#anywhere

"Lily's sacrrifice must not be in vain" Lane declares

"Uhm...she's spying on Caer Falken.. not much of a sacrifice" Jack points out, "Sluah love that"

Connor looks around. "I don't think I've been here before."

The tower looms dark and edgy, with ravens, chimerical annnd otherwise, adorning it

And yet, ground level, the rose bushes are LOVELY even in winter

"Aww." Connor looks at the roses, a little disappointed.

"Can I help you kids?" A thane says

She's a troll, blue and rue.

Connor waves. "Don't you have any dead roses? It's winter, after all. I guess I could pick them and wait, but waiting is hard..."

"You may take a single rose if you wish" the thane says "But only one, or you one of you will remain here and be forced to live with dishware and household items that speak in bad french accents"

"Wow" Lane mutters "They're strict"

"Are you the Thane of Roses?"

"Side duty. I'm Thane Austen." She says "No relation"

"No relation? I'm so sorry." Connor gives her a hug around the legs. "We can be your family!"

"This is..." Thane Austen says as Lane joins in to hug her as well "Both adorably sweet, and a little alarming. I'm fine, children. What brings you here?"

"Do we need a reason to visit our family?!"

"I may have painted myself into a corner here" Thane Austen realizes aloud

"Well, too bad you donn't have childlinggs here to distract us" Brogan points out

"Well, we DO have childlings herre," Thane Austen says "Besides you lot I mean"

"Oh, right! That's why we're here. Obviously." Connor says as though the Thane should have realized this, duh.

"Oh, a playdate? I wasn't ttold" Thane Austen bends down "Sorry, young ones. We've been a bit swamped. It probably would do the kids here good to be disracted . Follow me"

"We would be honorred" Brogan wipes his feet then looks at the others "Wipe your feet andn hooves. We're guests now.." No nonsense

"Shadowpaw always wipes it's paws." He says to Brogan, a little hurt.

Brogan knows that's kinda true. Sure, they generally do... unless they are distracted... in a hurry... busy... forgot...

He wipes his feet!

They all wipe and follow

"Very polite, " Thane Austen approves and leads them through some winding tunnels. "That area is off limits." they pass by more doors "that is also off limits" They keep going

Connor takes note of those doors! The interesting ones.

Up one set of stairs "And.. I believe some of the childlings are in here. After you"

She opens a door o a room o hte side

In they go!

They find three childlings playing with play doh.

One girl is clearly a bird pooka of some kind but he can't tell what.

"Hi!" Connor waves.

"Hi!" She waves back, and.. she used HIS Voice

"This is my friend Layne. She's just sained so we're taking her to visit nearby...." Blink. BLINK BLINK.

the other two kids look over. One appears to be a pale long haired boy, perpetually damp.. hey, he's one of them Rusalka "Hello? "

The other is also a boy, a sidhe, "Hey, hello"

"A pleasure" Brogan says "I'm Squire Brogan ap Daireann. This is Lane, and this is Squire Connor. Our brrave leader"

"Our brave leader" the pooka girl smiles michhevously, now sounding just like Brogan

The Ruslka boy speaks up "I am Artem, of the Rusalka.... my kith is... very mysterious and returned. "

"I'm Dow, I'm a Scathach, we never left" Says the sidhe boy

"Oooo. When did you show up? Are you cold? Does your cereal automatically get soggy?"

The girl mmphs, and mixes what everyone says inn their own voices "I'm Mysterious, never soggy"

"that's harper" Dow adds "She's a Lyre Bird pooka"

"I know a Piper, are you related?" Curiously, to the Pooka.

"And it's rude to call someone a liar." He grins to Dow. "I should know, I'm practically a Gwydion. But half Ailil, on my sire's side."

Harper beams "Sire Side" She bows then says in a voice with an Aussie accent "Dough play me?" She looks to the play dough available to play

Dow rolls his eyes

"My kith is new too!" Lane says moving to Artem and offering her hand "I'm a centaur. I just got sained!"

Artem looks at the hand "My kith is a bringer of justice in dark river waters... not sure I should shake. Spoils the image"