#earthrunes

Clem looks at that arm "May I check that out?" Rather than answering her, the kitten pooka looks at Coradel to make sure this new troll can be trusted

She watches August go. "Claire, can you go with him? He doesn't know where to look...."

August finds his work cut out for him. The boy died in a collapse and there are still a lot of stones on him, some large.

She looks down at the kitten in her arms, smiles a bit and nods. "It's okay. This is Clementine DeBuke, and she's very good at making pain go away."

Claire nods, and follows guiding him then "Here, I'll help. "

She starts, belatedly. "It... August..." A frown and she pushes up to her feet. "I'm going."

"Deryn, don't. You've done enough."

"Rest."

August nods. "We'll need something to use as a lever. A long beam, or something."

Clem looks over at Deryn, "Sparrow, more than two folks might end up blocking each other."

"There's stones. They're heavy..." She paces, wings fidgeting.

then the troll returns to the arm now that the girl pooka holds it out, "Well well, you are very lucky we got to this. See, that's not a good color for pretty girls to turn... we'll fix that, and clean it out... and then I'll use a heather balm and wham. Okay?"

The kitten pooka says "If it stings I shall scratch and claw your eyes out."

"Claire's with him, they'll manage. Come help here. I have only so much lap to go around." A gentle joke for the childlings.

August starts shifting rocks. "See what you can find?"

To the kitten she says, "If it stings, you can squeeze my hand instead, and let Miss Clementine finish her work."

She nods, a bit absently, and goes to check on the troll and clurichaun.

"I've got something" Claire takes her shield out, and uses it as a brace, then finds a shovel "Between this we should be able to ..well, you see what I' mgoing for here. I'm not a dougal"

"Okay." The kitten pooka says

"You can claw into my arm if you need to," Clem offers.

"She's asleep," The Clurichaun girl says, "Olgi's asleep. I look to make sure she's breathing."

"Good. You're a good friend." She sits on the ground, knees drawn up to her chest. "I didn't get your name."

August nods and helps her get the shovel and shield in place. "Ready?" And together they try as carefully as possible to shift the rock off the child.

Coradel offers up her hand to the needle claws of the kitten childling, and doesn't flinch if she does pierce flesh, instead giving her poodle brother a wink. "She'll be good as new soon."

The poodle boy begins to sing "Let the Moon Shine in, watch it silver spin. All doggies droll, and always kitties win. So if you're a cat, you get to wear a hat. While dogs have stupid poofy hair" He sighs after wards, but his sister cheers

"That's my favorite song" She says beaming

And then "ow" as yes, it stings a bit

"I like it!" She smiles. "Maybe you can sing it when we have our big celebration at Imbolc?"

"Didn't give it," The cluricahaun girl ssays "I'm Ruby. "

"Ready" Claire says

"Hi Ruby."

Ruby says "Hi. Why do you have wings?"

"Born with them. But I'm a pretty bad pooka, so..." a shrug and a weak smile.

August nods and leans on the level, lifting with great strain. His face reddening.

Claire grabs the body, fast and says "Got him."

She winces at the smell "what's left of him"

Ruby looks at the wings "Olgi would probably like them."

///

And Clem tends to the wounded hand, done cleaning it out, and with a bit of magic, it heals up, smooth and everything

Coradel looks down at the kitten. "You are being very brave, you know. And that's coming from a Fiona."

August lets the rock down carefully, but with relief, and gets the shield, offering to trade it for the body. "Here."

"of course," the kitten girl says "I am a cat and we are prepared for ..wow! "

"She might. I'm not good enough to carry folks here, but I don't know about the Dreaming."

"Actually August I..." A pause "We should get a blanket to wrap him in before trotting him out before the kids. You want to get that while I wait? "

Ruby says "So..." Suspicious, "Do you own us now?"

"We can use my coat." He shucks it off, heedless of the cold.

"Fair enough..." Claire says then as they wrap the body she says "August. When I said you were...useless to me. What i meant was, you were too decent to help me handle things in an Ailil way. I..." She grits her teeth "I hope you didn't misunderstand."

"Nobody owns you. You can't own people, though it is possible to... hurt them, imprison them, force them... you aren't property."

"We're going to take you to our home, because the fire will warm you and heal you. But you have a choice to stay or not. There's another freehold close by, a mews."

"You both helped my sister! I'm so happy I could do the leg dance!" the poodle boy says with a smile then "But I have no idea what it MEANS Yet and am told I will learn when I'm a hundred."