#salmon-duchy-lands-aka-alaska

A slight raise of his brows. "I thought maybe they'd have given you more information. Then again, it might just be a casual get together and not a formal event."

Setting his mug aside he moves over to lean against her, with Dagmar sitting and him standing they are of a like height for once. Symon drapes his scrawny arms around her broad shoulders, resting his chin on one so that their cheeks nearly brush.

"I can be a friend."

A soft smile. "The best one "

A chuckle, more felt as cool breath on her cheek than heard. "I hope we don't have to dress up. I didn't bring any court voile."

There was no mention of dress up that Dagmar can recall. Thank goodness.

"Hopefully not." She closes her eyes, content.

They enjoy a few long moments in each other's company. Meanwhile, Symon's mind wanders - he checks his memory, does he know when this ceremony is coming up?

Tomorrow night

He gums at his lip a bit. Realizing that Dagmar may have drifted off, he stealthily extricates himself and looks around the chamber they're in. Was there a library here? Else, maybe I can find a boggan to pump for info. He wonders, realizing that he knows very little about the Nunnehi in general, and the Pu'Gwis in specific.

He can hear all sort of foot steps, and he's sure this place has a library.

Mmm, he goes slinking out looking for a library first. If he asks for info, he'll have to make,... ugh... small talk.

Symon sees a troll first, one of the thanes, but the troll does not see him.

Not yet. He can move past down the hall or ask the thane for directions.

Down the hall he lurks

And he slips by, barely, to come into another hall... ah ha! An open door, a collection of books within. His keen eyes can see the book cases.

Listening outside the door for a moment, is anyone else in there? Before slipping through the door.

Symon starts to step in and then realizes, that there is a fellow sluagh in there. Female crones out number male wizened by a large slice of demographics among the sluagh.

And this is no exception, the old crone is reading through a book slowly.

He pauses, then continues, but halts in the doorway and gives her a polite nod. "Excuse me. Would it bother you if I looked for some information?"

The old woman, looking to be nearing 80 , cranes her head. She is missing a left eye, and the dry socket has webbing in it of the chimerical sort, she stares at him, then seeing he is a sluagh, gives a very slight smile, "The baron's library is not mine to monopolize, but i thank you for asking young man. enter. did you wish the room alone?" She makes as if to rise, her dingy hued gown falling down in worn patches.

He shakes his head and gestures, "No, please. Don't let me disturb your reading." Though, he discretely tries to catch a glimpse of her book, curious.

Interesting, but not the point right now... he scans the shelves, looking for more recent, possibly hand bound packets or journals, about the history or relations of the duchy. Barring that, older books, perhaps even mundane storybooks that might tell the tales of the natives and their local fae.

"I am miss scrabcobble," She nods. And Symon finds first... a LOT Of Westerns. The Baron is a fan. Some Jack London, first edition too. And... yes, he finds a book called 'A Song of Isolation: Pug'wis are we' collected samplings by Dika-Hannah.

He almost gets lost in the books before he remembers his manners, and gives the lady a small bow of his head. "Symon Lee, I'm here as, uh, I guess, part of the King entourage."

"Symon?" She savors his name, "I have heard the name before." Out of her eyesocket, a chimerical spider comes out, and whispers in her ear, "Oh, of course, thank you, Terminus. The Denier, an honor, young man." Symon notices Terminjus looks very similar to the clock spider that hangs out with Zara at times.

Symon inclines his head more deeply this time, voice dry but edged with respect.

"I am certain that a crone of such gloriously advanced years has stories far more numerous and worthy than mine—only, she has had the good sense to keep them out of the limelight."

He offers the faintest, crooked smile. "Which I admit, I envy at times."

He admires the spider as well before asking, "Do you think it would be okay if I borrowed this volume?" A fingertip resting on the spine of the book by Dika-Hannah

A chuckle from her, rusty , "of course, much like the children's poem, you are simple simon, no need to make...a fuss over any of us for outsiders mmm? And, I am sure Dika-Hanna would be honored you took interest. Fascinating tribe. Lonely and forlorn, even their own kinain don't understand them ... lovely voices, but they'll lower the volume if one asks. There are many nearby. Were it not for them, the Baron would have lost to the damnable Varich. Pardon my language."

"I’ve heard Dika-Hannah’s name before, from a mutual acquaintance. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting any Pu’gwis myself—not yet."

His fingertip lingers on the spine, then draws back for a moment at the mention of the sluagh-hating House.

"And no apologies needed. The Varich are, on the whole, quite thoroughly damnable."

A pause. "Though I suppose some would say the same of me."

"Ah, but you 'punch up' if that is the term? They have ever pushed down." A hurmph

A small smile. "Well, I do what I can. It helps to have the Strength to do the punching." Not realizing that a warmth has crept into his voice, and a rather unbecoming flush to his cheeks that should be properly grey.

She makes no notice, or at least , pretends she does nto notice any excess warmth so not to offend, "it does. Baron Snowmantle is kind enough to provide shelter to all sluagh who might otherwise be in Varich holds. it shows a sense of the man that he sees what valued allies we can be."

"A kind gesture, to be certain." He agrees. He pulls out the book and is about to start reading when he pauses, "Would you care for a cup of tea? I can probably flag down one of the stewards, or find my way to the kitchen." He does know the proper forms of etiquette, even if he's bad at them

"i would welcome that, we need not make it a high tea, but, yes a cup would be welcome. Join me in one or no, young gent."

(And they soon are having a cup of a tea and a book read as needed)