#elsewhere

Name.. a name at the center of it all... the rest is but gravy poured over the meat of it...

She pokes at it.

An autumn leaf, but barbed, a black gloved hand (the Baron's?), he squeeze the leaf and blood falls ... ten drops.

One of those ten goes to the roots of an autumn tree..w here do the other 9 go?

WHere...the bloody finger now marks a forehead.... with a spring time symbol. A woman's eyes open. She smiles. She is awake when she should be asleep.

"Tithing... one in ten..." She frowns.

Balance... the Autumn gets its due, but the winter is held back for one... and others as well.

The price is....

"Zara" Earl's voice gasps, "Zara...the cards!"

The Tarot cards catch fire!

Zara startles, scuttling back.

The cards burn...each reducing to ash and the ashes form shapes..letters

And the glamour of the working is gone.

Her eyes narrow, dangerously.

"We're not going to leave it be, are we?" Earl says , more a statement than a question.

"No. We won't."

"The Titheman gets his tenth. But the bulk of it... that goes to very selfish ends, even if it is dressed up as serving the whole barony."

"Do you know what the ends are?"

"To keep awake something that should be asleep..."

"Eiluned, always prying into things best left..." He realizes how this might sound and course corrects "Best left to sluagh"

"Ha."

Sheepish smile. "I'll get some tea."

Leaving her time to consider her next move

(End Scene)