#rescuemiriam

The candle goes out. Glamour flows.

The Namer sluagh's face twists under the cowl, pursing. And another candle , no bigger than the first, is lit, and presented before Sir Magnus "Sir Magnus, blow out the candle."

August bows his head in defeat.

And Magnus blows

OOC: Somewhere an Ailil snickers

BIC: Another lick of glamour and, Magnus stares at him amazed, "I felt it you.. just sained half my name by having me blow out a candle. No more than that. Normally such magics , so advanced, take quite ornate bunks."

The Candlemaker smiles thinly "I am not just any namer, Sir Magnus. I am one of the three. I am the candlestick maker. I create shadows with light and light with shadows. I have breathed wax and pooled breath into wax. i have dipped souls onto strings and reformed them faster than most men could change clothes. i paid a price when I was young, became much more fluid myself, but I recognize only two equals."

Zara nods, eyes wide.

"...oh..." A flash of something in her eyes, filed away.

She takes those two used candles and puts them away and draws out a candle that appears to have an owl on it "Owls mean many things to many cultures. Wisdom to many, death to some. This has elements of both. Every night, she may ask of it one question and it will share a wisdom from another point of view she should consider. As long as it lasts. Also, should she be struck while it is lit, the Candle will take the blow instead. Though that will destroy it early."

"That's..doubly handy," Earl admits, "She'll have to ration it, but it will help her no doubt" Assuring August

August nods and takes the candles as offered, wrapping them carefully and putting them in his backpack.

The candlemker's gaze falls on Zara at something, and a smile crosses her /his face, more resigned than offended.

"Uhm, great, so what's this one do?" Tiffany holds up the one she took as the third candle.

The namer smiles, "The candle was a bonus, knowledge costs. What would you be willing to give for that knowledge?"

Tiffany searches through her backpack, not finding anything right of, "hmm uhm sure I left something somewhere "

A faint sniff as the pooka stumbles, arms folded.

Finally, the pooka thinks of something, and she approaches the candlemaker and gives the Master Namer... a HUG

Underneath the cowl, eyes go very wide

.... as do August's....

Earl mutters "Oh she's gonna get renamed into a potted plant, isn't she?" Worried

Magnus realizes he should move to the rescue of someone here (Possibly both of them) but he's too busy trying hard not to laugh

"Mayhaps, mayhaps not..."

"that will be all, miss pooka." And the candlemaker squirms out "Please." Then a sigh " the candle allows a change of seeming while it burns. For the younger. Grumps can become wilders, or if they set it on a double burn time, childlings. When the candle runs out, they revert to their true ages, but it is TRUE changing. The Gail undone, just for a short time. Obviously it does not work on childlings. They would vanish."

Tiffany looks demure "I suspected as much, thank you great and thunderous one."

Magnus gives low whistle

"...Hunh."

"If there is nothing else?" the candlestick maker says

"A million questions, actually," Magnus says looking at the grey candle again.

"Master.... if I inadvertently offered any offense, I hope you will accept my apologies. I sought only to understand the rules in a strange circumstance. I'm sorry."

"Oh, that I could study here..."

"I was thinking the same," Magnus admits.

The Candlestick maker looks over at August and lays a slender hand on his shoulder, "You did vex but i have noticed not ever kith has a sluagh's understanding of subtlety, of inference and implication properly applied. All masters of their craft have much of themselves, their ego, invested in that craft. it is no different for me so i am as prone to bouts of temperment as any over it even if no sleight was implied. Take your two treasures well earned for all your hard ships and put them to use. You will remember what they do. Do not return here for more candles for roughly a year though. Our deals are best parceled out. Assuming you ever want to return at all."

And to zara and Magnus "I would have to confer with the others. We share our students you see. To learn from one is to learn from all three. We have only taken five students in the last hundred years as the Autumn World knows time. "

She nods. "And that student would have to be extraordinary, aye..."

"Yes. The five were each exceptional in their own way. The Wildheart, the Loyal Traitor, the Sad Dancer, the Fool who Broke Kings, and ...ah, but I grow maudlin. Fear not, zara, your mentor I am sure will bring you to mastery in time, and then, when the time comes to surpass mastery? who knows. I will send you all home now. "

Zara nods, contemplative.

August bows, low, to the Master Candlestick Maker.

"Send us all home? But we're in the deepest part of the Dreaming, we'll have to..." Earl starts to say. Then the Candlemaker blows out the grey candle and..Poof

They are in the Gardens of Firnost, near the stump. Memories fading , leaving them like rats scattering from light

Zara closes her eyes, grasping, trying to hold on to as much as she can.

Earl hands her a sheet of paper and a pen. He DID come prepared for a lot

She starts scribbling, jotting down bullet points.

August likewise reaches for his pad and paper, writing frantically.

Magnus joins the crowd.

Tiffany blinks at the sudden scribbling by everyone but her. "Sucks being the action grrl in a group full of librarians"

"Librarians are awesome. You should watch the tv show..."

August drives his fingers through his hair, digging for memories.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon...." his pen taps against the paper.

"...Golnaz."