#earthrunes

(And chat about prodigals and what is in the library goes on..w ith tea!)

Symon heads in off the nearest trod path. Checking his phone to see what time it is - is it still evening, or is it the next day? Mostly these trods behave, but you never know when the dreaming may have decided to steal some time.

Thane Oswald stands watch at the end of the trod, the guardians of the galaxy mix tape playing softly as he sways . Looks to be early morning..very early

"Morning" Thane Oswwald says "Rivervale, right?"

He sighs, wondering what he's missed. "Morning. Here to see the Librarian, if that's okay. If she's in?" Moving closer to whisper audibly.

"Hard to tell with miss Zara, but she's probably in" he nods "She's been away for a bit so catching up on her library stil. Want me to get a servant to escort you or check for you?"

He shakes his head. "I remember the way." He thinks he does, anyways. He's been there a few times.

"May the force be with you then. Kitchen has some really old scrambled eggs if you get hungry for breakfast"

He blinks, a little surprised. "Uh. That is the way." And heads in. Maybe a little hungry - but this is more important. Heading Librarywards, head down, staying to one side of the hallway.

Much like he used to move through high school, in fact. Get where you're going and not attract too much attention.

The door to the library is closed, and it appears darkened within... but what does that mean with a sluagh?

He gives the door the lightest of taps.

And listens.

"Come in?" A whisper.

He opens the door soundlessly and slips inside, not searching for a light switch. He can see just as well in the dark. "Miss Zara? It's Symon. Can I, uh, talk to you for a bit?"

"Symon Lee. Of Rivervale." He adds, unnecessarily.

"Elrond?" A flutelike not quite human voice chimes up from in the library

He startles a bit, having not... forgotten about the bookwyrm, but maybe not remembered.

"Bronte... he is no elf. He is a cousin."

"Oh.. my precious" slight forked tongued hiss

"Only once." He remarks, "it was fun for a time, but I wouldn't choose it forever."

"Please, be comfortable. Do you care for tea?" Zara emerges, a figure in white and grey instead of the more typical sluagh black.

By now, the library, already well tended, seems to be at high gloom (as opposed to high shine) and adjusted to the librarian's preferences to a t.

and to a tea

"Uh, sure." He seems a bit awkward, giving her a bit of a bow before choosing a chair. "I mean, yes, please. I lost a few hours, the caffeine might help."

"Trods can be disorienting, aye." She fusses with the china. The set is pleasantly aged and chipped. The cup she presents Symon has been hand-painted with blood-dipped roses and gothic script reading "Elizabeth Bathory."

Looking fidgety and unhappy even for Symon, she can surely tell that something is awry. But he seems determined to observe the proper courtesy before bringing it up.

(Zara's is a tribute to Delphine LaLaurie)

Once settled, she takes a sip. "Now, what has brought you to my library, cousin?"

He takes a sip, and his eyes widen a little. He's been a diffident tea drinker at best. But this is... well, just really good. A soft sound of appreciation, probably just a hiss to the untrained ear.

His eyes glance around a bit, but seeing as Zara looks comfortable, he assumes that she knows best that her rooms are secure from prying ears.

"Uh. It's a problem. A sluagh problem. Or a Siv problem. Kinda... both. You know Siv, right? Lady Captain, the troll Fiona?"

Bronte seems to understand this is sluagh matters and does not blather a lot of quotes

"Ah - Pu'er tea. Not all appreciate it. Tis fermented."

He feels a little guilty watching the bookwyrm. Dagmar told him about her quest, and he should have remembered to bring a tribute for the little creature.

"And aye, I consider Siv a friend." Pause. "A boisterous friend..."

He starts to say something, then exhales, and pauses, marshalling his thoughts into a proper order. "She came across this Balor Baron who had a slu- a sluagh 'serf' he was dragging back home with him. In chains. She fought a duel to try to free the guy, but he fought with a poisoned blade and bested her. The Balor took his slave back with him, and she's probably already back on her way to try to challenge him again despite what she said."

"I didn't know that chains existed that could hold us. But apparently they do, and this Baron... Baron Harkson of Dry Tears? Has them, and is using them."

Zara narrows her eyes.

"A treasure that can bind us?"

"In Balor hands?"

"You are correct, this must not be allowed to stand."

"Yeah. Apparently the chains only release on his word, or if he's bested in a duel." He thinks a moment. "Might not work on all slugs. It could be that there was a tie there to his specific slaves. Not gonna pussyfoot around with that 'serf' shit. But this guy - Wenceslas by name, apparently his crime he was getting dragged back for was daring to try to leave."

"That's not serfs, or servitude, or anything else. That's slavery."

"And that is a crime of another nature, aye."

"It is. And I do not suffer such for any."

"Siv is okay. Spring magic fought off the poison. It was the Hearth's squire, Brogan, who was able to identify what got her. He's working on an antidote. My guess is that this is a specific blend that this Baron likes. Slow working and you don't realize until after you've lost that it hit you. Clever, he probably uses it on the regular."

Nose-wrinkle.

"Balor are underhanded."

"Brogan is a Daireann." He explains, belatedly putting in the facts where they belong.

"Underhanded, but not stupid, this one. It's not a poison I'd use, but to win duels and get away with them before the opponent knows why they lost? That's stupid clever. Wouldn't work for me. Fast acting and G-T-F-O, if I had to choose."