#earthrunes

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On Imbolc, Zara is out in the winter chill, waist-deep in her river. She is filling a silver bottle with icy water. On the shore, a basket is full of gleaned feathers from the brush and several bunches of chimerical snowdrops.

A figure approaches, then stops at a distance

Zara wades back to the banks, peering at the figure.

The Rusalka says "I.. apologize. I.. I had sacrifice to the river. Is .. is that mad?" Veronika asks . She has gathered some of the petals that were knocked lose from this flower or that in a small basket

Zara steps out. She's barefoot, and her damp dress clings to her skeletal figure. "No. You should trust your instincts. Tis a holiday." A smile, even if she's shivering.

"Musicians and craftsmen are already setting up in droves" Veronika (Who has taken to a K for her fae name though she isn't sure) moves to the river and begins to le the petals float out spreading them in formations that would make a prety good soothsay bunk "It maybe getting a bit loud in the main halls." A fair warning "But pleasant too"

"Oh, tis a holiday." A sigh, but not truly upset. "It is ever thus. Tell me, Miss Veronika - do you see a pattern in the petals? Look closely."

"A pattern?" She looks into the petals that drift, purple petals dancing along white with a few garish red floating about like blood drops . And Zara can feel the Ruslka's glamour flow out a bit

"I think I see..." She stirs some more... "There's something something..."

Softly, encouraging... "Aye... keep looking, believe it."

"I believe... I...."

And that's when the spell goes horribly wrong! Petals and weeds, ice water and river stone all seem to merge and a hand breaks through the river as a corpse rises out of it speaking in Old Rus that they all know too well, "You judged us, eh witch? We enjoyed the maidens like the flowers they were! Ours for talking! We took the wool from the sheep like the wolves we were, and you drowned us!"

The corpse is not a corpse, it is a chimera, but tied to old hates of the guitly who did not like their punishments

Zara hisses, and gets between the Rusalka and the lich.

Veronica stumbles back "What no. I wanted to learn"

"We'll hunt you again!" he figure snarls "Like the beasts you are, with iron and steel and dogs.." but Zara blocks him

"Thou art naught but water and weeds!" She places her hands on the surface of the water. "Leave my River, Formless!"

Veronica is young, a fledge... but the magic that comes from the Witch is not like any she has sensed before. Indeed, the Chimera may not hold itself together!

It screams... and breaks apart.. leaving images that are being swept away, yet... indeed informative! Here are images of fae being hunted by mortals who would have vengeance upon them. By warriors with cold iron, priests with bell book and candle. Oh they would bring unkind industry to the rivers, they would dredge the beds of the river shallows

"My sisters...hunted, all gone and..." For a moment, Veronika is lost in a past scene of a purge.

Zara gives the Rusalka a chilly embrace. "Aye, once. Once. But now, returned. Death is not an end. Not to us."

Veronika takes a breath and then hugs her back "Yes, we are returning. I... I am sorry the magic. It slipped wild"

"You are learning yet. There is power there - it will take practice, and even then, the magic reminds us it is not tame."

"Perhaps the holiday itself affected my efforts, or gave me what I needed to see to move on?"

"That may well be. By knowing the past, by what was, you may act wisely in the future. Aye?"

"Yes, we must change from what we were some to survive the now" A pondering "I wonder if we were too proud to try the changeling way until it was too late?"

"Possibly. And the sluagh... we have changed, from what we were. Our voices taken, our teeth, too. Our palates turned. But yet, here we are. And the Rusalka, aye - they will live. Change is good, for in change, we survive."

"mmm true love conquers all seems more your scent now" then she covers her mouth "pardon"

A soft rustle, like cattails. As close as she may come to laughter. "Aye, true enough. But I tend to the shallows, to the liminal spaces. I am the cat at the threshold."

"When they try to keep you in, you want to be out, and when they put you in you'd rather be out. I know the musical at least, though You'll probably tell me T.S. Elliot's original works are superior right?" She is learning

"True, and true." She picks up her cloak and wraps it around her now-icy form.

Veronika shivers a bit too then says "Shall we head back in?"

"Aye. Perhaps, after the holiday, I could show you a bit more of the way of reading Da'an." She slips her feet into her boots without unbuttoning them, the appendage contorting in a way uncomfortably like flowing clay in order to do so.

"I would like that" She says

They can hear the music as they close. Festive and lively

"You should enjoy the revelry. The Fire shall be renewed - like your kith, nu? Bask in the warmth. I.. well, in truth, I confess I shall be changing into something dry. I was only a Rusalka in a dream." A wry smile.

A hand squeeze "Fear not, Zara. I will let the other Rusalka know, if I met them, that you are a 'big sister' to our Sorority."

Zara smiles at that. "A kindness, and well appreciated. Hm.. I wonder if Earl is dressing for the revel..." As her thoughts turn, violets spring at her feet.

"With Vashti tyrannical gentility and desire to show off her wares? I would not be surprised" The Rusalka says

A soft chuff. "Aye, so."

Indeed, when they approach they see Earl watching out the window, no doubt seeking her

and dressed thusly

"Mmm.." Zara's grey lips curl into a pleased smile. "Doth I spy velvet?"

"The little sluagh girl? I don't see her" Veronika says feigning obtuse

A tsk, but a smile. "Mine Hunter..." She calls softly to the troll.

"He can't possibly hear you" Veronika says

But the troll turns as if he did hear, and he moves towards them, then smiles "My lady" And takes off his hat in Zara's presence.

Zara glows. Of course, it might be the effect of being inside after her long cold river sojourn....