#earthrunes

He nods, swings the satchel over his shoulder. "I'll leave you two to talk." with a gentle smile.

Earl turns "yes, love. I'm terribly sorry. I was a negligant paramour"

"Ah?" Blink.

"Sorry August, didn't mean to drive you out" Earl says

then he says to Zara "Leonora and I were in the dreaming, sharing a trod and..." A sigh "We ended up on a quest. It was.. very sudden, letting time to think it over"

An eyebrow.

"A... quest?"

"Is Leonora well?" He pauses at the door.

"She's fine, Sir August. Neither of us gravely injured"

August nods "Thank you." and slips out, giving them privacy.

Earl, who has faced Balor and Thallian, who has felt the sting of cold iron, winces at the eyebrow "Yes. A quest. There was no time, and the cause was just I remembeer that so.. we were fast forced on the path. But I know , I should have found a way to tell you, invite you"

"Mmm.."

"I want to make it up to you, so we can have an adventure of our own in a place you liked but never got to fully explore" He says

"Have I never gone on an adventure without you?"

"Oh possibly" He says thinking it over "In fact , Siv mentioned one...and I guess Clem too. But... still.." He looks guilty "It's different. it was a quest."

"Obviously, thou dost owe me an adventure... somewhere new, somewhere exciting..."

"Well, On Valentine's eve and day, we have accomidations at one of the oldest hotels in prague. And.. there is a certain Cemetary there I was thinking we could walk along. Now that may not be an adventure, but it surely might lead to one" He says seeming to rekindle some boldness

"Mm, mm, aye..."

'Said to have many of the restless and the revered" A look at her "So you like?"

"Yes. But it is so far away..." Plaintive.

"Oh?" He moves to take her hand "Yes, but a flicker for me and thus you. "

"So long away." Pout.

"Ah, I know Velvet will take good care of the library in your brief away. You have trained her well"

Huff!

"I wish not to wait ere February for an adventure."

"Thou went on impulse, nu?"

"I did" he nods "And I realize I've been remarkably dense haven't I?" A light purple blush but a chuckle

"So!" Much more cheerful. "When shall we go forth?"

"I'm tempted to say now!" he grins 'But how about we tell Velvet?"

Sigh. "I suppose we must."

"And then, to the silver, to see where we wend.. in payment, aye. As I am due."

"You are" He kisses her hand, and says to 1122 "if you don't mind, a message?"

1122, hopeless romantic that he is, replies, of course, and goes to tell Velvet

"Shall we run off before 1122 can join us? Oh he'd be mad"

"He hasn't gone for a while... Ladies, will you keep me abreast of the Library and goings-on here?"

Answers vary from 'of course' to 'yes, but I'm loving this grate and will be watching from here'

"Thank you ladies" Earl says

"Thank you, my lovelies."

"And we go, nu?" She stretches up to kiss Earl on the jaw.

"We go" he says, stroking her neck

"Pardon, Miss Zara, Sir Earl. I.. was told you needed me" Velvet says a bit sleepily but here

"Oh, I did not mean to wake you..."

"It's all right. My hours were ..irregular due to an interest." Velvet says. Which hints that sh was spying late "But it was sated. And I am young enough to thrive iwth little sleep."

"You are." A nod.

"I will need you to tend the library - do try to keep the fledge out of trouble, and hopefully you shall encounter Ivanka."

"Maid Ivanka meets your approval then?" Velvet whispers surprised "the others are .. well, too deep in their cleaning"

"Aye. Ivanka respects the dust bunnies and the spiders."

"Oh" Delight "at last. Steard Delores really is quite good at staffing once she knows what people seek"

"I shall" She adds" Of course tend."

"Wonderful. Bronte has a new book, so she may insist on telling you of it."