Córu’s eyes hadn't wavered since entering the city, to the point where Eilidh had begun to worry that they had frozen in place. The selkie acted like no other tourist might; where others would unabashedly question or mill about, or try and blend in as best they could, Córu managed a third path altogether, walking and suddenly whipping her body around at the slightest provocation - a whistle going off, a yelling man, a bugle horn - as though attempting an entire field of view across the entirety of the panorama surrounding her all at once. Eilidh found it charming, if not distressing at times when it happened while crossing the street in the midst of some cart or buggy rolling through, supposing it was some seal-like behavior, but ultimately failing to bring it up for the simple humor of it all.

"This is incredible!" Córu exclaimed, quietly this time, after having been reprimanded more than once for reaching for the highest levels of volume while surrounded by passers-by, "I can't believe I'm actually in the middle of a- human settlement!"

She twisted her body forward, trying to steal a glance beneath the underside of a carriage parked beside the edge of the lane, among the things most enamoring to her being, oddly, wheels of various sizes and spokes, all with the same purpose, "You said we could ride in one of these?!"

"Assuming Ariella wants to get out, sure," Eilidh nodded, "I'll put in a good word for you. I'm sure she'll want to stretch her legs, what with her children running amok."

Córu’s attention flipped on a swivel toward her, "Child lird?!"

"Or kids," Eilidh muttered with an exasperated breath, "They look just like regular humans."

Shaking her head, Córu snapped with a voice high-strung and tender, "Yes, but they're so tiny!"

Eilidh couldn't hold back a grin, rolling her eyes in disbelief, "Well, let's when the mother over, first, before we start thinking about the baby lirds. Even I haven't met them; tiny lirds give me the creeps. They look like a- well, like lirds."

Stifling a chuckle, Córu continued her excited scouting of the town, watching humans skitter to and from, all in a hurry, all seemingly with places to go which she couldn’t have even begun to presume or even imagine. She whipped around, almost into an entire revolution, this time nearly losing her balance and needing Eilidh to catch her, which the human did, shoving her back upright.

“What are you even doing when you do that?” she wondered with abject confusion.

Córu eyed her, as though surprised that she had to ask at all, “I’m examining my surroundings. When you’re in a new location, and there could be any number of things that overtake up – up, down, before, behind, side to side-”

Her face twisted quizzical, Eilidh muttered slowly, “You’re talking in the water, right…? The sea?”

“The same logic applies here, I’m sure.”

“No, not really; yes, you should keep aware of your surroundings, but I doubt the drunkards of Dumbarton are going to get a jump on you in the span of time it takes for you to spin around like that,” Eilidh cocked a single eyebrow, “and up?!”

Córu shrugged, “You never know.”

Eilidh recalled that parachute-thing at Finn’s Emporium, “No, I suppose you don’t.” She rolled her eyes. “That is all beside the point; you’re not some seal on your own, I’m keeping an eye out, as well. I honestly thought that was some anxiety thing.”

Shaking her head quickly, smiling her reply, Córu simply hurried down the avenue where Eilidh had already directed the two’s continued path, actively attempting to keep her head off of the swivel she’d kept it on now that she’d had some amount of attention called to it. Even so, the sounds of carriage wheels and horse hooves rang across her ear, echoing off of walls, each and every time causing a-

“Oh, gods!” Córu exclaimed, recoiling in an instant at the sight of a rather massive horse strutting down the street in service of the carriage behind it, “There’s another one!”

Eilidh grinned, noticing the vacancy, “Wanna meet it?”

“What?!” was the selkie’s intensely exuberant reply, “You mean- That thing speaks?!”

“No, but horses are often friendly – maybe don’t ask Rabbie Burns.”

Córu’s face turned toward her, but instantly furrowed before submitting a frown, “Should I just stop asking when-”

“Probably,” shrugged Eilidh with a chuckle, “Come on, we’ll see if we can-”

“N- No! I don’t want to-!”

Eilidh smirked, “Don’t tell me you’re scared? You detest that Loch and still jumped in.”

“Yes, but- circumstances change…”

Sighing, Eilidh crossed her arms, her suspicion rather high that, should she pet the creature, Córu would be immensely elated. She twisted her lips, thinking how best to convince her, not daring to connive or manipulate her into doing so, instead working up a bargain.

“Let’s see- How about, should you detest the experience, we trade it for something I’ve been more apt to deny you. So, if you hate this, you’re at least guaranteed an experience you do want to attempt.”

Córu watched her, curious, “…such as?”

“Well-” she considered for a moment, “Those men outside of town who were fumbling around with that ball, the Dumbarton Harpsicords? You hate the horse, I’ll let you go see what all that mess it about.”

