#debukefarmhold

"Mayhaps thou wert rabid?"

Obviously, an improvement?

"Oh.. my, yes, the consumption of Canines, terribly romantic if I think of it that way"

"Aye. Oh, I used to write stories of heroines afflicted with the red lung..."

"Used to?" EYes light up, "sister...I pine to know more, I perish to hear more?"

"Oh, they are terrible.. oh, truly..."

antannei flickers

"Say, a shy young maid, in love, who dares not tell the boy across the way her feelings... and is then sent away to the southern shores, for she is consumptive. But the loss of seeing her love breaks her heart, and she pines away alone in the grey cottage by the sea..."

"oh." the pooka says , "Does.. he ever show up only to open the door and find her too late?"

She wipes at her eye at the thought of it

"Oh, that would be such a poetic epilogue!"

"And the gulls cry sound like her name..." THe pooka sighs wistfully

Siiiighs in harmony.

Footsteps, quiet enough for a troll, meaning loud to these two

She looks or the source.

She recoginzes Earl's kinian mother. THe woman does not see them, not yet

A silent finger to her lips.

The moth holds perfectly still

And a mother's voice breaks into soft prayer "Danu, great mother...it's me again. I...I know i'm not worthy of your attention. I have dishonored myself more times than anyone know, hurt one man who has been honorable if not loving by not loving him. I hurt another who was loving but I used that to lead him from honor. That's on me. I was aware of what I did. But please, if there is no worth in a half breed's prayer, I pray you see the worth in my son who is innocent, and my love who even now risks his life."

The moth stiffens but makes no sound

She reaches for Vashti's hand, listening.

The prayer continues "Please, my boy... he was always different, and his father could only help him in small ways. That was my fault, and now, now both are able to.. see each other. Please let them make it home safe. By Da'an if I had the power I'd end myself to ensure their good fortune, but that power is beyond me. I will honor you in old ways. I will bare myself bare towards the North at midnight for thirteen minutes to accept I am vulnerable. I will build a caern with these hands to the South to show I am strong. I will..." tears

The prayer is lost to sobbing. That's how you know she's not a real troll. Such weak will

Vashti lowers her head

Zara squeezes Vashti's hand.

"please" the woman mutters and walks away, tears in snow and soil

Vashti then says "Oh." now that she's gone

"Yeah..."

"well, now nothing makes sense" a look to Zara "I, of course, went deaf at the worst moment and heard nothing-if anyone asks"

"Aye. Secrets, us?"

"Tis to laugh"

And the two sobered that many have much to lose here, share a knowing look

(End Scene)