The Windwillows made it very big in the entertainment field, and in some ways, they don't completely retire.
Almost everybody must admit their singing and acting aren't bad at all, and there are plenty of friends and fans to sort of balance out the bullies and nasty critics.
In many ways, that fan base came in handy. When Malachi was attacked, plenty of people were furious about it and those assassins would have been dead meat if their plot succeeded, even without Beowulf involved. Some of the people who claimed to hate Malachi didn't actually hate him to the point of wishing him dead, while others admitted they wanted to like him better.
As time goes on, the Windwillows gain more and more respect. Nowadays, you can bank on a huge turnout for an exclusive performance, and it's plain enough these fauns still have the old touch. Many aspiring actors and actresses look to them as a fine example of how it's done; for that matter, if the Windwillows decide to help them out personally, they're practically in business already.
Malachi still keeps in touch with his dear friend Kelly Murphy, a half-elf who runs his very own prestigious company.
In fact, Murphy was instrumental in Malachi making it as big as he did in the old days; Murphy personally put in a good word for him when he gave acting another try (he quit cold turkey after his parents died) and that led to Dancing in the Snow, the enormous comeback that became Malachi's ultimate trademark.
Not only was such a moving picture something worth being remembered for, but Malachi finally saw the good side of acting and he became far more popular and made a boatload more money than before. He's easily a bigger star than Joanna, but of course she's no slouch herself. People will still ask her for an autograph, a song, or a brief reenactment of a famous scene from time to time.
As for Murphy, he'll take any recommendation from Malachi at face value, since he knows his old mate always chooses new kids on the block wisely. You should see those two when they're performing together for old times' sake.
