#dreaming

Zara ennters the haven, but feels.. something is broken, it's barriers, its cameflague is dimmed

She hisses. This is what comes of letting in just anyone.

It was already lost, but feeling the loss in person grieves her more.

A small childling, a sluagh, whispers "Are you the River?" it's Lily

"Lilly? How came you here?"

"I was hoping to be a witch" Lily says "Witch of the Fields says It's best for wilders... after the attack especially"

"What attack?"

"The fel" She pointts to the sky, and.. the horizon looks cracked, as if it 's wounded

Zara frowns. "Come." She sets Lily behind her on the broom, to fly up closer for inspection. "Tell me what transpired."

"I don't know as much as I like" She whispers "the barriers were coming down, the river seemed to be not circling right...and... they came, thallian and.. other things. Not enough witches here... K.. I forget her name, the flame witch? She fought...sent word o the field. And the field came ... took the from of a dragon and fought them off.. Fire nearly died."

"And they left you here alone?"

"Not.. knowingly" A blush "They said I had to go to safety, but they did't say WHENN I had to go"

"Ah. They know not sluagh."

"This place was meant to be a haven for witchlings, too. Not just wilders and crones." Her mouth twists with bitter disappoinment.

"But what was promised is not what is."

A figure comes out, "Who the ..." Clem blinks "River?"

"I got the note. What happened?"

Clem looks down "Well, for starters a little girl should be home" Eying Lily

Lily scoots close to Zara

"She is a spiderling."

Clem frowns "Not sure the little ones are safe here anymore, the magic seems to be fading..." She looks up "Or..it was. The hell?"

"ooo bad word" the little girl says

The sky is..healing, a sound Zara knows well, a River's sigh of relief as it moves again

Zara frowns again. "I doubt there is any haven, with sidhe being granted the red carpet ere any other find it."

"It wasn't the sidhe who lett the Thallian in, " Clem protests "Things fell apart, but it wasn't little miss Hawkwhisper. I don't claim to like her being here, but it's no fair to blame her" A frown

"The hawk lady?" Lily whispers "She's tryin to find help with something"

"Feh."

The witch of the flame comes out on a crutch "What the furk? I thought you were gone?"

"Everyone is trying to get rid of me " Lily hisses

"I shan't." She drapes an arm around Lily, protective.

"I was talking about you, River. You left... the magic started to furkin break.. that's what happens when one of three lynnch pins walks off forgood" the nocker grumbles

"YOu don't KNOW that" Clem eyes the nocker

"The magic is flawed, was flawed. Mayhaps you want a 'Haven' that welcomes vipers."

"Vipers? " The nocker shrugs "This about one sidhe? One? You that scared of them?" She leans on her crutch "THAT is what we should be scared of"

Hiss. "I am not afraid of them,"

She is looking at the barrier

"But what promise is there, here? We were misled."

"This is no Haven."

"It is if we all stick with it, you left, the protections of the river eroded. Now you can bitch that grandmother set us up good so we had to stay innvolved but you furkinn KNOW it's not coincidence that you left..."

"Grandmother?" Lily asks Zara

"You would blame this on me?" She narrows her eyes.

"Say it is MY fault, when the promise was betrayed ere a moon had even turned?"

Kenzi huffs "You're the only onnne who thought therre was a no sidhe rule... maybe they need to be witches too? Some of em? Who the furk knows , all I know is you bailed when pointy eared pretties showed up... "

"That's enouggh" CLEM eyes Kenzi

"You may wish to playact that this is what was promised. But it is not. I would not have this be a haven for those who already claim all!"

"Who is grandmother?" A huff from Lily trying, and failing to raise her voice

"One is but the first, until they choke the spirit of the place. Like roaches, who overwhelm."

"It is TELLING that the first beyond us was one of them. It showed the lie. It showed the promise was naught more than a pooka's word."

"Think you I had no hopes for this place? Had women I wished to bring here? Had dreams of seeking witches, to show them something special?"

Lily is doodling on the ground