"Momma, I wanna pet the doggy!" A little girl pointed at a large gray wolf decked in holly and a bright wool sweater. The festivities were in high spirits. After what could have been a terrible war this celebration of peace was just what everyone needed. The past hours had been hectic with children climbing all over him, patting his ears, pulling his tail. The parents were naturally wary letting their boys and girls near a full grown wolf, but Walter understood. The sweater was only an extra layer over his fur coat, not really necessary to keep warm. But he didn't have any clothes for the ball so Nerine offered to knit him something. With garish reds and greens it matched the decorated trees in the cathedral hall. It also matched Niall's knitted tube of crocheting and miniature mittens. 

Maybe it was age, but going in dressed like a ribboned fir tree made him self-conscious. So he went as himself–but in the form of a beast. Even if his ears and face went red no one would see. The ball was coming to an end and the automatons were packing up the garlands of tinsel. With the hall emptying,  it would soon be time to leave. Ducking out of sight for a moment he shifted back into a human. The chill started seeping in without the fur but the sweat made the wool against his neck itch. He couldn't wait to peel it off when they were in warmer temperatures. Noticing a pile of boxes the tracker took a peek beneath the top. Shiloh's ferret was curled up in a usual ferret stash, half-eaten food and shiny baubles everywhere. 

Everyone was cleaning up and putting the decorations brought from the Machinarium back into the hold of his wife's airship. Looking at the slowly emptying hall, part of him was reluctant to see the celebrations end. He would miss the warm atmosphere of the cathedral and the smiling faces of those attending. "There's always next year." He mused to himself. Yes, if every day was like today then there wouldn't be much reason to look forward to the occasion. Sighing, he began walking the length of the hall. Cymbel could see Nerine's children assisting Galatea and the others with boxes, yet no sign of his own. The boys couldn't have gone far, where could they be? He then noticed Walter peering down at a small mound of assorted objects. "Oh Walter! Have you seen Belen and Cyril? What are you looking at?" The tracker turned to him and motioned with a hand to his lips to quiet down. Beckoning him to come closer, the fae came to see.

There in the bells and painted ornaments laid Shiloh's personal familiar Niall. The small creature was nestled in a pile of assorted items he had snatched up during the ball. He and Walter walked a few paces away before he asked the other: "Have you seen Shiloh? Normally she and Niall are inseparable." The younger man crossed his arms and scratched at the cuffs of his sweater. "I haven't, it's strange. I saw your sons pass by a while ago so they should still be in Zets'Ki, but no sign of her here. Well if you ask me, I'd guess she went back to Antikythera during the party. Being in a big room full of people probably made her uncomfortable." The cleric nodded. Ever since he knew her, she had never been one to enjoy crowded places. Even now there was some discomfort, though she had tried to restrain herself for his sake. "I understand. I'll take charge of Niall until I see her. Thank you for your help Walter, you'll finally be able to rest now that we are all returning home. No children running about or tugging at your ears?"

The lycanthorpe cracked a smile as he chuckled. "You could say that again. But I don't mind. Seeing their faces light up with smiles makes it worth the while." While Walter left to finish wrapping things up, the twins suddenly ran into their father from behind. Taken by surprise, before Cymbel could ask where they had been his eldest son pushed a strange yet familiar looking creature at him. "Dad dad dad–look what we found!" Belen grinned while Cyril mirrored his expressions. "Oi, put meh down ya knotty rascals! How dare ye pull Haskell away from his stone cherry clam soup?!" An incomprehensibly thick accent came from the duck-like bill of a talking platypus. "O-oh! Ah, yes I see you've found a–" The magical creature looked up at the fae and then back at the boys holding him somewhat against his will. "Well I'll be an echidna's uncle–there's more of you folk? Name's Haskell. I'm a platypus not some aquatic mammal-bird chimera." No wonder this creature seemed so familiar. He remembered reading about them as a boy, and there were a few that lived within the bounds of Feeorin. Meeting one outside of the fairy forest was quite the surprise.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mister Haskell. I'd like to apologize for any trouble my sons have caused you, they usually mean well I swear." The gruff magical creature settled down a bit with a face less sour. "Nah, no need to bow 'n scrape laddie. 'Tis not every day I get paraded about off me own two flippers."