Effie peeked behind the girls, following Lilli's look, and sighs with just a little bit of envy. Her family had a pony - a rotund little glutton named Lady - but she was old and slow and well into her retirement; good only for spoiling, as Olive said. Nothing like the pretty palomino behind the twins. Hiding her longing, she grinned at the girls.
"Um, my auntie has a friend who could. T-talk to your pony, that is," she pinkened a little. "She says he can talk to all kinds of animals. I wish I had that magic." She sighed again, a little wistfully, but brightened again when both girls agreed to hold one of her rats. Such offers, back when she used to make them, were usually met with disgust, but these girls seemed just excited to meet the rats as Effie was to meet them. She couldn't hide her grin as they led her over towards the nearest table.
Effie paused a moment, frowning thoughtfully as she studied the rats. Who should she give whom? After a moment, she handed Enzo to Lilliana. "He's a charmer," she warned with a laugh, the way she'd heard her mother do before. "And this is Munch. He's a little too adventurous for his own good."
The little rat summoned his spines and wings as he settled into Milena's hands, preening himself rather obviously in a blatant attempt to get Milena to admire him. She stroked her hand over Sephy's head, and smiled a little shyly at the girls.
"They're really smart. Rats, I mean. Mine are special, but even in general." |
