#baronyofthesilverwolf

**********

And so it is, that Gwen goes seeking out the town historian

She finds him as expected, within his dry and dusty office. Mister Aberdeen does not look surprised at her knock, perhaps he heard her coming from down the hall, or even at the lobby where the receptionist welcomed her in.

Given her heaviness, she's not surprised, "Is this a bad time, sir?" Polite

"What even is the nature of time? The passing of minutes compared to moons, seasons, years, lives." He pauses a moment, then adds, "That is a rhetorical, Dame Gladiola. Please, come in."

A smile, "Good rhetoric though, you had the classic wiseman on a hill thing going." She enters and closes the door behind her, "I suppose you've heard the news about the puppies?"

"Yes, certainly. Did you wish for me to post notice of the bounty at town hall? Chimerical, of course."

"Yes, I have a copy., though we've already put some up" She says "I also would like your help and knowledge. I can kill a spiggan, pretty sure, particularly THAT Spriggan if I find him again. But .. FINDING him is ...the thing. He violated our haven, he went after the innocent, but I know little of the Thallian... or even for sure if he is one though he didn't seem a piskie."

He nods slowly. "While I have never, personally, made the familiar acquaintance of one, I am aware of the breed. Nasty sort, but are not most, if not all, Thallain? Indeed, many make it a point of especial pride. Come, sit. I will make tea. Or coffee, if you prefer, though I am afraid I have naught but instant."

"Your haven, your preference, sir" She says. Her house has imprinted on her, but she chooses in what way. "I know sluagh value tea especially and I won't disrespect that"

He nods and gestures to the chair opposite his desk - a rather large one, comfortable for a troll, had been set out. Elias pushes a button on his rather ancient, dusty phone, and static crackles. "Tea service for two, if you please."

She takes the seat offered

"In sooth, Spriggans are far from the worst thallain one might encounter. Their habit of kidnapping is, of course completely and utterly morally reprehensible.. though I have heard that more oft than not, mischief, distress and mayhem is their goal, moreso that actual harm to the ones they have stolen."

He pauses, as the receptionist wheels in a creaky-squeaky tea cart, and is thanked and leaves.

Now, tea is carefully poured, a fragrant blend that is a rich reddish tone.

"Not that that may be much balm to the guardians of those they take." He adds, inclining his head to Gwen.

"It would have killed the puppies, or at least stunted them... no milk from the mother? No proper socialziation? No. I am taking this quite personally, as is the baron. The one I faced had weather magics. Do you know who he is? or where I can find him?"

And "Sorry , thank you for the tea" She adds "My manners are rusty it seems."

A small downward turn of his lips.

"Perhaps it would have. Perhaps not. It is not for me to judge."

He slides a cup of tea to her, and takes a sip of his own. "I am a historian, Dame Gladiola. Perhaps you shall forgive a history lesson. As I had mentioned, time, is mutable, changing, flowing. As much a creature as fate or destiny, in a way. Where time flows, change occurs, and time is ever flowing. Back before your current incarnation, perhaps before even a previous one, before the Resurgence... many saw the thallain as something to be suffered. Not ideal, but as with many nightmarish kith and chimera, yet a part of the dreaming."

He sips his tea.

"With the return of the sidhe, moods rapidly shifted. What once was something that must be borne? According to the rulings of the returning courts of Seelie, now are to be exterminated on sight."

A small amount of curdled cream added to his cup. There is a fresh pitcher near Gwen.

"Since the Evanescence? The red star that burned in the dreaming sky, the eye of Balor awakened, and dark and nightmarish trods opened and flooded in. The King disappears, Nobles strengthen their holdings, and tensions rise. Of the thallain? Where there were once some, then few, now many. Common are the freeholds that declare genocide as their party line - complete, and utter destruction the only way to proceed. Others, in the shadows, whisper that they are but unfortunately cousins, weaker to banality, and yet of the dreaming still. Why, it's even rumoured that thallain may have pulled strings behinds the 13th chair of the parliament of dreams. All heresay, of course."

A drink of tea.

He watches the Dame.

She ponders this, and frowns, "Genocide is a word I have good mortal reasons to shudder at. Cherokee and iraqois, both in me... but from what I understand, the Thallian are not just 'nightmarek ithain' like redcaps. They have no seelie side at all. They serve the Elder Dark, or so say the trolls at Dark Gate. The more apt comparison might be comparing them between spirits one can bargain with, and spirits that hate all others to their core. There's a reason locust totems aren't seen the same as say buffalo. And the eye of Balor? THe fomorian? It caused more? My thought is that perhaps they're hostile to hteir core to all that ever came from the Tuatha. To changelings. Am I wrong on that, sir?"

