#debukefarmhold

"what a charming childe," the woman says "Emmit emmit, I had my doubts, but the judgement this young woman has shown sways me to seeing your points regarding her, " A soft rasp of a whisper, with an echo that rattles softly in her throat, "Do introduces us, Emmit"

"Zara Scwhartz, you stand before Madame Abethia, also of the Crystal Circle. Abethia, this is Zara, my finest apprentice in a generation" He says

Zara looks up, dark eyes wide with not-actually-concealed awe.

Abethia says "I would point out, Mountain, she's also your first non troll is she not? I told you you DeBukes did beter when you challenged your boundaries" Oh gloating freely. She's old. She can do that

She quietly tangles her fingers together.

"Sun shines on a dogs ass once in awhile, Abethia" He grins

"Bah, cretin" She rattles, then makes a hand wave motion "Join us, childe, have a seat. We have tea, nothing formal, sadly."

"Emmitt prefers coffee, in truth, Crone." Zara takes the offered seat. Thank goodness for manners. Otherwise, her excitement might lead to babbling...

"I do, but I'll pour the tea for you ttwo ladies" Emmit does so

"Thank you, Mountain."

Zara kenns the crystal as Emmitt pours.

Abethia nods, and says to Zara, "You have progressed far, quite quickly," a tilt of her head "perhaps too quickly. "

"I have worked hard for it, and yet know but a drop of the ocean."

"Ah, but you have taken the drop nontheless, and now are a part of the ocean, be wary, or all that you learn , when it is called back, will take you with it into the abyss"

"Mayhaps."

"You have sained someone, haven't you?" Abethia says in a manner taht doesn't quite make it a question

She brightens, eyes flicking to Emmitt. "Aye."

The Crystal has so many facets, Zara looks inside, KENS inside, and finds each facet seems to break into a dozen plus more facets and each of those within another and within another...

Blik blink... one could get trapped there...

fractals, some would call it. MC Esther others would praise. And there are concepts far far older still.. the infinite within the finite, the cosmic within the small

"You have gone too far to go back then, " A snap of fingers, bringing her focus to the here, the now "You won't learn my secrets that way, dear"

"I do not wish to go back. I sained a kithmate, that his name may be kept in whispers and shadows."

"So is not only your own mind's hunger you served, good good. I would not approve of such feasting only for the sake of self," Abethia sips , her old hands shiver as if it's cold, but she carries on "you wish to help our kith with this great knowledge"

Zara nods. "That.. that is why I sought it, aye. There are many who would be cautious of the sidhe, who would endanger themselves to avoid a vulnerability." A frown as a thought crosses her mind. "I know, too, that it is not an art to abuse..."

"Yes, gruzela was a dabbler who learned beyond her wisdom," A tut "You were wise to send her to the Mountain. Any non namer would not understand her greatest crimes"

The Mountain nods "She's right, Zara, that was the right thing to do. And I don't say that just because of my distrust of most nobles"

She gums on her lip. "She thought that.. that she was revealing a truth, in nick-naming them. That she was not changing them by force..."

"Self taught, I suspect, there are old grimoires that the sidhe collected, but not all, in an odd way it served us all their selfishness, it kept it from being too casually consumed" Abethia stirs her tea as if finding secrets there

"She has an admirable will. But..."

"But the means tarnish the goal, one can not clean the filth off something with sticky blood on their hands" Mountain Emmit says "If we had known her before this, we might have guided her down a proper path, at least told her how to avoid the darker ones"

Zara nods. "What... what became of her?"

Abethia notes "You speak of her in the past tense."

"She is not here. I do not feel her."

"Ah, that, there are ways to conceal that, and she is nnot as far along- thank the D'an, as you or I" Abethia chuckles drily "But yes, she is not on the farm any longer. The Circle has her. "

She tilts her head, a question unasked.

"Which is the story I sent to Earl to send. That the Cyrstal Circle took her.. he'll tell the Count that. It will infuriate him, but it will keep Earl safe and we're not to be triffled with. The Circle has her, he will say. A truth, and a useful one on many levels" Emmit sips

A nod.

"You have no idea how hard I had to train him to see the truth like that," Abethia says to Zara, she looks proud "Trolls are so..immalleable"

"Truth is a gem of many facets."

"You know Eiluned sayings?" The sluagh says "Interesting"

"She's a modernist, but like a magpie, she'll pluck different sources for her nest"

"A corvid, at least." Mildly.

Emmit smiles just a bit behind his coffee

"A raven, I think" Abethia says after staring at the girl with sunken eyes, "The Circle has her. We do not mean to torment you, but if you are hoping for details on the location, that is for members only"

"I understand."

"What wish you I know of her fate, lest I be so tempted to be cavalier with my knowledge?"

A rattle dry and windy from the elder sluagh's throat at that

"Why tell you her fate when the hanging sword of imagination is so much more effective than the blunt blow of facts?" She asks

"Damocles can only dissuade so much, Granddame."

"Do you need dissuading, childe?" it goes very quiet suddenly , even the outside sounds of nature seem to have taken a breath