Belle: (singing and playing harp) Eisht chur ad magh yn dooinney-age...
Belle: As chur ad streir as fainey...
Belle: As ren ee reih dy phoosey eh...
(soft sigh from behind Belle)
Belle: Hmmm?
Belle: Well hello, what have we here?
Belle: Hello. Can I help you?
Rikki: AH! Um... no... I was just... I LOVE that song....
Rikki: I haven't heard it in AGES. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you...
Belle: No, wait. It's okay. I just heard you sigh is all. How do you know that song? It's been almost completely lost. Would you come up and tell me where you heard it, please?
Rikki: REALLY? SURE! Well, my mom worked for a Bard a LONG time ago, and he used to play it.
Belle: Wow, that would have been a long time ago, it's an ancient song. I'm just now learning it from Wendy, and SHE learned it from a Bard in the North. Um... I'm Belle. What's your name?
Rikki: I'm Rikki. Glad to meet ya! You sing and play really well. Are you a Bard?
Belle: Well, I've been taking lessons from Wendy for a while now, and I played the harp before. I just never really studied ... (HUGE CLAP OF THUNDER)
Belle: AAAH!!! (shivering)Rikki: Woah!!! YEAH!!! Good one!!!
Rikki: Oh, Belle! Are you okay?Belle: I'm... I'm terrified of storms. I always have been. This one sounds like it's going to be TERRIBLE...
Rikki: Belle! Why didn't you say so?! I'm a sylph! You know, air elemental? And I SPECIALIZE in storms.
Belle: Really? I didn't realize elementals specialized.
Rikki: Well, it's more of a family business thing. My family have always been storm sylphs, and we always seem to end up hanging around with Bards.
Belle: Really?
Rikki: Yeah, dad once worked for this guy who wanted to know if a storm could be used to beach a ship in a specific place, 'cause he was writing a story about that, and so dad TOTALLY wrecked this ship for him. It was an okay story, and the guy was so impressed with dad, he named it after his storm! Some English guy... um... Shakley or Shakely or somethin.'
Belle: You're telling me your father wrecked a ship to show Shakespeare that it was possible, and he then named "The Tempest" after your father's storm?
Rikki: YEAH! That's it! So what do you think? Want to hire your own air elemental? We're pretty handy, and I can keep you safe from any storms. I promise.
Belle: (smile) Okay, it's a deal. You're hired.
Rikki: What's the first thing I can do for you, now that you're my Bard?
Belle: Well, I don't think I'll be having you sink any ships. Sorry.
Rikki: Aww, that's okay. That was dad's thing. My specialty is hitting things with lightning. Calling down the thunder, etcetera.
Belle: I don't think I'll be asking you do to that either. How about just accompanying me to the portrait in the next room. Sound okay?
Rikki: Sounds like a fine start!