#earthrunes

"Velvet, have you soothsay? Enough to tattletale?"

A blush and a look to Earl

Earl looks confused at something, then realizes something "Oh my.. look at that over there" he points to a random wall... and moves out of ear shot

Velvet says to Zara "Thy knight is a gentleman born, though I fear my 'non answer' in his presence answers it still." She whispers "I can assist thee, that level of the art is new to me, but I have done it..twice. I did not wish my liege or others to know yet. It is..useful to be not a suspect for such"

"Understandable. And there are few I would ask to use such an art on me - or something close enough as this."

"With your guidance, and permission, I should be able to do it," Velvet says

"And I , of course, will mention the results to none but yourself. It would be tawdry" A sniff "And rightly have me banned from tea from any number of civilized folk."

"Even with a sluagh such as I..."

"tis the 21st century, you are to be commended for turning your challenge into an asset for your brothers and sisters in the kith who are more.. typically isolated" A nod of inisistance, she will not make light of her role model's unfortunate gregarious condition, nor mock it

"You are a model of discretion, Squire. Now... to the library? Is there aught you require?"

"I have a candle, I would like you to light it. yes the library. I shall meet you there. Please tell your Knight I do apperciate his ... understanding?"

"I shall. He has learned patience with our ways."

"And his art is lovely" A happy nod, and she withdraws to get the candle and head to the library

Zara slips over to give Earl a kiss, and bid him to go rest near the fire.

Earl returns it, squeezes her hands and nods. "Tell me what you can in good conscience later."

And , good boy friend that he is, he moves on. If he is in any discomfort, he hides it well so not to alarm her.

A sigh, and she goes to HER library. "Bronte?"

She finds a note

Eyebrow.

'Dear Librarian. Bronte is safe with me. I invited her to join me on a book shopping spree , trusting her skills to help me ferret out tomes of arcane and rare nature. I swear to protect her with my every being. Seer Alamandine '

She sniffs the note and double checks the handwriting....

It matches him, bears his seal

"Cinque, is this note true?" She asks one of the guardian ladies.

"Ah, tis well."

"Welcome back, not that for us you were ever away , where one of us is " The rest unspoken

And soon, tea, and candle ... and there is Velvet

"Still... it is good to be..." The phrase unfinished, but,,, felt?

And Velvet is the one who says it "Welcome home, Madame Librarian" as if the rest of the hold didn't matter nearly so much as this spot

"Shall we have tea and candle work?"

"Aye." Zara claims her usual chair, and gestures for Velvet to take the one opposite.

Tea is shared, a connection formed, and then, the candle ready for Zara to light so she might be further attuneed as the girl works her seeing

Zara lights the taper - the brightest thing in the dim room.

And as the was drips... Velvet takes the candle, and lets the drips fall on a paper so prepared, old yellowed paper... it's a wordless bunk, but the splots and drops grow to resemble small trails... and images...

and.. it spirals... spreading wild... then reforming, but betraying no location. Instead, in wax spots , the words 'Yankees Suck' seem to be spelled out.

"oh dear" Velvet says embarrassed, "I seem to have failed"

"Well... methinks you did brush against her. The sentiment seems... ah... clear."

"my tattle tale was co-opted" Yes mortified, but she tries to console herself "OF course, if it had been anyone else but YOUR Shadow it might have worked"

"Aye, forgive. But - your form was quite good!"

"Well, form is important but I fear failure of function is most embarrassing.." A sigh

Foosteps. It can't be Earl. He knows better

Zara shakes her head. "Practice, nu?"

It's not Vince. He DOESN'T know better, but he has a prance in his steps.

"Yes, nevertheless I do feel distraught at having failed in your hour of-" She silences entirely as...

Seer Almandine enters the room carrying a duffle bag, and on his shoulder, a bookwyrm

Zara rises, fingertips splayed lightly against the table.

"Ah. Timing, sirrah."

And Bronte flies to Zara with a rush! "“You survived; I survived. We’re together again. I once begged the gods to let me see you — if only for a moment. To see you and know you’d made it. Just once; that was all I ever hoped for.”
― Sarah J. Maas, Queen of Shadows" And almost plants herself into the older sluagh's hands and arms

"She's feeling a bit dramatic, and has missed you," The Eiluned notes with a smile and a bow

"Darling! Aye, shh, aye, tis alright... decorum..."