#baronyofthesilverwolf

(Scene!)

Nadeen seeks out Art.

The news article fresh in her mind Gold digger hints? How utterly unjustified. I craved power more than wealth. Not that she's against material goods, she quite enjoys them, but it's insulting to suggest she's so limited

She tries the area that's being turned into a library to see if he's there

Previously just another storage room. There are quite a few of those - perhaps rivaling rooms actually in use. Filled with history and relics of the past of the hold going back generations... but now the windows have been flung open wide, the boxes shifted, goods stacked and moved.

Here she does indeed find Art. He's commandeered a banquet table which takes up the majority of an entire wall and has spread out books (and pieces thereof) into stacks, piles, snowdrifts of loose pages.

"Arthur, how are you?"

He straightens up, narrowly avoiding bonking his head on a haphazardly stacked box, and bows to her neatly. "Baroness. I... seem to have found a project."

Cheerful!

A smile at that, "I'm glad." She inclines her head in a nod of respect, and moves to his side, "Here, allow me to help a bit while we talk."

"Oh... sure. Well, right now I'm just sorting. It's by size and font more than actual content at this point - here are the pages and pieces of pages I think are worth trying to recover, and over here are the stacks of books that are mostly intact. Of course, it's all mortal books, least as far as I've seen, but I haven't read any of them... so even knowledge of sons of Adam and daughters of Eve are worthwhile if it's more than I have, I figure."

She helps sort and says "I'm told you have a new substitute teacher for history?"

A small frown. "Yes. He does not like me, I think."

"Dame Gladiola told me as much, Giacomo was repeatedly dismissive and rude to you. No DIRECT Insult, but side barbs and snubbing"

A careful stack of pages, straightened. "But why?"

"He wanted us to discuss the American Dream. And he said I did not misspeak, I do not think I insulted him..."

"It's hard to be sure, it is easy to misread both ways... but, Gwen tells me he was..disappointed to find out about the Baron and myself ruling here. If that's so, then it is possible he dislikes you not for anything you did ,or said, but for what you are- a sidhe, and a noble"

"An irony, for a man who was teaching of the injustice of prejudices"

"But we all have our biases, I suppose" The baroness purses her lips "Arthur, there are some nobles who tyrannize, but do not lead, who boast of being one with the land, then blithely harm the land and it's people. They are not as common as modernists would have you believe, and I've noticed that there are just as many abusive non-nobles who are given far more of a pass on top of it. IF Giacomo has hatred in his heart for sidhe nobles, let him choke on his own venom rather than letting him have you hate yourself, or falling into the trap of assuming he is typical of commoners and thus having you hate them. 'Rise above' I think is the phrase? Do your homework, listen to the lessons, but bear in mind each lesson he gives may come with its own biases. I do wish you had met Mister Tiberius, a fine Eshu far more forgiving of our kith"

Art considers this. "If I am meant to meet him, surely he will arrive. Such is his kith, right? And... that must mean that there's a reason that Mr. Casso - that Giacomo is here as well?"

"You have a keen mind, Arthur. I suspect the host you have helps with this further, and your idea may have merit" She admits "But Eshu often consider themselves the heroes of the stories they are in. This means any noble must be cautious that they do not blindly accept the role put upon them"

"Aren't we all the heroes in our own stories? But I see what you mean, if they extrapolate that to any other story through self-insertion." He takes the comment about having caution to heart, it seems, nodding.

"I think we could maybe automate the re-binding for some of these books that just have damaged covers... I'll ask Trina. We might need some supplies, though." A glance over to Nadeen. "Giacomo made a comment about not wanting to come by for Haven, if resources were scarce. Are resources... scarce?" Politically not coming right out with "Mom, are we 'poor'?"

"Interesting" She cannnott help but wonder if Giacomo has made a dig or not "There are many kind of resources. We're not as up on dross as I would like at the time. Mortal money is easier" She ponders "Which should help buy supplies. It also possible that some books might respond well to heatherbalms and Spring magics, though one should be careful of any art being used to casually."

He nods, straightening his back a bit. "If you wouldn't mind lending me some mortal funds, I think I can get a start on these with just my own labor. Not that I would mind learning more of the magics, but... I DO have free time and I wouldn't mind learning how to fix these. Maybe with some of the ones that are too shredded to reasonably reassemble, I could watch someone try their Arts?"

"is there a particular art you feel dawn to?" She inqures

He considers this... "Can't I learn them all?"

Perhaps a joke there, but a bit of wistfulness as well. So much to explore, and only so many years given to a mortal frame...

