Fakir stood just outside the tiny post office, idly looking through what had arrived today. It was a rather meager pile despite how long it had been since he last collected his mail. A few letters and two fat packets. He sighed when he read the name of the sender on the first packet, but the second one brought a shining smile to his face. If he had paid attention to the people around him he might have noticed how surprised the villagers around him were to see a smile grace his face. But he wasn't paying attention, too enraptured with his packet. He ripped it open right there in the street and pulled out a slim magazine, eagerly flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He briefly skimmed over the words on the page, even gently touching one page as if afraid touching it would break some wonderful spell. Then he tucked the whole bundle, magazine and all, under his arm and took off for his home at a quick rate, smile still radiantly lighting up his face.

Once home he dropped his pile of mail on the kitchen table, not paying attention as a letter or two slipped softly to the floor. Magazine still in hand, he bolted back out the door and hoped his low stone fence, sprinting between the trees. Ahiru! Ahiru! He called for his friend a few times as he darted under the trees.

Fakir! The forest spirit called back as she seemed to appear out of nowhere next to him.

Fakir was too happy to see her to be startled. Look, look! It arrived! The writer held up the magazine for Ahiru to see. It's the magazine that decided to publish my story! My first published piece since moving here. Fakir flipped quickly through the pages as Ahiru leaned curiously over his arm. Here it is, my story in print.

Wow! Ahiru marveled over the page just as if she could actually read it. Fakir smiled, it was so sweet of his friend to be so excited for him over something she didn't really understand.

And look here, Fakir turned the page and angled it so Ahiru could fully see it. They even hired an artist to illustrate it! There was a full page ink drawing of a young boy with his arm companionably slung over the neck of a fawn with hints of a lush forest around them.

Ahiru leaned in close to the paper and marveled over the drawing. I had no idea humans could do things like this!

Well, I have no talent for drawing, but I think the artist did some fine work. Here's little Jack just meeting his Forest friend.

Read it to me! Ahiru grabbed Fakir's shirt and tugged eagerly on it.

Fakir chuckled at her request, I already read the story to you when I first finished it.

Read it again anyway, please!

Alright. The pair settled comfortably on a thick mat of moss and fallen leaves, leaning against the trunk of an ancient tree. Ahiru leaned her head against Fakir's shoulder and looked at the words on the page as his soft, smooth voice rolled over her.

It's really nice to have this little series whenever I need a writing break. No overarching plot or ending to aim for, not having to write draft after draft until each one is just right, no due date... I'm really glad I have this cute little series. I've wanted to do a scene of Fakir reading his own works to Ahiru for a while but I wasn't sure how. As an aside: who'd be interested in having Fakir interact with his own family some more? Any chapter about that would have very little or no Ahiru in it so I don't know how interested anyone'd be.