#salmon-duchy-lands-aka-alaska

Dagmar was given something of a tour around the area, and Oak stuck to her like glue. It's a beautiful land , and the Dreaming touches it close. SOme of the chimera here are very different from those back home.

Dagmar is Brekke's vassal - and niece, after a fashion. She learned to love nature. Or, perhaps, she remembered that such places always spoke to her soul.

She's not the only admirer, sitting on a boulder looking over the hills and facing north to the lights that twine about like ribbons of rainbow is a chimerical woman

She clears her throat softly. Not intruding, but making sure the woman can be aware of her presence.

"Please, join me if you like" The woman says kindly "You're Baron Snowmantle's new guest? Or rather, the guest of his latest citizenry?"

"Not exactly a guest. But yeah." She drifts closer, eyes drawn upwards. "They're pretty amazing."

"Have you seen the Aurora Borealis before?" She inquires "I'm born of dreams of it." A smile "I guess that was vain of me. Call me Starmist."

She shakes her head. "Not in Jersey, nah. I'm Dagmar. Nice to meet you, Starmist."

"Nice to meet you, Dagmar," She nods "The Baron spoke of your coming, said you had earned a good reputation with House Gwydion. Did you smack an Ailil around until they were honest?"

She shrugs. "My mentor and liege is pretty famous."

"He wasn't speaking of your mentor, he was talking of you," Starmist turns and gazes into Dagmar "He said you had saved lives more than once, fae lives and were a friend to chimera as well."

Her mouth tugs to the side. "I try to do right."

"You'll understand why the latter interests me," she smiles a bit herself "Enlightened self interest I suppose. Are there really sky wolves in your area that you helped ally with?"

"Oh, sure! A whole pack. Parents and kids. Well, pups I guess."

"At home, we don't allow anyone to hunt sentient chimera."

"Baron Snowmantle protects most of us, there are a few very dangerous exceptions but that's mostly a self defense situation. TO be fair, it was the Nunnehi here that swayed him to adopt that policy, which he fully admits. Have you met them? The local Nunnehi? Dika-Hannah says your Sylvi is a friend."

She shakes her head. "Not yet. And yeah, point - some chimera do require a response, if we can't get them to stop attacking or to get them elsewhere. But that's not, like, the first plan."

"Thank you for that. " Starmist says gazing to the North, "The Sasquatch is nice by the way. Don't confused him with an abominable"

"Is there a thing to look for?"

"Gentle eyes, and the canines aren't as pronounced on a sasquatch. ALso it might sign or even talk. Do you use sign language? The Sasquatch loves it."

"I know a little bit. Sy is better."

'Sy?" She tilts her head, elegantly

She purples slightly. "He probably would give me a face for name dropping. My Oathmate."

"Congratulations , I understand oathmates are rather nice for kithain, and doubly soul for trolls. Is he shy?" She perks a bit

"Private, more like. And yes. Oaths are nice. Like sitting by a good fire."

"A warmth shared, a good metaphor," She nods "Well, I am now, of course, curious about this Sy who does not wish to be name dropped but won you and vice versa"

Starmist smiles as she confesses this urge so contrary.

"He's been my best friend since forever. Just... at some point, we figured out that we loved each other."

A pause. "He figured it out first. He's smarter than me."

"If he was a shy as you say, I wonder if he figured it out first, but you declared it," Starmist considers "That's often how it is but not always. Regardless, who took the first step isn't nearly as important as sharing a path."

A soft smile and she nods.

"We both got there. Worth it." The little bird on her left horn opens its beak, a silent chirrup.

The Chimera seems to see it, and looks fascinated, "I've never seen one like that before. Most Trueheart birds, and I CAN See them, are very different from that. How unique!"

"We're not Truehearts."

"We're... us."

"You have defined yourselves when no others will do it right, that's interesting to me. I have a twin sister you know? She lives far far away and looks South. But I don't know what it is to be that unique because of her. I don't regret it. I just wonder, you know?"

"Must be lonely."

"It can be, that's why I'm grateful some kithain talk to me without expecting much, like you're doing now. Baron Snowmantle is a friend too." SHe ponders "Come to think of it, most nobles I know are Gwydions or Varich, not the two houses get along well here in the Duchy of Salmon."

"Varich are okay. They like nature, too, so they'd like it here."

"But... they don't get along with Gwydion here?"

"Oh, one tried to steal Snowmantle's barony through seduction and trickery" Starmist explains "It got flipped back, but the Varich being slavic believe the dreams of Old Rus and the claims on this land make it rightfully theirs. And other Gwydions got caught off guard when they first arrived. Now the Varich are one of the stronger houses in the Duchy ,but the Gwydion holdouts like this one aren't far behind and work with the Fiona and Eiluned to keep the Winter Sun in check. And, of course, there are some Aesin."

"Aesin don't like commoners."

"They're better than they were, but yes, still very arrogant even by sidhe standards"

The two watch the Northern lights as they talk

(Pause)