#earthrunes

"From here, you may find your way to Firnost - and from Firnost? Aye, anywhere."

"There was a great scandal, just recently..." Lizbet shares what she knows of the recent events! The Baron in thrall under his Chancellors control... the Baroness that swept in and ensorcelled the entire Barony herself, with honeyed words and promises rather than cantrip and guile. It is perhaps not precisely the same version Zara might have heard in the past, colored by each teller's personal perceptions, but she has the gist of things accurate enough.

Zara nods, listening.

"Let me tell you of a clever sluagh hold, who defeated the machinations of a noble who sought to seize it..."

"A sluagh hold?" She sips, listening intently!

Zara has that story, and others - of those she has met around the world. Sluagh in London! In Paris! Australia!

Lizbet has heard of a sluagh who fought a universe of devils and saved a fortress - only to hand it over to trolls to rule. "I believe it was wise of him. Who wants to be trapped to such a dull task as guarding?" She tells of this tale of the Denier.

"Aye, indeed!" Agreement.

Other tales of adventure end with gentle regret. "Of course, such adventures are for wilders, who are free to wander and explore..."

"Oh..." She toys with a bit of moldy cake.

"Of course."

"And wilder is but one step to becoming a shrivelled crone."

"Perhaps that is something for the future, then. Or other wilders to explore." She says, though with regrets. "I am just a child." She insists, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Though, I would like to have, perhaps, just one wrinkle, or bit of graying hair..."

"Even as a child, are we just children?"

"No..." She shrinks inward a bit, looking a little smaller, taking up a little less space.

"Miss Zara? Can you keep my secret?"

"Of course."

She leans in, and whispers, "I do not wish to have a Togail. Uncle keeps saying I must... but, to be presented? Before the Baroness?"

A quiet fret.

Zara considers. "Must it be that Baroness?"

"Uncle is fond of the Baron. He says that Lord Aiden would never let harm come to us. I do not try to be disobedient, but perhaps in his respected and venerable age, he has lost touch with the reality we must face?"

She sips her tea. "It is the only freehold near my home, and I've only seen the inside of it once." A touch bitter, perhaps.

"Mm. You must evade her eye then - she must abide by Haven."

"Maybe I can just... not? So much has happened in the past year. Perhaps in another, she will have tired of Carthage."

"You cannot wait a year."

A small pout.

It would look cute on a sidhe, but on a sluagh, it looks rather sullen.

"Perhaps it would go faster if she believed the barony haunted." Considering.

"Perhaps. It is not a bad thing to remind the Varich they are not beyond reproach... but..."

A sigh. "Tis better to not give her thought to bring me to mind at all?"

"Or mayhaps they need vassals at the sluagh court you spoke of. It sounded rather lovely, the mansion..."

"Mayhaps?"

"It could well be reached ere the silver..."

"Would that be letting her win?" A frown at that thought.

"Oh, oh dear." Lizbet notices the time.

"Dame Gladiola is my escort, she said she would only be here until a quarter past..."

"Perhaps I might visit again?" Hopeful.

She tries not to look TOO greedy nor longing unseemingly for company.

"I think perhaps you could. I shall introduce you to Squire Velvet, next time."

footsteps

"Oh? There is a surplus of squires at hand here." She turns to look at the door."

A pause, then a mutter

"Surplus? Nay. But enough.'

The mutter was Dame Gladiola "Ah, we still have time. She could be having a great time, and it's wrong to spoil her fun when she could be here just more hour. I'll check out their sparring area and give her a least another half hour" and footsteps as she leaves them be

A small smile to Zara. “Time for one more cup?”

A smile back, conspiratorial

"How long did it take for you to collect so many books, lady?"

"Well, tis a mix - some are of my acquisition, and others of the Eiluned Baron before. There are lifetimes of knowledge here. Now some, I am more proud of than others..."

Tea and talk of books, What could delight more?

Truly a lovely afternoon!