[Writing] Jesper meeting the wild imps - Part 2
Sol follows Jesper around the base of several trees. Jesper is down on all fours, his rear extended high into the air. Sol flies around him at eye-level, keeping a lookout for something interesting, but also Kena, who has wandered a bit of a distance. He's using this time to search for dinner, as he is not at all interested in whatever Sol is encouraging.
Jesper begins digging at a spot just beside a fallen tree. A grub emerges from the mixture of decaying matter and soil. Sol sits on the grass nearby, her legs splayed out in front of her. She watches closely as Jesper begins feeling the insect in his hands.
"Big grub---hehehe." Jesper slowly opens his eyes, and holds the grub up to his face. He then holds it out for Sol, but she doesn't take it. "Big grub. Friend Yarrow says is... um... is 'Ox beetle'... is good for, uh..." Jesper searches both his memory and vocabulary. "is good 'beneficial de-com-pos-er.'" Jesper chuckles. "Is what Yarrow says to imp."
"What does Yarrow do with them?" Sol asks, a soft smile crosses her lips. She shifts in place, her slender fingers moving anxiously along the edge of her loincloth.
"Um. Yarrow protects the forest..." Jesper says, not very confident with his words. "Knows lots about them, teaches imp." He continues. "Yarrow likes, um, bugs, and worms, and dirt, like Jesper, but not like Jesper---hehehe---teaches imp about worm because Jesper likes worm."
"Okay." She thinks. "So, Yarrow teaches you more about the things you like."
"Yes!" Jesper laughs.
"I understand!" Her tail beats the ground beside her.
Abruptly, Kena pounces from the sky onto a small rabbit, killing it instantly with his sharp teeth. Both Sol and Jesper turn to see what the commotion is about. Jesper drops his grub, crying loudly. Sol picks the grub off the ground, trying to console Jesper by putting it back into his hands, but he's crying too hard to notice.
Kena looks up from the rabbit, blood staining the bottom half of his face.
"Does Jesper hunt?" He asks.
"Imp kills rabbit! Imp kills rabbit!" Jesper repeats, choking on choppy breathes.
Sol sets the grub down, inching closer until she's sat on one of Jesper's legs. She pulls at his arms, trying to calm him down. Kena isn't thrilled about how close Sol is to the outsider, and makes his way over, leaving the rabbit behind.
"Jesper! Jesper! It is okay!"
"What does Jesper eat, if he does not hunt?" Kena looks back to make sure his catch is still in sight. He's baffled. "I take it Yarrow does not hunt. Jesper does not hunt."
"Imp and friend only catch fish!" Jesper admits, crying harder. "Does not like to let fish die! Feel bad for fish! But... imp must eat, cannot live on berry!" He begins pawing at his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt, batting away tears. "If friend and imp do not go to town for food, Jesper must eat fish! One time imp found dead squirrel!" The deep sobs return. "Did bury squirrel... Friend---Yarrow---says it is part of nature, but it makes imp sad."
"I'm sorry, Jesper, we did not know---" Sol starts, holding out her hand to touch Jesper's. "We assumed the two of you hunted, too."
"Will not starve because Jesper is here." Kena has very little patience in his voice.
"We have enough food. We don't have to hunt with Jesper here." Sol shoots him a look that tells him to stop.
"It is already dead."
"Okay! Take it back to the others!" Sol yells.
"Am not leaving Sol alone with a job imp."
Jesper is beginning to regain his composure. The cries have turned to soft sniffles and whimpers. Sol hops down from Jesper's leg onto the soft grass. She flies over to Kena to have a few choice words that cause him to leave. He turns back several times during his departure. Sol sits in the grass once more, and begins flipping over the grub that was sat between Jesper's legs.
"Jesper says is 'ox beetle', yes?"
"Yes." Jesper snivels. His wide grin creeps back in. "Is ox beetle grub."
"How can you tell?" Sol turns it over in her palm. It's so large in contrast to her hands that it's hard to keep steady.
"Um..." Jesper collects himself. His eyes close hard for a moment. He searches his thoughts before rolling his left eye open. His tongue falls from his mouth. "Well, is by dead tree---hehehe." Jesper points. "---grub likes dead things. Um. If imp turns grub over---" He takes a finger and delicately flips the grub over to show Sol it's belly. "---has no hair! Hehehe. Other grub have hair. Is ox beetle grub. Is good!"
"And Yarrow taught you that?"
"Yes."
Sol checks over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Kena returning empty-handed. He's cleaned up now, and has a small bag made from dried grass.
"Gathering mushrooms and berry." Kena says, sounding resigned. "Was asked to." It's clear this is not his preference. "Ona said. Brought her the rabbit, told her about job imp---how he did not like the hunt."
"Imp knows about mushroom and berry! Does this with friend, with Yarrow!" Jesper jumps to his feet. "Friend is in trees right now---hehehe!"
Kena and Sol look at each other before glancing up at the tree line. Jesper is pointing but in no direction in particular. They don't see anyone.
"Friend is looking for figs! Yum. Or... um, elderberries."
"Yes, imp knows where." Kena flutters his wings in place, then takes off suddenly.
Sol also takes flight, but reaches for Jesper's hand to lead him. The two follow behind Kena at a relaxed pace.
The lake to their right flows gently. Sol makes sure that Jesper is far enough away, concerned without her that he may wander too close for a second time. Kena takes them towards a thicker patch of woods. The trees here are denser, thick with bushes that are visibly bearing multiple kinds of fruit.