#baronyofthesilverwolf

The guest to Silver Wolf is not expected per se, a Varich, male, older though hardly ancient, with a sense of dignity. Upon his gauntlet a white bird of prey, hooded.

There is a bit of a stir amongst the staff. Baron Aiden is well known to be reclusive at best... Two noble visitors in one week? Unheard of!

And yet, "My Name is Sir Sergei ap Varich, and I am here to see if Dame Calanthe is seeing visitors"

He is offered appropriate refreshment in a chamber to await - though perhaps a few eyes on him as this or that servant has an excuse to take a peek at the visitor. It's not too long before one of the stewards approaches to offer, "I offer the Dame's apologies. She overlooking the mews right now - she's been there all morning. Had she expected a guest she would be prepared to meet you in state. As it is, would you care to await her return, or we can escort you there?"

He takes it, his hooded bird quite well behaved. "If it is no difficulty, I will go to the mews." Calmly, stoicly

And so he is guided to the building, and the Dame comes to meet him. She has her Thane standing by stoically, the troll lady remaining by the doorway. The Dame, despite her presence at the mews all morning as he was told, looks rather impeccable. Rather, it's the troll that shows the signs of honest work on her clothes - dust, some dried droppings that haven't been able to be fully brushed away.

It is a smaller building than the stables he passed on the way here, but shows signs of areas laid out for potential expansion.

"Sir Sergei, to what do I owe the pleasure?" She offers, after exchanging a polite greeting.

"The pleasure is mine," He says though he is a distant man and does not smile, "I was told you were a woman who knew her way around hunting birds and practiced falconry. I have come to both pay my respects, and, if it is not unseemly, pass on a gift to you if you would have such"

"That would be correct, I've always had an interest in the fierce warriors of the air, in this life and past. Enough so that I was sained with Falkoner as my use name." A small smile as she examines the man, taking in with her glance his demeanor, stance, the cut of his clothing even, the quality of the fabric.

"Currently I have two fine specimins in residence - fae touched relatives of Brahminy kites, what I've been calling 'Firedrakes'. Are you familiar with the tales of the fire-hawks of the Outback, setting aflame to the fields to flush out prey?"

"Indeed I am, but I would love to see them" he shows his own bird "This is Snowfall " She recognizes it as a gyrfalcon, a white feathered one

"Oh, a gyr - marvelous!" She admires the bird openly. "Is he wild caught, or hand-reared? I started with goshawks and have looked into kestrels, but as of late, my work with kites has been more consuming. Fae beasts, you may know, are flighty creatures and require more delicate handling."

"I've thought of traveling overseas to learn more of Kazakh falconry - my dear brother made some contacts on his last trip when he was looking at those oafish mountain dogs he's working with." A sigh. "Would that I could have gone, but someone needs must attend to the running of the hold."

"I am of the belief that Gyrfalcons must be introduced to lure hunting in their first year" He says "I got Snowfall when she was young and while she was in the wild for a time, I suppose more hand trained than otherwise. "

"She is a beauty..." The Dame kens the Gyr, seeing if there is a sense of fae energy around the bird, or simply a mortal beast.

Oh, enchanted, a fae bloodline in this one.

"Simply marvelous." She murmurs. "Will she hunt on command, or only when she is hungered? And does she understand most of human speech?"

"These birds were used to ransom chieftains and nobles"

"Oh yes, she understands command though she is youngish yet"

A small smirk, she likes the sound of that. A valuable creature indeed. "You had mentioned bringing a gift. Dare I assume?" She inclines her head towards the magnificent bird. "...though I would hardly speculate what might warrant a chief's ransom to one you have scarcely met."

"Perhaps I misunderstand."

"I am indebted to one Baroness Dancingsnow of my House. I give Snowfall to you, if you would have her, as a gift from her to repay my debt to same" Then an admission "Also, Gyrfalcons do not like the heat, and while that will still happen, I am sure Snowfall will prefer Upperstate New York to Missouri" A sigh "The humidity there is a living thing"

Her eyes narrow a touch as she processes this... thoughtful, though she clearly is interested in the bird. After a few moments, she gives Sergei a smile. Airily, as though of no consequence. "Truly, the... misunderstanding that involved the Baroness had weighed on me not at all. Though, it is my pleasure to give a home to such a beauty. I had thought, perhaps for a moment there, that such a fine gift was an intent of courtship." A smile over to the Varich, amused.

"Not that you are not a fine specimen to grace any lady's mews yourself. The gift, I gladly accept, and hope that it repays your debt in full."

"My House is known to be on the chill side of romance" He says "That said, now that my debt is repaid, I can think of little better than discussion of fine birds with a lovely lady, and perhaps dinner after? If one is not presumptive?"

"Oh, romance need not all be a firedrake's flames. A snowfalcon's flight cutting through a winter sky is quite charming as well." And she will insist on showing him her hawks, and seeing that Snowfall is set up appropriately in a well-ventilated area where she'll catch a breeze from the summer heat. "Heaters will need to be installed for the drakes come winter, but Snowfall should do very well here, yes." And then will gladly take up his offer of dinner, lamenting that they so rarely have civilized company this far north.

Sergei is not a charmer per se, but he shares a passion for hawking as she does, as for civilized he says with dry humor "I wouldn't know about civilization. I work with Fiona now" Deadpan.

And off they go.

(End Scene)