#scarsdale

And Zara emerges, a lace shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

Nanos waits patiently "Lovely. Please, lead on"

"Aye. Try to keep up." She whisks down the street, towards the darkened playground that leads to the rath.

The sidhe keeps up well, long strides

Behind the swingset, a secret door into the hill...

And in he goes after " I thank you for this.."

"Indeed. I am feeling generous tonight."

She avoids the hold proper, and goes for the woods. Days from October, the fog gathers thickly in the trees - a season of horsemen, of ghostly chimera and unnerving spirits.

Nanos neither lets it distract him, but nor does he fail to stay aware of his surroundings

She leads him on a twisting path - with her pale hair and gray voile, she could be one with the mist.

Weaponless or not, he makes his way

Surely the sluagh is not choosing the most turning, circuitous path.... but it would take a very skilled navigator to retrace their steps.

"Perhaps bread crumbs would have been wise.." he mutters with some grim amusement

"Poor choice. Many birds in these woods."

"Well, at least I would make friends" Wryly

"Mayhaps."

"At the risk of sounding like a petulant childling, is it much further?"

"No."

"Capital" He says

She's coming close to where Earl might be waiting, if she wants

"Earl?" A whisper on the autumn breeze.

"Here..." Sheithing his sword Earl comes out

Zara dips in a bow, hand to her chest.

"Thank you, Miss Zara" earl says as if more to an aquaintance in good standing than a love. WHich maybe what she hoped.

"I leave you now."

"Sir Earl DeBuke." Nanos inclines his head, "You have recently come upon a book. I appreciate you finding it...but it was stolen. As the servant of the rightful owners, I am prepared to compensate you"

"Thank you, Miss Zara" Earl says/Nanos says "Likewise"

Zara retreats from sight, fading into the mist.

"Well," earl says, "We're alone now. And you know this is no ordinary book, and whoever owned it before, I am reluctant to share it with you."

"Share?" Nanos says "Sir, oen does not share a lost golden ring found by a stranger"

"I am prepared to pay you . You are successful artist, but success in art is ...moderate i n fortune. Perhaps something sizable enough to allow you to buy yourself a residence, even in scarsdale. Since you have made friends here."

"have I?" a raised brow "no. no thank you. And this is older than you. "

"Not as old as my lords, and I remind you sidhe, at least Arcadian sidhe, are the same souls. Heritage sir"

"Please, I know enough of magic to know that sidhe , even autumn sidhe, are echoes of the songs they were. No shame in that, the mortal world weighs us all, but no. This treasure , if ever owned by a lord, even, on the one in a thousand chance YOUR lords.... was abandoned more than once. One does not leave a sword on the battlefield they flee and then feign outrage when a century later it is on someone else's mantle." Earl says

Nanos sighs "You will not turn over the atlas then?"

"No."

"We already know of your family farm, sir. We do not have designs of it. Indeed, the world knows" Nanos says "more or less. It's a bit too late to catch the chickens when the barn door is open."

Earl smirks "Now I know your'e not a farmer, you mangled that saying badly. And you act like my family's hold being safe gives a right to endanger any others. No."

In the shadows, pale fingers work a pattern - weaving smoke, holding it in tension.

"I won't abuse it, I can give my word on that" He says

"Not good enough I fear," The sidhe sighs and holds up a seal of solomon "Power the Shining, this troll I am bi..." Glamour building

And.. she yanks. "Should not have broken thy word. No compulsion. Liar."

And... like tugging on a thread, his fate is burred, a foul twist of luck...

Zara was prepared, and her glamour the quicker.

Mists writhe, the air sighs... and a mighty witch hazel tree drops it's rotting limb right on the sidhe's head, knocking him out cold and the seal falls from his hand

A soft tut. "He should have listened to my terms." Zara emerges, and uses the shawl to pick up the seal.

It gleams with power, no mere bunk item this. It is a true seal of solomon! Hebrew words enscribed. This does not seem the sort of thing the mostly celtic sidhe would carry

Earl smiles and moves to her, "My heroine"

She reads the inscription, brows furrowed. "What book, Earl?"

"THis one" He pulls out an Atlas