Maple Milk had been through some emotionally trying times recently, but life didn't stop for anyone just because they were rethinking their place in the world. Business went on as usual, and business, for her, required certain rare herbs. She'd been out to her secret places gathering them, and had been away from home on little food and less sleep for several days. She returned to her cave-mouth home in the grey predawn, laden with her harvest and as tired as she had ever been. Even her crow, Mildew, seemed wilted, and the lazy bag of feathers had mostly sat on her back.

Leaving the shell she'd been dragging somewhere deeper in the cave to be dealt with later, Maple gratefully sank into her nest. She'd need to gather more thistledown and moss for it soon, but it was soft enough for her tired bones. She gently closed her eye, sighing contentedly. 

--

There had been an exceptionally ghastly doe with a haunting bird by her side. Both of them were wonders to behold, but that bird... Grim Grinning Ghosts had to have one. So he'd done the reasonable and mature thing and trailed off after the doe, intent on talking her into giving him one of those spooky, lovely beasts.

Finally, on her journey, she'd come to a halt, and it seemed as good of a time as any to approach her. Tittering on his hooves, Grim approached the doe, smiling from ear to ear.

"Um, hello! Hello!!! I. I couldn't help but notice that magnificent avian you're tending to," Grim started, digging a hoof in the dirt absently.

"Quite a marvel, really. It strikes me as the epitome of fear in this wondrous swamp of ours." He smiled, stretching the goofy marking across his face even further.

"I'm a maker of fear and horror, you know! I run a ghost tour! Exploring the paranormal aspects of our swamp and the world! And I believe one of this magnificent birds would be incredible in my show!" 

--

Her eyelid dragged reluctantly open as she heard hoofsteps approaching. When the interloper began speaking, her head reluctantly turned to face him, the weariness and damage of recent days and a hard lifetime readily apparent, but seemingly meaningless to this kin in terms of allowing her rest. Once the zikwa was done screeching, she growled, simply, "No," and turned her head back around pointedly. 

--

A-ah..." He was discouraged, certainly, but not deterred! There had to be something that he could do to change the doe's mind! Chewing his lower lip, Grim mulled it over in his mind. What could he say...?

"Please!!! I'll do anything! If you fear my ownership, you need not! I am a loving and doting father of five, with three lovely pets for that divine creature to befriend!" 

--


Maple growled wordlessly, then spoke without turning her head. "I don't care if you have a hundred children or can revive the dead, you can't have my crow. Go away." 

--


"N-not your crow, no, goodness! Just... a crow. Doesn't he- she- lay eggs occasionally?" If he was pouting, Grim couldn't help it. He just wanted one of these magnificent beauties so darn badly!!!

"Please???" 

--


She turned her head back to the chatty zikwa slowly, with a poisonous scowl that could turn a kin to stone. "I tell you what," she hissed, "if you can manage to cease that accursed nattering of yours for three days, I will consider letting you have a crow of your own. But!" She added sharply, "If you make even one peep during that time, I swear on my life you'll never have so much as a single feather of one."

--


Grim went from zero to elated in a moment's notice, his miserable desire for a crow becoming ecstasy at the doe's promise. He opened his mouth to reply, only to realize that it was very much the exact thing she had told him NOT to do. Instead, his ears flicked and Grim Grinning Ghosts nodded in excitement. No words. No sounds. He could totally definitely do this!

...Well. He probably should've asked if he was meant to stay with her the next three days. Regardless!
He would be a silent, HELPFUL, and very much silent follower. Yes. He could do this.

Grim batted his eyelashes and smiled brightly, following after her.

--

Maple hadn't actually meant for the challenge to start immediately - she assumed he'd need more convincing than that. But there he was, the earnest little fool, clearly so dead set on his reward that he jumped right to it. Bless his stupid heart.

"So far, so good. I am going to sleep now," she announced. "If you disturb by rest at all, I will hurt you terribly."

After which, she promptly turned her head away from him, snuggled down a little deeper into her bedding, and almost immediately fell asleep.

