#dreaming

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In the Dreaming...

Zara reaches for her living sister and collects her in her arms. Her embrace is bony, and cold... but gentle.

Vashti sniffles "But it will be so much work being free to love and live, however will I manage the monograming ?"

"Oh, I know a thing or two of embroidery..."

"Thou would help me with embroidery?"

Earl smiles, "If you mean help you set up a normal life off the farm, I think we can assist. Heck, even if you want it on the farm"

"I think there might be a certain polecat involved..."

"Oh, he's at work" She sighs as if a neglected wife

In the distance another explosion.

Earl blinks "Dylan only had one of those things. How is he making another explosion?"

"Some questions we do not ask." She rises, brushing off her knees... a pause, and she crouches back to set Golnaz's head by her body... a look, and a mold-pocked blanket is used to cover the two corpses.

This being the dreaming, the corpses dissolve rapidly...

Earl looks at Zara "Are you okay? Your working, it was like a chissel on a dam... broke it ...all that was due him came at once"

"We.. come, we must collect what notes he had. Much is madness, I know... but.. he was far too joyous. I fear I may have missed something."

Vashti says "It's a firesale at penny's" She says then tries again "When the monster lays dead, the vultures gather pearls... we must hurry before they beat us."

"The staff... the remaining thanes" Earl says "Of course. They'll be looting the place"

"Aye. I want not gold, I want information..." She grabs his clusters of notes from their pins, tearing some. "Diaries?"

Vashti nods and turns into a moth effortlessly, this being the dreaming leading them on

Earl and Zara follow, Earl asking as they do "Are you okay? you didn't answer"

"I know not. Diaries, aye? We may have... I need to be sure." She grabs a likely ledger and looks inside.

Earl nods as Vashti flutters over what appears to be a statue of a Serpent head ...

the ledger seems day to day inventory of kitchen stuff and rations

Meanwhile Vashti flutters in and out of the opened fanged mouth

She checks Paler's desk - this was his study, she has seen it before when scrying...

false bottom? But hwo to get into it?

Oh, that... sharp eyes, clever fingers... she can find the trigger.

It takes a bit, but Vashti turns into her mortal form, sticks her hand INTO the snake's mouth. There is a click, and the false bottom of the desk opens.

Vashti raises a brow "Did those think I was doing street art when I fluttered so?"

"Because we always understand pooka" Earl says to Vashti

"Fie..." Vashti says "Iowan lout" then a giggle "I am fussing with my sister's boyfriend like a proper John Hughes film DELIGHT"

"Oh, wait until you... oh, wait. There is fair news for thee, sister."

And she checks the fasle drawer... diary?

A journal, bound in the flesh of... oh my she's not sure this wans't sentient....

and plane tickets?

A passport?

"Fair news?" The moth says

She collects all the contents - she can sort them later.

"Fair news, but not here. Too many siblings, yet."

"Can you call thy paramour? We may go to the farm..."

"mmm " she says

"I can call him" Vasthi leans out the door and says "I am overcome with womanly passions, and long to enfold my serenader!"

A black and white tail puffs up at the far end of the hallways

With Confidence after that, Vashti says "The black and white arrow will wind its way to me now"

"Excellent. And, oh, sister - you may be free, aye? To go where thou wisheth..."

"Hunter, see anything else we should take? I do not wish to tarry overlong..."

One figure strides in, armed and armored...a Satyr thane, wilder, but young for one, still, virile... but no Paler relation. For his eyes are not right.... and he is too swarthy by half.

Earl's hand goes to his blade

Zara clutches the books to her chest, wary.

"I would not advise giving us trouble, satyr."