#earthrunes

Jacob obligingly says 'boo, hiss'

"But... you managed to secure it, regardless?"

Zara eyes the satchel.

He gives the bag a ginger shake. "You will keep it safe?" He asks - not that she could, he trusts that, but that she is willing to do so. And holds the bag away from Jacob's grasp as well - that boy seems dangerously precocious.

Jacob cranes his neck

She takes the bag as if it might contain.. well, no, snakes would be more welcome. As if it contains a half dozen pink furbies.

He holds a piece of paper in the air, almost diffidently. But something about his expression looks... not smug, quite.. but perhaps triumphant.

"And a bit more."

She sets the bag down on the table with a muffled clink. "Aye?"

His lips curl and look positively Grinchly. "Aye."

"Oh... shall it vex the Varich?"

"So much" the boy grins. He saw the pick pocket move

He is tempted to see how much he can toy with Zara's curiousity, but there is only so far to tease a witch, and they are not that closely acquainted yet. He hands her the paper. It is in Symon's messy script, but legible - quickly jotted down. Notes about the locations of THREE other Balor chains!

Her eyes widen.

"Now this! I know you care not for formal teas... but you shall be the talk of them, Cousin."

"It seems that the Varich I vouched for not only beat us there in an attempt to bargain for one chain, but sought to find others as well. I thought I could...." He frowns. "Maybe Varich can never be trusted. Have you tea?"

And with tea, he relates the tale in full...

Jacob says "See. I should go on missions more often. I'm good luck"

"She did release me from the chain at the end. But maybe that was to hedge her own bet. The Baron wasn't winning that battle, so she swapped sides?" A guess.

"I try to remember even sidhe are individuals - Sergei is Varich. We are not friends, but we have... a peace, of sorts."

"But she is also of Rivervale, nu?"

A frown. "I didn't see her act to help Siv, or Lady Sparrow. I think she just wanted the treasure."

"I do not know her beyond sight, so I cannot say."

A pointed glance at the list. "And more where that came from. One, I might - MIGHT swallow as a House remembrance treasure. But Four?" A shake of his head. "I cannot imagine any purpose that isn't vile."

Jacob peeks at the list "Are we going to find the others and destroy them?"

"Nor can I. I will distribute this information - have others join the hunt to destroy them."

Clearly this is puzzling Symon. He is stuck with this Varich in his home, and when he finally though her understood her...

"I shall... work with this one, to see if I can determine the best method." Nose wrinkle.

"In the book where you found out about the making of the chains... was there any mention of other heirlooms of the sidhe houses?"

"Bronte?"

"Yes" She says simply

"Could I ask you a favor, Miss Zara?"

"Aye?"

He sighs. "It's stupid, but... I wanted to find out if there are any hints that may point towards any house treasures or memorabilia of House Varich? Even if they might be considered lost. Ones that don't have to do with their damn murder-death-grudge."

"I am uncertain. But that information could be sought."

He gums his lip. "I... it's not quite like I owe her anything. You know. She released me - but she'd have had to anyways. But she claims she wants this nasty thing as a heritage for her lost house. Maybe if she had a lead on something else, she'd let it go."

Bronte chimes in , quoting something "Deep within a dark red amber egg lies a miniature dragon coiled in sleep. Suspended on a golden chain, surrounded by a patterned web of gold, the egg is translucent, allowing all details of the dragon to be seen. On occasion, the dragon turns in its slumber, as though the amber were merely water"

Brow. She points at the Bookwyrm. "It seems we do have a lead."

Then she says "The boots of Vseslav by night grow vanish into four. From prince of men, to lord of the wood, and back again"

"Darling, could you bring us the book?"

She shakes her head no

Which.. is startling. Bronte knows where every book in the library is

"An amber egg holding a dragon. On a chain. Or is it chained?"

He asks a slightly different question to Bronte. "Can't you? Or won't you?"

Still, polite tone.

Making guesses, but, how else to figure it out?

To Zara. "I would think if the book was taken, she'd put up a fuss..."

"Finders keepers, losers weepers" She grumbles

"Someone took it - from MY library?"

"Did they check it out?"

"Just look it up in the system by date."