_____________


When Maple Milk awoke, it was early afternoon. The light from the sun barely filtered down through the leaves outside her cave, lighting only bits and patches here and there, but she was long used to reading the time by the light in this dark place. She stretched gently in her nest - she had walked far the previous day, and her muscles were still a little stiff, but she would be able to stand without difficulty. She leisurely rolled her head around to look out the mouth of her cave -

And that stupid zikwa was still there. He had stayed by her cave the entire time she had slept. She'd been hoping he'd get bored and wander away, like some easily distracted child, but this was plainly not the case.

"I see you are... still here. Such determination is... commendable," she said, slowly and without conviction, while she tried to wake herself up enough to think of what to do about her current situation.

--


Grim Grinning Ghosts did not depart the cave, fearful the doe would inflict greater anger upon him for wandering. So he kept vigil when she slept, posted at the mouth of the cave silently.
His own familiars came and went, on soft feet and softer still wing, to tend to him in his waiting. Grim was grateful as he ever was, offering a gentle nuzzle to his babies as they returned to him.

When morning came, his smile was bright and kind, and he said nothing in response to Maple Milk's words. He offered a nod instead, and waited for her to elaborate further on the day's happenings.

--


"Well," she began, as her mind slowly warmed up to motion again, "I have several things I must attend to today. I must clean, sort and store the herbs I have spent the last few days gathering, clean the detritus from my cave's floor, check my animal snares... perhaps harvest some tubers... make sure all of my pets are in fair health..." The old doe rolled over to get her legs under her. "You should make yourself as useful as you can. I will handle the herbs first myself. You should start on the sweeping, or perhaps see to my pets," she said, with the ghost of a mischievous smile. "Which would you prefer? Ah, you may tap your hoof on the stone once for sweeping, and twice for the animals," she added as an afterthought, deciding to be merciful this early on in his trials.

--

Animals! He was good with animals! For his show and in his own travels, Grim Grinning Ghosts had tended to many. Even if it were not for scaring, he rather enjoyed their nature. Steadfast, loyal, an intelligence and a kindness to so many of them... it made his heart swell to think that he might consider a crow to be among his companions, if he dedicated himself to the task ahead of him. Resolved in his decision, Grim stamped his hoof on the ground twice, looking up to the doe with determination.

@Corn

(Posting from discord for corn)

Maple Milk smiled wickedly. She would make this irritating young creature regret meeting her. She would make him break. She would make him Scream.


She did not make him scream.

Over the course of three days, she gave him as many unpleasant, painful, or startling tasks to do as she could think of. The zikwa apparently knew no fear. He handled her pets that grossed other kin out with silent love and care; He ventured blithely into foreboding groves in the dark of night with no complaint; she even made him get her some honey, to try and get him bee-stung, but the clever little idiot got through it without making a sound. She didn't even like honey, so he got to eat most of it, too.

The entire time, she tried to trick and goad him into speaking, trying to startle and surprise him, asking him questions that were difficult to answer even with the use of one's voice, but he just smiled and shrugged and kept plugging away. She was eventually forced to admit that she had sorely misjudged him.

On the fourth day, she bid him wait at her home and went away to Mildew's nest. She came back with the prize he had worked so hard for; not an egg, for they had hatched some weeks ago. Instead, it was a barely fledged crow, just ready to leave the nest.

She stood next to him and shooed the young bird off her back and onto his, then backed away and glared at him with her one eye.

"Here. You're responsible for it now. If you lose it or or dies or anything, you won't get a replacement from me. I never want to see you again."

It was grueling. Grim Grinning Ghosts didn't really... work. He tended his own animals, he managed the ghost tour, and that was the extent. These more laborious tasks of kin who remained in one place was so far beyond him that it was quite the adjustment. Every morning he rose, did what was bid of him, and more. It took his wile, all of his wit to keep up with Maple Milk's demands for him. Oh, it was more than obvious she had meant to be rid of him. He was naive, sometimes, in his world view, but he was no great fool. All he could do was set his shoulders and complete these jobs as best he could. He tended the pangolin, fetched honey, doted on her beasts like they were his own.

What could he say? He loved animals. Even if they belonged to someone else, they deserved kindness. He would love them in kind, do all that he could for them.

And he got through.

On the fourth day she returned with the crow, and oh it was a lovely thing. His eyes danced with delight, joy and wonder at seeing the crow as it moved to his back. At first, he was tempted to wax poetic, to sing her praises and be so excited about his new friend. But he thought better of it, and instead offered her a bow.

An dwith that, he was gone.