#brightwindsbarony

(Elsewhere in the hold)

"Bit tight in here" Tziporah observes in the rather cozy 'cell' with reading material, bottled water, and a comfy chair

"Yeah, I forgot about this" earl sighs

Lily sticks to the wall "Shouold I squeeze out?" Hardly an effort at her size

A rattle of cart wheels, and a small figure comes into view. "Who's there?" Says the pint-sized Wichtel. "I have a shark, you know, and I'll use 'er."

"A SHARK?" Tziporah's voice cann be heard and if Grete gets a look, there's an Eshu, early wilder years perhaps.

"That's RIGHT. Are you intruders? Thieves? Brigands?"

"Perhaps we are the doom that does not come by the front door, but shall depart that way," the creepy girl sticking with fingers and toes to the side of the wall is closer to Grete's age whispers.

Lily has recenlty read The Last Unicorn. She's fairly sure Mabrook was one of the heroes. Pronounce doom on the the King who took you for granted and leave. She could respect that

"Doom?! I don't like the sound of THAT." She glowers. "We had doom here. Didn't care for it."

Turning, she shouts down the hallway. No deference for delicate ears HERE. Probably she just didn't think about it though, rather than doing it on purpose.. "LITTLE JOE!!"

"Ah, easy on the volume, please" Earl asks

"Coming!" A voice booms back

Wince.

"You would be Miss Grete, aye? I am the Librarian of Earth Runes, the Sparrow's erstwhile nest."

A huge HUGE troll clambers up and peers in the cell door

Zara looks up, and up some more, before she bows. "Thane."

"Not a thane, just Little Joe" he shrugs

"We don't have a library here." Grete says, suspiciously. "There's one in town, but Stu'll be after you if you take those books."

"Aye. Pray, forgive. And I have brought books, for I have heard they are yet scarce here."

"And you can't HAVE her." She suddenly adds. "She's NOT yours anymore!"

"A gift, to the hold."

Little winces when the witchel adds EMPHASIS.

"I don't care how many stupid books you brought..." Hands on her hips.

She glances up at the looming presence of Little Joe, and whispers to him, "What's "erstwhile" mean?"

"Ah, but this... Stu?... he may." A beat. "I do not seek to return the Baroness to Earth Runes, we already have one redheaded Truthbranch."

"And she's plenty" Earl adds

Little Joe mutters "I think it means 'used ta'"

Litle Joe opens the cell door

"Thank you" earl says

Tziporah looks around "I hope the rest of the hold is roomier than this?"

"My thanks, Little Joe. And Miss Grete, for the welcome. It is a delight to meet a witchel in person."

Lily looks over Grete "What does she do? Besides get loud and angry?"

"Witchels may speak to stone, and know the secrets of the earth. Respect, aye?"

"Yes, Miss Zara" More contrite

Grete looks a little uncertain, but when Joe welcomes them, she shuffles a bit, and reluctantly offers, "Well, this is Bright Winds. If you ain't bringing trouble, and ain't trying to take back our Baroness, be welcome."

Little Joe says to Grete, "It's okay. The skinny guy is a DeBuke. They're usually trustworthy.. get a little wild at Carnival"

Zara nods to the Witchel. "Now, if we could perhaps have directions to the Library, or that which serves?" She hefts the basket of books for emphasis.

Earl looks surprised at having been outted but nods

Grete peers over at the basket, but only a glance, mostly disinterested. "Miss Cleo has some books in her office?"

She eyes Tzipporah and Lily with a bit more interest. Eshu they have few of, nor sluagh of the feminine nature.

"Well then! An excellent place to start. May Miss Lily and Miss Tzipporah see the hold? They might not care for discussions on book curation..."

"Huh? Oh, sure. If your books need fixing, you should talk to Mister Bix. Or Dame Otha, but she makes a face like you smell bad sometimes, even if you just washed."

"Miss Cleo shall suffice, for the nonce."

"For the..." Blank look.

Tziporah says "99 blessings upon you, and one for one dear to you" and walk a bit ahead, feet already guiding

"Little Joe? We got any nonce?" Another whisper behind her hand.

Little Joe mutters "Maybe Cliff cooks some? He's got a lot of weird stuff in his food truck and he's a sluagh" Unsure

Zara follows the eshu's lead - they'll wind up where they should!

Perhaps not where they wanted, but where they should.

Lily gazes back at Grete for a long moment , then...twists her own head like an owl almost upside down