#baronyofthesilverwolf

As Aiden gets closer, he reassesses. Her height, bolstered by the horse portions, mislead at first into thinking her a wilder, but she is so young. Instead of regally announcing himself to awe her, when he speaks, his tone is softened, though he cannot help but look grand.

"You are safe from the hunters here, miss. Those who held you will never trouble you - or anyone - again."

The girl shivers, then perks up with large eyes "Really?" His gentle tone seems to catch her off guard, she was scared, now she looks about "But, am I a monster?"

He turns and looks towards the Manor, and gives a beckoning wave to one of the figures he sees peeping through the windows and doorways curiously.

As Bluebell approaches, he nods to her, and then calls, "Gwen. Linnea. Lavender." A request in his tone.

"My lord?" DLorean trots up, a beefy pooka boy on her own horse

that is, the pooka

Gwen moves quickly to the girl "We're magical, not monsters. Or if you prefer we're more myth than monster, and myth is very real"

He moves to one side so that the girl can see them. A tall teenager with stone skin, a blue giant with armor (and yet, a gentle expression), the rider with curling horns and goat legs, and even a slender lady with long furred rabbit ears, and a tufted puff of a tail.

"Do you see monsters when you look among us?" Aiden asks the girl.

The girl looks over then ponders "They don't have proper spots, but I guess they're okay"

The girl begins to open up "See, I have spots here and here," Demonstrating by tapping her horse side, "And I think they're very pretty, but one hunter called me a little monster! Which was very rude and I scared, he was going to SELL me, which is just horrible!"

Linnea speaks up. "That is how you know that it is wrong. You should not trust, or believe anything that such a one would say. He, by his own actions, is the monster."

Briar shoves her way to Gwen's side, and grins toothily. "I'm a monster!"

Aiden suppresses a smile and interjects, "You are a wonder, and a magnificent creature, as are we all. You are also a person. You are not a monster, unless you wish to be. It does not seem that you do, so no one here will ever call you such a thing. Linnea is correct."

The centaur girl's reactions are rapid, a smile cautious but growing at Linnae, then she starts a bit as the Redcap appears, perhaps smart enough to believe her, and then, the amazinng elf man tells her she is a wonder, and magnificent! And her little mein (rather than her mane) seems to glow under the praise "Well then, I choose to be wonderfully magnificent!"

"Even the wildflowers may turn their faces to the sun, when it names them?" Bluebell asks, curtseying to the girl. "A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet?"

"Oh, yes," the girl beams "I have a very pretty name. I'm Blossom"

At that, Lavender mutters "Da'an, my lord?"

Aiden looks a bit taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovers his composure.

"I am Lord Baron Aiden Lowell ap Ailil of Silverwolf Barony. This is my home, my Freehold, my land, and my people. Be welcome here, Blossom. Though our House follows the ways of Winter, you will find warmth here."

Bluebell leans in and stage whispers to Blossom, "That's a mouthful, is it not? And here he would fill your head with words and heart with wonders, and not your belly. Come, come. We will feed you honey-cakes and fairy-wine, along with the promises and sunshine."

"Oh he talks pretty," Blossom sighs happily confessing to Bluebell, then she says "I don't quite understand either of you but that's okay I'll learn. I'm welcome, and I'll be warm, and there's food." She seems to be coming more alive under the attention! "My lord, your lands are wonderful, and you're nice! Thank you." A look to Bluebell and the others "Please help the boy who saved me. he is a hero. He must be, he tried to get help"

The Baron turns, though reluctant to take his gaze off the centaur, as though she might vanish. A small frown at the child - perhaps not directed at the boy himself, but rather disapproval of his treatment and current disheveled state...

"Bring him inside, Marigold will see that he is well cared for." Gesturing for everyone to head in, the front doorway of the manor open and welcoming.

Linnea and Danica exchange only a glance - is it twin power communication, or the fabled silent troll language? Before the two of them move as a team to gather up the reins of the mounts and lead them back to the stables.

Gwen tries to tap in, but the truth is, she's not sained yet so... instead, to their assigned tasks

Marigold finds a pooka boy brought before her, carefuly tended in bandages

Briar is whistling up the hounds - the pack adores Gwen and obeys her, but Briar is treated like one of them. "C'mon, Misch, Ivan, Puff, Fort, Glass..." Calling out each of their names. "We didn't get to eat the hunters so double-dinner for everyone!" The pack swarms around the short redcap as she leads them to the kennels.

And Blossom enters in the hold with a happy trot and gazes in wonder, "it's beautiful" And she begins to move about

The hold is large and elegantly decorated, yet without ostentatious overkill, décor that ranges between ornate to antique but all says quality. A warmth suffuses the hold that Blossom may not be familiar with - it's more than temperature, but something deeper that speaks to the special part of her that makes her magical. Tall ceilings and wide hallways accommodate both trolls and now the centaur, though she may need to take care with the little accent tables here and there, most holding art or vases or something or other that all looks expensive.

