#debukefarmhold

"Her? you mean Miriam or Vashti?"

"Miriam. She is leaving tomorrow."

Earl says "Yes I suppose she is."

"What happens with the boy?"

"I'm sure Clem would offer him haven here" Earl says

"Mmph." A nod, frown lingering.

"It sounds as if he is not sained. That he slipped the rope shortly after chrysalis."

"Then he's in danger of madness..." A frown from the shaman

"Or being lost, aye." A pause. "What are the odds we would both be sluagh? Is it.. you think, mayhaps, the.. circumstances?"

"For all we know, his biological father was sluagh" Emmit says "Some balor are not sidhe"

A sniff. "Only fools. My sperm donor is sidhe, my mother a nocker."

"no argument"

"Or maybe Miriam's grandmother was a sluagh?" Earl adds.

"Mayhaps."

A chuckle from the Mountain "Way we work, Zara, it's possible you were her grandmother in a past life"

Her nose wrinkles. "I think not... I... there was... someone was kind to me..." The tone is airy, something half-remembered.

"You're very easy to be kind too" Earl says gently

"It is fuzzy. There was a war. I think the war..."

She shakes her head, as if to clear it. "Come. Let us watch."

They gather around the water

Zara casts, letting the image form on the mirrored surface...

Earl watches with her

And zara sees the boy, her mother... their mother. There can be no denying it by his looks. Her brother nearly ravaged that girl

Yes - a desperate changeling almost ravaged. Perhaps that is the cause of the grim expression, perhaps not. Who knows?

"you okay?" Earl whispers

"Fine."

"mm... " a thought "So.. Prague or Vienna?"

"Prague..."

A smile "Okay. Certainly to be less crowded than Paris"

"Feh, Paris."

"Who wants what everybody has?"

A frown at The Boy.

Earl says "mm kind of like I'm the only guy lucky enough to have you"

"...aye..."

"Yes, I am blessed and fortunate to have you as my lady" he says as firmly as if he spoke of the moon going around the earth

"Flattery, my Hunter."

A frown at the image.

"Truth makes flattery easy" He answers "Why the frown, my hind?"

"Naught..."

"it's something" He says "But .. I shall not press. Just know I listen"

"it just... it's sudden. That's all. I was an only child for most of my life, nu?"

"Yes" He agrees, still listening

"So... now this. Just... another thing, I suppose."

"I suppose. But, well, you're glad you found Vashti" He says 'maybe this boy will be okay?"

"Aye.." Another frown.

"And he's not of Paler's, so his loyalties shouldn't be.. I am missing something" He realizes

"Hmm?"

"No, Kay indicated Paler knows not of him."

"I meant with you- something troubles you and I can't tell why. It's not just the crowding of suddenly family. I've met your uncles"

"Oh... oh, they'll have to be told, too."