Momentos a'plenty

The wolf was clueless and quickly threw out an answer. Perhaps a bit too enthusiastically, Armando cried, "Oh, excellent, my friend!" For emphasis he clapped his paws in excitement. In truth, Artisan could have asked for a red ribbon with moon colored flecks and Armando would have acted like it was the most perfect suggestion ever. Oddly enough he would have had that in stock too. Even stranger still, the statement he was about to make would have still be said as well... "Something that lovely is going to take me a minute. Bear with me, my dear!" He disappeared back into the leaves and after bobbing the branch up and down as though he'd settled down to work, began to tiptoe down the branch.

His little bird was sitting beside the tree trunk with the ribbon from his fedora clutched helpfully in her beak. When Armando reached her he swatted at her in annoyance and then whispered fiercely, "No, no we're not giving him any ribbons you dunce!" God, she was so dumb sometimes he wished he'd eaten her at the firefly festival. When the little bird peeped in protest he quickly pinched her beak shut and shushed her. Okay fine, fine he needed to make it up to her lest she give him away out of spite. "You did good, really, you just need to think, sweetheart. Come on, let's go."

Blessedly, the bird was quite dumb so she went from wounded to allied in the span of a few heartbeats. "Oh, this is coming along just nicely!" he called before deciding that was enough to sell it. It was time to go. Armando quickly stuffed the ribbon into his bag with the wolf's things, put his hat on his head and then he and the bird were off; she flying between the branches and he climbing as quickly and quietly away as he could. By the time Artisan realized they were gone they'd hopefully be tucked somewhere safe.

-exit-