#earthrunes

Then Earl whispers sweet promises in her ear.. not only does this over ride what she is listening in on, in her current mood it utterly scrambles her thought process and....well... they slip to the privacy of the riverside for the last of Imbolc night for a private fire there on the bank

Imbolc was lovely for all, and... healing for some.

************

The next day, Zara scours over her books and list to find out WHO has been checking out books regarding pregnancy

Jane Hancock? Someone is LYING On the check out.

"Feh!"

She checks first with the Sisters and Bronte - do they recall who took the books?

Oh quite so. It was a sidhe warrior type, female

Though Bronte adds
“But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea"

Brow.

"Claire?"

Bronte nods

"Hm."

She goes to her desk, the one with so many little drawers.

the spiders seem to skitter and blush... until one of the girls breaks out and admits they were bribed not to keep it secret and she feels awful they were vague

But FRESH blood by a window.. who could resist?

Zara retrieves an envelope. "I understand, darlings. We all must honor our contracts, you did not dishonor your word."

She takes a pitcher to add water to a silver bowl.

Trust an Ailil, even a seelie one, to try to cover her secrets in Bargains

She finds a patch of moonlight on the floor, and places the bowl in the middle of it.

Zara folds herself into a lotus, and opens the little envelope. A single golden hair is retrieved, and added to the water.

It is a sign of mastery that not only does the cantrip work...it works to it's best effect, betraying a secret of the subject. Oh preparation helped, as does the right gear. Let Scathach boast, but truly Batman is more sluagh than sidhe at least in his title of World's Greatest Detective

That, and a tendency to hoard potentially useful castoffs...

And the image rises to the water and moonlight and there is .. the image of a woman with a seed in her hand and she has a choice, place it in the soil to take root, or...cast it into a fire to be destroyed so it never will.

And oh how split she is on the matter

Zara pours a little extra glamour in - augury can be trickier to determine, but in this case...

Where might those branching forks lead?

And she observes it unfold... three roads ... a child human born who grows to resent parents she does not know, cannot know. ..very likely. The termination of the seed... and Magnus finds he is hurt, deeply hurt... and she resents that he does not understand... their love will be strained. And then, there is a slim, SLIM chance of a Kinian or even Autumn sidhe born that can be part of their world given time... who will one day become a heroine

Slim... but Zara, oh... no, not on her own. She cannot make that choice on her own.

Yes... a coin of chance floats in the air. One side leads to an angry daughter of eve and hurt parents. Another side leads to a couple facing fractures of distrust. But if it lands on the edge... but so risky, so very risky

Zara breaks the vision and rises. Time to seek the Dragon.

Not hard to find. Warriors tend to find release through violence. that poor target

Zara finds a place to watch and wait.

She does choose to be visible - Claire may feel eyes before she finds Zara.

"Mmm?" She turns "Who the hell wants a shot at this? I already scheduled it for.."

A little finger-waggle of a wave.

She..calms herself "Pardon me, Zara. I'm.." She looks at the notched target, "In a mood"

"Aye."

"Can I help you with something?" She checks her weapon for blemishes

"I... believe I can help you."

"Beg your pardon?" SHe says

Zara twists her fingers together.

A brow

"I believe I may aid... I..."

"Aid in ..what?" The sword , now checked, goes back into the scabbard with a shiiing sound

"In swaying da'an to the most desirable path."

"Zara, I know my house is sibling to Eiluned, but one of the reasons I never placed highly in my House is that I prefer STRAIGHT Talk. WHy would I need Da'an swayed?"

Suspicious

"For you have a choice ahead and... and it would not be ethical for me to place my hand in without your acquiescence."