"If they're going to hang around, we need names for them," she said, flipping another crumb to the trash griffins, who proceeded to squabble for it fiercely and loudly. "What can you think of that comes in threes?"
"Huey, Dewy, and Louie?"
She made a face. "I'd rather not."
"Groucho, Chico, and Harpo."
"This is getting worse. Anyway, some of them might be girls."
"Batman, Robin, and Catwoman."
"Now I feel like you're not even trying."
"It's not my fault if you don't like my suggestions." But he was smiling, and Lucy realized that she could lose herself in that smile and in the warmth of his gentle teasing forever.
In that moment, she didn't care if she ever got her inheritance back. It wasn't what mattered to her anyway; what mattered was being free of her uncle, but even that seemed inconsequential next to the warm light in Eren's blue eyes when he looked at her.
She felt suddenly, overwhelmingly light. What mattered was having this man by her side and her entire future in front of her. New Lucy needed nothing more than the deck of a boat under her feet and the wind in her hair and Eren's hand in hers.
"You're smiling," Eren said quietly. He touched her chin with his thumb.
Lucy covered his hand with hers. "I'm happy," she said. "I know things are uncertain right now, but I feel like it's all going to work out."
Eren gave her a quick kiss, and looked up over her head. "They're coming back."
Lucy wiped the soppy smile off her face and scrambled to her feet.
The griffin woman glided up to her. "We have discussed your situation—oh,no. Go away." She shoved with the toe of her slippered foot as the trash griffins ran up to her, chirping.
"Are they yours?" Lucy asked.
"No—no, they are wild animals here on the island, and quite a nuisance." She thrust at them again with her foot and the griffins scattered with little chirps and shrieks.
"Don't kick them!" Lucy said indignantly. The phalanx of miniature griffins reformed behind her and peeked out around her legs.
"I'm not hurting them in the slightest. They're pest animals, although some keep them as pets." Her tone suggested her low opinion of this. However, as she looked down at the trash griffins behind Lucy's boots, a thoughtful expression came to her face. "They normally avoid humans. But they seem to like you. Did you tame them?"
"They approached me, actually," Lucy said. She leaned down to see if any of the trash griffins would let her pet them, but they scattered. Evidently they weren't quite there yet. "I don't know why, but they just seemed to like me from the beginning."
"Hmm. Perhaps they recognize the griffin in you." The woman tapped her chin with her finger, and then, seeming to make a decision, held out her hands. "Let me touch you."
Eren shouldered in the way. "Not a chance, lady."
"I'm not going to hurt her. I want to seek for her inner animal, if there is anything to be found."
"You can do that?" Lucy asked. She turned to Eren. "Can she do that?"
"Not that I ever heard of," Eren said.
"I've done it before," the woman said, unperturbed. "Sometimes a young griffin needs help coaxing out their shifter animal. I can try it with you, if you like."
Lucy thought about being able to shift—spreading strong eagle's wings and soaring against the sky. Nothing could catch her then. "Yes," she said. "Yes, please do. I'd like that." She gave Eren's hand a squeeze. "It's okay, you can watch and stop them if it looks like they're doing anything wrong."
"You better believe I will," Eren said grimly.
They went up the beach a little way, out of reach of the incoming waves. The griffin woman indicated to Lucy to sit on a boulder. She did so and tilted her head back. The woman placed one hand on each of Lucy's temples.
"Careful," Eren said, with a warning growl in his voice. He stood behind Lucy's boulder, and she leaned back a little so that she could feel him there, strong as a wall at her back.