#earthrunes

"He seems to be trying to learn about Witch haven, but why?" Lily asks

Siiiigh

"Boys."

"Can they not muddle with womenly matters?" A huff from the girl not yet a wilder

"why, there is a sluagh boy I've met who says wizards are more potent than wizards. Offensive."

"And wrong. Why, who slanders?"

"Sil Howett" She sniffs delicately "is my age, but being a boy is terriblely immature. He claims wizards are more potent and better researched. that witches are well enough but wizards master the higher magics. i wish I knew how to turn folks into toads, but that would be too noble a creature him I suppose."

Zara rolls her eyes.

"No, I would turn him itno a butterfly, with bright obnoxious oranges and yellows with a hint of pink. I would make him wear.. pastel" A firm nod. Now there is a curse

A quiet smile and she nods.

"Now, there are several ways thou mayest do so - can you tell me at least two?"

"Metamorphosis, of course. Lady Captain Siv and Mister Jonas of Rivervale both practice it." She ponders "But there was another way wasn't there? of course there was.. " she ponders

She recalls "Ah, Elderform it is, my precious" toothless smile "Chieftain Clem has that"

then Lily looks distressed "Oh dear. I've fallen on troll role models. Are there no shape shifting sluagh?"

"There are, though we have may trolls about us."

"Faith, my primal ere exceeds a whisper."

"I suppose the fact we must whisper hinders our ability to masquerade as non sluagh. Still, it might be pleasant to ooze on the ground as a slug, or scurry as a proper spider" And she takes out a tiny pin and puts a little hole in hre finger tip to feed one of the ladies

"Yes, who wouldn't want to be a spider?" She smiles as one of the sisters takes a sip

"Aye. Tis a pleasant thought."

"Is it true they eat their males?"

"Aye!"

"How sensible" Yes, she hasn't forgotten Sil

"Though.. " A worried look "Where's 1122?"

One of the sisters taps out the word 'burp'

A soft rattle of laughter.

"He is on a mission."

the other sisters fuss at their less than couth sib to various degrees

but Lily giggles naughtily, which sounds like a breeze in reeds slapping about lightly.

then she looks intrigued "is it aught could be spoke of?"

"Not while it is active."

"ooo" her eyes grow large with interest, but she nods "I understand. Symon always says you don't poke the rot in a rung until you're off the ladder"

"Exactly!"

"It makes me wonder if he did poke the rot on a rung when he was younger and on a ladder, but he won't say" mmph

"I would not be surprised by that..."

"I suppose even boys have pride" Sip

Tea is lovely, and Lily attentiv

e*

(And so the scene endith)