#debukefarmhold

The chidlling cannot believe she has made it this far. The combination of magic cloak and chicanery seem to be veiling her. How long it will last she's not sure, but she is fascinated.

are they all trolls? she wonders

Then she holds very still. A particularly mean one grunts while others work in the field. She recognizes some of the facial features that lean themselves towards unseeliehold, but it could be her imagination.

"Murray, going hunting?" One of the others ask the mean looking one.

"Thought about it, not sure I Should. Got a bad feeling" He growls "Like something's off."

The near wilder keeps her poise. One does not panic. It isn't lady like

"Of course things are off, we got a nocker probably gonna blow us up, more refugrees visiting than we know what to do with and our Chief has more crazy ideas than..." One of them shakes his head.

Murray snorts "Mind what you say about our kin. That's not what I mean..>" He looks around again, then shakes his head "Going hunting. We can use the meat." And off he goes.

.... and with da'an's sense of humor, there is a soft distant boom. A flock of crows takes off, and smoke emerges from one window of the garage.

It is totally under control!

The sidhe nearly jumps out of her skin and betrays herself! Then... she notes the facepalms and head shakes among the trolls A nocker? They have a nocker here? Interesting. Yes, she knows where whoever it is is located. She moves to take a peek

The cursing is the bigger clue than the smoke or what she sees Oh definitely a nocker

She peeks inside to see one of the tallest nockers she's ever beheld. The kith isn't boggan sized, but they are on the runty side...as a rule. Not this one, tall blonde girl.

Adelaide finds the idea somewhat amusing, but now is not the time to grow too sure.

Besides, if the smoke were to set her to coughing, veil or no, she might get caught. A deep breath. This is a test of her courage . A commoner hold. She remembers how much they hurt her.. the rebels, back when the Hing King was missing.

But this soot-smudged nocker, despite the cursing, seems happily engrossed in her work - swearing at the truck like it's a recalcitrant horse.

Mmm. She definitely stands out. I must be careful. They don't just have trolls here, it's clear. And that increases the means and ways they can rely on to get problems solved- if they have any sense And she slips away

And she moves to another location

Barns, stable, smithy... but mostly fields and work...some houses.

The balefire here must be huge she realizes. And she can feel the center... but there are too many trolls, too many giants to walk among, and guards, though they might not look like typical thanes.

She is torn, to see for herself at great risk or to...show patience

No good. she can't help it. She has to risk it. But no need to be stupid about it. No, not through the door. She looks for windows. Of course, windows at trolls eye view are quite the work out but maybe if she can find a box or something she can get in.

Is everything in this place huge and heavy? Or wait, there, a small barrel, barely a keg by troll standards, but it will serve her nicely. Keeping cloak in place, and cantrip going, she peeks through the window and sees a kitchen. An old woman , stern faced and demanding directs younger kithain and kinain. Most of the latter enchanted A walking violation to the right of ignorance this place- well, once you got in. The old one might be the head cook I guess.

Agnes 'the old one' directs "Debrodiah, if your gossiping slows down your hand washing, then you need to gossip less." She nods, "Elwyn, stop sulking child...either the beau will text you back or he won't, but no man worth beating yourself up like this for"

The Eiluned realizes she's at the wrong end of this building. The fire must be further in, but how is she going to get in?

"Okay," Agnes says "Start setting the plates. First wave in twenty minutes"

first wave? The sidhe wonders First wave of what?

She plots and plans when...

RINGADINGDINGDING "COME AND GET IT, FIRST WAVE!"

Adelaide holds on for dear life on the top of her barrel, on top of it but below the window view as all about the farm, a thundering..well, HERD of blue, gray (and a few greenish ) giants and their kin rush towards the great longhall with rich smells

Oh god.. If I die here by stampede, the Countess will not give me high marks Indeed. Her mentor's disapproval is perhaps the worst fate of all.

But being found dead at the bottom of a size a 16 shoe is up there in the top five.

But a wonderful thing happens, for a moment, a brief one, the kitchen itself empties as food as served. With a deep breath of relief, she slips in through the window, hurriedly, drops the the floor during the clanging, and goes to peek down the hall

The dining hall that is, and through the narrow gap, past the great tables of giants is a franklin sort of stove. And in it... a blazing balefire! Her eyes widen

And something, a ward, a cantrip, seems to weave about her, as if triggered by her moment of ambition and interest alike

Adelaid almost gets a dreamy look on her face.... she sees herself as a great lady grown fully, ruling over the land with no commoner willing or able to hurt her, obeying, and listening to her. Grand gents among the sidhe would pay her respect. And she would have time to dance, and rule, and study the deeper mysteries. For a moment she is lost in a fantasy and nearly drops her cantrip, her cloak, her protection all to walk into it.

Then.. No! a gasp. LIke Root beer, this ward, this magical trap, was insidious. It took her own coveting of the fire as a trigger! Ingenius! ANd dangerous.

It's insidious!

A deep breath, she should go..she has her secret, and any minute now she might get caught

"Mara's on third wave right?"

"Yeah, she was on the second but after that blow up..."

"Hey, Mara got the tractor working that's good enough for me" munching

"Still, did you hear she's getting sained in only 6 months?" "What? No." "Yup. Uncle Emmit's gonna Sain her in half time as she knows so much. That's what our chief says" "Lucky. Year and a day nearly drove me NUTS."

A namer? UNCLE emmit? They.. they have a troll namer? In a commoner hold? Oh it is time to go and then some

SHe slilps back to the kitchen even as someone approaches it. She has less than a minute

She nearly falls once, and nearly gets caught by not a troll, but a satyr girl who races about with such speed as to alarm her. ANother non troll. she gets to the trod, fortunately it's guarded mostly folks from getting in, not out...and vanishes . She is now safe ..well, safe er, and giddy with delight that only curiosity satisfied will know

(End scene)