The nymph hauled in a deep breath. It was now or never, she supposed – she had already passed too many moments waiting for the decision to be made for her, either by being noticed or having a random event occur that would evict her from hiding. When neither occurred, she nodded towards herself, certain the greater gods were having a bit of fun with her.

It wasn’t like her to feel so nervous.

Without the help of the many fermented berries, Ampoule felt rather exposed out here, so far away from her clandestine shores. There was so little she could control! Suddenly, she wished to have Poseidon beside her, to do all the talking and spectacle-creation for her.

After all, he cared for the small, spotty girls, too. She was his nymph, too.

But instead, Ampoule sucked in breath, gaze trained on the wooden front door, ready to push forth and enter the realm of another, in daylight, unhidden, unintoxicated, unmagical – it was all so raw. She was nothing more than a forlorn sister, seeking to be reunited with a loved one.

It was so real, that the nymph almost believed it.

There! That was when the Swan saw movement out of the corner of her eyes. She could now see a woman digging around in the soil. The nature around her had been organized into rows, not unlike her own garden full of healing and ceremonial plants.

Ampoule easily remembered the broad from the party, as she had been dancing on tables, and immediately decided this was preferable to facing off with a large door.

Showtime, she thought sharply and quite seriously, as Ampoule lifted her head and walked forth, having all the energy of the sun (when moments before, she had all the energy of creeping ivy). Ahoy! the simple woman chimed, tipping her head towards the woman and then swinging her nose to gaze at the thatched building. This cannot be the same Howff that I visited all those months ago, she mused, setting a frame of reference for an introduction.

It looks so different, during the day.

Her eyes, momentarily, bounced downwards to glance at the germinations the banded woman had been working with. Then, those eyes took on an almost apologetic tone, with eyebrows pointing in towards one another, knowing that mortals did not often like to be distracted from their special tasks.

It was then that a young boy tumbled onto the scene, seeking to distract the woman with the most strange accent.

Better make haste.

I am Ampoule – and I am looking for someone. She said, her voice edging on loud to bring the attention back to her own query. Suddenly, Ampoule regretted not having acted sooner.