#earthrunes

A happy sigh.

" but, hey, what are we going to do about protecting you?"

"I've been doing okay..."

"I'm not going back to being imprisoned on the farm, that's for sure."

" imprisoned on the farm?!?"

"Well, you know, after the first thing, on my birthday, the Uncles had me stay on the farm or in the Hollow... anywhere but home."

" right."

"I don't like being cooped up."

"But.... Well, to protect you?"

"To protect what, if I am in a friendly prison?"

"Better than an -un-friendly one!"

"August..." She closes her eyes. "It would destroy me. I know this. To be caged, that would be death."

He sighs. "Ok, ok.... I guess... if you aren't in a safe place, maybe.... could we put a safe place on you? I mean, protect you on your person?"

"That's what they did the last time, aye. The help I found."

"Something like a ward, nu? A little treasure."

"Can you get another?" He looks around the library. "Maybe there's a lead in here?"

"Mayhaps. I will see."

"I'll look too. Come on...." He heads for the stacks.

A resigned sigh, and she follows after the Liam.

And they spend a few hours combing the bookstacks for a lead on protecting Zara from Daddy.

Zara does look, while planning to make a more concrete request later.

(TIME BUBBLE BRR BBBREAK DOWN!)

(TIME TO BUBBLE!!!!)

August finds his mentor in the satyr's study, a room that was never officially given to him, but the Satyr somehow seems to have commandeered.

"August, that you lad?" The Satyr is behind a desk writing

He taps at the door. "Hello, yes."

"how goes?"

"Ah. Well." He comes in. "Am I disturbing you? I can come back...."

"No no, come in, come in, just writing a bit... nothing that can't wait"

He takes a seat, fidgets slightly. "I hope you had a good Beltaine?"

"An excellent one, thank you." he smiles, "nothing like that holiday to make an old goat feel young again. I am sure you enjoyed it as well"

"Ah." He clears his throat. "Yes." Pinkish.

"I, ah, I wanted to let you know; I spoke with Leonora already." He clears his throat again. "Coradel.... well, she noticed on Beltaine that we, Leonora and I ... well, we danced together? Ah. Well. I mean, better than I did with Coradel. More practiced. Of course. But she noticed."

"And asked me about it. So, I did end up telling her that Leonora has been giving me dance lessons."

A frown, "August... how did you feel about ommiting the whole truth on that?"

He sighs. "Not... well."

"I just don't want it to be a ... I'm just doing my duty."

A raised brow, "You don't want it to be a what?"

"I don't want it to be a big deal. Learning... doing all this is part of my duty to Coradel. I don't need or want extra attention from it."

"August, that's ..noble in it's way, but... "He steeples his fingers, "What I'm going to say may sound odd as it IS from me. But is that what your faith would have you do?"