#earthrunes

"I... well, it is likely best that they apologized."

Still looking about as if hoping to catch a glimpse of the likely culprits.

Then a sigh, and a regretful nod. "I suppose if they have apologized that sort of deflates things. But, August, you say you're going to follow up?"

"I have the information to do so if we desire to."

"Oh, we desire." Coradel nods emphatically.

Zara frowns.

"There was a motive, nu?"

Then she looks about the gathered EarthRunes people (plus Tzipora)...and looks pleased. "I do pick the right people. Thank you for linking arms, as it were."

Then to Zara, "I'm almost willing to wager a great deal on it."

"It's possible that she just saw Sir Earl as a desirable hunk of man meat..." she says with a shrug "...but it sounds as though she went out of her way to know who he was. To me, that suggests there's something more. And we've certainly had enough subterfuge and slurs on our hold's honor this year."

Earl blushes

"Well, mine Artist is most desirable..."

And even deeper purple

"That is beyond question, Madame Zara."

Zara's grey lips quirk into a mischievous smile at Earl's blush.

"They insulted my family first.. could that be important?" Earl says

"And telling, that they did so here. Nobody would have even given her claims a moment of credence at home..."

"Perhaps not the most desirable," she adds with a look to August.

"Ah, Cordael, in this we must agree to disagree."

Then a sharp and serious look again. "They insulted your family by name? Before anything else?"

"As ever we must," she nods to Zara.

"You missed the rewind" Magnus speaks up "But they called him a bumpkin, and did seem to go after his family... and yes, they said DeBukes"

"Well, that IS my last name" Earl says

The Eiluned-trained part of Coradel's mind has gone active, judging by her expression.

"The Farm has enemies, of course. But..."

"If it's an attempt to disrupt your family's hold somehow, it's a strangely oblique way to go about it."

"Intrigues" Earl scowls

"And if they're Bloomflower's people...well, it doesn't sound like her, what I know of her. Mind you, that isn't much. Hmm...I wonder if she's here...."

"Crass ones."

"Bloomflower is a Fiona, too, aye?"

"She cares for love..."

"Yes. A fairly tepid Fiona, if you ask me, but there's room for all sorts."

"She certainly doesn't strike me as the type to send agents to disrupt truehearts for the fun of it."

"It is close to Samhain, but I agree" Magnus says

"There is that," she nods.

"Any closer and I might not have been so patient with their insults."

Coradel grins at Zara. "I'm rather curious about what the aftermath of your loss of patience would have been. What shape would their remains have left on the ground?"

Then a dismissive wave at her own notion. "No, no, that would be me losing patience. With you, we'd never find the bodies."

A wink.

"If you kill them, they won't learn nothing" Tziporah says "And sister is a firm believer in long lasting education"

Zara inclines her head at the eshu.

Earl says "If these folks are wanting to hinder either my family, my lady, or earth runes I think I'd like to know."

"Oh, believe me...we intend to find out," she assures him, indicating herself and August.

"I think it'll be a lovely two-pronged attack, don't you, my love?"

"They did seem to know something of Earth Runes, enough to spin slander."

"But I fail to see a personal connection, no motive..."

"People project. They often attack where they themselves are weakest" magnus considers

"They may have been enlisted by a third party to disrupt EarthRunes."

"Mind you, it's possible that they're simply pawns, with no deeper understanding of their actions than the surface insults."

"Possibly. Seeking to anger a troll... to what end?"