The boy is immediately cossetted and brought to the kitchens! Delicious smells within, fresh baked bread, roasted meats and vegetables. Marigold has set out steaming handpies - a mix of meat, roasted vegetables, and sweet fruit and cheese, all with flaky buttery crusts, the perfect pick-me-up and quick meal after an adventure.

Marigold sets the lad on a chair and has a mug of hot cocoa in his hands and a snack at his elbow before even asking him any questions.

The boy looks cautious, then sips, then speaks "Joe? he told me that one should say thank you?"

For Blossom, the height of the place is wonderful, but some narrower spots make her twitchy. She follows her nose and comes into see the pooka boy already with food "Hi! I'm Blossom!" She waves to the roundish woman, "I'm not a monster"

"Well, heavens no, of course you aren't." Marigold beams to the girl. The grump has seen many things in her years, and manages to not look TOO surprised by the centaur, instead she quickly fetches a tray table to set up so that Blossom has her own snack at hand, also poured a mug of cocoa. The first question she is asked is not about being a centaur, or a fairy, or anything leading, but rather, "Marshmallows for you, dear?"

"Yes please" Blossom shines

The pooka boy pulls at his own mane (He is equine in his own way) when he sees Blossom, and Marigold can see the interaction. The girl is fond of the boy, no doubt for his carryinng a message to safety (or trying to, thank goodness for Glass and Briar). The boy however seems ashamed, nay, guilt ridden regarding the girl

"Mmm." Marigold observes, serving Blossom her snack. "Now, how did you and Joe here meet?" She asks the centaur. "It's good to have a friend when in a new and confusing place."

"oh I'm not Joe, Joe's my friend" the boy rambles "Least I wasn't sainted Joe" He scoots "So just color me trannsparent"

Blossom looks over "yes, he was the boy who got note about his master hunting me. I was rescued" A wave to Joe "thank you, Joe!"

Joe/Roach stammers "Ah uhm.. and so forth"

"It sounds like you've been through a lot, dear." Sympathetic, to Joe. "And things might be confusing now, but whatever happened back there, that's in the past. The lovely thing about baggage is that in the end, you choose what to carry with you. No matter what you may have been before, this is a chance to be someone new, if you wish. Teach us who the Joe is that you want to be. Or if it's not Joe? Find a way to let us know who you are, in your own time, in your own way. We'll wait, and it will surely be worth it." A smile from the grump.

"But for now, eat up." Rather than ASKING the boy what flavor pasty he wants, he is offered all three to choose from.

"Joe says that I should be ashamed for working with a bounty hunter who hunted centaurs.." Joe blushes "Joe says I'm a jerk annd I didn't even save her because I had to be saved myself, anyway, that's what Joe, who is definnitely not me, but a friend, says"

Despite his guilt, he does snatch up the blueberry one fast

the kid clearly has a thing for blue berries

Blossom looks at him, "But you tried to HELP me when you realized what he was hunting." A hoof stamp "You realized I was not a monster like he said, but a person! It's like this nice lady says, you're on a new path. We all are" a look to Marigold fishinng for a complimet "isn't that right, ma'am?"

"It sounds like, mmm, "Joe" was treated pretty badly if he had to be saved too." A nod to Blossom, and she responds, "I think we should all be proud of what was accomplished - you're here, and safe now, and that's the important thing."

"See?" Blossom says to 'Joe/Roach' "We're all good. " Then she explains "It was the most horrible experience, beinng collared and stuff, and Roach here, saw how sad I was and I said 'you're a horse personn like me' and he is.. only not all the time I guess?" She eyes him "He has just two hooves most of the time, but he can change, did you know that?"

"No one will collar or chain you here." Marigold says quite firmly.

Blossom beams at that "Thank you. " A concerned look "But I can have jewelry though right? Like a necklace or frienndship bracelet?"

"I don't see why not." A smile. "Your friend here is a Pooka. That means that he can be a horse if he chooses, just like Bluebell - that's the lady you met earlier, is rather like a rabbit. But it also means that they both have a little trouble being understood. Now, take care that you understand, it's not that they speak wrongly, just that it is the rest of us who have to work harder to understand."

"That's what Joe yells at me" Roach gasps surprised someone gets it "Roach, Joe tells me... folks are not going to understand us because we speak Hobbit"

Blossom looks Joe/Roach over, then tilts her head "Hobbits? Like the movie?"

"Yup. That's why I'm called Roach. My Namer tole me ..eeww Roach" Joe/Roach says, but seems to be a bit happier

"Roach is certainly a name." A concerned look. "Though, roaches are survivors. They are tough, and fast, and will probably outlive humans in the far off future."

"If you were a namer, what would you call a pooka boy who could sometimes be a horse?" She asks. "Hypothetically, of course."

"Oh? Hippo thetically?" He ponders "I would look down at the boy who was before me in his whie robe and go, 'The mortals called you joe and may knnow you as such, but you are Rochallor!""

'But that never happened so... the hippo left" he shrugs

"Well, I think I like that name. And because he's not here, I may as well call you that. What do you think, Blossom? Shall we call our friend here, Rochallor?"

"Rochallor sounds a LOT better" She agrees. Bugs are gross