#debukefarmhold

Holger (In Spanish) "Have they done something wrong? Did they insult her?" He scowls at the farm

Ariel does notice THIS confab "Uhm.." She trots over

And Louisa notices the slow down

Salma holds back a sigh, and squeezes her hand. "As terrible as Holger, you are, as bad as the Condesa herself. Come, we will do our duty together."

To Holger - "Not today."

And she smiles to Ariel. "We were discussing lunch. Is it time to eat yet? I did not have any breakfast, I was so excited." Salma DID, Ariel was THERE....

Ellie doesn't let go of Salma's hand.

"Perhaps there will be lemon squares, Ariel?" A note of hurt sneaks in, despite Ellie's efforts.

"I know they're your favorites."

"They.. they are... "Ariel says "And i'm sure they have food for us.."

Louisa says "We do! Good food. Sorry, just.. we thought the school would be proof our elders have changed some... see, Sidhe got there now."

Louisa Franchesca looks confused and by troll standards, a bit unsettled "Am I doing the guard and guide thing wrong?"

"You are doing very well." She smoothly assures.

Ariel explains "The Hearth was mean to her... and ruined everything. Now Ellie's all closed up. She doesn't normally walk around with her nose up like this, she's a good friend, shes' MY friend, and I want her to like this place but she doesn't but she's trying to give it another chance and i'm grateful" Ariel explains

"Ariel!"

"Hurt me once, shame on you. Hurt her twice... that's what Holger is here for." Salma gives a firm little stomp of one stubborn foot.

Holger grunts and chin lifts

Ariel turns to Ellie "It's true, she was HORRIBLE... and now you're here, but you're not being you. You are warm and smiling and nice and you don't look down on ANYONE.... the you are pretending to be is all.. closed up and acting like you're some princess come to low folk and that's not who you are at all. "

Louisa Franchisca note this and looks at her feet "Well, I guess we have it coming then. Repay all debts. We done her wrong, was our Hearth, so if she wants to treat us cold, well, we done it to ourselves."

"I'm being diplomatic! You don't understand!"

"I don't really.." Ariel admits

"I know how to do this! I know how to be polite!"

"But this isn't COURT... " Ariel says "If you treat it like Court it ... just be yourself, please?" Ariel asks

The satyress fidgets

Louisa Franchesca moves to Ellie "Can we start over?"

A flicker of panic at the troll's overture. She scrambles back, schooling her features. "You have done an excellent job as guide, Miss Louisa, there's no need to.. to worry."

Louisa Franchesca offers her hand to shake "Well I'm starting over. My name's Louisa Franchesca , some call me one or the other and that's okay. And.. it's nice to meet you" She holds out her hand

Holger looks immoblized. This doesn't seem like a threat, but the Countess is so alarmed

"Perhaps... Louisa would like to meet mi amiga Ellie, and not La Contesita e Fenix? I know that you are both, clear as I am both Salma and a silly burro sometimes, but it might help if we could try."

Another flicker of misery and threatening tears. I want to go home.

"I'd like to meet Ellie, actually" Louisa Franchesca says "Ariel sends letters saying how nice you are. How much you care. Sounds like someone we should know"

Ariel blushes. She had not mentioned her letters to home to her friends

"It is very kind of you to invite us here." Ellie... no, Countess Eleanor manages, and takes the hand for a shake. It's... polite. Polite and not afraid. Nobody can hurt the Countess.

"Thank you, Ellie" Louisa Franchesca admits "way the childlings see it, we gotta fix this before it gets bad. You know Beaumayn helped protect us once? Sir Vali and two sidhe"

Salma retains the other hand, and gives it a squeeze. She whispers to Ellie, "They might not think they need to be so guarded against de Nobleza if they learned who was underneath. I think they are scared of them."

Louisa BLUSHES

"I've met Sir Vali." She manages.

Gentle encouragement along with Pooka boon to try to get her out of her shell a bit. Ellie said she wanted to do her duty, and if that's what she wants, then Salma will help her, even in spite of Ellie herself.

"Well, Salma's not far off wrong" Louisa Franchesa admits, "We're all scared of some noble taking our home from us, but that doesn't mean all nobles are that some noble. Chief Clem started teaching us ALL the history. Likie Sir Vali's rescue, and how some nobles , not trolls even, have defended our right to atuonomy. That's why we're having this... we childlings have to set what right what the grumps got wrong."

Ariel beams at Louisa

"The point of being a noble is to protect people who can't protect themselves, not to take things."

"Well then, " Louisa ponders this "I wish more nobles were like you and I'm sorry you got lumped in with them. C'mon Ellie. I'll show you and Salma and Holger.. heard so much about all of you, to the gang"

"Sounds like someone hurt them before. Si, it can be hard to open up again if that happens." Salma says softly.

"I might have written a lot of letters" Ariel blushes in confession

Ellie chews on her lip, but follows.

Rather than a tour, Ellie is lead right towards the dining and kitchen area, where she can feel the balefire and she hears squabling.. but the voices are the voices of kids

The sidhe tenses up again, slowing her steps.

"They're SO stubborn" One boy can be heard

Salma slows along with her, long ears tilting towards the voices

"Well, you know grumps, set in their ways, that's why wer'e handling this.." Another boy's voice

"All I know is that Miss Nadeen seemed nice, and Brogan was cool" One girl speaks up "And Ariel's kind of flakey, but she's not a liar. She says Ellie is a hero"

I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go HOME.....