#elsewhere

"Who?" she asks

"An ally."

She stops "An ally to whom?"

"Any who would hold the blackgate closed is an ally to all save the dark itself . Be content in that"

"Did you just lecture me not to pry into this?" Startled

Zara finds a newfound respect for this fire. Perhaps it truly does know sluagh - but then, she does not know Symon's early hand in it.

And it answers "Aye. I do, for you chase after shadows that would assist while the Elder Dark is before us. You bring rage that might fuel your worth to me if you use it right, or damage the unity I require. Understand this, girl, I care no more for you than I do for any other member of the Dreaming, Seelie, Unseelie, It matters not. Troll, Pooka, Eshu, or Nocker... it matters not. Modernist, Traditionalist, it matters not. Trolls are the keepers, I accept this and endorse it. Others choosse to lend eyes or hands , I accept this and if it work against our enemy, I endorse it. I do not care for one more than others, take that as not a whit,or with all my essence however you wish. I am the gate that must not break and cannot afford to bend. I am the wall that may not be climbed, the eye that dare not blink first when gazing into the abyss. I am not here to coddle any, teach any, or entertain. I am here to protect you all. Those who wish to aid me, I am grateful as much as I can be, those who wish to distract me should leave until they gain maturity."

And the cantrip ends.

The Wildheart blinks' Well, I guess you told me" BROW

Earl , watching in if he can mutters "Okay, I want to be that hold when I grow up" profound respect

"Aye..."

"Your RC, miss"

She turns, and takes it, "Thanks."

As Banneath drinks, and waits... now, Zara whispers to the vision. "I see her face, I see her pain, I see the surface... Da'an reveal what is woven beneath Banneath..." An omen.

A crown glistens pristine, pure, but arrogant...

Wheat breaks through a gate, growing....

Three strands, strong and hearty

The lady's crown turns surprised. Swords hack at the wheat

But swords aren't built for wheat... and do not do great damage, they are over run....

and the skull is found by the wheat... it has sword notches on it... and they turn on the crown in rage

One wheat strand goes off to the sides, to gather and seek for others...not skulls, not yet

Another seems to rain havoc by winding through the bricks and bringing down walls...

The third wheat stalk however, latches about the crown and throws it down...

and that should be enough

but it seems it cannot stop looking at the skull

and then... it pierces through the dented crown, again and again...

and the crown is set to crack

Zara grimaces.

and the second wheat stalk comes upon the scene, oh how proud it was to have brought a place to chaos, and then it seems this and pulls the first wheat off....

and the first wheat's rage is done...and even it seems shaken...

the two stalks move.. the second dragging the first...

to join with the third...but neither tells of what happened to the crown

and the crown.. fading and tarnished...rolls lost... for miles until finally it lays down to stop..and out of it, a small grain of a seed...

and...the insight ends

"...Sidhe?"

And a wall slams down on her viewing!

and her scrying ends

in some ways that closing was louder than the smithy hammer

"Earl..." A frown. "What do you know of Emmit's old motley?"

"Emmit had more than one motley " He says

"Aye. But... this is a motley of three. When he wore... oh!"

She rises, skittering off to fetch a pair of round sunglasses.

"Three, three's the number?" he says alarmed

Zara nods.

"Aye. Three."

Earl looks worried "He was in a motley of just three... in fact... the three... sounds more like the few times the three elders went out to do something... Storm, Mountain, and Hearth"

"Well. It was not Agnes."

"Did they ever raid other holds? Harass nobles?"

"Storm Harvald lost a son once, they went to seek him... but he was... they didn't return with him"

Earl says this very quietly, very disturbed