#earthrunes

*****

Lizbet goes to look for the library and, finds a problem, this hold has a garden the size of a football fiield, or so it feels

And the brighttness, clearly she has gone the wrong way

A possum and a pup doze in the autumn sun!

She seeks the shade, if any is to be found.

There's some fine trees near the back corners, with a stone bench, dimming the the light to a better reading level. A lovely garden nearby, while red leaves cascade in a prettty death dance

And a golden voice comes from the shadows, soft, male and with a tone of great loss

"Round, like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever-spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain
Or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning
Running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes on its face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind

Like a tunnel you can follow

To a tunnel of its own
Down a hollow to a cavern
Where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving
In a half-forgotten dream
Or the ripples from a pebble
Someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes on its face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind

Keys that jingle in your pocket
Words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly?
Was it something that you said?

Lovers walk along a shore
And leave their footprints in the sand
Was the sound of distant drumming
Just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway
Or the fragment of a song
Half-remembered names and faces
But to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over
You were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning
To the color of her hair...

Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever-spinning reel
As the images unwind

Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind"

She melts back into the shadows, but peers to see who might be singing...

And... suddenly the music the singing stops. She.. doesn't see anyone. Just falling leaves, a few fireflies, and a toad on a mushroom

She admires the fireflies for a moment, and whispers, "Little flies, so desperate, burning away your life, seeking after a matching light, before the winter's endless night."

They do dance so prettily

And soon they will perish... the desperate dance for naught

A particularly lovely colored leaf is retrieved from the garden humus and tucked behind her ear. It will still return to soil eventually, maybe not so soon, but then again, so will they all.

And then, one of the fireflies vanishes into the toad's mouth as a tongue rips it from the sky. the toad acts if notthing happened, thouh one can see a check glowing. Then there's a swallow, and the toad continues to look 'innocent'

She coos at the toad. "Precious. The circle of life, before my eyes. But that I was small enough to be consumed." A soft sigh, and she moves on.

And she almost, ALMOST suffers a great embarrassment. A childling following her, closing closeer.... he gets FIVE feet behind her, but fortunaely she notices him before he could claim a most unseeemly victory of sneaking upon her. If it were a sluagh, that would be fine, but NO It's a sidhe in black and Silver

She straightens up (though she's not that tall) and gives him her best spooky eye look. "Who goes there?" She whispers.

"Darn it..." the boy says, he appears to be about nine, but he clears his throat "I am the voice that was unwanted, but oh so needed at times. I the servant of the color weaver...I am the riddle seeker and a son of secrets. Who are you?"

A touch of surprise at the riddle, and she responds. "I am the shadow beneath the wolf's feet, she who lives under the sun but would burn in it's light. I serve nothing but tea, and my secrets are my own."

A nod of delight "Oh those were good. How werre mine?"

"Very good. I am puzzled on the color weaver. Is that referring to cloth, thread, or perhaps threads of magic, or fate?"

She nods, enjoying this riddle give and take. "And I think you are Eilunid."

"Yeah, I need to wear something less housey sometimes but I LIKE black" A nod then he ponders "I have nott met you before, I don't think. Silverwolf has a Varich ruler now, co ruler.. oh... to answer your question.. about the color? No, not cloth or thread, but it is because of him that I know of Silverwolf, so think on knightly guests there and you'll know why he is a master of colors"

"No, I have not been here before. The Varich may rule the barony, but I do not accept her as my liege." She considers... "Sir Ivory is the only knight I know who I have seen traveling from trod to hold... but that is an absence of colors, is it not?"

"Sir Sergei no longer visits - but I only observed him from afar."

"Sergei doesn't like Sluagh much" the boy admits "And he less reason to go. Sir Ivory is a bit SHORTER tthan my knight" A grin

She puzzles, and then pouts. "You have bested me, young sir. I do not know their name. I observe the wolves from a safe vantage, I do not broach their den."

"Oh, " A sigh "Girl's should get pout. I was enjoying knowing more than you, and then suddenly you pout and I feel bad. I thought you might have seen him at the Auction. Okay.. I want to know everything, but I also need to be a good host ... my name is Squire Nelson. How may I serve you?"

"The auction... Sir Earl, the artist amour..." She stops before naming 'Talia Amur'. She offers him a hand. "Did I guess? You may call me Lizbet."

"You guessed"

A delighted look. "He IS much taller than Sir Ivory. A clever riddle."

"thank you, and yes... he's Miss Zara's amour. Miss Zara is terribly clever. She has spiders that work with her, there's one now spying on us both,"

"I met the most charming web mistress at the Auction..." She looks about for a spider.

And yes, it's her! Who skillfully skitters along a weblinne to dangle before her

A hand offered out politely, if she wishes to sit upon.

Quinta settles as gracefully as any regal queen.

"Hi Quinta. This is Lizbet, but it seems you met"

Tippity-tap a greeting.

And... : Tea? :

The eiluned has learned morse and he smiles "I think Quinta cann guide you from here. I have to find my knight. Enjoy tea"

"Oh, tea would be lovely." She looks up, but the Squire is already gone. "What an odd boy."

Looking back to the spider, "Can you lead me to miss Amur, please? I seem to have become dreadfully lost."

Affirmation!

The spider does not lead a direct route - rather, back hallways and shadowy crevices, ways to find the library while avoiding casual eyes.

She explores, absorbing the hidden corners and routes.

She sees people too.. A satyess troubadour playing "Heathens' by 21 pilots. Another puppy pooka, a boy, carrying a dust bunny to a safe place where a cat from scatterinng it.

Heathens is right, she avoids the noisy musician. The pooka boy is tender-hearted, perhaps someone should break his heart, and his sad howls would be most delightful music... on low, of course.

Yes, thanks to spider guide, she sees others more than they see her