#brightwindsbarony

She blinks... “I guess I gave it to you... I can get another. But that’s a good level. Nice and true. I was gonna do some shelves maybe.” And a smile escapes at the silver hair. “Oh, just like a rich vein of ore glinting in the first light to see it.”

And the three .. now four, go on and Irene swats the pooka's arm "What took you so long? ANd who are these others?"

"I was mostly out of it myself all year" He reminds "And.. give it back"

"What back I.. " A blush "Oh... " Irene hands the level back "you.. you really like my hair?" to Grete

Sylvi walks along, and she notices Irene looks nervous, even.. SCARED of her

Sylvi smiles. "I'm Sylvi." She tries to be non-threatening. "And a lot of things have changed while you were asleep."

“It’s good hair, so long as hair goes. Mine just gets in my eyes.” Offering a hand. “I’m Grete, and not Greta.” Noting the glance back. “Things changed, yeah. It’s ok.”

"Nice to meet you" nervous but nodding to Sylvi. She takes Grete's hand "Grete.. cool name. Change? Yeah, sure"

"I'm Irene...and I'm a piskie. And so if you go missing stuff it was probably me" She sighs

"No, I am Piskieus!" Stew declares

"no, you are weird" She fights a smile

“Honest. Look.” She pulls back her short hair and shows off the healing scar on her neck. “No more leeches.

“I’d rather you not take my things. I just started to get them back...”

"they're.."She reaches at her own neck "Oh wow"

"We're free" Irene bounces "Free Free Free. This is better than any high score"

“I thought your name was Blossom, though.”

"Blossom" She blinks

"Because of the red hair" The pooka explains

Irene sighs "Pooka"

Grete looks.. “Oh. Okay.” A small grin. “Do you remember Buttercup?”

“Or.....” checking her notes. “Bubbles? Okay. That’s not a real name.”

"I think I know who he's talking about y6eah. Two other childling girls like you and me... and a good thing, because too many BOYS get annoying" A glance to Stew then back at her "Neither of them same kith as you or me"

“Is it a secret?” She digs into her pockets. “I have enough juice for two... if I take a nap after. Or go for a cave adventure. Oh, do you like caves?”

“I like it when it’s all twisty ahead, and you can’t see the way beyond the turn, and have to just listen to the echoes and FEEL it.... y’know?”

"OH I need to get to a dreamer or a hold" Irene remembers "And it's not a secret.. sorry. Ashlee and Tamarah. They spell their names funny. "

“No one spells my name right, either. “ nodding. “Stew, this is your quest. Where should we go? Onward or back up to ground?”

“We won’t let you fall asleep again. Lady Sparrow and Miss Hope are making LISTS. And not for punishment duty either. So no one is forgotten.”

"I'll get juice for the next one, my cup is good.. then we probably should take her back to the tower of power" Stew says

“See...” she scribbles out “Blossom” and has written in “Irene, piskee.”

"YOu seem to know the area but I don't know you" Irene says

"She's been trapped deeper than any of us" The pooka explains

“Its okay. Us Wichtel’s aren’t always people people. Because we’re blunt, and sometimes get into fights.” She rubs her nose a little. “Arguments really. We get mad easy, and Baron Harkkon didn’t like being talked back to much.”

"That SUCKS.. the.. backtalk dislike and you being a prisoner.. not the blunt part" She says "I owe you. I'll pay you back"

“But he’s past tense now. The new Baroness says they were free to go or stay, but it’s not like you’d be able to go, so I recommend being nice to her. She’s nice so far though. She hasn’t even yelled once, not that I could hear, but she didn’t do that little quiet angry voice either, and no snapping her fingers.”

"I hate the finger snapping"

Both kids say at once

though there might have been don't in the poka's words

A nod! “Like our names weren’t worth his spit.”

"You're not contributing.. that's what he told me" Irene says

Her mouth turns down. But then, “you like games?”

“Tell me what you were playing? Was it fun?”

"it was.." A pause "it was fun, it IS fun.. but it was like.. a way to pass the time? "She admits "Evertyhing was gray.. and I thought maybe the game had more color.. but it was hollow I guess...after a time.' She looks thoughtful " iwas playing an assassin's creed game. Mom worries it's too violent but when you feel losst.. you try to find out the answers like they do in the game and ... it's like. simpler"

“Oh. Well, I don’t think we have any assassins here. Unless the Baroness counts.”

She ponders this honestly.

“I don’t think she’d like being called one.”

"No way... she's more Red Dead Redemption..." The pooka says "or is it Mario Cart?"

"Can you tell me how he .. he's really gone?" Irene says

“She did come and... ... you know.”

“And it’s better!” She quickly adds. “Technically the land killed him. And he did it wrong too. So maybe she’s not.”

“He fell off a cliff. The Baron. I figured I had to tell you because I wasn’t sure if Stew could.”