[1084] At the first sign of trouble

Annie's expression in the last panel is just beautiful. As is Ysengrin's face in panel 4.

If there's bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed, no!..
It's just a springclean, for the May Queen.

Mid panel is gorgeous, and chillingly scary!

(although I wonder why a guy who trleports through trees let Annie get away from him in thevfirst place?
Possibly not thinking too clearly at the moment!?)

The suspension point indicates seriousness on Tom's behalf.
Next on Gunnerkrigg: Out favourite Deus ex P.E. Teacher appears to save the day.

My guess is Annie's expression reflects she can only think about what Eglamore will do to Ysengrin should he find him like this.

Ysengrim teleports through trees? I know the dryad wife marcia could, but I thought Ysen only shaped and controlled the trees.

Yeah, seems to be that. She knows (or thinks) that he's just having a really (really) bad temper tantrum, but Eglamore won't. And his "indoors, and at close range, Jones would flatten me" quote from way back here suggests that he's at his most powerful outdoors, and at long range, both of which are present here.

It turns out the beacon does nothing, it was just to make her feel safer, the real beacon was in her heart all along~

Heh... ther goes the other ear.

What if the beacon doesn't call him physically? What if he's there etherically? What if he's advising her right now?

Oh man, that would be devious!

That's how I read it also. Assuming Eglamore wasn't blowing smoke about the 5 seconds thing, this would be just about right.

That was my first thought, too. "..." is Eglamore's arrival, "oh, Ysengrin..." is one second after. Whatever happened, she's no longer predominantly afraid but sad.

Ugh, Tom, I hate you.
No, of course I don't. But I'm holding my breath for two entire days now.

And I wouldn't have thought of the last panel as the result of Eglamore showing up, so, thanks, guys.

I think if Ysengrin had reached Annie she would get hurt. There's a difference between posturing and chasing. If Ysengrin doesn't live after this or come back to his sense again I'll miss him. I feel bad for Annie because she lost a friend.

That's my most recent thought too. Although we'll probably be surprised.

I don't know.

Consider this; an animal snarling at you is just trying to make you stop. It doesn't mean they're going to attack, but what happens if you continue antagonizing the animal? Snarling can turn in to actual violence in a moment's notice. At some point the warning and posturing turns in to an actual promise to hurt you or kill you.

You see a wild wolf. Would you antagonize it even if it wasn't snarling? It could still turn and rip you open WITHOUT a warning if you piss it off. Even if you didn't mean to. The wolf doesn't get that you weren't trying to bother it.

Yssy might be able to talk, but he's still a wolf.