#odyssey

The winding perks Citrine back up, and soon she is flitting about, exploring again.

"I wish I could have tried that cake." Art comments, then sniffs the air. "That smells... pretty good!" He tries not to sound surprised.

"I just mean - seeing them raw, they didn't look like food, you know? Cooking - it's kinda a magic of it's own, turning things into something new and amazing. And baking is a science." Both of which are strange and unknown to him.

"Baking is an art AND a science. Like pottery."

"Thanks" A smile "I learned a few things from mom"

Thistle's brain tickles with ideas of vials and beakers, steaming reagents and precious powders...

"Mmm..." A distracted look as her thoughts pursue those ideas, a hound after a hare.

Indeed, her stone skin means she can handle hot pans a bit longer than most if need be.

"Hey, Gwen? Thistle told me about how she saw this treasure of Sergeant Danica's... and it somehow stirred a remembrance of her own arts from lifetimes past. Did you ever have a feeling like that?" Thoughtful.

"Well, a lot of the 'vibes' I got of what i should know? I learned once were legit once I was sained. My strongest past life was the most recent. The troll I was before also was a kennel mistress. That's how I earned a knighthood. she did it for me. Weird huh? At least I think so. SHe knew mom. Now saining really stirred that vision, but I did have flashes of older stuff... my spear for example.. I recall a life where I was hunting for my tribe and called forth rain to flush game out. I mean, I don't think I was a nunnehi, still a troll but it was different. Very... symbolic. Some times itr's hard to tell how legit a dream is when it comes to a past life. " She blushes "In one dream, I remember holding a sign, locked arm in arm with some others.... it was a strike. I think in the Dream I was part of a union? Was it just a dream or an actual past life event? I don't know"

He listens, realizing that for all that he's known Gwen for a year, he doesn't know her all that well yet. "When the Namer started working her magic? It felt... compelling." He says, tentatively. "I am not sure if it was just my own desire for my own name... or that it was a Sidhe working magic, or that magic was being worked at all that I wanted to know about... but something felt..." He struggles for the words. "It called to me, in a way. A resonation."

"Maybe you were a Namer in a past life? If so.. yikes. That's a HEAVY responsbility. You can't be impulsive with that magic. The Cystal Circle will hunt your ass down if others don't." A consideration "Then again, it could be it did stir a past life. It's harder for you, Arthur. If you had a vision of a past life, before the shattering, you might muddle it with a glimpse of the future"

"I'm good at Muddlings things, yes." He says.

"You're also good at saving our asses or warning us." Remembering Thanksgiving always "Without you, the hold would have lost the puppies. Without you distracting Thalian, we might have lost someone. Arthur, I don't know who you'll be when you're sained, but you're pretty impressive now" She admits

"Well, Naming's a sidhe art, and you're a sidhe."

"No reason you can't study it."

"And oh, in case you think your visions are ALL you give, you also can navigate and tell us where the heck we are" A grin

"That's right! I think we're not actually that far from Montserrat. ...by the way, I'm not quite sure how we got here. Did the dreaming just... take us?"

"I think we got flicker flashed but I'm not sure"

"Probably flicker flashed? I mean, land would have been preferable..."

"Course, I don't know how flicker flash works exactly, thought you had to be there?"

"I remember Wayfare, but not exactly?"

"Like, I am sure I used to be able to flicker flash, but I don't think I can do it now."

"You do. At least, that's what all the tomes and guides I've read on Wayfare state. But it is also said that if a cantrip goes awry, one may be dropped, well, anywhere."

"Did you mean to build a flicker-flash ability into Citrine when you rebuilt her? Or is that... something she learned on her own?

"Maybe some part of that past life knowledge went into her re crafting?" A look to Thistle "If so, Thistle you had a past life where you were hot shit"

"I don't know how that happened..."

"Well, she is..." Art considers, then says, "Unique. Special. Herself. She's not just a Never anymore. She's Citrine."

"Well, she's amazing. And when we get home we need to remember to buy her some pop rocks"

"Oh yes, all the candy."

"There were a couple of these..." Art offers the battered Clif bars he found, protein and nuts coated in chocolate.

"I will have fish, if she wants my portion. She might need the sugar."

"Like hummingbirds, they need lots of energy to keep up."

"Well the fish is done, not fancy, but done" She is proud of the work actually

"Let's eat, then! And then, we can set sail!"

Chime! Citrine heard her name, and is already pulling at the wrappers.

"Dumbass." With a lopsided half-smile, and she opens up the treats for the chimera.

And Fish and Chimera treats are on the menu

“I still don't quite understand the engine. The diesel tank says it's empty, but it's pulling salt water?” He considers. “I'm no mechanic, but… that shouldn't work.” He grins to Thistle.

"Maybe it's dougal work?"

“I think it's Thistlework.”

“Dougals can create, sure, but Nockers INVENT.”

A smirk "You might be inclined towards bias"

He grins. “I don't think I am a Dougal, no. All respect to Baron Hewitt.”

"I think the Chief, he's a decent guy. Course if he ever brains Linnae's heart I'll make him regret it, but otherwise, good joe. " A look at him "You MIGHT be Hinterlands"

“What's that?” Curious.

"Oh don't me wrong I don't think you're Dougal either ,but Wudlig was telling me about them... I was talking about Rovers being the good guys on the trods and he told me they weren't alone... It's a Dougal group: The members of the Hinterlands Project attempts to map every trod that connects Earth to the Dreaming. It's secondary purpose is to reactivate old trods and create new ones in the Dreaming."

"I could see you maybe on THAT One, not sure"

Definitely interested! “I’ll look into that! Even if I'm not related, it is a valiant effort and one worth supporting.”

"Ask Wudlig, he just gave me a sum up is all" A nod

"Lots of bannerhouses - Wudlig's is Ailil and Dougal."

"Dougal but sponsored by Ailil I think but yeah, pretty much a mix. " SHe ponders "I really don't know many other Bannerhouses"

"There's your friend, the pale one?"