The walk back to the village didn't take very long especially with Targent running ahead every five minutes, scoping out who might be approaching them on the trail. As soon as he would see someone coming, he would run back to Blue and Anna Marie and throw his arm around them so whoever might see them would know that he was with them, he was a friend of Onjadiavaan. One of the people they passed was a photographer who had set up her tripod to capture a beautiful scene along the path. When the trio reached her spot, Targent hovered over her, peeked over her shoulder to see how her shot was framed within the viewfinder, then tapped her repeatedly on the shoulder, then the other shoulder, then the head until she finally acknowledged his presence with a grumpy stare. He bounced up and down and ran over to Blue then pointed to him, then back to himself and repeated that motion a few times, his eyes sparkling with pride. "Can you take a picture of us together?" He asked the photographer who kindly explained that she was already taking a picture of the landscape which lay on the opposite side of the path in the distance. "It'll just take a second," Targent went on,"really, it's so nice out right now, and bright, so actually it'll take less time than that. Boyo, if you had a second long exposure in this light, Cripees, that would be a bad shot fer sure," he laughed then walked in real close to the photographer,"SO-o-o-o-o, it would actually be less than a second and then we would just leave you alone." Targent was relentless.
The photographer was really looking unhappy and turned her eyes toward Blue. She was about to explain why she didn't want to take the picture and was actually going to apologize to the entire trio even though it was really only Targent who seemed to think that the photo was a good idea, when she noticed that she was about to address Onjadiavaan. She nearly fell to her knees but caught herself, then straightening back up she scurried toward the camera saying,"I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I would be honored, may I please take your photo, Onjadiavaan?"
"You do not have to take the picture, please continue with your art," Blue quickly responded placing his arm around Anna Marie and turning toward the village by way of the path.
"Please Onjadiavaan," the woman called out, knowing that this would be the very first photo of Onjadiavaan since the recovery of Shedavah, "I would much rather have a photo of you." trying her best to not be so obviously fame smitten she motioned to the entire trio.
They agreed to stand for a portrait which actually turned out to be a beautiful shot with the trio framed by the flora which grew with such lushness all along the path.
The walk back to the village was quite brief from the photo spot and Targent wanted to run off and tell everyone where he had just been. Blue wanted to sit down in his tent and have a little something to eat and Anna Marie just wanted to be with him. When they arrived at the tent, it was difficult to find the entrance as it had been decorated lavishly with countless bouquets, handmade signs and other offerings all to honor Onjadiavaan.
"Tommy!" a booming voice burst from within the shrine of gifts. It was Vinny who was holding a cold beer out with one arm and knocking one back with the other. His head and eyes gestured toward his own beer,"Thought I'd help myself, since there's a big enough supply in there to last a lifetime," he said indicating the interior of the tent.
"Where's mine?" Anna Marie teased softly followed by the cutest little laugh which Vinny began to echo until...
"Hey!" Vinny nearly spit out the swig he took in mid-laugh, "you're talking!" Anna Marie just smiled at him. "Well Bastin' Farbunkle, by all means, one for the lady!"
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