#earthrunes

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Zara's foe is without pity, without mercy, and utterly ruthless. Fortunately, Tziporah is only a so so chess player and prone to reckless moves. Vasthi observes this with some amusement "Training to take down dragons are we?"

Tzip says "What , the story Zara dueled a dragon? please, no offense to bronte, but a real dragon would eat sis in one gulp."

"Nay. Too bony." She moves a pawn. "Check."

"AH ha," Her sister moves with haste, "RIght into the Eshu trap" A knight clatters into a place, stretching its neck out

Vasthi sighs, "Why do naught believe the pooka? We are the most honest of kith"

"Mm-hm." Zara takes the knight with a rook. "Check."

Annoyance, "Okay, I've seen the uncles play this, learned and trained. " She shoots out a pawn to be fair taking that one WOULD cost Zara the attacking piece

"So Vashti, you're saying sis beet a full sized dragon in battle?" She adds

Vasthi nods "Bare handed."

"Uh huh" Dubious Eshu is Dubious.

A soft tut. "On Pennons." She moves a bishop, too far away to be captured - it looks like Zara intends to run Tzip's king to the ground. "Check."

"Ack!" A shuffle and another bishop comes out to interpose the first, "Wait, that story about a dragon issueing challenges on Pennons is true? How did you.. how could YOU beat a dragon?"

"I am told," Vashti looks at Zara as if confirming "Twas done with elegance and a dash of panache."

"Why, in battle." She slides her bishop forward, collecting another of Vashti's pieces. "Check."

"I refuse to believe you took a weapon and beat a dragon with it. You can barely lift a long sword, and certainly not a lance," The Eshu looks annoyed and has her pieces lung for another piece of Zara, sadly, not seeing it was bait.

"Oh, dear." She takes the piece. "Mate."

"In truth, I defeated him twice."

Tziporah looked left, then right, got up and checked a new angle, "I think I hate this .. the game, not the story"

Vashti laughs "Learn to lose gracefully, sister of my sister from completely different misters. It shall rob your foe's victory of teeth if they try to bite."

Zara smiles, content as a cat. "Twas a fine battle, nu?"

"You win, and obviously well played" Eshu sighs "Those guys at the park make it look so easy." She looks at Vashti "Want to play the winner? while zara tells me the real deal behind the dragon story? She beat him twice, but the details are vexingly sparse."

"Oh, the story is better thus."

Vashti rises and takes the opposing seat and the board is reset. Vashti tuts "You have a sluagh, who hold secrets like a lock, and a pooka, who are renowned for their skills at information exchange. One wonders why you can't get these 'facts'"

"I mildly loathe you both" Tziporah hurmphs arms crossed.

Zara rattles,which is near enough to a laugh.

Vashti's chuckle, while not a braying, is even less restrained.

"I'm gonna find the answer. count on it. " Tzip says "Earl will spill. He's proud of you to an obnoxious point."

"Earl was not there. I was much younger then."

"yeah, but I bet he'd know" Almost sing song from the Eshu

"I bet he'd know better to tell you if his true heart told him 'neigh' and 'nix'"Vashti said just as sing song.

A look of temptation, then mischief enters Tziporah's face. She eyes the door

Zara has a wistful look. "Twas not so long ere that day when I first watched Earl paint."

The Eshu stopped from darting off, her love of a story holding her "Did you know he would be the one? Did he know you would be?"

"Earl, methinks, fell first."

"I loved his art first. It took me some time to realize that the art and the artist are the same."

Vasthi nods in full agreement , "Earl would not craft such happy perky paintings if he were not saccharine in his soul."

Tziporah smiles at that, "You mean his melancholy, trepidation riddled, mysterious art caught your interest, and then the fact the source held the same caught your heart. See, THIS is a good story."

"Oh, make no mistake. My Love is very saccharine."

"That would hint you like sugar," Tziporah grinned

She sighs. "I blame Papa."

Tziporah thinks that over, then adds "You know, I 'm not even going to argue with that. sounds too dead on."

"Aaron neer struck me as overwhelmingly affectionate in his words?" Vashti is surprised.

"Thou shouldst not accept anything less, either." To Tzip, before looking at Vashti. "In words? Mayhaps."

"But what are words?"

Tziporah blushes, but then at the talk of word nods, "You haven't lived with him, Vashti. You've only seen him with his nose in a newsaper and giving short answers to long questions. But if mama Hannah struggled with the lazy susan, the next day it's fixed before she even has to ask. If he sees her smiling at a flower , you can bet the garden will get that type of flower by spring's blooming."

Zara nods.

Vashti tilts her head, "Ah, he says with hands and deeds what his heart cannot. And if she grows ill?"

At this, Tziporah shudders, "Oh mama HATES being ill. She's a terrible patient."

"Oh, the worst."