[Writing] Jesper meeting the wild imps - Part 3
Sol lands gently, standing in front of Jesper. She's barely waist high on him. She looks up to him, grabbing at his wrists and directing them to the berry bush in front of them. Jesper opens his eyes, and begins to turn a berry over.
"Oh! Is gooseberry! Yarrow knows! Teaches imp."
"Is that what persons call them?" Sol asks. She notices Kena's attention has been piqued.
"Yes! Hehehe. Friend has big book for---i-den-tif-ication and pre-ser-vation! Yarrow and imp also look for disease! Healthy forest! Yes!"
Kena flicks his wings and stands just short of eye-level with Jesper. His wings span out in an attempt to make up for the height difference.
"And 'gooseberries' are not poisonous for imps?" He asks, gritting his teeth. "Imp very reluctant to eat berries. We lay them out before Ona. She knows which to eat."
"Oh! Kena---Yes!---Hehehe. Gooseberry good for imp! Very yum! Very good! Tangy, yes!" Jesper snickers.
"We lost one of our own last frost to small red berries." Sol says earnestly.
"Ohh!" Jesper directs his attention to his feet. "Is sorry!"
"It's okay."
"Green berry turn red, yes? Spiky leaf?"
"Yes!" Sol exclaims.
"Or... is, um... long flat needle leaf?"
"No, no! Spiky leaves!"
"Ohh! Yes! Holly berry! Very merry! Very festive! Very poisonous for persons. For imps."
"This is... helpful." Kena huffs, begrudgingly. He turns his body away, arms crossed tightly against his chest. "What is the other?"
"YEW!" Jesper screams, falling into a loud, hysterical laughter. "Like friend, like Yarrow! Hehehe! Like Yarrow, yes!"
The two wild imps glance at each other, speechless. If there's a joke here, they don't get it.
"Yew plant! Berry, little red berry, very poisonous!" Jesper continues. "Is not good for persons or imps. Friend Yarrow help person in forest once! Did save!"
"Could Yarrow have helped imp?" Sol asks. Kena's ears perk up. He turns around to face Jesper.
"Yes! Could help imp! Or..." Jesper thinks. "Can teach imps!"
"We do not want Yarrow to teach imps. We are fine without." Kena scoffs.
"Kena---" Sol starts.
"---Sol! Imps are fine without having person interfere."
"Can Jesper help imps?" She asks.
Kena falls silent.
Jesper sits down on the soft grass between his toes. His shoes are back in the clearing, just out of sight. He's not worried about them, and almost certain Yarrow may have picked them up by now.
"Yes." Kena mutters beneath his breath, exhaling a hasty sigh.
Jesper smiles.
"Thank you, Kena."
Sol flies to him, wrapping an arm around his, and resting her chin on his shoulder. He doesn't seem keen on having this affection made public. Jesper doesn't see it, and hadn't taken notice anyway.
"Yarrow has big book! Imp and Yarrow write note in book---Hehehe---Jesper has own book! Imp learning to write!" Jesper begins.
"Ohh." Sol perches on the grass beside Jesper, beckoning for Kena to join her. He does, reluctantly, a greater distance from the outsider imp.
"Does write! Can spell leaf! L-E-A-F---hehehe. Very good! Good for Jesper to learn."
"Strange imp." Kena laughs, turning his face away. Sol bats at his leg. "Sol, do not be so close to job imp." He begins to scoop her up, but she pulls away.
"I do not think Jesper would hurt us. Or would have by now."
Jesper opens one eye. His tongue falls out of his mouth.
"Would not hurt imps!" He grins. "Imp is making friends while Yarrow gathers! Was curious, yes! About imps! See imps when go to town. Sit on log, watch, watch imps play, yes." He pauses, thinking. "See imps with horns and wings, cannot fly like imps! Does not have horns like imps. Very silly! Can do this!"
Jesper blinks, teleporting himself upside down in-air, eye level with Kena. His tongue hangs wildly out of his open, smiling mouth. The bells of his hood ring incessantly. Kena grabs Jesper's collar, pulling him into the ground. Kena holds him down with all the force he can, knowing Jesper could flip him.
"Tired of job imp's jokes! Jesper will not hurt imps, and will not hurt Sol." He threatens.
Sol hurriedly takes one of Jesper's hands, holding it to Kena's face.
"Does not have sharp claws, Kena, he would not hurt!"
"Could bite. Would hurt."
"No bite! Only lick!" Jesper's wide grin drops. "Was told not to bite! Was told not to bite persons, but would not bite imps! No! Likes imps!"
Kena releases Jesper after Sol has spent time prying away at his grip.
The three of them return to sitting in the grass. The berries Kena had collected are now strewn around. Jesper notices, and takes the opportunity to begin picking them all up. He puts them in his shirt, pulling it upwards to create a little pouch. He wanders off a bit of a distance from the two, ears low, hoping that collecting more berries might be a proper apology.
Sol watches as Jesper vanishes into a group of small shrubs.
"You did not have to be so forwards with your threat." She scolds.
"We do not know this imp."
"I do not think he would hurt us. He is a silly imp."
"He does not speak well, we do not know if he is capable of more."
Sol's face is drained of any desire to continue this conversation. It causes Kena to backtrack to pacify her.
"If Sol trusts imp, Kena will, too." Kena locks a horn with one of hers, nuzzling their faces for a moment. "If imp hurts any other imp, he is no longer welcome. Will tell Ona."
"Okay." Sol sighs. A moment passes. "He is helping imps."
"Yes. Yes he is." Kena exhales sharply once more, taking flight. Sol is beside him, making their way to Jesper. "Very useful."
Kena lands besides Jesper, opening his bag to gesture for Jesper to pour the berries in. Jesper blinks expressionless a few times before doing so.
"Is sorry."
"You did nothing." Kena says. He makes an attempt to apologize, but retracts it.
"Helps imps with berries!" Jesper laughs. "Found lots of good blueberries!" He points to the shrubs around the two of them. "Has Kena had fig? Yarrow loves! Jesper likes. Is good."
"Is not sure."
"When imp leaves, will see Yarrow, who will have fig! Imp brings fig to Kena to try if not had!"
Sol watches nearby, collecting small handfuls of berries.