"You ask questions that have no answer. Or rather, than have answers only that depend on those asking, and answering. For good or for ill, they are creatures of the deep and unfathomable dreaming. As are Balor themselves. Are both irreparably evil? Are Kithain fae unquestionably good? There are those who would tar sluagh with the same brush as thallain." His voice is dry and soft, neither accusatory nor harsh.

"A cancer is part of the body, or so a Liam told me when talking of Thallian and I asked if they were of the dreaming. As for the sluagh sitaution," SHe looks sympathetic, "I am sorry our baroness' house seems .. well, respect to her has me dilute my words, hateful. I can say the Baroness tries to overcome her biases, but, isn't that another reason to help me find this particular spriggan? She will not like it, but a sluagh helps, then doesn't that mean some part of the bounty might be yours to claim? "

"You come to me, seeking guidance to find one who has wronged you, and with the clearly stated goal of murder on your mind. I will not deny your right to anger, to retaliation. Though, again - I am not a mover, a shaker. I am a historian, a recorder, an observer."

He sets down his tea cup, and folds his hands. "Truthfully, I do not know the one you seek. However, in that same vein of truth, I will say, that if I did? I regret hearing that harm may have come to your pups. And yet, I, speaking only for myself, and none other... would not be likely to hand Cruella de Ville over to face the Guillotine." A pause, and he clarifies, "Or perhaps it might be more apt to say, to the mercy of those under the Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, no matter how righteous the fury. Nor how generous the reward."

"THat's..." A frown, "Fair. In truth, I don't know what the Baron wants to do with him, save an example. It could be death, yes. If Thallian are a cancer, I don't see it as wrong. But I'd be lying to say I am not contemplating revenge here as a motivation, though murder? mmm I'd call it a post poned execution. Murder is not lawful, this? This is. But I respect you feel differently." A frown "Perhaps my vengeance could NOT require taking his life. "

He raises a brow slightly. "Did you not, just as you came in, expound on how you would kill said Spriggan?" Still in a pleasant, conversational tone.

"I did" She nods, "But that doesn't change the fact that the Baron would want his own justice on him. Whatever form that takes"

"And... besides, we've both read enough literature to know there are worse things that death. Still, it's not my place to say what the Baorn will do. I can only restrain myself ... and give counsel to him." She sips her tea

He nods, and offers her a cookie, from a round blue tin of Danish sweets. Crisp and buttery, and he is polite enough to not show any sign of distaste.

"Not nearly up to the standards that your Mother has set, but please take one. They go well with the tea."

He sips his own glass once more. "I appreciate you coming to me for guidance in your quest. I am sorry that I had little to provide, other than history, hearsay, and conjecture."

She takes one, "Thank you. And no, please don't diminish your offering. Acting out of ignorance would serve me , and frankly, no one else well. Knowledge is never really wasted right? " She munches it, tentatively. Of course, she should probably check for the taste of poisons if one believes the rumors about sluagh, but that's one reason to show trust, "May I ask you more questions?"

Crisp and buttery, sweet without being overwhelming. It does go well with the tea. And no concerning almond flavor!

"Certainly. I have no further appointments under later this evening."

"This goes well with the tea," She observes, "And thank you. Where else can one learn about Thallian? Preferably without endangering oneself?"

"Most safely, from those who have a history of strife with them. House Beaumayn, if you can find one. Though take into account that their information have well be colored by a long and bloody history. Were things otherwise, you might have sought out certain sorts... but with an open bounty on one and public attestation to your vendetta? Doubtful, now, that you would be able to find any willing to stay within earshot, let along arms reach."

"How many thallian are in this town?" She asks curiously

He sips his tea. "I would say, more than average. Which some might call overrun, or others might say still a scarce minority."

She nods "This spriggan has really f... drawn attention them for us. Which might be good or bad depending on how one views thallian."

Saying Fucked up over tea is probably a no no

"Do you know the intent behind the attack?"

"To steal the puppies"

"Yes, but to what end? To stir dissent? To cause strife? To sell, to keep?"

"I suspect sell, mixed heritage or not, that's two pedigree dogs that birthed that litter. Other options possibly grim include striking at the hold where it would hurt us- Silverwolf loves and cares fori t's animals, and has a reputation for some of the best. Maybe it was some 'rar rar down with House Ailil' or 'noblity' or whatever cause de Jour. I don't care if someone is pro or con against the nobles, even if I technically am one, but when they risk the health and lives of innocent puppies be it for greed or some political aspiration, they've crossed a line with me. Those are my charges, sir. I love dogs deeply, and they trust me in turn. I don't know if you have a pet, but people get attached and protective."