#odyssey

Ruzgarla walks side by side with the thane as he leads them to the castle. "To the side," he suggests. In front of the beautiful hold, there is a gathering of mostly commoners protesting , not a riot, or even a mob, but a protest. Holding up chimerical signs that say 'Do your job and protect us! ' 'Fix this!' 'Does the Duke Care? Survey says NOT!'

Zara arches an eyebrow. ("Interesting." in only slightly accented trollish)

The Thane looks a bit startled that a sluagh knows trolls THAT well, but answers "THe Duke is not a tyrant, people have the right to address grievances and concerns"

Zara can see August is troubled by the protest, but others might not notice the expression covered in a mask of courtly demeanor.

Clammy fingertips touch the back of his hand, reassuring.

They enter through a side door, a kitchen full of smells and delights

"Thane Teegan?" A boggan carrying freshbread loaves looks up "Oh, trying to avoid the crowds are you?"

August takes in the scene, the environment, without seeming to; he's accustomed to being observant subtlety in a courtly situation.

Zara is also quietly observant, balanced between trying to scan in all of the details of the situation, and keep a protective aura over Tzip and August.

August actually blends more easily than Zara, for she is getting the oddest looks from the boggans in the throng.

"Yes, this woman is a librarian as well as a sluagh. I thought sparing her the noise would be wise. given a sluagh's delicate hearing"

"Well, don't take too long then, Thane. This kitchen gets.. mighty noisy"

(Perception plus Alertness for any and all)

/roll 4

/roll 7

August hears "zara" said more than once.

For Zara, it is a nightmare .. and not a pleasant WHOLESOME nightmare no, the boggans here are gossiping about her using her name .

"they said she'd come here... " "Is she really the cause of all this?" "are we sure it's her?" "Fits the description" are some of the things she hears along with "Heard she's a Fiona Noble's secret agent" "I hear she her true heart is some troll she's beguiled" "Beguiled with what? She has no hips"

(The above is heard only by Zara, the others hear.. less)

August's face is a smooth, unemotional blank; well-practiced.

Tziporah doesn't hear much, but she hears enough to try to distract folkss from her sister "Yes, Thane, we're blocking these people from their work. It all does smell so wonderful though, we should move fast lest my stomach rumble"

Zara's eyes narrow, and she GLARES at the boggans.

They scurry like rodents in the path of a cat

oh to their jobs to be sure.

The Thane says "My apologies. I''ll guide you through"

And he does.

Well, if her cover is blown - or at least, any attempt at subtlety....

August gestures the ladies to follow the Thane so he can take the rear post and make sure they're not followed.

Oh, LET them gossip. It is a subtle shift, but it's there - Ruz might not have seen it before, but Tziporah and August likely have. A proud cant of her head, a set shoulder. The Witch of the River. The Ghost of Many Names. The Librarian. Ruz had seen a soft-hearted mouse... but this, no. This is not a mouse.

Indeed, the elder Eshu arches a brow. Clearly, this was a twist she did not expect to their story. Zara has been outted somehow. SHe has not been downed.

And out they go into the halls. The hold here is a wonder of archeciture and beauty

And, it is good to escape the whispers of the boggans

Tziporah whispers to her sister (though August can hear) "I slipped once how do they know?"

"Boggans. But there might be more, aye."

"We shall see if the Duke is available. Wait here, please" He says, leading them before a set of doors, "It should not be long."

August is accustomed to waiting in such cases.

Zara is coiled like a cobra, alert, hooded eyes. Dangerous.

The troll goes in quickly, leaving little time to peek through.

Between the sidhe and the eshu and the witch, who would notice a tiny spider following?

And this works well, the spider slips in, and ... the thane is in the outter hall of some greater chamber when... (PMing)

A paper airplane flies by and smacks August in the head

"We must go. Now."

August is hit, ducks away, and turns, on guard and ready for an attack; hand on hilt.

"August - they think me the culprit."

The paper airplane heads to the ground. Harmlessly

"Mayhaps you can plead and search, but I must go, at least."

There might be wrtiting on it

Footsteps approaching the doors the thane went through