#earthrunes

"Aye. A pleasant morning to you, sir."

He doffs an imaginary cap, then wanders off, humming to himself once more, to the tune of Tip-toe through the Tulips.

Earl looks to Zara "If you want? I'll draw the silliest lion possible so n oone thinks you're following House Fiona"

A soft chuff. "That would suit."

musing aloud now "or maybe a white lion with moon beams in the mane and baleful eyes that haunt you..." Oh dear, she's lost him. He's going to have five options for her drawn out by the time she's done in the library here.

WIth that in mind, she slips off to tell Velvet how to do things 'just so' and who to spy on for her.

(End Scene)

"I see... shall I stalk any childlings who misplace books all the way back to their beds, or just along the halls?" Velvet says wanting to observe the proper protocols

"Oh, hiding under the bed or in the closet can both be effective..."

"The scratching of nails and moaning 'whooooooo tooooooook myyyyyy tooooooommmeeee' until they can no longer sleep?"

"ooo yes... should I add haunting sobbing?" Bright eyes

"Oh, aye!"

"Canst thou make chills?"

"Shadows... a bit"

"Ah! Wonderful. So have the shadows menace... grow long, threatening fingers that grasp...."

"A hint of jagged nail" A nod

"Indeed. Oh, you will do so well!"

A blush "you flatter me, Miss Zara."

"Oh, that flattery comes with expectations - I expect you to be a fierce guardian."

"I shall not disappoint. Why, since ancient times, books have been en-scripted with curses warning theives of doom or the fires of hell should they take or damage the book. mortal historians just believe this a deterrent attempt with no teeth, but you and I know better, that indeed, the curses were placed in the libram loving hands of fae such as we sluagh" Happy thought "I'd like to think, in a past life, I had such tasks in Edwardian times"

"May well be, aye. Sometime, you should investigate the great chained libraries of the middle ages...."

"Once, we used great cursed chains to defend knowledge herself... no? Banks use it to hold onto a simple pen. " Ashake of her head "Progress."

A soft chuff. "So they say."

"Oh, please. I know he is dear to you... and that the dreaming obscurses, but should August pass.. could you mark what happened down quickly in this little book? I have so many questions about arcadian souls" She holds out a small journal blank. "mr. Grimalkski suggest it might retain truths longer than regular paper and ink , this book. I do think he would cheat a fellow sluagh deliberately, but one worries about authenticity. "

"I do not believe Mr. Gluminski would lead you astray on purpose. I shall take notes."

"I thank you, feel free to take your own as long as you do not neglect any mention of passage of Arcadian souls. It's so important that we research. Did you know, at one time, it is said some pooka convinced a sluagh that Sluagh were the last transition on the wheel and that we were the last kith someone was reborn as rather than their own? As if were in some sort of karmic refuse bin" Offended,

Sniff. "Honestly."

"I remember Arcadia - dimly, in fragments. And I was a sluagh then."

'Of course you were and every sluagh with a past life memory at all tried to ease him, but afraid the fellow was half in bedlam from hysteria... and I suppose I can't blame him. Who rests easy knowing that in a past life they were ... NOT a sluagh? I mean... cookies are all very well to try, but an entire life as some puppy pooka eager for pats and pets? I'll treasure my dignity thank you very much"

"Indeed!" She fans herself. "A pooka! Imagine it!"

"As much as I can be enamoured of the sidhe, I would not want to be one, not for a life time. With respect to my liege, of course, who I know to be better than the average elf"

"Having, through various and sundry magics, experienced being other kiths... aye. There is naught I would rather be than that which I am."

"yes. Mm i wonder.. if a commonr kith at the cookie and died as sidhe? oh..but they'd probably be autumn sidhe. Mmm I need a control group solid"

"Near as I can tell, autumn sidhe are true changelings, as any commoner."

"Aye, my studies prove much the same. " She seems almost dissapointed then adds "Mostly Liam and Scathach, which is to their credit I suppose."

"Well, it suits their philosophy."

"It does.. but I confess" She lowers her voice "While they've certainly done no harm to me? I find scathach pretentious ... staying? All well and good. Mordernism? Quite their choice, but some seem so smug they can 'move quietly as the wind'" A roll of her eyes "Children playing at ninja and expecting cheer sessions. we have slipped up from the bogs without a ripple, have stalked on the coblestones of london without so much as a muffled thump.... and moved so quietly that we entered the chambers of sleeping elder gods and they stirred not a peep as we plucked the hair from their noses."

a bit purple in prose, but clearly kith pride is involved

"Well, they must brag so because they know the truth. Poor things."

"yes, insecurity seems to run rampant in the sidhe at the oddest of times" A sigh "A failing in an otherwise intriguing people"

Ahem

Squire Tylar comes up, "Everything ready for my absence, Velvet?"

"Yes, I can manage things here. Make sure our liege doesn't die, and if he does..." She says in a whisper.

"I know, you want.. notes." the boggan wrinkles his nose.

"Of his demise... " she says , not mentioning Zara has a similar request made of her. Clearly ,she wants as many perspectives as possible if the worth should happen.

"Doesn't this strike you as just a wee bit morbid?" Tylar says.

Velvet looks insulted "Only a wee bit?" She glances at Zara, "Forgive him. He never means to be rude."

A shrug. "Boggans." Sip of tea.

"Miss Zara, is there anything you'd like me to carry? I'm travling fairly light myself" Squire Tylar says ignoring the 'boggans' comment

"Thank you, but no. Earl has taken a few things for me."