#earthrunes

"What mine is his, yes. I would not be a tyrant."

"Earl's a bit sappy about romance, he'd be happy to give you the moon if he didn't already think it was just your handmirror in the sky. I dare say he knows you're better for Bronte than he is when it comes to what she needs. Books.. though I do wonder if there's some sort of Art wyrm?"

"Hm. Mayhaps? My Artist, why, he deserves the entire world."

"I wish I could do more for him. He is much better at expressing his love, I fear I am a cold partner."

Clem ponders "Well, you're my friend, he's my cousin who is like a nicer brother to me. So it is a bit odd for me to give suggestions, but he does like Poe, maybe have your sister get you a new dress with a red death or raven feather style? "

"Oh, maybe..."

"Just... he paints, and speaks poetry, and I... I know not how to say it aloud, how I feel."

"Then write to him" Clem says "Zara, you love words. You know the shape of them, you taste them, and I know you write some. Write something for him. Doesn't matter if it's a poem, a short story, or a love letter telling him how you feel. He's never make fun of it. You know that."

"I have written him into tales." She confesses.

Clem ponders this, then nods "Have you shown him?"

BLUSH.

"No!"

"Well, goodness , Zara, why not?" She says surprised at the strength of the whisper

"They.. oh.. oh, no. No, no, they are not..."

"Mine Shadow, when she rampaged, she sent one out..."

"Oh...okay.." Clem tilts her head "Is it.. is it bad writing?"

"Aye." Miserable.

"I bet it isn't" She says "Prove me wrong and let me take a read"

"Noooo."

"How can the most fierce witch I know, the Raven's wrath, the Spider fingered, the ghost no buster could catch, be so timid about sharing her work with a friend?" A brow

"It's... nay. Nay, it's... private..."

"oh.. private" That word makes this make more sense "This makes you feel.. exposed is that it?"

A tiny nod.

"All the more reason a letter or poem or bit of prose from you to Earl would be a gift he'd love, because he'd know what it means to to you to share like that" Clem says with the wisdom of a troll Chief.

Which is to say certain enough and sounding wise enough to be annoying if it's something you don't want to do

"Feh."

"Am I wrong?" She asks simply

She twists the end of her braid.

"They are not very good."

"Earl's first art attempts sucked." She says

"They did not!"

"They did, they were stick figures and the shapes of the heads were lopsided. " Clem says

"Nay, twas Cubism."

"Twas Crapism" Clem counters "But, some of us supported him, and encouraged him, and he was determined and no quitter and improved, and shared that too... and became better and better."

A brow "you see where I'm going with this?"

"All your trollish powers of subtlety are being mustered, aye."

"You can be sarcastic, and I'll stand here being right" She nods "Fair trade." then a look at her "Buck up, Girl. You asked what he'd love. I told you. "

"You do not understand." But it is a weak complaint.

"I understand enough." She says "I understand Earl. And so do you"

Quietly. "I love him very much."

Clem says "He knows. The world is brighter for such a thing. But not too bright, not garish like that ugly sun thing" A wink

"Nay, the moon. For us, it is the moon." Said with certainty.

A nod "Well, the world needs moon types too" Clem nods

And just then, moonlight fills the hallways outside the library

Eyebrows lift, and she patters off to investigate.

And out she goes and her eyes fall upon the lantern, pale silver it is, and inside of it, instead of flame, a tiny moon, little twin to the great one in the sky, but casting pale light far.

She picks up the lantern before looking for who may have left it.

An old woman sits on a bench nearby, reading in a book

The lantern, glows and shimmers but the moon does not jar in it's case

A frown.