#earthrunes

Rising, he goes to tend to the dog, but does say "HEaler, I will trust you not to share my moment of...weakness with anyone" A nod, and then to the burying

"Oh, I'm governed by Hippos. If you break the rules, they all come by and squish you."

A nod, then "I will..repay the theft." And he gathers up the shell of his old friend and carries her out for burial. The ground will be hard, but he won't complain.

"What theft? Time is time, and time will pay."

He does not turn but one more nod, and gone, with his friend..er with the dog.

And Emmaline returns to her tasks, giving Sergei the space he needs.

(End Scene)

"But he can't be that big a monster, can he?" Jennifer says as she moves along side Siv

Siv says "Look,I brought you here to see what love and romance are supposed to be like... here, Fiona might play courtly games...but they know they're playing. "

"But .. no, Elegan ... he told me..."

"That you were the special one? His flower in a world of grass?" Siv says glad Gerd shared some of Elegan's 'greatest hits'.

Jennifer's face pales "I..." The girl turns pale, then runs..into the nearest private room.

In this case, the library

Zara looks up from her reading as someone enters.

THe girl doesn't see well in the dim light. She's a piskie.. and her tears are obvious and blotchy.

A more familiar voice, Siv? Calls out "Jennifer, please. I know it hurts"

Zara withdraws, fading into the stacks to watch.

"You.. you can't know, what it's like.. to be.." Tears...

"Lied to? Hurt? To give your heart utterly up and have it dashed?" Siv puts a hand on it "I will never know your pain, but I knwo my own, and you're not alone... particularly now. There are other girls who have been hurt. One of me own lodge. Gerd's a good lass, if a bit biting at times, but I assure you, she's hurting like you. We need your help to make sure this bastard learns his lesson."

Siv has entered, obviously.

Zara skirts around to a better vantage point.

"I... why would he do this? No, you've got me believing, I don't want to believe you" Jenniferprotests

"I know you don't, but it's true. I can tell you things he said to Gerd that he said to you. " Siv says "I can tell you the names of the other girls. Talk to them. Don't believe me if you don't want to, but they have a right to share with you the truth. And it's better to hurt with the truth than live a lie"

"Oh, lies are more pleasant. They comfort."

Jennifer gives a great compliment.. she jumps out of her skin "GAH!" Clutching her chest

Siv grins "Raven?" then "Sorry, didn't know she'd rush into here. This is Jennifer. She's.. well, you heard"

"Aye, aye..." Oh, there she is.

"One plays at love, as if it were a game?" A gentle tut. "A scoundrel."

"A scoundrel at least can have class," Siv says "Not sure Elegan does."

"He does, he's just... he said such wonderful things." Jennifer fusses

"And lies are oft made of honey... better to hide the bitter truth, nu?" She slinks out, to the cart. "Tea?"

"I...I'm sorry, what was your name again? " Jennifer says

"Oh, I'm just the old crow who tends the stacks. A white raven."

A delicately scaled grey snake, barely visible in the shadows of the library, slides away from where it was curled around the warmth of the teapot. Zara appreciates her company, but the serpent understands that her guests may not.

"Raven enjoys tea, and she knows things," Siv assures.

Gentle fingers stroke the snake as she slithers away, and then the sluagh pours three cups of tea.

Bronte, meanwhile, swoops down to investigate. "Salutations!"

"Oh" Jennifer says "You.. you have so many odd friends" Eying the dragon "is.. are you a bookwyrm?"

"Dishonor waits on perfidy. A man should blush to think a falsehood; it is the crime of cowards." She flips her wings a little and preens when she is recognized.

Siv grins "Bronte is one of the bookwyrms indeed, rare and prized they are. And wisely so, as Emily said, ''There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away”'' Trust Siv to remember a quote because it mentions a ship.

"Oh, Siv." An amused smile from the sluagh as she sets out the drinks. Her own has a scrum of white clots floating in the amber liquid, while the others SEEM safe enough...

Jennifer dares to scratch the dragon under her chin, then says "I...thank you, Bronte, and Raven I just... I guess I would prefer the lie."

"Age cannot Love destroy, But perfidy can blast the flower, Even when in most unwary hour It blooms in Fancy's bower. Age cannot Love destroy, But perfidy can rend the shrine In which its vermeil splendours shine." Bronte rubs her scaly cheek on the piskie's hand, and gathers up for a catlike leap to her shoulder. A fine perch!

The piskie starts to cry "I'm such a fool"

"Nay, he's a cad, and that's what Bronte is telling you"

Siv of course

Bronte gently licks at the piskie's cheek, lapping away the tears with a raspy tongue.

sniffing, but Jennifer keeps petting.

“Don't be ashamed to weep; 'tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees, and fruit cannot grow without water. But there must be sunlight also. A wounded heart will heal in time, and when it does, the memory and love of our lost ones is sealed inside to comfort us.”

"Aye, and a bit of tea goes well with the sorrow and the joy I'm told by one who knows" Siv says as well