Goodbye for now

It's been a while since I posted much besides puppet photos, hasn't it? My Photoshop muscles have atrophied. Well, here's an illustration for chapter 17 of The Minstrel's Path, my current fic-in-progress. Cantus says goodbye to Clio.

*****

When the Minstrels packed up their bedrolls the next day, the other Fraggles turned out to wish them a good journey. The little green girl hugged Cantus around the middle and said brightly, "Bye!"

He knelt and told her, "We may be gone for a long time, Clio-"

"How long?" she interrupted.

"Many, many days."

"You always go for many, many days," she scoffed.

"This time it may be many, many, many days."

"That's a long time!"

"But however long it takes, I will come back. Remember that."

"Are you going to find new songs?" she asked.

"I hope so."

"Then sing them to us when you come back."

He chuckled. "I will."

She hugged him again, then whispered in his ear, "Bye, Papa." She knew he wasn't really her Papa; he hadn't raised her. But she loved her sire, and called him that anyway. It was their secret.

"I love you. Goodbye," he said softly.

He stood and raised his pipe. As the music began, the Minstrels walked out of the Central Cavern.