"Don't kill her, she's useful and everyone will be annoyed at you. Usually she steps down after the Rightful Heir passes enough challenges to keep the magic satisfied. And for what Caracara did - that hasn't actually been leaked, which is... unusual, and Fox reportedly didn't send in her two week's notice first. He probably made her mad or was an urgent threat to the kingdom. Or both."

"Well that's ominous."

Head shake.

"Didn't even realize killing her was an option, isn't she hundreds of years old or something? Anyway, yeah, I wasn't planning on it. Where do the challenges come from? Does she make them herself, or does the kingdom provide?" 

"Well, trying is an option. And the challenges vary - some originate from her but some are just... The magic," handwave, "Magicking. Also if word gets out about an Heir being on their Quest people think it's funny to help provide challenges."

"Huh, yeah, of course they would." Contemplative plumab nom. "I'd say 'this explains all those weird tests Gran had for me over the years' but I think she might just be Like That." Head shake, "I should... go see her, and then..." He stands, brushing off his pants and ruffling his wings to get the dirt off, "Coming?" 

"Sure."

Grandma's houseward they go, then, through the orchard and then into the woods.

He's not following a path, exactly, so much as a general direction, trusting in the woods to get him where he's going. He's pretty sure he's been this particular way before, though - yeah, that huberry bush looks like one he passed a couple days ago. He pauses to pull some huberries off of it as they pass, absently offering some to Alyssum.

He samples one but is mostly full on plumob so doesn't bother pulling any along with him.

Also, there's a rustling in that bush over there.

Robin's eyes snap to it immediately. Rustling bush! What could it be? He investigates. 

It appears to be...

A gosling!

She blinks her large eyes at him, then looks at Alyssum. "Why do you have a fairy?"

Unexpected!

"He's my fairy godmother's understudy," he explains automatically. "Are you lost?" He adds, looking around. They've gotta be a ways away from the nearest village. 

"Why do you have a fairy godmother? I don't have a fairy godmother." Pause, then: "Are you an Heir?"

"Uh, yeah, apparently." He lifts the feather quill and waves it a bit.

She pulls a knife - more a sword in her hands - out of the bush. She pauses, then, grinning - "Only good fighters get to be Heirs!" And, with a giggle: "En garde!" as she lashes forward.

"Ack!" He backpeddles a bit, lifting the quill in an attempt to parry her attack. 

Quill: en-swords!

Her knife meets his sword with a loud ring.

Saving him from injury, Great! 

...He does not actually want to fight a small child with live steel! He stays on the defensive, looking around for anything he could use to disarm or at least distract her without either of them getting hurt.

She seems to be a very amateur hobbyist, and there's several points he could with increasing surety just grab her. His greater reach helps, there.

Yeah, okay, he'll try that, going for the knife in particular. He also flips the Goosefeather Blade into a reverse grip while he's at it, gently pushing her away with that hand once the sharp bits are no longer pointed at her. 

He can get the blade away from her! She unbalances and stumbles backwards. "Alas! You have vanquished me, the mighty Whip-poor-will! ...Can I have my knife back."

He peers at it, then at her, "Have you got a sheath for it? It's pretty dangerous to be carrying it around bare." 

"I got a cloth."

"Nice tough one? Alright, here you go," he passes it back to her. "Do the woods like you enough to get you where you're going from here without directions?" 

"Yeah!" she chirps. "Hopefully they like you, too, I hear the Quest gets exciting."

"Yeah, I've heard that too. Well, they've never let me down before," shrug, "Whip-poor-will, was it?" He grins, "Thanks for the challenge, I'll make sure they know you were the first one." 

She makes a happy noise. "You're welcome! When you're King I'm gonna be a knight!"