#earthrunes

"Two. It must be two. If but one or the other, all hope will wither and die."

Gwen ponders then nods "I think I know what that means. It'll take you and Thistle together to help Fornax, Art."

"Unless I speak out of turn, Miss Zara" She realizes she might have done just that

"Thistle... rainbows?" A questioning eyebrow.

He was staring into the spinning and flowing mists, his eyes distant, seeing beyond what was there to see. When Gwen says his voice, he straightens up. "What?"

"Thistle is very bright in color preference. She's one styling Nocker. And her spirals shift color too." SHe tells Zara, then looks to Arthur "Miss Zara said it had to be two, if but one or the other all hope will wither and die. I think that two might mean you and Thistle together to help Fornax"

Zara hums softly in what sounds like agreement.

"I saw... I saw a glimpse. A path, and some lights... wings... and then it was like- like a sheet dropped over my head, it went dark, and not even stars in the sky."

He looks a bit baffled, but enthralled.

"Practice, young fledge. Practice, and you will also take flight."

"Of course. Thistle and I, we're in this together. We chrysalized together, you know." He says to Zara, even as he wipes at the beads of sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. No nimble dancer on the threads of fate, him. At least, not hardly, not yet.

"Aye? That could well bind fates."

"You both are a pretty amazing team" Gladiola admits

Then she turns to Zara "Miss Zara, thank you very much for your aid."

"I cannot tell you every step - but that little device seems like a good idea, but not to the exclusion of reading to him. Let him nest on books, have access to them. I cannot see all of the details - this future walks on a thread. But there is a cance for Fornax to thrive."

"Thank you, Dame, for bringing him to me. Pray, do not spread word that I am so soft hearted... but.. bookwyrms are dear to me. I am, after all, a Librarian."

"Your discretion is the payment that I ask, nu?"

Art nod nodnod nods!

"Of course. Thank you for your help, Librarian."

"It would seem to me you deserve more than that, Miss Zara." Gwen contemplates then looks at the spiders above, "Maybe a book on Grandmother Spider? I am not the reader Art is, but I do collective Native American tales"

Bronte perks

Zara perks!

"Grandmother Spider? Aye... aye, that would be meet."

"Delighted then, within the week" She assures "And, of course, if anyone asks, you were mysterious and off setting, cryptic and cunning, but never Soft hearted"

Art gathers up Fornax and returns him to the carrying basket. He hesitates, then looks to Bronte. "Do you mind, terribly, if we borrow this book?" Holding the Dr. Seuss paperback. "I promise to return it, or equivalent."

Zara fetches the sign-out ledger.

Bronte looks to Zara, then nods, then looks back to Art "Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home-Anna Quindlen"

He writes his mortal name on the ledger, Art Anderson of Silverwolf, as he has no house to share or other name to go by. "If Fornax will not part with it, I'll bring a new copy, or some of Gawain's old books he doesn't read any more." Speaking of his younger mortal brother. "He crayoned in some of them, they don't make any shapes I can quite make out, but reading them feels... pleasant, and warm."

August has observed all this with quiet approval. Behind his spit curl, shines wisdom

"Come on, Arthur. Let's go home" Gwen bows to the Baron, gives a troll salute to Zara, and smiles at Bronte as she and the fledge head out with knowledge and thanks

Bronte's parting words for Art? "One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time." – Carl Sagan"

Art looks thoughtful, as they head back home to Silverwolf.
---scene---