River had been perched on Ushie's shoulder, chattering away in the orc's ear all morning. This had a benefit of keeping her away from Rose... but every now and then Ricer would glance back at the thief in all her ribbons and bows, and break into musical giggles before returning to pestering Ushie. Something about how fey are able to see stars during the day, or something of the sort, and how that made astrology more complicated thna usual. She was fully unaware of what else was going on around them... until suddenly, fish-people!<br/><br/>When Gwendolyn vamoosed and the merfolk were clearly irritated, River fluttered up from Ushie's shoulder into the air.<strong>"Friends, friends, we mean no offense to you or your beautiful, well-tended river!"</strong>She explained, moving tiny arms in a placating gesture.<strong>"We mean only to pass on our way, and if we linger, it is only to admire."</strong>She sank down to set her feet lightly atop Rose's head, idly tugging one of the ribbons. "Surely you wouldn't want to taint the waters with blood?"<br/><br/>She hisses softly between her teeth; hopefully Rose and Ushie hear her.<em>"If they don't back off just haul it to the other side. They're fish, how fast can they run?"</em>