It's rare that a work this steeped into religious context and themes is able to capture my interest and even make me empathize with the most devout. But in this case, I found myself even admiring the Holy Man and his general attitude. This story made for a good vessel for the Holy Man to demonstrate how his piety can lead to acceptance of the Other. His humility is also a welcome sight, as he made some mistaken assumptions and easily repented for them. The relationship between the characters is also altered by his role, as there was never any expectation of a romantic connection. Still, their acceptance of each other and eventual friendship is no less heartwarming. The ending might have been expected, but it is still quite sad. This work gives up plot twists and emotional moments in favor of a quiet sort of sincerity, making this a consistently entertaining read. The NVL nature of the work and the slightly elevated prose actually work well to make this story feel different from the usual FVN. Though, I do have to comment that there were several typos throughout the work, which I wish had been edited since this VN is excellent in other ways. And, I suppose it qualifies as folklore in that it's a retelling, though with a slightly gay and furry twist. But only slightly, the appropriate amount in fact.