#earthrunes

Ivory gives Aiden a tour before he and his party home. This is a victory for the Ailil, armed with new lore and resources! And a book being restored with care...and copied besides. Gwen talks excitedly about the dogs in the kennel and the friends Ivan made there.

While passing Ivory and Aiden in a hallway, Coradel makes sure all is well, is pleased with the Baron's positive reaction to the visit, and bids Ivory to take good care of him. Then she returns to the library where August and Zara are speaking.

She enters the library with a grin. "You two seem to have made a very happy Ailil."

"..... but the binding..... you see here?" He points it out "First of all it's rare material. Secondly, repair or replace?" He exhales gently as he touches the damaged book lovingly with white cotton-gloved hands.

"The leather.... That's a whole separate issue."

"Aye, aye..." Zara is nose-deep in a book.

She's bemused that her arrival has been completely ignored. Bemused, but not offended. She steps quietly closer to the table where one of the two bibliophiles looks over the text.

"What kind of leather? Not cow, I think....."

"It couldn't be.... ah, the .... equine in question?" reluctant.

Coradel feels a pair of eyes behind her. She IS being admired.

A pause, and she turns to see who else is there.

Zane of Rivervale is not that much younger than her and he's handsome in a curly headed youth way. But the satyr looks sheepish as he's caught "Pardon"

She smiles easily. "No pardon needed. Zane, is it?"

"Yes, baroness" He bows "Pillar of the Mountain in Rivervale lodge, friend to Adam Lindworm's bane, wizard in training"

"I can copy it, without issue but to repair.... I could create a replica but to make it new..... the leather...." August murmurs as he examines.

Zane notices August and Zara, and shakes his head, as if he's seen this sort of thing before

"Wizard? Indeed?" She steps a bit away from August and Zara so they might speak without disrupting the two who are so deeply engaged. "Hmm...have you had an opportunity to speak with Almandine, my Seer?"

"Yes, Sir Alamandine seems most potent, but ah, reclusive? so I didn't talk long." He admits "In truth I hoped to see Miss Zara about something but ah I think those two are in a state where they wouldn't notice me if I were on fire so it can wait" He says then smiles at the baroness, "Your hold is fantastic, baroness. "

"Zara, can you tell anything about the, ah original binding?"

"I'm glad you approve. Otherwise, I'd have to kill you." She says it quite seriously...for a moment. Then winks.

"Mmm? Mayhaps.." She inspects.

BIG eyes, then "Wow, redheads..." he blurts then coughs "I mean, sorry. I didn't mean to act like you needed my approval if that's how I came across?"

"Well, it wouldn't matter if it did come across that way. I'm quite sure I don't need your approval. But I am glad you are enjoying EarthRunes." A glance over at August and Zara, something gentle and tender in her expression, then she turns back to Zane. "I'm curious what you are waiting to ask her."

August removes his gloved hands from the book and lets Zara work.

"Ah, " Worried he's perhaps offending her after trying to make sure he didn't, then he says "It's about an object we've both had posession over. "A pause "A cane."

Zara looks up sharply.

"A cane?" She looks him over. "You don't seem at all injured, that you would need assistance with walking. In fact, you seem quite fit."

At that he gets a cocky grin "Thank you, Baroness. I am indeed fit." to show it, he lifts the cane up off the ground to show his balance is fine. And Zara sees it! Restored, whole.

"Zara?"

August is alerted, and stands. He even leaves the book where it is.

"So I see!" Coradel smiles, then she glances over at the motion by the table.

Zara's eyes narrow.

A blink.

"August? Miss Zara?"

"Coradel......" the Sidhe approaches and offers a kiss.

"What are you doing with that?"

"I restored it," Zane says "It's a thing of magic. It's..special. I thought it could be redeemed"

"It was abandoned, broken, and free for the taking... so it passed to me" He says trying not to think of all the things Emmit's favorite apprentice could do to him.

"Oh, aye. I was tending a shard of iron in my lover's gut."

"And 'it passed to you,' then."

Coradel gladly accepts the kiss from August, then watches the other two and the cane.

Zara crosses to the satyr, her gait downright sinuous - she usually resembles spider more than snake, but not now.

"Zara," he says, "Please. I had to tell you, there's been a complication with it."

"Miss Zara..." Coradel says quietly. "Please don't harm him."

August watches the sluagh and satyr meet.

She folds her arms. "Complication?"

"Zara?" the tone is an offer, a question, a request.

"Zara, I'm on your side," he says, "I tried to tell you sooner but .. you were questing, or away, and maybe a part of me was afraid you'd be angry. ..and you're pretty scary" Understatement "I did think it was mine to claim fairly after I rrestored it. However.. the complication means I would be wrong not to tell you. It... it's still got a link to you" He says "one I'm trying to break.. and it's not a link you'd like"

"Of course it has a link to me." She whispers, of course. But oh, that a whisper could be so cold.

A dubious look at the excuse of you're pretty scary.