#elsewhere

The Sidhe Lady looks about, Her hold is small. And this has been fine by her. But now, right of rescue has put demands on it that it simply cannot maintain.

Her boggan assistant agrees, "The fires have taken over a third of the town, mostly the residential area, that's not counting the homes beyond it in what used to be the country. "

"And even with our small population of kithain, we're over strained" She looks at the crowds in her tiny hold, bodies pressed more like a subway than the dignified tea shop

"Exactly , and with that banal city council ineptly managing refugees, if we turn them over to mortal care they'll be undone"

Her eyes fall upon the childlings, scared to death. The angry wilders wanting to DO something ,and the old grumps , some of which who have lost every momento of long lives they had.

"Make calls" She says, "We ask for aid. For those willing to take in those willing to move. "

"And if not enough folks agree to move?"

"Then after three days I start becoming a tyrant to save the fire and those that remain" The lady sidhe says "I can't let this place snuff out and leave us all in the coming cold. Better for me to be hated by a few than betray my duty to the many." She looks again, even now the fire struggles. "I shall not be partaking in the next few days."

"My lady?" THe boggan says alarmed "We have no dross left. Your cantrips will be from you alone."

"Thank you," She says dryly, "I know how cantrips work."

"Let's hope I don't have to dictum anyone for three days, the threat of it shall have to do. Make sure no one knows I am not partaking. They need it more, for now, and the fire needs one of us to leave be. Our dreamers are scattered, our dross destroyed our used. The fire is all we have and it is swarmed. I need to hold back myself if we're to buy time to see who is willing to take new kithain if only for a short time. Send out my herald and if you can find another messenger you trust, do so."

"I shall, my lady" The boggan says "But what if ,what if the people are willing to move but no one wants them?"

"I do not know. I bargain a treasure away perhaps? I have but two, neither of great power but they are treasures still. I find myself in the role of beggar, and I do not wear the outfit becomingly" Hurt pride at this admission, "Reduced by flame, from the great lady to merely first among paupers. Send the message, no success was ever born of quitting before one made an effort"

The boggan bows again, and goes.

She turns only to find another boggan, one of the refugee childlings looking up. "Are, are we gonna be okay?"

The lady noble swallows her dread and slips on a mask of confidence like a knight might slip down a visor, "Everything is going to be just fine if we just keep our hopes up. Tell the other child lings I am working a special sort of magic to make sure of it. And they are tasked with hoping. Young hope is a very powerful thing. Can you and your friends wish REALLY hard?"

The childling nods, eyes full of trust "We can wish harder than ANYONE"

"The go, tell them," She smiles a bit more truly this time "it is a good time for wishes if ever there was. I am counting on them."

The child is cheered, fooled (?) and rushes off to spread word

And the sidhe lady walks calmly out of the hold, it really is rather small, onto the streets outside the tea shop, and stares at the great billowing smoke of fires distant that threaten to blow into faces and choke them. She gazes over ruined embers of homes that she can see with her naked eye from here. I dare not cry she thinks If I do. I shan't be strong enough to stop

..................................

CC almost drags her love Kraken, he's just not as fast as she is.

"Move, move!" She says as they run.

"Seize them! " A voice, a noble's voice calls out behind them. EBG might take delight in knowing that the outrage was earned. After all, causing a riot to trash a Noble's mortal residence is quite the trick. And all as a distraction to free prisoners

The boggan huffs and puffs, struggling after the satyress; if he had the breath for it, he'd curse his own portly figure but as he -hasn't- the breath for it, he just tries to keep up.

She turns and looks at him, "Okay, handsome..we got about a 30 seconds. Can you bunk up a solution fast? I think there are 2 sidhe and a troll after us...and this neighborhood is pretty fancy but a wee bit open." The gated community, busted wide open. They can see one manor house , NOT the Sidhe's, behind fancy fencing and short stone wall

He gulps air. "Elderform. To bushes. Hide. Plain sight."

"You've got elder form? I don't have elder form..." She says "Got metamorphsis.. I can do that.. but it's a gamble. if we get found we're helpless"

"Haunted Heart. Repulsion." He pants, looking behind them.

Footsteps... "Lift your leg." She says "just one leg"

He does, a little wobbly.

And she twirls and gestures "Don't actually pee" Whatever that means

And suddenly...she's crouching down in front down of him.

glamour flows

"Now?? No time......." he seems baffled.

And the two sidhe and troll come around and... the fuddle works over them.. they hope

William just holds very still.

"See any sign of them?" Oen sidhe asks the troll

"No, just some dog taking a piss on a bush" The troll says

One sidhe pulls out a spyglass and looks at the manor.. "No one there. Mortal or kithain."

"yeah, they're on vacation"

And the guards leave.. ..heading down another street

"Thank god. I thought I'd have to take you to the vet" CC mutters

William puts his leg down. At least he's got some of his breath back. "-Really- Callidora??" He looks up and down the street for additional concerns. "I'll take you to task later. Let's get to our safe house."

"Promises promises" She says then eyes the manor "You know, there's another place they now think we're not at. We could try that"

He frowns. "Instead of the safe house?"

"Safe house sounds so.. safe"

Flushed and still breathing heavily (although not gasping), he gives her an eyebrow. "You want to go to the un-vetted, -supposedly- empty mortal McMansion while the entire Barony still searches for us?"