#earthrunes

"I know a sluagh who fell for a farm-lad troll..."

"That poor girl" he smiles at her, "Whatever became of her?"

A smile. "Happiness."

"Well, I heard of a story of a troll farmboy who no one believed in, not even himself, until this lovely sluagh girl tutt tutted that nonsense and took him on a life of adventure and books and quiet cozy tea times and more adventure, usually for books... and he became insanely happy. It's a warning fable to all other trolls that hold on desperately to being miserable"

"Oh, aren't we satisfied old farts?"

"I am frequently satisified, for my lady's heart burns as hotly as her hands are cold" A low whisper and a long look "But in point of fact, my lady, one has been considering an adventure or three so you do not grow bored"

"An adventure IS due, isn't it?"

"I was thinking it might be for you. I love you love, but you are like a river....even a slow reed filled one must keep moving lest it grow stagnant... you must hve your tides. With or without me, I think you might need an adventure so I am... looking into options"

"Mmm.."

"Naturally, it is against my trollish nature to send you into danger, and yet...I suspect you would be insulted if I were to simply move you from one childling safe path to another "

"Feh!"

"No, I should go see a great secret, a magical treasure, a lost wonder..."

"I thought so ,so I am looking over three avenues and deciding which to suggest." a sip.

"Unseasonably warm down here in Missouri, isn't it?"

"And home. Everywhere."

"mmm a danger more than a friend I fear" He admits

"How would you like to go seek out the wisdom of Winter?" A sip

INTRUDER IN THE TEA ROOM!

Eyebrow. "The wisdom of winter?"

"Father Winter, Grandmother Winter... said to have many incarnations... and I found something.. very interesting. Art work. I discovered it was a painting by an Eshu, over 50 years old. I think..she went to the realms of the seasons in the Dreaming itself."

"Oh! Is there Fall?" She sits up, leaning forwards.

"Oh yes..here, I took a picture of it... low lilght, of course" A frown at flash

A depiction of four great hovering islands in the middle of an ocean of stars... and each with a seasonal theme... it's not the best art work. Earl has done MUCH better, as have sparrow and others. But the Eshu while merely a skilled begineer, clearly poured her heart into this. Something of it smacks of 'I must not forget'

She trails her fingertips lightly over the image. "Oh, delightful."

The Autumn one depicts a woman with red, orange, and yellow leaves for hair looking back over her shoulder. There is something in her hands... is that a sythe, or a bow?

"Think there are Lords and Ladies there?"

"Actually it's pretty slapdash on the strokes" Earl frowns "She didn't take the patience to really get it right"

"Oh and I don't know.. I just know this has 'this place exists in the Dreaming' all over it"

"Aye.."

"Heard you, of the Lost Courts?"

"Yes, you mentioned.. oh, that's why you want to go to Autumn" He looks amused

"We can see Winter, aye, and Spring..."

"Summer is so harsh..."

"I like summer at times, my love... " He grins "But I hear you. YOu would know of lost codes and see if that's where your soul once lay?"

Sigh. "I loathe how Autumn has turned a curse word to our people."

"Autumn.. true Autumn.. sings to my soul. A time of crisp breezes and soft rain and falling leaves. When night deepens, when change is everywhere, when the air is full of magic and ghosts..."

He takes her hand, "And headless horsemen ride. I know."

"Sunshine and snow. I would not chose when I could have both."

"I Love thee with all my heart, but I have a concern about this"

"Concern?"

"Aye, you know the legends, better than I. a war between the seasons! Who knows who started it, but at the end, Autumn and SPring both losers and destroyed as forces in the Dreaming... and Summer and Winter agree to an uneasy peace. ... now, suppose we meet the lost Autumn Lady and she tells you of the old tale... and the code. All well... but I fear a part of you, quite contrary, will make silent war to restore Autumn's 'rightful place'. "A brow "There is a touch of freedom fighter in you, Zara Schwartz, and a whole lot of contrary"

"Is it meet that we have only two seasons to our souls?"

"It is what it is" he says "And is not serenity part of wisdom? The ability to accept what is and that we cannot change?"

"How do we know it cannot be changed?"

"I think if it could have been, it would have been in the.. oh, what is it? thousands of years now?"

"And we had centuries without sidhe. And millenia with four seasons. And only recently the return of Lost Arts."

Earl starts to realize where he stepped wrong "Yes well, one crusade at a time, love?"

"Change, my love, is good!"

"Then why not be happy with the change to just two seasons " he counters

"Feh. Old hat."