#earthrunes

Moonlight, her love, shadows and solitude... oh yes, everything is perfect.

(End scene)

The next day, zara goes to her library, WHERE she spent the night, and with whom, is no one's business but her own. She has to make sure that in the prom downtime, no one left gum under the table, or dog earred the books

Monsters!

Zara might be floating, just a little hungover magic from last night.

To her joy, she noticed the library being closed for the night was respected. Truly, her little slice of haven is untouched ...

She hums to herself, a rather broken sound from her throat but there's a smile in it.

A soft knock on the door frame "Raven, you in?"

She opens the door. "Lady Siv, good morning!"

"It is, isn't it? That was a lovely prom... though it was easy to get lost in that maze. "

"I know, wasn't it wonderful? All shadows and secrets..."

"Ha, true, at times it was a like a shadow puppet theatre, but more grown up. I hope you don't mind me not seeking you out, but I figured the last thing you wanted was me becoming a third wheel to you and your beau"

A siiigh. "Isn't he wonderful?"

"He's got a tighter ass than I would have thought an artist would. " Siv admits "must work out some. Aye, yo've got a bonnie lad. "

"Oh, he is an artist and a warrior. Many talents."

"I never heard the warrior part," Siv says "hmmm he might be helpful to.. sorry, getting ahead of myself. It's your skills I'm hoping to use if you'd care to hear about?"

"Indeed?"

"It's a complicated matter, but in a nutsell?" She looks about to make sure no one is eavesdropping "My family has more than once had clashes with nobles of House Leanhaun. Most recently, one lady of that house has taken a special dislike to us, and arranged for a mortal to be armed with an axe with a cold iron head ..had the mortal not heated it on his own and thus made it a less 'true cold' iron, it might have slain a fae soul... as it was.. the bastard was a danger to the woods around home. But ultimately a tool. We believe she's got an agent spying on us. I'd like to find out who... and thus, I could use someone the Lady doesn't know, nor expects"

Her eyes narrow. "Aye..."

"Know you aught of this Lady beyond her house?"

"I do, a little anyway... Seems I've got your interest?" Not teasingly, just confirming

"I have no love for iron-users."

"no sane fae does" She agrees, "It is possible she is Lady Opaline, a Leanhaun who once poisoned a troll utopia in the Dreaming by using their own fears and hates against them... if utopia it ever was. " She also relates her own rescue of a mortal on Carnival in Willows and the sword taht allowed her to be mistaken for an amour in the shadow court. "As you know, I am very hard to read. Probably the only thing that gave it a chance."

"The sword... is with Jude?" Nose-wrinkle.

"AH, odd duck, Count Jude...fun place but..." SHe notices the nose wrinkle, "Well, to his credit he gave me Quill in trade" She pats the rapier by her side, "I had a choice of three. This and other situations seem to indicate House Leanhaun, or atl east one noble of it, is spying on my family and plotting against us all. I would ask for your help in finding the spy if you'd be willing to consider. I am a daughter of honorable trolls and I would repay my debt to you. And I would repay my debts to this dark lady in another coin she will not like" Her eyes darken "To quote.. when you take a shot at a King, you best make sure you finish him the first time."

"You are my friend." She shrugs.

"So... the sword might be a nice anchor, but it needn't be the only one."

"Well, that sword I gave to Count jude as you know, or traded."

"Aye. But it is tied to the Opaline."

"A physical anchor makes scrying easier."

"I can try to get it from him then" She says "if you like. I didn't think so much of the soothsaying as the sneaking and peeking. You're as quiet as a shadow"

"It is always best to try multiple methods, nu?"

"Oh You're hte expert here," She says hoping she didn't come across saying otherwise "Just wishing I thought this through more on my end. I..o h.. wait. I do have something ... but not sure it will help at all...as it may not have touched her." She reaches into a knapsack and pulls out an embroidered napkin, a napkin meant for casual use, made of lace. Dark as shadow swelling. "This is from the Carnivale I spoke of."

"Ohhh..." She takes the napkin and casts a light omen - seeing if it has the tie she needs.

Glamour crawls along it, the taste of southern food as if she were a mortal who could enjoy it, but also a far too sweet sense of decadence and as it the omen reads deeper...

there is an image of a boggan, making these by hand, and she has a pin of a harp and rose with a peacock background.

Zara's eyelids half-close. "...aye.."

A servant of the one behind this?

The troll tries not to bounce with eagernes for reports and the like

"A household badge, at least... I can follow that, yes. Willows."

"Biloxi, that's where the party was... but it shold be cleared out by now. I kind of sicced some seelie authorities on them as am asked lady swashbuckler. good times."

"Ha!"

"See? You get it... my mum and da freaked, of course in a 'we're very proud you saved that mortal please never go outside again' sort of way

"

"So can you tattle tale that servant you think?"

She nods. "Aye. And once I lay.. well.. virtual eyes on the sidhe..."

Siv tilts her head waiting for the rest of that statement.

Zara has trailed off, and has found a pitcher of water to pour into a silver bowl.

There... petals from a dead rose...

Siv goes still.... she is more emotive than many of her kith, she knows, but there is a reason guardians need to hold sometimes. To move, to distract, can endanger ones duty and that can endanger the ones she loves.