#earthrunes

"While Fiona may make a great fuss but this place is not..terrible" Lily says "We are suprisingly well represented here"

Lily guides the crone along respectfully as she explains. The crone has seen tragedy, horrors, and grief all her life. She is bent ,was near broken, but she has gathered the pieces and managed to make herself whole again... with help. She is Beldame.

" i meant no disrespect to the lodge, but ....the crowds, i would have some space again to recover" Beldame looks about sadly

A spider scuttles overhead.

Beldame looks up and smiles " a spider, she didn't allow spiders" She speaks to it 'Sister Spinner, I will not tear thy webs, nor pluck thy prey from them. Forgive if I do gawk, for i have missed they kind '

Lily says "You speak spider? " ENvious of the gift

Decem drops down, landing on Lily's head.

Beldame nods softly, her tired old eyes watching the spider above "One does not speak spider, little nightshade, one shares understanding"

Eight ruby eyes watch Beldame.

"Hello, Decem" Lily says happily, wearing the spider with the pride a lady might wear a fancy hat at church

"Decem, it is a good name" Beldame observes "And makes me think more wait in the shadows...good"

The old woman's eyes fill a bit with unseemly tears. She was made to work in dirt rather than dust, and forced to clear away any web she saw. Now, she is remembering herself, and what she is.

She does not need the Balefire, she was in the Dreaming. She needs to be a sluagh again.

Tippy-taps. "T-E-A?"

"oh..." She observes the tapping, "How clever. I would be honored, of course. May haps a drop of blood from myself for you while I take a cup." She sees these spiders do not need her gift, and that is fine.

"You should not spoil them with too much blood, dear elder," A tut from Lily, and she whispers even lower than normal "Spiders should stay slim for better hunting"

Decem does not seem opposed to the idea of blood. NEW blood, at that!

Oh, her sisters will be jealous.

"Tut, it will be an honor, besides, leeching is a time honored medicine" Beldame sighs "I once had a chimerical leech named Schweitzer. Oh how close we were" She says wistfully

Lily is curious about Schweitzer but for now asks the spider "Decem, when would tea be ? I was going to show the elder to her room, but if we're to go straight to the tea that's different"

Decem provides a time - plenty to get Beldame settled.

"my thanks, Decem," The grand dame inclines her sad withered head, "the thanks of a broken old woman whose remaining days are but ash, but at least they are hers."

"You will have a chance to meet Miss Zara," LIly says "She is the librarian here, and has many secrets" A pause "She is also alarmingly social for one of our kind, but you must not mention it. It embarrasses her greatly, and she tries to channel it on her kiths behalf."

"Oh poor wee pupae, that she should endure the light for oursakes.. I would be honored nonethelss" The elder nods to Lily and the spider

"Besides" the slaugh grump admits "I have missed the whispers of my own kind"

Lily pats her hand "This way then, the room is small, cramped, and if we are fortunate, not cleaned recently and quite dusty"

"oh, how wonderful" Beldame responds imagining happily and she is guided away by the childling. They are lucky, this room was not cleaned recently, and word will slip out to certain maids to hold that off for a time yet.

More than dusty - there's a faint 'meeping' as several dust bunnies run for shelter beneath a bureau. Ivanka does have a fondness for them, and there are place in the hold where they may thrive.

Beldame will delight, and may throw bits of lint to them later like a farmer giving chickens feed

And Lily will walk out, a bit in awe . That old woman looks like she could just DIE any moment now from a life of trauma and doom. It's SO impressive!

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