#earthrunes

"You understand, then, that we are a barony - beleaguered, in Hawthorne, not Hawk?"

She murmurs, "...further cement official recognition..." A pause. "So there has been some official recognition already?"

"I've seen what happens when folks feel helpless, homeless, squeezed. " He looks to the windows "And we've seen, last ntight, the worst of it. I would like to think my family would never fall to the likes of the Shadow Court. But I can see other ...organizations, maybe not as bad, but willing to use them if they are wronged. I mean no threat, indeed, the threat of that is the very soul of my family. And yes, I know you are small, isolated, and in no shape to make much of a stand...yet. " A deep breath, "But the Truthbranch's have a bit of the Da'an about them. I don't have to be a seer to sense that. And it maybe in the future? In the future one or more of you can do more. Then, if that comes about, I would have you say 'they are their own and have right to continue so' or something else. a right to exist unmolested. I do not think it great but, in the future perhaps ? to consider. Petition your folks if you wish." A deep breath and "And some. Countess Tajier has made a note of us. Rivervale calls us friend though they cannot speak for all of Bergen and certainly not Gardens. "

A little smile at Rivervale.

A few moments of silence before she speaks. "Sir Earl...can your holding defend your flame? Can it keep the flame safe from outside threat? And...as you suggested before...can you keep the flame safe from those within who might ache for uprising already?"

"Is there continuity? Not just the leaders now, but hope for the future?"

She nods to include Deryn's questions.

"We not only can, we have. We have faced Thallian too. En masse. We have faced sidhe champions in singular and honorable combat. We have held nightmare chimera in check and Big Aggro Banality at a distance both for ...well, long before any flesh here present was born. and then some. We have policed our own to follow the Code of Dagda and the Escheat. We have powerful elders, skilled and fierce wilders, and our childlings learn with attentiveness. We're... actually pretty badass, you're Ladyship," He says a bit of a lavender blush "My cousin, Clem, could turn any thallian we fought last night into a beetle and crush it. We have portents and omens that guide us, and some say we will face dangers, but none of them tell us our cause is lost. The childlings of today show spirit and we trust in them to grow as they trust in us to help them do so.'

A grin at the badass comment. Then a sigh. "I see. Well...again, I need to consider this further. Making an outright statement of support is quite different from simply looking the other way. I will bring this to my advisors."

" I thank you, and I know you must look after your barony first before our considerations. " He bows, "Now that tha'ts out of the way. Do your people need some dross to recover some losses? Understand, this offer has nothing , MUST have nothing to do with my earlier request. Not just for your sake, but our own. We will not pay protection, nor offer a bribe, just as you would not accept the latter. But... we can and do help other fae, end of story. Your people are going to need time and resources to recover. We can get you food, some more healing, and yes, dross."

"Healers...." She looks at Cora, then to Earl. "Earl, you are August's friend...."

"That's why I came" He agrees.

She relaxes a bit, and nods at his clarification. "Healers, we definitely still need."

Then a sharp look to Sparrow.

"He needs healing, and Earl might be able to reach him." in an undertone to Cora.

A nod to Coradel, "Yes, Baroness. I know at least one, she's good..and..." A pause, "August isn't here? he's wounded and left?" A frown, "He's being very self destructive of late."

She doesn't respond, allows Sparrow to field this one.

"August... I know felt many obligations. Could you check on him, as his friend? I think he doesn't want us to worry."

"Of course I'll check on him, He's... a handful sometimes" A fond smile.

She tries for a smile, but has to look away.

"Thank you, Sir Earl. Sometimes we Liam can get caught up to our detriment."

She clears her throat delicately before saying, "Yes, thank you, Sir Earl, for all of your help." She rises. "Please, can you both excuse me? I want to check in on Bachdion." And without elaborating, she heads for the door.

"Of course, Cora. I will meet you shortly..."

Brief courteous nods to both of them, and then she's out the door.

"I..yes. Thank you for seeing me, Baroness Coradel. I was about to leave. And yes, Sparrow, I think Liams have a tendency to get caught in their cares and forget their own tending. True for many of us I suppose" He watches the Fiona go, then turns to Sparrow "Something one of us said?"

"And a healer, yes. We have iron wounds."

"She grieves. The Baron was lost."

"Yes," A pause, "I don't have a baron, of course, and plan to serve no noble as a vassall, but I think I can understand. My own grandfather passed not so long ago. It's..hard losing one who seemed to have in him such strength of all sorts. I hear more sidhe are going the changeling way. Perhaps this is his path and she will see him again."

"He was also her mentor, her foster... I... don't know how the way goes, how it works, how to go from one to the other... but one can hope, yes."

"Ah a mentor I've had." Thoughtful, "I'm sorry for her pain. Time will help that dim, but ..memory will rise again now and then, and it may spike again afresh. That's the price of loving and losing, but it beats not loving at all" a sigh "or so wise old graybeards asure me"

"So greybeards say." A sad laugh.

"You can't appreciate Shakespeare until you've heard it in it's original Iowan" He smiles back, "Anyway, I should go. I've said my bit. I'll try to check on August asap, and Clem will be happy to help heal."

"Thanks, Earl. I'll need to thank everyone for coming...."

"They'll understand if you need to tend to your own first." A nod "Be well, Sparrow." He withdraws

"Take care, Earl."

And she retreats to check on Cora and the wounded.

(End scene)

-------

Coradel decides to seek out Shallimar first, and asks the first boggan where he might be.

"Oh, he's. he's with the Baron. " A boggan says sorrowfully. It would appear the Baron's body is not deserted

"Oh...of course. Thank you." And she makes her way, somberly, back to the Baron's chamber.

The chamber smells of incense , candles are burning, but not the sort that bought him that much needed peace. It has gone from a place one sleeps and perhaps studies to a piece of history. It's to be her room soon, but now, it's where a dead man still lays in state.

There's a skunk at the foot of the bed

She enters slowly. "Shallimar." She's not sure if he's awake.

Whether woken or already awake, the skunk looks up at her listeless

"Hello." She moves to the Baron's side, resting her finger tips at his cold brow for a long moment. Then she sighs and steps back, and pulls a chair closer to sit near Shallimar at the end of the bed.

The skunk gives a quick headbob

She looks at him for a bit, noting the listlessness. "I hope you've slept. You should have something to eat." She keeps her voice quiet, gentle.

Suddenly the skunk begins to clean himself, in a cat like fashion . Like cats do when they pretend they can't hear you

"Shallimar...." a gentle scolding, and she rises from the chair. "I'll be right back." She steps out into the hallway and flags down another of the hold's ubiquitous boggans to request food and drink for the Baron's jester.