#elsewhere

They close in as they drive, "Veiled as we go in?"'

Zara nods. She wears a grim look, her mouth tight. Earl has seen it before - not often, not lately.

"We'll save them love. We shall be okay"

"This is Varich and Balor, aye?"

"There may be Iron."

There. That is a reasonable concern. That's why her slender fingers knot together. Zara the River, Zara the Witch, Zara the Namer.

Sluagh cause fear, sluagh are not fearful.

"Do you ... want me to do this?"

He is concerned "I am your knight"

"We need to do this."

"Pray, forgive, I planned this not well."

She reaches over, fingertips grazing the scar at the base of one of his horns.

"I ..." he tilts his head to let her touch it "We do not know Balor are there, love. But whoever is there, we'll save your sluagh friends. Also, Shirly is sure to call Clem to complain, we will have back up eventually, a rescue squad. I bet August and Coradel would rush to us as well if we get captured. "

it's meant to be reassurin

"I gave Velvet the compass, aye..." She frowns.

"I should have placed thy hair inside, not mine. They have thine."

He slows the van, and puts a finger to her lips, "And Emmit sained me. He could find me if I were a thousand miles away underground wrappeed in tinfoil"

then he kisses her, gently

Zara has her eyes closed, forehead resting against Earl even after the kiss ends.

"Aye. Aye. So we veil, and sneak in. Portal passage if need be..."

"Enough dross, mayhaps, to flicker-flash the prisoners out? I wish not to be here longer than we must."

"Dross I have" He says, "About 3 good chunks. Let me give you one, or two?"

"I have dross, but no wayfare." A deep breath.

"I see.. just one then"

"Nay. Most of my magic needs little glamour. You need it."

"But you enchanted Shirly" he puts a bat claw with a rigor mortis grip in her hand "So you get at least one"

A stubborn look

"Feh."

Feh or not, it's in her hand. And he says "Portal passage I have. Safe bet they'll have sovereign wards up?"

"Aye, very safe bet. I can try to unweave..."

He notices the woods thicker off road, "Okay, park and get off here?"

Zara nods again. The dros is tucked away in a pocket.

he strokes her hair and then... they get out of the van

the area smacks of a hold so mewhere near here, the trees seem more alive, even in winter

She mislikes these woods and she remembers that the Varich often have dreams of nature at their side. Inamiae... one of these trees maybe a Kubera

Zara whispers. "I am she of the River, I am friend of the fields. I do not seek to harm your friends, though they would seek to harm me. Shake thy leaves, listen to the wind - Miss Evergreen is not so far away. Be peaceable, noble dryad."

Earl looks up realizing what she means

voice carries through the leaves "You speak a sister's name, but why would I betray the masters even for her sake?" it's hard to tell which tree is the source

"I ask not betrayal. I beg... stillness, aye?"

"Is not stillness a virtue, too, of the slow empires?"

"Roots of loyalty run deep... inaction can be betrayal"

"Can. Not must."

"I wish to rescue my cousins from harm. That is all."

"Save the blacksun too and we will be still..."

"The black sun?"

"Tell me more, aye. That I may know, and act."

"Even spokes of the sun may bend from the source, and one was misjudged.. wanted no part in the hunt. threatened to reveal to others...a blacksun on gold... no love for whisperers, but who has what would be considered honor even to enemies... now, that one is contained too"

"...Ah. Yes. I understand. Rescue is a right. I shall help them." And they shall owe me.

"were it not for the fact one master is pitted against another... I would not be blind to you. " the leaves shake in warning "I am no friend to you. Only the name of Miss Evergreen caught my ear. "

"I understand, gracious dryad. You are not my friend - but know this: I am not your enemy."