#earthrunes

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Some hours later, there is the sound of footsteps approaching the library, not childlings this time, and not a particularly cautious pace.

Zara is ensconced with a pile of books and another of notecards - jotting down titles and notes. Bronte is curled up on a copy of "Sir Breward's History of Willows," dozing.

...the lights are off.

The lights are switched on without preamble, and Coradel continues into the library. ((Is Zara easy to spot?))

A soft hiss as the light flares.

She pauses at the sound of the hiss, and turns to find its source. "Ah, there you are. Good." A smile.

She squints. "Aye. Good morning, Miss Coradel."

"Good morning." She frowns. "Are you okay? You look as though you have a headache."

"I am fine. The light was sudden. Have you come to see the library? August went out, I suspect to mass."

She rises, absently smoothing her trailing bangs away from her face.

Bronte yawns and mutters as she wakes"“She wakes in a puddle of sunlight.
Her hands asleep beside her.
Her hair draped on the lawn
like a mantle of cloth.”

"The library, yes, but also to speak with you...."

She stops short at the other voice. "Who is that?"

"That's Bronte. She's harmless." Dark eyes flick over to the tiny dragoness.

The bookwyrm flutters her wings and speaks "I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!

How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!" Then seems proud of herself, and hiccups a little

"Bronte?" She spots the little dragon and goes over to get a closer look. "Well, aren't you...wordy." A smile, and she reaches to stroke a finger tip atop the little lizardy head.

Bronte allows this, after a moment of consideration "I have always relied on the kindness of strangers."

Zara, to her credit, only bristles a little bit.

then Bronte flutters over to Zara's shoulders, and settles about her neck

A pleased look. "She's adorable, Zara. Now...I hear you and August have made some discoveries."

"Hello, oytser.." A scritch. "Aye. It seems the Baron had a second library. Eiluned, nu?"

Bronte whispers in Zara's ear, "If you have only one smile in you, give it to people you love. Mary Angilou" Then she smiles REAL big, which probably looks all wrong on any kind of dragon kin.

A soft laugh as she shakes her head in amusement. "He did love his secrets. The hold has revealed a few things to me, as its Baroness, but it seems not everything has been discovered. Would you show me?"

"It is your hold. August is the discoverer, to give full credit..." She turns, heading for the trigger.

"Well, as he told it, it was both of you, but I suspect now he was being modest. It's a very August thing to be." She follows.

Bronte is , carted along, though she has to find purchase carefully on the slender sluagh

"That it is. Now - be mindful! These are very delicate, and many are very old..."

An amused look at the sluagh telling her how to treat the library that is, by inheritance, hers.

"Here, see? First editions. I think the Baron may have cast glamours to preserve them, they are in excellent shape which belies their years... the Colliers, in particular... periodicals are notoriously delicate..."

"I see." Coradel nods and follows along. She has clear interest, but not the same fascination and joy shown by August. "It smells odd in here...almost like...baked goods and smoke...?"

A genuine smile, lighting up her eyes. "Books, miss. You smell the books."

Bronte sighs happily after a sniff herself. Whatever the scent is, it's obviously like catnip to a cat for a bookwyrm.

"I never thought of books having such a smell. It must be because of the age? Or the quantity."

"Both. False vanilla is made from wood - the paper exudes it. Now, here - these are fae books, magic texts, histories..."

Her eyes glance over the covers, tasting but not savoring. "Interesting. I wonder...In your opinion, Zara, from what you've seen so far, what is the most precious book here?"

She frowns, looking back at the sidhe - an expression rather like Cora asked her to pick a favorite child.

A look in return. "Surely one or two have...stood out? Special discoveries?"

Bronte nuzzles Zara as it to comfort her

"What would you have done with them? They are treasures - this room is filled to the brim with such."

A blink and a shake of her head. "Done with them? No...oh, you think I'm thinking of their value in sale? No! Oh, no, I think August would never forgive me! No...I just don't get these books the way you and August seem to. I'm just trying to understand a bit better."

"Well... the mundane books are very, very rare. I... the Dante! It's... it's centuries old. I cannot even contemplate how many thousands it would sell for. But even more than that, it is precious. It... it's a piece of history, there, on the shelf..."

"I would not risk these to careless hands. The magical books, too - guides to Arts, to the Dreaming - invaluable."

"Dante...I think August has mentioned him before."

"Hmm. So do you think...should they be kept secret? As the Baron had them?

"The Baron was Eiluned. A Fiona fire may not favor secrets so. And books... no. No, I do not think books should be locked away. But... but care, aye? Care must be taken."

"How?" A blunt question.

"I need to check just what magics have been used - kinain could well disrupt them, by virtue of being mortal. I suspect, with a sidhe keeper, there might be chronos involved..."

"Nocker magics could also fortify them. Primal. And making sure that they are not handled carelessly.... standard care with regards to humidity and light..."

"Yes, that makes sense. But perhaps best they have a guardian who understands them."