#anywhere

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By the time Dagmar realizes where they're going, they' already there.

The County of Charm, where they might find a sorceress by name of Akanthea

BOW your heads, Peasants!

"Oh, I've been here before." Dagmar looks around. "The Countess is... well. A lot."

"Yes, and now I have no alterantive but to make a bargain with her."

"Bargain?"

"A drop of my blood to find my father if possible, or omen him"

"I mean, she's a sorceress. I bet she could, like, scry the Dreaming or read omens..."

She nods. "Right. She could do that. Though you want to be careful..." A niggling little doubt. "Like, she can.. she can sometimes be... well, like the non-disney fairy tales."

"Well, yes, that's why I was only considering." Wry

"Now, I don't have much choice, but let's not tell her how desperate the Chief has made me. She might up the price"

"Why her and not Vali?"

"Because Sir Vali is potent but not a sorceress."

"Vali'd probably know for sure if they were fomorians."

A frown. "And... Nadeen, I can't tell if she's lying to you."

"How I envy that boon" She says "Not for you, for the Chieftain. Clearly, the Shacklebreaker doesn't trust me as much as I Hoped"

"She's worried - and she's right, we odn't know if the thing that talked to Adam was your father."

"And Frank was honest when he said it sounds like a Formorian treasure, not a Kithain one."

"If an enemy drops a sword, and you're unarmed, you don't whine about how that weapon belonged to the bad guys, you grab it and you use it and you live" The young baroness says

And she approaches the thane and requests an audience "urgency is great, sirrah"

Dagmar frowns.

"Not if it's a magic sword that'll mess with your head."

"You said your father wasn't evil, but Formorions ARE evil, through and through."

"Varich are their enemies. So are Aesin and the other Lost Houses, yeah? Part of why they came back was to fight them. Why they came back now, and not in the 60s."

"Dame Dagmar, my father's will is strong. You should remember that. I know my father, he would never be a slave, not to the formorians, not to anyone"

"Anyone can be broken."

"Or deceived."

"But why assume it MUST be so?"

"Your father isn't evil. Therefore, he wouldn't ask you to do something evil. So, something else is going on - either it's a fake, or your father is being tricked or compelled, or is otherwise in trouble. So, if he's in trouble, we rescue him and then bring him safely here."

"Or he has found a way to bring make mortals into changelings and only ONE person has to suffer for it, and they will recover. And if I volunteer that makes it moral"

"But we need mortals, too. And don't you remember that story from class? Omelas? I don't know if you can justify torture, even of just one without justifying anything at all."

A frown "But if I am willing it's different. The ..the person in the story didn't choose that"

"Right... But... Like, it's not fair for him to ask that of you."

"He didn't , remember? I am the one who thought of that. To spare someoen else. Sacrificing one self for others. I didn't think it was ONLY for trolls?"

She considers this.

"I think, yeah, that you volunteering for that is honorable. But I still don't want you hurt. And we gotta be sure this is the real deal."

"The countess should help affirm that"

"Yeah."

Another frown, mulling over something

"What is it?"

"Well, if this is legit, and it's him and everything, then maybe I'm better at dealing with pain than you. And I don't want you hurt."

"No."

Simple and direct. No nonsense.

Eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"Because, I tolareate pain quite well. And it will mean more coming from me. IF what others fear is that father has grown too callous, then by putting myself as the sacrifice, I discourage him from doing it lightly. If he is possessed or 'influenced' an idea I find ridiculous by the way, then that might snap him out of it"

Frown.

"I'm supposed to protect you."

"You were supposed to protect me until my saining while I was vulnerable. I am whole, adn I know who I am." A softer voice, "it's going to be okay. I will be okay."