She seemed mystified by his knife and fork, so with a smile he cut her a piece of fried apple and proffered it on the end of his fork. Rather than taking it into her mouth, she pulled the apple off with her fingers and placed it in her mouth, much to his amusement.
After cleaning up, leading the sylph by the hand, Anest went outside in search of Belloc.
A stiff breeze was coming in great gusts that agitated the bare limbs of trees as though bringing them protestingly to life. The weather was changing, and there were dark clouds on the horizon. The weathervane atop the barn turned to and fro on its perch in desultory fashion, giving one an uneasy, uncanny feeling, as though a physical blow were about to fall from some unseen direction.
To the north, behind the house, Belloc stood leaning on his staff amongst a field of corn, like some black-robed scarecrow, facing the clouds to the east with concern.
Anest approached the wizard, releasing the sylph's hand. Following the wizard's gaze, he said, "What is it?"
"Take out your amulet," Belloc replied without turning around. "Tell me what you see."
Taking the talisman in his left hand, making an arcane gesture over it with his right, Anest spoke some low words in the secret ancient language Belloc had taught him.