"Wait a minute; back up," Mericlou commanded. "They ask you for your help? You mean you can talk to animals as well?"
Aldrec nodded. "My people have always been able to speak to animals and plants. We learned how over thousands of years. We can tell what they want, how they're feeling, and whether they're sick or not."
Mericlou, both surprised, and pleasurably envious, sighed. "Ah, to be able to do that: to know exactly what my plants wanted, or even what Needles wanted …" and then she recalled that Needles had been with her when she first arrived at this place. She hadn't seen her little ferret since she'd fallen asleep under Aldrec's spell She had forgotten all about her.
"My god!" Mericlou gasped. "Needles! I …!"
"She's right beside you," Aldrec said with gesture to her right. Mericlou turned in that direction, and to her surprise, Needles was there, rearing up on her hind legs, in his usual position that begged for attention.
"She's okay," Aldrec said as Mericlou allowed the ferret to crawl up her arm. As if knowing by instinct that the fabric of the dress might be delicate, she was light on her feet as she made her way to her usual perch. "She fell under the influence of the sleeping spell I put you under, and so I brought her outside to rest. When she woke up, she had Gabelle to keep her company."
"Gabelle?"
"He's another ferret who lives near my home," Aldrec said. "I once rescued him from a hawk, and made friends with him. He comes to visit almost every night. As a matter of fact, I think that he's the one who explained to Needles that you were all right, once she woke up. I think that had it not been for Gabelle, she would've been doing circles around Vinta until she dug a trench."
Mericlou then became aware of a rustling in a bush to their left. Like a living shadow, a tiny black form emerged from it. It skulked her way, and then turned towards her husband. At first, she thought it might be a snake, but saw it more clearly as it came into the moons' light. It was another ferret, slightly larger than Needles, and with fur in patches of dark brown and black.
"Tulyr, this is Gabelle," Aldrec said, indicating the large ferret. It twitched its whiskers in return, and then slunk back towards the bush from where it came. Needles crawled away from her neck, and followed the other ferret to the same location, and out of sight.