A throaty chuckle "You're not the first fledge to ask that and the answer is.. maybe. Who knows what's possible? But one thing I do know, you can't learn them all at once. Some kithain focus and specialize. Others become a jack of many arts but master none. But everyone has to start somewhere. Baron Aiden is skilled at Soothsay, but it is not an art to take on ligghtly. I myself have learned Soveriegn... but it has it's limits. Some here know Primal, annd so on. Shall I list what each of the most commonly known arts is?"

He nods, and even finds a page to take notes on.

"Make sure the ink is chimerical, we don't want this falling in the wrong hands"

"If I keep my notes here, is that okay?"

"A second" She rrises ,ad rreturnnns with Chimerical paper and ink "Paranoia has become a watch word for me"

He frowns a little but nods, and proceeds to start his notes with very small, fine penmanship - determined to make the most out of potentially limited resources.

"Chicanery is the art of fooling heart and mind, senses see what is not there, or with false emotion bind" She says, a emphasis on the rhyme, "Legerdemain mimics sleight of hand , and can put a foe in quite a bind. Metamorphosis makes for good disquises, allowing you to change shape or sizes. Primal is an elemental art, of roots or air, or fire or field, but it may also lead fo some a path to wounding or getting healed. "

"Pyretics deals with fire too, be it burning a foe or heating stew. Soothsay reads omens, scries, or touches Da'ann, be wary of directly opposing destiny's plan," She warns

"Soveriegn by it's power, rulers may enforce, ward an area, or lay geasa's course. Wayfare leads to leaps, swiftnness, doors and flyers, but a master may vanish away entire. Now other arts are less well known, some only now rediscovered, others hoarded by throne, but the basics are quite a good starts, on your journey of learning arts"

She watches to see his reaction

He is taking quick, clean notes - it could even be used as a primer for other fledges. "The arts you speak of all sound grand, I wouldn't dismiss them out of hand. And yet I think those lesser known, might call to me to make my own. The truest treasure sometimes lies in what is hidden from other's eyes."

A quick wit on the lad, it seems!

That makes her chuckle "Bravo, Arthur. You're show signs not just of intelligence but quick thinking, not always the same thing. Yes, well , do forgive the doggerel, it's how it was first told to me. The others I don't thave poetry for." She says "Chronos is hoarded by we sidhe, though.." She sighs "It has fallen in other hands it shouldn't. It has to do with the magic of time, slowing it, rewinding the view of it , and extending of it. Dream craft is a mix of trod work annd oinemancy, depending on which version you study"

"Skycraft has become more common again, weather, lightning... and there are the Seasonal arts"

"It's not cheap if it works." He grins.

"Mm yes. Autumn has to do with decay, entropy and shadow if I recall. Winter I know better, it forks, one focusing on calm, chilling emoiton, and stasis, the other more snow and ice. Spring has to do with new growth and restoration, very useful for healing. And Summer is passion, and fire and so on"

"Then I shall learn about all of them." He nods. "And when something feels like it clicks, then I will know."

"Nothing making a good impression right off?

"

He considers. "I'm not very strong, or quick. Legerdemain or Chicanery, or Wayfare, might help make up for where I have those lacks. But I might be able to grow stronger, train and get faster... Sovereign speaks to me, of course. It's part of who we are." A nod to the higher ranked Sidhe. "Pyretics... not something to discuss in a library, even one that's not really formed yet... And the seasonal arts are a bit of a blur. Decay and stasis, healing and passion? All powerful things... just.. not sure if any of them are me? Dreamcraft, and trods... now that sounds like an adventure. Do you think there are trods that go to the stars?"

"Ah, I wish Rover Olgar were here. He's a master of Dreamcraft I believe or at least close to one. I'm afraid the great division between the world of man and the world of drreams very hard when it came to the stars. Which is to say, I am sure that if you into the Dreaming you will find dreams of the stars, of John Carter fighting upon a Mars, notice I say A, the planet inspired many dreams after all. You might step on planets that only exist in fiction. Dune where the spice flows, Frozen Hoth where Han rushes out to save Luke, and so on. Starships like Enterprize or the Galactica fly about. But...the MORTAL Space is.. said to be harder to get into. Expect to meet a lot of nockers if you try to use star trods or sky trods. As a rule I've noticed they're a bit terrritorial about science fiction born dreams.." Amused thought "Of course, what's 'new' is often old with new paint on it. Alien abducttions are so different from tales of faerie rings"

"Trina would back me up." He says with a bit of certainty. "At least, I think she would."

"I think she might. Trust me, some very good friendships can arise between kiths. Dame Dagmar and I had a hard restart in this world but I trust her with my life. How is Thistle doing by the way? In your opinion?"