#anywhere

"Geez...yeah, I see that." He sets the bird down, "This bird isn't wild, or it would be freaking a lot more. WHere did you find it?"

"At the house. I heard it. I think it's a messenger bird?"

"Yeah, passenger pigeons and some other delivery went extinct in the mortal world, but chimerically? Still strong... still dreamt of. THough for awhile it was all Owls, and now it's Ravens... but you still get pigeons. You said messanger bird? Did it have a message?"

"Yeah. Sounds like some bad romance novel, too..."

"You wanna see it? Can you chik-onner a bird so it doesn't feel pain?"

"Here, this I can do..." HIs eyes grow frosty as he waves hand over it, the bird shivers once, then still

it is alive, but oddly calm

"What's that?"

"Winter, a seasonal magick, it's akin to Kryros which I originally studied it but glamour seems to be changing and somethings are revealed" He explains, "It is ...tied to the season of winter. Of cold, stasis, and more..not..banality per se. More..rest."

"now, that note?"

She absently shoves the note at him with one hand, while the other gingerly pokes at the frozen bird. "He'll be okay?"

"He will, just supernaturally calm for a time. It's numbed? It's not a magic I want to overuse. "

He takes the note and reads it, and raises a brow "Sounds like someone's in trouble."

"Winter makes sense. We are blue." She pets the bird with one very gentle fingertip. "Yeah, like he's captured?"

"And yes, romance in every bit...yes, exactly. Some guy is a damsel Tiffany would be amused and then go to help."

"You know either of'm?"

"No, but I'm obliged to help them"

"Why?"

"Right of Rescue, young Padawan. When a fae is in trouble, I am not slow. It's hip hip hip and away I go."

"So any kind of trouble?"

"Well, there are limits. Their life or freedom in danger? Yes, sained changelings are supposed to go to the rescue. They need twenty bucks, they maybe out of luck. Ditto if they want a sofa moved. Less obligation "

"What about unsained?"

"You've done what you were supposed to. You brought it to the attention of a hard working mildly good looking sained person, and a knight at that. Don't worry, padawan, you'll get to swing your own lightsaber, figuratively speaking, soon."

A snort. "So I get to sit it out. Is that the whole year? When do I get to fight?"

"I'll spar with you after I'm done with this, or maybe Olgar or Sir Frank will," He says, "You so eager to get into trouble?"

"I'm not a kid like Gerd."

"Nope. I wouldn't let Gerd go along on this because she is too young. I won't you go on this because you are unsained. Completely reasons bar you, if that's what you need to hear. And even if it isn't" He looks amused, "What's next? Some crazy ship voyage to claim some balefire and set up a hold of your own?"

"I don't want my own hold."

"Good. They take forever to clean "

She snorts.

"what do you want me to say? Do you really think Frank, Olgar, Brekke or Kerri would tell you differently on the 'yes go quest unsained one'?"

"No." She sulks.

"Then cut me some slack here, I'm trying to be a good older wilder and I'm playing by the rules." He says gently, "Look, if I wanted to treat you like a kid, I'd offer you hot coco to make it all better, but we both know it's bunk. Besides, once you're sained you'll get a battle like ..." A sigh "NEvermind"

"That's why I need to practice!"

"The deer said when I go o the Dreaming I'll have a quest."

"Practice is fine. Like I said, we'll spar. "

"Okay." Maybe mollified.

"I take it you'll want to train with that beauty" He'll gesture to her pole arm if it's with her

Always! She nods. "Last time I think I was lucky. If I had actually gotten in a fight at Beltane I don't know if I woulda done that well."

"you've got a point, most folks can be taught how to fight in a way that doesn't embarrass them, but becoming GOOD at it will take a lot of hard work and lumps. ANd.. sorry to tell you this, you're gonna get bruised and maybe cut"

"Oh no, however will I survive!" A squeaky, melodramatic voice, dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, sarcasm, the younger generations offer to old storehouses already full" A smile

"I'm not afraid of some bruises. I'm tough."

"I believe you, but I have to put the warning label on the product anyway" He shrugs

"Yeah, whatever. Nobody here seems like they'd give a proper whallop."

He raises a brow, "Did you see the same log tossing I did?"

"Not that they can't - but I don't know if they would."

"That's a fair point. But you already know how to wallop, what you need to learn is how to wallop the right target, and how to block other wallops. So... it's not really a thing where we need to hit you as hard as we can to teach you anything is it?"

"...that's not walloping. That's fighting. They're different."

"How so?" Curious