likely he'd range out and do a bit of hunting while they traveled, but for the most part he'd stay near the carriage.

Nix cheered, "Ipo, you're the best!" when they sat down she looked around eagerly, "it's like sitting in a tree!" she giggled, turning to the sit and putting her arms around Ipo's neck. "if your legs start to hurt i'll sit on the luggage rack. i'm small enough we wont have to make room for me." she said, worried about the hare's legs falling asleep.

Leo blushed at being caught, "it seems last night wore me out a little. i'm still tired and ate a little too much yesterday to eat today. i wasn't thinking and ate breakfast which pushed me over the edge." he shrugged, "it's nothing bad, just a little stomach ache. here, you should have one two before we get going too far. don't want you to get motion sickness do we?"

Nix giggled, "maybe. or maybe i can drive if he gets tired!" she looked at Nehry excitedly, "will you teach me how to drive a carriage? do you speak to the horses? i'm not very good at animal empathy, i'm better with people, but i can do it a little." she shyly reached out to touch the reins, "do you talk to them through these?"

Leo nodded, "yes, we do, don't we? i wonder how they liked their dresses." he wondered if Emily and Annabelle had been able to get past their fight about Emily wearing frilly clothing as well. hopefully the dresses helped with that a little. but he couldn't be sure. "i hope they are doing alright. i wonder how they will react to Nix? and how Nix will react to them?" he laughed softly, "they will either be thick as thieves or bitter enemies. i personally hope it's the first."

"Really!?" Nix asked, her eyes wideing when she was told one of Elliot's sisters cxould speak to animals. "do the others have abilities? what are theirs? oh, you have them too, right? you said you do, what's your ability? can you show me sometime?" she looked at Ipo, "Do you have one too?" she heard a yip from the side and looked over to one of the guards. in his arms was a puppy and she squeeled, "he's so cute! can i hold him! he can't be comfortable riding like that, please?" she called out to the guard holding the mastiff.

Leo smiled, "Nix just might be someone able to befriend all three without any problems. she likes dressing up and will be interested in clothing so she can relate to Annabelle. She likes to read, loves animals and can talk to them in her own way so she and Emily will get along. as for Martha, you saw her playing with the boys her age. she's as tough and rough as any of them." he shook his head, "i'm almost freightened to let them meet."

"Hi-ya Ludwig!" Nix said happily and scratched the wiggling puppy. "no fair!" she pouted when Henry avoided the question and Ipo said his was a secret. "no fair, no fair! if i hadn't promised i wouldn't read anyone's minds i'd make you tell me!" she had noted the small door in the wall behind them and she opened it. sure enough, she could see inside and she stuck her head in. "Leo, they wont tell me what their abilities are! can i read their minds just this once?"

Leo laughed, "oh by the spirits! that would be terrifying! they would take over the world before long." the door in the carriage opened and Nix stuck her head in, but he frowned a little, "of course you can't. if they don't want to tell you then they have a good reason not to. you can't force them."

Nix pouted but pulled her head back and shut the door, "it's no fair, Ludwig." he muttered again, scratching the puppy behind the ear as he curled up and fell asleep on her lap.

Nix looked at Henry in awe, "really? you can move earth, oh wow! you're like the miner, well, but they don't really move the earth, they can sense what's in it." she smiled brightly, "one time i bet Cekta, he's the head miner's son a couple years older than me but as dumb as the rocks he works with, anyways, i bet him i could dig a hole deeper and faster than him and he agreed. he was making me made because he said that fluffy girls should stay away from the big bad mines. asked if i was scared 'cuz they looked like monster's mouths. i told him they were as ugly as his face so they didn't scare me." she laughed, "oh, right, the bet. so if i lost i had to spend the night in the mine shaft with him and the ther boys so they could scare me which was dumb because i'd be able to read their minds and see what they were going to do anyways." she took a deep breath, having said all that at once. "but if i won he had to give me the best jem he had found in the past year. so we make a rule that using your powers is ok and he starts digging, right? and i've been watching him and think, he kind of digs like a mole. so what do i do?" she smirked, "i get a bunch of moles to come and dig with me. they dug up while i dug down and when time was up i had a hole twice as deep as his! never told him how though." she winked at the pair, "so he had to give me this really beautiful blue diamond he'd found, which i don't feel too bad about since he'd found a whole line of them. he just had to give me the best one."

Leo shook his head, "i've changed my mind, they aren't allowed to meet. do you think we can possibly keep them seperate?" he was feeling a lot better and opened one of the curtians, letting a beam of sunshine come into the interior and light it up while it warmed him. "hmmm, if you are anything like me i bet you're still tired." he held his arms out, "come hold me so we can take a nap together?"