#debukefarmhold

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"Twenty four hours? " Clem looks at her older brother, but is showing Murray little slack "We had a changeling not of the DeBukes on this farmhold for 24 hours before one of us even spotted her?"

The Storm frowns "I'm not happy about it. If that helps"

"Honestly? If you were happy about it I'd be ticked." Clem says "Do we know what she wants? or for that matter what kith she is?"

"Mr. DeVere says whoever it is, she's not a sluagh. Heck, only the MOuntain's omens indicate she's female." Murray says

"Great, just what we need, a tresspasser we know nothing about. This place may longer be 'sooper sekret' thanks to my choices, but that doesnt' mean trespassers get a pace. " A thought "Tell Uncle Emmit to lower the weather protections... in fact, we'll brace the animals...tell him to let old winter have at"

He raises a brow, "You're going to let the cold into catch someone?"

"They'll seek warmth and food, that means the buildings. Those we can search. Those we can guard." Clem says firmly "And once whoever she is seeks either heat or food....She's ours"

Murray raises a brow "And to think, some folks thought you'd be too gentle for the job, Chief."

Clem snorts "It's our home. I'm not gentle to folks who slip in the back door of that"

Murray nods and goes to pass word

....................

Nothing like six hours of abrupt cold to do wonders

And Clem? Clem ends up making a phone call

"Aye?" On the phone, Zara does not seem to whisper - though she is still soft-spoken. Her accent is also more obvious.

"Raven, it's Supergirl. We caught someone invading our fortress of solitude ... looks like you might want to come over for the details."

"Oh, dress warm"

"....Aye? I'll be there."

"Thanks" the phone disconnects.

It takes about half an hour or so - Zara goes the long way, via Firnost, to ensure she "pops out" at the right place.

BITTER Cold . Iowa can get cold, no doubt, to the point where weather magics and 'cheats' are used to redirect the worse of it... but this is..imppressive, even to a jersey girl. She also sees security is up, Murray himself is there to greet her . The storm grunts "You want an escort? Clem said to leave it up to you. She's got the prisoner a bit too close to the bale fore my liking, but the Hearth insisted and our new chief agreed"

"Prisoner? Was there an attack?" Zara is already shivering and she wraps her coat closer.

"No. Just a tresspasser who tried to hide here. She was annoyingly good at it. Pooka. Clem says you know her"

"Pooka?" Her eyes widen. "Here? Oh, thank god she's safe..."

"Mmmph almost wasn't. " he says planly "Come in ask for haven, we grant it. Come in spying we assume you work for sidhe nobles" She is lead to the door of the g reat dining hall and balefire.. .it is surprisingly sparse. Only a few trolls, and Vashti. Her wings are almost too brittle from cold to move. Someone has thrown a thick blanket about her and she is sipping a hot toddy.

Clem sits near Vashti and looks up at Zara "Wish I'd called you under warmer circumstances"

"Well, you know what they say of assumptions..." She frowns. "Haven is a right, not a gift."

"Vashti..." She swoops over to the pooka, reaching out to touch her cheek, to check her over.

Clem motions the others "Go on, We have it from here"//"Not wise, Chieftain." Murray says//"Maybe, but it's still my call unless you're claiming storm right?"//"I could..matter of security" He says "And haven comes by demense ...ours was ignored. We don't owe an outsider that. I don't mean Zara, I mean whoever she is" to the moth//Clem says "Hearth?" Agnes frowns "In the old says we'd have kept a stiff neck about it, maybe wiped her mind if needful but this woman clearly knows Zara. Who IS a welcome sight here."//Clem nods "That being the case, let's try a little Iowa hospitality to make up for the winter we used."

"A wounded thing cannot ask for help. And not all wounds are obvious."

"And this one is the reason why Earl is free and alive this day."

Vashti hugs her back trembling but not from the cold alone, she's scared and exited and anxious and scared and not sure what to do "Did you watch, Did you.. se e me as I fought my way out with fang and claw?" A hug "Oh I am a horrid little woman to have threatened your heart beat even from the side. the script was set in blood, I dared not..."

Murray grunts. As unseelie he's not as impressed by debts

"Naught. Shh, I saw, aye. You were very brave." A kiss on the top of her head, and a warm (relatively) arm around her. The look she shoots at the trolls is fiercely protective, eyes shining.

But Clem certainly is, "Murray, go on. This is no longer a storm matter save we have one more soul to protect for the moemnt"

Murray grunts and heads out

Clem raises a brow, "If your'e looking for someone to blame for her near freezing, that's on me. I'd do that part again if I had to. "

"Her tongue is as it is, she cannot argue her case clearly. Please, allow me? Sister, will you let me?" She looks between Clem and Vashti.

Clem nods

Vasthi swallows

Agnes says "Stew is on. Want something a bit more sluagh friendly, young Zara?"

"I know you must needs defend your home. But... I do not think you see how fearful it must be to come in supplication, when the world has been... unkind."

"...Is there tea, Hearth? I would greatly appreciate a warm cup."

"Yes there is, I'll prepare it for you" Agnes says

"Thank you, Hearth."

Clem nods "I do...but zara, you've been the exception on paler kin treating my own kindly for the most part. Plots to impregnante. Plots to kidnap? Now... you say she helped Save Earl?"

Vashti's eyes widen "You are..well read"

She keeps an arm around Vashti. "Aye. When Golnaz held him. She aided me."

"I would not have succeeded alone."

Clem says "As they say, I know a fellow. Our Mountain's magicks told us things about you but much of it a jumble" To Vashti, then to Zara "All right, Zara. Taht turns this from an intrusion into a debt. I recognize that. Since you are translating, please continue. How can we help her and you?"