#earthrunes

She follows the pair, curiosity stirred.

They make their way towards a room where a very old boggan, wizened to the point of looking like a raisin waits. he has two great mustaches.

"Bonjour!"

"...hello." He blinks, " I am..." He considers "Wisp. Mr. Wisp"

Gideon gapes, "Sir. it's an honor. I... we're the troubadours you requested? Well, Stevi " He gestures to the satyress, "And I am. This is..>Emmaline. She's a gardener and healer. "

"Same job, really."

Wisp looks at Emmaline and smiles "One who makes things grow and restores the wounded? Oh yes, same job. I would like to hear songs...Stevi, Gideon. I understand you play some folk music.. John Denver and the like? I could use that. Take me home, West Virginia"

"Country roads, surely" Gideon says

Stevi's brow knits between her horns "Pardon, Mister Wisp. You seem to be famous but I don't... ken what to what?"

Emmaline is quiet, watching the older boggan. Her whiskers quiver faintly as she concentrates.

Gideon looks at her "Will o the Wisp? He... was in the war"

"I was never in the war, boy. I went where death went, I lead folks where I could to... safety. Sidhe knights, Commoner rebels, made no nevrmind to..." he coughs " no nevermind to me"

She fades back, fussily wrapping the end of her tail around her hands, worrying it like a security blanket.

"An honor sir, I ..heard, but didn't realize you were a boggan" Stevi blushes "Seemed stories varied on..."

'i would make a better troll? At the time it served me well. the lantern lead others, but obscured me. Served me... I " He coughs "What..oh.. songs? Are you two the troubadours?"

"Three" He says

"Yes sir," stevi s ays , her emotions threatening to spill out "I'm Stevi, this is Gideon...and Emmaline. We just. already..."

"What lantern? Oh, that sounds like a story... if you could remember, oui?"

"the lantern of the wisps...gone now, both sides wanted to use it, so I hid it, between the bridge and the water...between the sun's tears and the moon smiles" A chuckle "good luck to any who'd find it. Too old to use it. .now...music?"

And the two troubadours begin to play.

Songs of travel, of home, of vistas awaiting and ones long passed by. Country roads, cobblestone paths, green partings in the wildways, and more... and ever ever a search for home.

It is beautiful, and Wisp smiles contentedly...and grows very still after the third hour of playing.

Her ears flatten as she watches.

It doesn't take a medical genius to realize the old man isn't moving, and for that matter, doesn't appear to be breathing. Then his mein? Winks out, confirming what she already realized. The old boggan's fae soul has moved on.

She fades back, whiskers drooping and tail still.

"Would you like..." Stevi looks up from her fiddle 'oh..oh no" Tears flow. She is a sensitive soul and as a satyr is emotional.

Gideon gives his partner a hug "I'll... I'll get Delores. " A look to Emmaline "You okay?"

"I'm okay." Oh, a smile, even if ears and whiskers won't listen.

Stevi moves to hug Emma anyway and keeps crying "I didn't know. I mean, did he like the last song? Was it the way he liked I didn't..."

Pat, pat, soothe, soothe - even if it is mostly mechanical. "There there, sha."

Gideon gives both pooka and satyress a pat on the shoulders "He had a smile when he went. Your music was beatiful, Stevi, and he liked Emma- I could tell. I'll go get Delores" And he withdraws.

It 's a rather sad note to end a night on, but Delores comes in and makes sure Mr Wisp's mortal remains are treated with the utmost respect. A sluagh in a undertaker clothing soon arrives to handle the job.

Emma is very, very quiet... and, when no one is looking, she is gone.

Delores turns then says "oh the poor thing" when she sees the empty space where the pooka was. She makes am ental note to have the kitchen prepare vegan gumbo.

Someone might need comfort of another sort, and food is good ffor the aching soul.

As for Mr. Wisp? He's gone to his next incarnation, and it will be interesting to see if a very talented young boggan lad (or lass) arises in the next generation or two. And somewhere, a lantern waits to be found. But it is so well hidden.

(End scene)