#debukefarmhold

"Well.... ok. Yeah. But." Adam moves to shore as well. "How come they couldn't find you?"

"I don't.. I think they were looking for the old me" She says

"You're a kithain of some sort" Her brother says "But..still, they should have found you"

"I .." A pause "I had a hiding spot"

Adam shivers. "Ok, so.... you want to come to the Balefire?"

"Yes, but I don't understtand what happened to me... I've been enchanted lots of times. I would have become kith then if I were kith."

"And you don't seem possessed" Trask says "So it's not a sidhe thing"

"Look..... let's go to the Mountain? He has answers, right?"

"He better" Trask says

And they return to the farm

a great Pyreneas woofs at them, at first, he might think it's Oak, but nope. Different Fae hound

"Go on." Adam may have contributed his jacket and/or shirt to the warmth of Sasha. "See what the Mountain has to tell you."

"Everything okay?" As the Mountain himself comes out with a pipe then he stares at Sasha, and the pipe falls out of his mouth

"Adam and I found her" Trask says "I know we're not supposed to be in the farm but..."

"Rusalka" The Mountain gasps "As I live and breath"

Adam hangs back but says "Probably cold......"

"Quite right" The mountain says "Bet you all three are. Come on into my cabin. Got the fire in there going on" he motions

"I'm ok." The boy in shirt-sleeves disregards. "S'ok." He heads for the schoolhouse.

"Adam.. come on in" The Mountain says, less a request

"Yessir....." And Adam goes in as told.

He positions himself just a bit away from the fire. Close enough he can get some warmth, but not so much as Sasha and Trask are shut out.

The fire here is no bale

Understood. But it is warm, and he is turning a kind of troll-like blue......

Hot cups of cocoa are prepared "Now... are you familiar with Ruslaka? Any of you?" the mountain asks

"Just Veronica. Oh, hey.... wait." Adam looks at Sasha again. "Oh."

"JUST Veronica?" the Mountain says "Adam, who is Vernoica, if you please?"

"Uh. Someone at EarthRunes. New. Like.... like Sasha is."

"Crap. A noble hold. Of course it is. Gonna have to talk to Earl about this"

"With your permission, sir, I'll head back to class?"

"Adam.. is Miss Zara talking to Veronica?" The Mountain says

"What's a Rusalka? I mean.. I never heard..." the girl rattles

"Dunno, sir. I guess so?" Adam grabs a blanket off the back of the couch and puts it around Sasha.

"Trask, blanket?" He offers the last visible one.

"oh no. .I'm good" The heat from the fire has helped

The mountain says "Adam, Trask... you've both done good work. Thank you. I'll make a note of it to your teachers. I need to talk to Sasha alone a bit. Trask, tell the Hearth your siste rahs been found. I'm going to tell her what i know of Rusalka"

Adam pulls the blanket over his own shoulders. "Yes, sir."

And he gets the lad a jacket "here, this should fit"

Well, maybe a bit big..... "Thank you, sir."

Actually closer to fitting than he suspected "You're welcome Adam. You can go if you want, but you're welcome tos tay . I can write a note"

"Respectfully, sir, I don't want special treatment. You said you wanted to speak with Sasha alone. So."

"Mm true" He writes a note and hands it to Adam "in case you need an excuse for tardieness"

He takes it. "Thank you sir. Trask, you good? Sasha?"

"Yeah yeah" Trask says "You'll be fine Sasha."

"They can fix this maybe" Sasha says "make me a ..normal kith"

At that, the mountain raises a brow.

Adam says nothing, but looks away. His lips twist. "Ok. Later." He puts the blanket down and heads out.

Trask follows him "Hey, thanks for.. thanks. I wouldn't have had the guts if not for you"

"No sweat, man. Gotta take care of each other, right?"

"We do.. " Trask nods "you ever need me.. call. Cool?"

"Yeah, cool."