#anywhere

"But... I'm going -with- Zara. I can tell her what I'm looking for, right?"

Jude says "Mmmph Well, as much as I enjoy rattling cages..."

"She has, as far as we know, kept some secrets devoutly," Petalmourn reminds Jude.

Tierone nods, "Of course you can, and should. In fact..." He paces, "It might be best if she is made to feel that were are grateful for what she has done. We should be after all...."

"SHe stole one of our own house brothers and hid him a way?" Jude reminds.

"I -am- grateful to her."

"It worked," Tierone says "And Jude, you're too willy wonka for her Nanny McFee... you come on to strong. Look at what she's doing for us here? Not only will telling her have her somewhat placated, we gain a pair of eyes, ears...."

"And spindly little fingers that poke" Jude adds.

The Duke ignores him and continues "That now are doing a service for a member of house liam out of FRIENDSHIP. Dross can't buy that sort of thing."

"Could we be a little less openly pleased about the young lady's aid for nothing, your Grace?" Petalmourn arches a brow, "This borders on DeClasse"

"Forgive me, Duchess. I"m young and our House has a time to shine" He smiles

"And if she works counter to our interests again or decides she knows what's best with our own?" Jude reminds, "Perhaps Ivory is fine now, partly thanks to Sir Gnaw keeping an eye, but let us remember one thing clearly- If Zara Schwartz feels the caravan should go south, and our House should want it to go North... dollar to donuts if your'e not careful we'll all be counting penguins."

"Zara is smart and farsighted." He defends her quietly.

"Great perks if it doesn't twist against us," Jude says.

The Duchess smiles a August's loyalty, "There you have it. This is not, in the end, our quest. It is Sir August's... and those he takes with him. Da'an will not honor our wishing when others are the ones who take up the gauge. He says she is his friend, that she should be told. It sounds as if he has decided as is his right. If we treat the young lady with some respect, the chance of her aiding should be more likely than the chance of her interfering. The choice is yours, Sir August. We yield to your leadership in this expedition."

August deliberately meets her eyes. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"You have been most tolerant of my machinations, Sir August- I regret their necessity and whatever comes of this, hope you do not think little of me" She inclines her head "We cannot recreate the past, but can build upon the frame of it's memory"

"Perhaps, in a way, even better than before," Jude says with a smile.

Tierone nods, "Sir August, who might be going with you?"

"I have not yet decided. I will speak with my family."

"When you decide, let us know, we might have a suggestion on some person or item to aid you further," Duke Tierone says

August nods. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"Do you have questions for us," Duchess Petalmourn inquires.

"I... too many, perhaps. This is.... A lot."

Jude offers him a cool lemonade "Take a drink, a thought, and ask one in your top five maybe? Or we could make a guessing game of it? But you might not find that appropriate"

August takes a grateful drink. "Thank you, Excellency." A moment of thought. "Can you tell me what the mission of the... of my house is?"

"My House, you did it," Jude says pleased, "Well, technically your House is Liam, of course... You'll always be of House LIam, just now with the addendum 'banner of Truthbranch'. As for what it stands for?"

Duchess Petalmourn frowns delicately "That is up to you, or will be largely. The house is..embers, century old scenes at last finding water and soil... and those rfew that remain have disagreements. "

"Let's not hide it from him, even as means of sparing his feelings," Tierone says, "Sir August- There have been those using the name 'truthbranch' for things you might not approve of. "

"Such as?" Frowning.

"A small group claiming original loyalty to House Liam , during the 80s, used the name truthbranch. However the ruling House near them was Leanhaun... " Jude says, surprisingly grim, "Perhaps feeling they could placate the monster, they actually hunted down dreamers FOR House Leanhaun to give up, choosing to surrender 'the most immoral' of the Dreamers. They told themselves they were sparing 'the good ones' by offering up 'the bad.'"

"Are they still doing so?" Grimly.

"No. they .are. not," Petalmourn says, for a moment the tragic and delicate woman flaring like an arch-angel's blade.

He nods. Good.

"They were.. broken up, punished... and tried in House" Jude says, "A promising young childling duchess actually cast the final vote to their fate." He glances at Petalmourn, then says "We Liams don't burn books, but we do collect them. Archives of that event are... rarely known outside of our House. By now, even to the slaugh an House Eiluned, it's a tangle of half truths and rumor at best"

August nods again, accepting. "But use of the name could trigger memories, questions."

"Which is one of the reasons you and Sparrow are so crucial, Sir August," Tierone says "Leadership of this Bannerhousoe will be needed to make sure it has a decent foundation. Who better than you, it's root, to set it right in this new cycle?"

A flicker of... discomfort? Regret? But then it is gone. He nods a third time, accepting.

"Also, that's hardly the only situation since the ressurangance where the Truthbranch name came up," Jude says "Just the worst one. Indeed, in another area, in in the seventies, a crazed pooka carrying a lantern went about hunting ravagers... he called himself Veritas Virga... He would ambush enemies screaming "I am Veritas Virga... destroyer of Dreams I am your doom! ANd SET THEM ON FIRE with the lantern" Jude says sounding a little impressed, "Well, I'm afraid he met his end thanks to an Eiluned Lord who thought he was a nutter and a maniac "

Tierone says "Veritas Virga means...."

"But how does... Vertias... ah. I see. "

"He's catholic, your grace, he can translate" Petalmourn says

The boy blushes "Right. A truthbranch by any other name"

"So you see, August... to one pooka.. the purpose of the Banner House was to set FIRE TO ravagers. To another group that used the name, they wanted to 'spare the good folk' by 'sacrificing the bad'.... a Banner House needs purpose. Now, Liam has other Banner Houses. One, for example, does a great job seeking out lost fae. But it's complicated at times. Hopefully, with you, you can set your Banner House to a .. saner and nobler specialty or region."

That last from Jude

"We held borderlands, Before."

"The March... yes, and those Borderlands are.. not waht they were if they exist anymore at all" Tierone says "Though some fragments have afixed themselves to parts of other locales. As have other Liam locations. That.. might be useful for our House... but no you'll not be moving from Earth Runes if you fear that. Who wants to war with Coradel of Fiona?"

half joking, but only half.

August's expression is an eloquent response.

"Best leave the jokes to me" Jude advises the younger Liam.