With lit-up eyes, Córu spoke up with awe, “You mean it?!”

“I mean, it’s more a confidence in your upcoming affection toward horses, but yes, I mean it,” Eilidh rolled her eyes before approaching the carriage master, “Pardon me, sir, my very-distant cousin is in town, and she hasn’t ever had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of a proper Scotch horse.”

The man took only a brief moment of examination before shrugging and returning a nod, “I haven’t a qualm! Just don’t agitate the old girl.”

“Thank you,” Eilidh bowed her head, turning to Coru, “Alright, now make sure you approach them from the side where they can see you; you don’t want to panic them.”

Córu nodded, growing more anxious as the two approached the horse, “O- Okay. In that respect, the both of us share common ground…”

“Just- approached the shoulder, confidently, and-” Eilidh reached out and gently rubbed the horse’s coarse hair, smiling as she did so, earning her a lazy swing of the animal’s head toward her as they explored the new stimulus, “See? Aww, you like that, huh?”

Córu managed a small smile at the horse’s gentle motion, slowly stepped up against Eilidh and reaching out a hand of her own to carefully pat the creature’s coat, “It’s so rough.”

“That’s a horse. I guess they’re no seal.”

“No, but- I suppose it’s kind of cute in its own way,” admitted Córu.

Eilidh pulled away, nodding toward the carriage master, “Thank you again, good sir.” Then, to Córu, “We better get going; I’d hate to keep Ariella waiting.”

“Oh, of course,” Córu agreed, though she remained still, “I, uh- How do I properly disengage?”

