#earthrunes

Hume peeks in the library

Zara is DEEP in her books, white hair and ecru complexion especially stark against her crimson blouse.

"Miss Zara?" He speaks softly, but to her ears probably sounds conversational

A glance up. "Ah. Master Hume. I see you were not abducted by wild modernists."

"Well, actually... I think I almost got mugged by a Thallan, a boggart? They LET them in there?"

"Mmm. Aye."

"Terrifying" he says simply "But I DID find an advisor and an avian pooka. Wonderful fellow. Pretty sure he's an expert in the field ,and a darn fine minstrel." A proud look

"Ah? Congratulations. Some songbird, then?"

"No, one mister Alan O Dale, a Rooster. Roosters are birds too, silly me, and as he is tied to a domesticated animal, he should be a lot less trouble" Spoken by someone who still gets his animal interactions from Stardew valley or the like

Her grey lips quirk briefly into a smile.

"Surely, aye."

Hume beams with sidhe pride, but to be fair, he DID do the work... sort of, "Yes. I suppose you were right in me going there to try. Thank you, Zara. Oh, I left some tea for the folks in the rafters and such...and mentioned courtesy of the librarian of Earth Runes. Hope you don't mind that last part"

"They know who the Librarian is. That was very kind of you, thank you."

"Well, you were the one who gave me that advice. So you're welcome"

A smile keeps lurking at the corners of her eyes. "I am ever pleased to be of service."

He nods "Well, I've done some help for the baroness, found an avian pooka kind enough to help. So I'm feeling pretty good. Let me know if you have any new books you want me to transcribe into the electronic data base or at least index. I know you prefer it old school, but a back up is never bad."

"I shall consider that which may be best to transcribe."

He nods "Then with that ,I leave you to your books." He says. He notices Bronte slumbers, and whispers 'Sleep well, littl dragon"

And slips out

An affectionate stroke along the sleeping wyrm's crest, and Zara is back to her research - perhaps the rooster holds a clue, perhaps not. In the meantime, Zara's notes fill with references to healing treasures, to potions, to chimerical herbs which may right the denzien's workings.

The more she looks into it, the more she is sure that if she can find that particular crow, Patient Zero, she can find a way to fix this. She's not bad at a counter spell after all.

Mundane birds are.... trickier. Not impossible, she can spell the beasts of earth as well as those wrought of dreamstuff.

She will find a solution, and perhaps with dross to aid...

the softest snap of sound nearby. QUITE soft. Only a sluagh or perhaps a very attentive troll would have heard of it

Her head does not lift, but her nose and ears focus. Her gaze does shift, but that is concealed by the veil of her bangs.

Light patter... smaller forms... wicked delight at 'getting away with it' almost tangible. She has...childllings

Menaces. She smiles down at her page.

They are attempting to move closer. Oh dear Lily. She is forgetting that her ability to stick to walls and ceilings maybe an advantage, but it also gives clues it might be her. And Nelson, sweet eiluned lad that he is, has learned chicanery doesn't work well on Sluagh senses, but he forgot to count the spiders. Number seven has a set of eyes on him from this angle.

But they really ARE quite quiet. Wonderful work.

"I would advise stepping to the left. The floorboard by the cart has a squeak." A gentle whisper, without looking up.

"Thank you" The squire says all mannerly then "Well, drat."

"And Miss Lily, if you would be so kind as to fetch the Botanical Survey of the Fifth Realm from the shelf below you?"

A sigh "Yes, Miss Zara." it was FUNNY when the BOY got caught. And she grabs it, and glides over to offer it "I was going to get that for you anyway" to save pride.

"Aye. Thou art prescient. Your assistance, as always, is appreciated."

Quatre, meanwhile, drops down to land on Lily's head. She is fond of the girl.

Lily actually beams as a spider drops on her head "Hello, Miss Quatre, your legs feel particularly unnerving today"

"how did you know we were there, if you please?" Nelson inquires

"Witchcraft." Blithely.

Affectionate morse tippy-taps of greeting on Lily's scalp.

Lily taps her own fingers on her own skull to give PROP:ER spider greetings in return. It probably makes the little girl look quite the lunatic, which is fine. Neurotypicals are boring anyway

"Right, like my knight says, asking questions of sluagh isn't always the best way to get them talking" Nelson says at the Witchcraft answer

She raises an eyebrow. "And do you think I gave you anything less than the truth, squire?"

"Uhm..." He says nervously

"NOW you're in trouble" Lily says happy to watch her friend squirm.

"Ah. A lesson, once learned, now shared - truth, squire, is a gem of many facets."

"That's an Eiluned saying" He says proudly

"Aye?"

("Aye."?)

"It is, though" He concedes "I"m sure Sluagh have said much the same thing. It's just too useful a wisdom."

Lily nods at that then looks to Zara "He's mannerly enough. I suppose he's not in need of dire education.. for a boy."