#anywhere

A pause as the teen balances himself. "I'd try."

"I'd do anything to try."

"Ah, and NOW you know what it is to be sidhe" He sighs

"Each sidhe knows, in his heart of hearts, that there is darkness coming. Each one knows we can get our people through it. If they would only trust us, obey us, do as we said without defiance and take the roles we know are best for them, they could live and be free."

Adam nods, agreeing.

"And now you know the sidhe's secret"

Adam is thinking.

"You could tell a troll or a boggan that, and they'd think it ironic. They'd think it arrogant. They'd not understand."

"Sidhe are leaders."

"Like, no matter what anyone thinks. And... " Thinking.

"....and.... the Darkness is worse than anything else. So... even if it hurts.... we have to keep it away?"

"Sometimes, even sidhe don't get to be the hero they know they are inside" He says gently

"They get to try?"

"With both hands tied behind their back" Wryly

Adam eases both of his hands behind his back.

"I assure you, ours is not an easy lot. yes, Sidhe often have every advantage in fae society. We fought hard to make it so. But we also have more obligations, more challenges, and despite our efforts, we are sometimes forced to DRAG people along as we try to get them to a better place. It's frustrating, vexing, enraging. Even our knights are leaders of a sort- guiding others by example of heroism or...to be honest, villainy."

"Can I help?"

"You're not going to like what I say next"

A head tilt. "I want to hear it."

"You are helping" He says

"You have, if I am told right, fought monsters, guarded paths, covered for fae kind, and warned them of dangers"

Adam shifts, eager "Yeah. I try."

"More importantly, you succeed. THIS is what it means to be sidhe, to forge greatness when we are hemmed in, restrained and held back by. Perhaps we cannot work miracles, but we can still be amazing. You are frustrated, so are all sidhe. But think of this, draw comfort from this- You know in your heart who you would be in another world. That world is a dream now, a dream within a dream, but it is yours. We fight for what cannot be NOW, but might be again. Serve your Chieftain with honor, with quiet assurance of however she may or may not understand you, that you can make small differences. Obey your leader so you can perhaps one day become a leader. Sidhe are BORN to lead, but some of the other kiths have their own who have earned that right too. I know enough of the Baroness to know she is such a one"

"Yes, Sir...." Following intently.

"Now you are no sidhe, but I am sympathetic to you ... indeed, my House is a curious one, we must know. That is why I am seeing you. If I wanted to to, I could turn you into Seven notes of music. I could curse you so that should you try to sleep in the same house twice, that your bones would break with every snore. I could enslave you with a word, and destroy your soul with a sonnet. You will never know the power I have. But you will know power yet, and when you do, be it the power of a sword at a helpless foe's throat, or a magic item that can rain fire on a castle full of strangers before it is spent- you must know when power is to be used, and more importantly, when it is NOT. Learn from her. She has much to teach"

Breathless, hungry, wanting "Her who?"

"Chieftain Brekke."

he rises, "My dear boy. She is not going to be chummy. Trolls can be stand offish, guarded. This is not a slur against you. She is known to be stoic to many save immediate family. But she is legend. You can learn much from what she teaches by example. See how she leads. Who she picks who she trusts? And so on."

"Yeah?" Puzzled, trying to put it together.

He stands as well, never realizing that he does so in response to the Eiluned.

"Yes. Some teach by words. Others teach by actions. Of the two, actions are more worth noticing. Learn by actions that you see, and you will never be denied an education."

"I will." He breathes a promise.

"Good man" he puts a hand on the lad's shoulder, " I wont' insult you by handing you a black feather and telling you it can fly. But I can give you something of interest. If you want"

"Yes, Sir." Hungry.

OOC: hungry in the wider sense or did his stomach rumble?

((Wider sense))

BIC: The sidhe looks into a desk, and pulls out something, a pendant, "This is just chimerical, but it has a minor magic of..well, see for yourself. " It has a moon symbol and spider "This is because I am Eiluned. When YOU wear it? I know not what it will take on... mayben othing yet, but when you belong... it may give you a symbol to show so, or it may give a symbol you have earned"

Adam reaches... pauses. "I want.... what I want, will that .. show up?"

"I don't know" He says honestly, "But it should be interesting, no?"

Adam nods and puts it around his neck.

It flickers and he raises a brow "Interesting."

"What?" He looks.

"Have a good day, Adam. I've taught you what I can of being a sidhe. I wish I could give you what you want, but then, as you've seen, not having what we want is very much a part of who we are."

Adam looks up. "Can I come back?"

On his neck there is a symbol of an acorn and over it a storm, the lightning bolts forking to the sides of the seed as if guarding it

"Perhaps. Bring stories"

"Stories?"

"Yes, tales. Things that you feel you can in good trust share. "

(Pause)