#earthrunes

Earl blinks "Will that work?"

"Should" Emmit says "I have an edge."

"Now, Zara. If you return where you left and see that object on the ground, grab it"

"...Aye..." A touch uncertain.

Earl begins to chant

He's no singer, but he did take a course in Gregorian chants to impress Zara... HIS Zara.

Curious to the bones, Emmit can sense Zara's kenning at the both of them - trying to see just what they are doing.

And Emmit moves closer "Fate has no master, but can be implored.. to set each river to proper bed. Each life where it belongs... " A fate working, a powerful onee... and then.... he binds the flicker flash and fate working with a strand of lore Emmit SHOUD NOT KNOW...

as the shaman whisper's Zara's true name!

And Other Zara....vanishes

and hopefully, Zara, librarian of Earth runes retakes her place!

Other Zara's eyes go wide "you are a NAMER?"

And - she's gone!

In her place is a spitting mad Zara, and Emmit recognizes the taste of her power.

"Zara!" Earl moves towards her, checking for injuries "Oh thank the Dreaming"

"if you keep me here, I shall rend your very soul from- " She stops, blinking.

Blink.

"Earl!" She launches herself at the troll.

Zara sees two trolls... and both look as if they haven't slept in 24 hours. There was a powerful working here. SHe can taste it

Earl hugs her "My hind, my persephone returned to me"

"My Hunter." She nuzzles his chest.

"I'm just gonnna have a sit down" Emmit waves "You two go on with the happy reunion. Though, Later , I want to know what you saw over there, young lady. You came madder than a cat thrown into a water barrel. "

Slightly muffled. "Hello, Teacher-mine. Thank you, too."

"You were threatening someone, full witch energy" Earl says not wanting to let go "Were you hurt?"

"Hurt? No. Bound. I... suppose I cannot fault Akanthea to taking some exception to a surprise Namer in her treasure room."

Once you go Skunk, all other women are junk

"Whew..." Emmit says "She's a mean one. So...." Amused "Did you 'borrow' anything?" He looks amused

"She's an Eiluned Countess. And a Namer herself. Though I may have been a touch miffed about the paranoia."

"I was still trying to figure out what had happened before I was set under a half dozen wards..."

"How did you know I was there? I was sleeping, and then I'm there, in someone else's clothing...."

" I was about to pop off to New Agengard and have words" Earl admits "Of course, instead it was some paralell situation ... I knew something was wrong but I thought YOU had been bespelled.. never occured to me she was a different person. " He shakes head "I should have guessed when she ... groveled" A look of distaste, "She had none of your fire."

She scrubs her face with her hands. "I will figure out how to deal with the fallout of the Countess learning I'm a Namer late-... parallel what? I... I thought I'd been flickerflashed?"

"Mind you, she was underhanded, but I guess that's all she could use. She clearly lacks your power."

Emmit shakes his head "No young lady, this was more akin to the miror mirror stuff in star trek. The Countess of THIS world doesn't know you're a namer"

"Mirror..." She considers, and her eyes glimmer. "Oh, that sounds fascinating..."

"And, aye, a relief that I am not yet exposed to that old cat. There is a reason we only communicate via correspondence these days."

And he gives detailed account of what they were told about the artifact and such "She woke up here swapped. We just flipped it.. sooth say higher level stuff,, Flicker flash.. and yes, she was stunned when I used her true name to link it."

"Tricky, aye, without the original trigger..."

"No, it is not 'fascinating'" Earl says shaking his head "I almost lost you..possibly forever."

A stubborn look. "I would have come back to you. And you found me."

"Ironcly enough, 'Other Zara' might have been the one who sealed the deal IF She found the trigger when she returned"

A soft whistle. "Here're hoping she didn't land in the middle of those weaver wards."

"Worst day and a half in my life" Earl looks stuboornly back

"My Hunter." She reaches up to touch his cheek. "You found me."

"I shouldd have realized it wasn't you. I feel like the worst trueheart... but yes , I found you. But I don't want to do that again."

Emmit snorts "Earl, you've got your lady back.. and.." He stops "Huh. I thought she was sicK?"

"Feh. Thou art the best trueheart, and mine only. To think, your love found me across the gulf of universes."

"I was sick. I do not need any more of Clem's coffee-flavored treachery."

And Zara realizes she's TOTALLY healthy. Was it some illness ward? The transition ? But narry a sniffle

"Ugh... Decaff" Emmit shudderss "Clem can be mean"