#anywhere

He says "Tea by your river it is, i'll get the supplies. And no one will look for us there"

"Aye."

When unobserved, Zara scuttled off to 'her' river.

And a picnic under the shadiest trees near the river's edge is prepared, well, a tea anyway. the soothing kind, and Earl lays it out for her gently. Only a rusalka might come here and Veronika knows better than to come to thiS part. Boundaries, even among sister kith

Zara seems... curled in.

And Earl whspers "Want me to leave you alone here with your tea, love?" she can tell he's aching himself, wants to hold her and be strong for her, but he doesn't want to keep her from finding solace if she needs privacy

Zara shakes her head and sidles up against him.

He exhales as if a balm were applied to a wound, grateful "Everyone's going to stand around stoicly, then talk about how 'great' it is she'll be coming back along the wheel and how brave she is to give her last glamour to the flame"

Her eyes squeeze shut. "feh."

He puts arm about her "She still remembers the quest when we all got lost in the dreaming, as much as one can remember that. "

"aye."

A pause. "This is an awful tradition."

"Is it?" he asks but does not deny

"Aye."

"Even with our last breath, we are sacred."

"Even when she can't remember who and waht she is, or does only enough to know in her heart she's lost everything?" Earl inquires "i... know life is precious to you, but I can see why she would want to go out on her terms if she must go . "

Zara shuts her eyes and shrugs.

"that said, I hate this damned tradition" he confesses "And I'm not going to do it when it's my turn. Call me selfish, but if the farm has a failing its that it demands too much of us, and makes us feel honored to give everything for it. I will protect it, but the last of my glamour is not going to feed a hungry flame for a hold that never understood me"

He sounds a touch resentfl of the bale there

"I am not just a sluagh. Nor is Agnes just a troll."

"Agnes has value, too."

"we've both been other kiths, some came easier than others, but it was enough to prove mch of ourselves is not born of the dream in particular" he nods "You are wonderful, and if you forget who you are and are merely a mortal girl, I'll still stay by you. But Agnes is as stubborn as you are, and her views are different still. she also is feeling her age more and more."

"Agnes, the human, has value."

"She sends her fae soul to the wheel, aye. But she hath two."

"She'll die right then and there... I've seen it happen. I hear satyrs do a similar thing..dance till they drop. But yes, Agnes the mortal has value"

"Exactly. Tis a suicide."

"And I cannot... I..." Zara frowns.

"How can I go celebrate that?"

"How can I watch it, and not try to stop it?"

He kisses her cheek, "Don't go then. It's okay. She'll understand. Or they'll assume you're there but hidden. It's all right"

"I do not wish to leave you alone, either."

"I'm a big boy... and while i often shake my head at my family, they'll be there. Clem has always supported me, and Emmit is like my grandfather. I'll hurt, but I'll survive and the hurt will heal"

Zara hides her face against his shirt.

He strokes her hair. "I love you and it's okay. Somethings, Magic cannot solve"

Lord Exile.

Why did that name pop into her head?

"Why could she not go into the Dreaming?"

"Seek the Exile."

"With mine Sisters."

"The Exile?" he blinks "I..." A brow knit "that sounds familar"

then realization 'Wait the quest, the stranger... Gargoyles and rusalka... the promise of what would spring from your line"

Zara nods.

"Oh, she'd never go for it " he says "Agnes is tradition manefiest, but i do remember she was happy there"

He looks thoughtful about it still though

"Change is good." Softly.

"Only you would say that this close to Beltaine" But he smiles weakly as he says it

A pause "Zara, we'll be in her will" He doesn't look thrilled per se

"I don't care."

"I dislike this! She shouldn't... I don't want her to die!"

"Zara, what can we do? Smuggle her onto a trod while she fights us all the way hoping to hand her over to Lord Exile? He's trapped in his omnipotence, not like he can kid nap her to be his bride like he was Hades and she persephone and she mgiht fight that too."