Wild followed Bentley and kept up with him step for step. She listened to everything he was saying, staying very focused. She noted everything, including keeping inventory of books, iisting the books, organizing by book name which was the title, and everything else. Bentley mentioned someone named Menkheperre who fixed damaged books, so she assumed that this creature was a part of the group of librarians. Wild finally stopped in front of a creature named Nedies. She heard the name before seeing who the name belonged to. Wild saw that Nedies looked quite unique. He had multiple arms, multiple legs, and other intersting features. She looked on as Bentley introduce her to Nedies. She spoke to Nedies after Bentley stopped talking out of respect for the kind dog. "I eat grass, fruit, flowers, roots, and insects." As long as her meal was composed of any of these things, she would be satisfied.

@Bentley

"Hello, Ben! And your new friend--ahh, Wild?" Nedies listened to the list of dietary needs, and nodded. "A salad sounds like it would be about right! Just a few minutes, please."

He went about pulling fresh food from iceboxes, washing, chopping and otherwise making quick work of creating a small meal.

The resulting large bowl of salad--served with an oversized fork--consisted of mixed greens, sliced apples, mushrooms and onions, a large scattering of nuts, and big crunchy balls of cooked grain--like cereal or toast. He drizzled a light dressing on this and offered it down. "Have a taste, and tell me what you think!" he beamed.

Bentley waited, tail swishing the floor. He made his own way to a countertop, and--after receiving a nod to his "Can I have a sausage?" plucked one from the counter. He carried this over to Wild, waiting for the gelada to also be served before gulping the sausage down as though he were starving.

"Thank you!" he told Nedies, happily--then stepped out of the room, staying out of the way. "You can eat here or we can go to the gardens to eat! And then we can go back to the library, and I can show you how we arrange the books--and how the alphabet works!"

@Wild

Wild didn't know what a salad was, but it sounded good. She watched as Nedies took out food and started preparing it. It almost made her mouth water just watching the food be prepared. Once the food was done Nedies offered it to her, along with a fork. The salad had a lot of tasty looking stuff in it. Wild gave her thanks before trying it. "Thank you, Nedies. I really appreciate it." As a primate with hands she was easily able to use the fork. She picked some of the food with the fork and ate it. There was only one word to describe the dish. Delicious. "This is the most tasty, delicious and mouthwatering food I have ever eaten!" She listened as Bentley requested a sausage. Bentley gave her a choice where they should eat, and Wild spoke happily. "Lets eat at the gardens. The atmosphere is perfect there. Then we can go to the library to learn." She waited for Bentely to lead the way as she held her food and fork.

@Bentley

Nedies beamed. "Such manners! You're welcome, friends. You're very welcome! -Ben, do be sure to bring those dishes back, yes? Good luck!"

He then went back to his work, flipping a frying pan onto the stove and flicking the burner on, humming to himself.

"I will!" Bentley reassured the chef. He then turned, plodding cheerfully out toward the gardens, tail waving along behind him. "There's parts of the gardens with benches! You can sit on benches. It's harder for me, but maybe it will be easier for you. Oh--don't bother the swans. They eat you if you do. They have teeth," he explained, "and Isra doesn't like them being bothered."

He led the way out along the marble stepping stones, weaving past shaped topiaries and crystal statues. At last he came to a small sort of clearing by a river, with benches looking out, and an old but beautiful rug laid out on the ground. He laid down here, tail thumping.

"If this is good, you can eat here!" he said, and glanced back to see if it were up to Wild's standards.

@Wild

Wild followed Bentley into the gardens. It was beautiful here, so peaceful. When Bentley pointed out the benches, she decided to sit on one to enjoy her meal. She hopped up eith her food and fork. She got a bit nervous when he warned about the swans that ate you if you bothered them. But she figured if she left them alone, she would be safe. She didn't know who Isra was. Was it a master like Astraea and Nemean? "Who is Isra? What does she look like? Is she a master like Astraea?" She took another forkful of her salad and ate happily as she waited with anticipation to here about Isra.

@Bentley

Bentley considered, head tilting to one side. "I don't know!" he answered, after a moment. The titles were a little beyond him. "But she runs the palace. Everyone inside answers to her. She's the boss! And she protects it," he added. She was, he supposed, the sort of... caretaker for it?

He fell silent for a moment as Wild ate, deliberating how best to describe Isra. He hadn't seen a lot of creatures, didn't know the names to apply to her various animated body parts. "She's... big! And blue-ish. She has a gold collar, and blue fire on her head! Her face sort of looks like a skull! And there are... snakes, I think! On her butt! Instead of a tail!" That covers it, I think. He lay panting for a bit, content, tail swishing. "So where do you come from? Did you hatch in another cave? Why did you come here?" he asked. His golden eyes held a curious, friendly glow as he looked over to Wild.

To Wild Isra sounded different and very odd looking. She also had to be dangerous to have snakes instead of a tail. But it seemed Isra had an important role to play in Cepheus, since she runs and protects the place. Wild realized that those who stayed in Cepheus, including her, answered to Isra. When Bentley changed the conversation to her whereabouts, Wild happily answered. "I was born in a cave called Polaris. I came to Cepheus in a search for knowledge, even heard rumors of a grand library here." She took a last bite, finishing her salad before continuing. "Apparently I found what I was looking for. I found good company here, especially including you Bentley. You're the kindest gembound I ever met." Wild meant that as a sincere compliment. "Should we return my plate and fork before we start my lessons?" Wild was eager to work and learn.

@Bentley

Bentley stood, stretched and nodded, tail wagging. "Okay! I'll meet you back in the library, all right?" He paused, considering. "Oh-... if you get lost yell! I should hear you. Or ask Nedies the way! I'll get the alphabet stuff ready," he added.

Bentley then turned, trotting off to prepare. It wasn't likely it'd take Wild more than a few minutes to turn the bowl and fork back over to Nedies, but in that time Bentley set about getting ready for the lesson.

He used his jaws to drag out the chalkboard, which was only a couple of feet square, and set that up against the wall, next to the crackling fireplace. He pulled out the little chalk bucket, sitting that beside it, and then pulled a few cushions to sit before the chalkboard, so Wild would have someplace comfortable to sit.

Then he spent a moment using his nose to find, and his teeth to fish out, his favorite piece of chalk--a big, blunt piece with a chipped edge and a pale blue coloration. He'd used this one after eating a sausage, once, and it still smelled like sausage, so he loved this piece. Even if it did make him drool, sometimes.

@Wild