Eilidh bit her lip, avoiding the confused stare from the driver.

~~~

The mug in Fergus’ hand jostled atop of the clattering of the saucer beneath it, his nerves on overdrive as he entertained the two guests of his wife’s, sitting there as he had the week prior, uncertain what to say or how to comfortably proceed. His eyes ran aground – or rather, awall, as they were constantly wandering toward all manners of the room besides the two guests before him – leaving Eilidh annoyed and Córu stressed out, not understanding what it was that was causing such immense stress for the man who seemed dressed and otherwise so confidently put up.

“Think nothing of it; this happens every time,” Eilidh explained, hiding her lips behind her the mug in her hand, “He’s just- a nervous individual, I suppose.”

Córu’s eyes were locked upon Eilidh, but flashed across the coffee table toward Fergus, watching him curiously as he twisted around, desperately looking for his wife to arrive.

“Mr. McPhee, thank you for making my acquaintance,” Córu bowed her head, causing him to whip back around toward the two, nodding rapidly in answer, “For my first time in Dumbarton, it’s been a pleasant enough experience.”

Reaching a handkerchief up to his neck, Fergus nodded, “It’s- uh- Yes, quite a- joy to have you two- Where is my wife?”

He turned away once again, Córu’s attention returning to Eilidh to whisper, “You weren’t kidding…”

“Have I ever kidded with you?”

Córu’s stare was one of scorn.

“-much,” Eilidh grinned, turning away as she cleared her throat, “Yes, Fergus, how has the business been going as of late?”

He took a deep breath before answering, “Quite well, as far as I know. The-” a scowl on his face. “-reports are, er- I’d rather be out at the quarry’s seeing things, rather than- looking at statistics on paper and the like.”

Córu perked up, “Then why don’t you?”

“I’ve responsibilities in the home, now,” he shrugged, reaching up to slide his handkerchief across his forehead, “Plus, when we required an investor, my men wanted someone they could trust with their wages.”

Eilidh watched him, surprised, “So, you don’t not talk because you detest us, but that you’re just so transfixed by your work.”

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Fergus turned back toward the door, “Where is Ariella?”

“If I were doing something so interesting, I’d want nothing but to discuss it, myself,” Córu noted to her housemate before inquiring toward Fergus, “What is a quarry? Do you ask many questions? or are they written down as more of a survey?”

Fergus’ eyes wandered over toward her, curiously, as Eilidh corrected with a grin, “You’re thinking of ‘query’, but it’s good to know that lexicon can get its wires crossed on occasion.’

“Well, there’s nonetheless some level of translation and deduction that has to go on,” Córu frowned simply, “I can see the word ‘quarry’, but I don’t see much in the way of a definition, but I understand that you understand what it is.”

“Probably because I’ve never seen one.”

“So you can see where your shortcomings are now becoming my shortcomings?”

“Only due to some odd biological thing, I’d imagine, we’ve both yet to understand.”

Fergus jumped up as Ariella stepped into the room, “Oh, gods, thank you…” He quickly shuffled out from the front of the couch, shaking his wife’s hand, and then – for lack of any other better term to describe his gait – escaped the room.

“Well,” Ariella muttered, surprised, “You two must have made quite an impression on him. I haven’t seen him move that quickly in quite some time.” She smiled toward Córu, recognizing her as a stranger, bowing as the two guests stood up. “Welcome to my humble estate.” Raising a hand in time with her body turning upright, she continued, “I’m Ariella. You must be a friend of Eilidh’s?”

Córu blushed, uncertain how to progress in light of such a question and how her housemate would have preferred her to answer, turning toward Eilidh, who simply gestured for her to shake the woman’s hand, which she did, “I’m- Córustrea.”

“Córustrea? That is- Wow, that is quite a lovely name,” Ariella smiled, “I’d ask of what family you’re from, but clearly, you’re a traveler to our fine township?”

Córu nodded, “In a manner of speaking.”

The woman’s face turned slightly pensive at the phrase, forcing Eilidh to sigh, “Okay, okay. Just- sit down.”

“Alright,” Ariella replied, turning to her couch, “I don’t see why-”

“Oh, you will,” Eilidh groaned.

She sat down beside Córu, crossing her arms and staring at Ariella with a frown, deducing her demeanor and how best to advance, which earned her a rather critical glance from the matriarch, though she didn’t pry, choosing, instead, patience. Eilidh tapped her foot atop the ground for a few moments before-

“Okay, you know what, there’s no real ‘best’ way to say this,” she groaned.

Ariella’s glare darkened, “Who did you kill…?”

“What?!”

Even Córu quickly spun around to stare at the woman beside her, horrified.

“Those hunters you were so vehemently against?” Ariella frowned, “Do you need somewhere to hide them? Fergus had a quarry north of here, near Aberfoyle, that we can stuff them into and cause a cave-in.”

Córu’s terrified eyes turned to Ariella.

“Though, I’m confused by her role in all of this?” Ariella questioned, gesturing toward the new guest.

“Okay, there’s no murders, no aiding and abetting- Gods damn,” Eilidh sighed heavily, rolling her eyes.

Ariella sat back deeper in her couch, her lips twisted into a frown, “Well, darn…”

Not knowing where to look, Córu simply stared at the coffee table, eyes still wide with terror.

“Do you remember that seal I was caring for?”

Ariella nodded, “Yes. We had to sit through that insufferable presentation about the local climatology of seal life on the whole other side of the planet.”

“Okay, well-” Eilidh didn’t continue. She merely raised a hand toward Córu before shooting it out toward her in presentation, allowing Ariella to put the pieces together herself.

The woman glanced at Córu, confused, for a few moments before questioning rather than concluding, “So- she’s its owner?”

“She’s it.”

Ariella’s eyes narrowed, “She’s… it… The seal?”

A nod. Córu’s eyes gently raised to follow Ariella’s expression, which vacillated between confusion and scornful reproach for being teased in such a way.

“You’re…” she paused, “-serious.”

Eilidh nodded.

“Well-” Ariella sighed, “I wanted to be incredulous, but not a moment earlier, I was quicker to believe you’d murdered a gaggle of men than I was to believe you on this matter, so I suppose that ought to tell me something about my level of trust in you.”

Eilidh’s face contorted with uncertainty, “Well- good. That’s exactly what I would have brought up had you been incredulous.”

“So- I imagine you mean-” Ariella recognized the conversation was neglecting the obviously sentient being addressed, causing her to adjust her speech, “-you’re a selkie?”

Córu nodded slowly, more so out of embarrassment than anything.

Eilidh explained, “That’s why I called on you, alone.”

“Well, no shit,” Arielle retorted, aghast, “Skyla would have a field day with this. I’d like to think I’m the most rational of all Westenders.”

Turning her eyes to protest in silence, Eilidh didn’t press the issue, allowing Ariella to continue examining Córustrea, “So, what brings you here? Not to Dumbarton, but- to land, I guess.”

“Un-” Córu bit her lip, “Unsavory.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Eilidh slammed a hand atop her face, “It’s something she doesn’t feel like divulging.”

“I see,” Ariella nodded, smiling, “Well, there’s no need to be uncomfortable here, especially on my own account. We don’t even need to pry any further.” She leaned forward. “I suppose, if you’re here, regardless, you’d like to experience that which you cannot back home? Would you like me to have my ladies bring up some snacks for you to try?”

Córu’s ears visibly flickered at the question, her head raised in expectation, “I- That would be lovely, actually.”

“Well, then, I’ll see to it,” smiled the woman of the house as she stood to fetch her housemaid.