#earthrunes

Having failed to find the seer, Coradel seeks out August where he most likely is...the library, with Zara.

The room seems...empty?

There are some sounds.

She makes her customary tap-tap-tap at the library door. "Miss Zara? August?"

"Coradel?" August's head around a book stack. "Hello."

"Hello, I hope you had better luck than I did," she says grumpily as she approaches.

“Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers"

Bronte flutters about

"Bronte!" August welcomes her. "Where is she?"

"Wait, she isn't here?" And she watches Bronte. Does the wyvern seem distressed?

Bookwyrm thank you, Wyverns are venomous, Bookwyrms merely use poisoned pens when they're in a bad mood

Coradel's internal monologue apologizes because of course that's what she meant.

But she does seem concerned yes “But another sound followed them long after these had faded, followed them into morning on a strange road— the tiny, dry sound of a spider weeping.”
― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn"

"A... spider?" August alerts.

"Oh...that doesn't sound good. Bronte, do you know where she was going? And is Sir Earl with her?"

She nods bobbing her little dragon head

"Take me there."

"Us."

"Coradel...." He looks at her.

Bronte flutters "I tried the Scarsdale Diet and the Stillman water diet .. (You remember that one, it's where you run weight off trying to get to the bathroom)"- Dolly Parton"

A sharp look at August. "She is there. Alabaster Hollow."

And that's when there's a knock at the library door

Coradel looks to see who is there.

"I should go...." He stops.

Thane Oswald aned Rollo and a large crate "Baroness, the books for the ransom are in here... at least we suspect that's what..."

there's a thump thump sound from the crate

The darn thing looks big enough to carry fifty hardbacks

She stares. "Gently, put that down. Now."

Gently they do

"What the heck?" Rollo says

"Open it."

And they do!

TEN rare books, not just the onens requested by their best editions in leather bound! And dross and...

an 8 year old boy

Lovely, lovely...but the thumping is what she wants to know about. And now she does. "And...who are you?"

the sidhe childling rises outh and coughs "Are you friends with Sir Earl and Miss Zara?"

"Yes," says the Fiona without hesitation. "Did they send you?"

"No and yes. I snuck aboard the crate when I found it was getting flicker flashed here. It was the fastes way to get to their allies. My name is Squire Nelson...and Alabastor Hollow has swallowed your friends. " He looks around "Do either of you have sunglasses?"

She blinks. "Not on me.... August?"

"No."

"That is, I do not have sunglasses."

The boy sighs "Nevermind.. just.. "And he tries a mysterious terminator voice.. (There are mysterious terminator voices?) "Come with me, if you want them to live!"

"Oh! Oh, I know that one." A bright smile to August. "Let's go rescue her!"

"But....."

"I want to but...."

She grabs August's hand, and then looks to the boy. "You can get us there, or do we need other help?"

"I can't, but this can " the boy says "I kind of 'found it' when I was being banished" A blush "I was already in trouble. In for a penny, in for a pound cake" And he lobs a small bag down at them "Alabaster Hollow !"

Then he blinks "Oh no!" As it didn't take him

Or the thanes!

Rollo says "Did this kid just Liege nap the Baroness and Baron?"