#scarsdale

"Sometimes I want to strangle Hehe. He has a gift."

The pair wend their way to the playground - the entry to the hollow hill hidden from mortal eyes.

As they do this... they see a female piskie... dancing

It's the Riverdance style, arms tight, legs all action

She quirks a brow. And... with a pen, makes a few marks on her forearm.

There is glamour about the piskie and her expression is one of helplessness

Zara feels a back lash from her attempt overwhelm her. She must dance like 'her kind' , and the dictum was delivered with kith bigotry , and so, Zara must now dance like her kind which must be like the monster Mash, or Thriller!

or some other 'spooky style dance'

She hisses. Dictum,

And even as she contorts in a dance, she fights against the magic.

And to no avail... the circle was cracked, it is sharing the dictum and locking it in

As Zara is carried away into her SPOOKY dance....

Maybe she can make the SPOOKY DANCE a vessel to cast!

It occurs to her that if she uses the dance as a bunk! YES! She might be able to undo this yet

And so she weaves, resentful be resourceful - you cannot bind a sluagh, she will find a way to slip free.

Earl says "Zara? He moves towards her but then nnotices she's stepping away. It's taking effort on his part not to grab her and flicker her flash back with him to Earth Runes

the worse thing for Zara? She feels like she has so little control. She is a marionette

but.. she can pick the dance, then pick a new, then shift

and then.. she breaks free

and the Piskie and Zara both drop like their strings were cut

Hissssssssssssssssss.

With Earl catching Zara before she hits earth "Are you okay?"

"Dictum."

"I hate that asshole" the Piskie says finally able to say and move things as well

"Who did this?"

"Squire Genshaw" She sputers angry "I ..borrowed something. He said I would pay for it with a dance. Oh and he took it back too. I don't mind him taking it back but I can'tt HELP my hands sometimes and.. oh I'm sorry I'm.. Wrennie, like Lennie but with a Wren."

Genshaw? He was a childling when Zara left. Zara didnn't know him well

"There is no need to humiliate."

"I am Zara. Hirim's niece."

"Master Hirim? I know him. You know he has the most interesting threads"

A soft smile. "Aye."

Earl is fussing over Zara still a bit, "So Genshaw just dictums who he wants does he?"

"Yeah, lately the nobles are being dicks, pardon" Wrenie says "Bad enough budget for local things took a hit because of their goofing around in other holds. NOW we've got this jerk zapping me for being a piskie"

"Aye?"

"Yeah, Channcellior Guzela had to send a lot of it off in tribute for carnival violations"

"That... oh, that's a terrible burden..."

"Yup. We're paying for THEIR Mistakes" She scowls "But what can we do? "

"Alas, I know not... how long has this been going on?"

"I don't know really, I don't go to court that often but it's affecting the County now."

She grumbles "It's enough to make you wish you were living in Firnost."

"Firnost is not so bad. But yes."

"None of that would happen at Firnost. But a year ago, it would not have happened here."

"Well, that was then" She says "I owe you. Thank you so much. I don't know how that dictum got you but when you broke free, it broke me free too"

"Magic can be odd, but aye."

"I must needs visit the library, is there anyone else I should avoid for safety?"

"Well, anyone with a title is what I'd say" A humph "Well, almost everyone"

"Almost?"

"Squire Nelson. Wonderful boy.. good kid despite being Eiluned"

Zara nods. "Good to know."