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• Cerin arrives home quite late that day, having risen before Zahara awoke and spent some time both in his study and in her library before he left the cascade. On his return, he starts to prowl the corridoors for Zahara, radiating a desire to see her through the Unity.
• Zahara returns a feeling of being busy as always, and desire to see him as well. It's become a feeling Cerin knows all too well, as the time for action draws ever closer.
• Cerin makes his way up to the workshop, quieting down as he approaches there, though he does take care to take one noisey footstep before he kisses the back of her neck..
• Zahara smiles as she hears the one footstep, setting her tools down for the moment and turning to greet him properly after that kiss. "Welcome back, Love. How was your trip?"

<Cerin> "Not as informative as I hoped for the reason I made it, though informative none the less."

<Zahara> "I hope you don't mind if I continue working while we talk?" She shakes her fingers a little, and picks up her tools once more. "So little time, you know. What is it that you learned?"

<Cerin> "You should take a break you know ... we should have lunch in one of the sun rooms. I know we don't have much time but you need a break."

• Zahara frowns, "But they're *coming,* and I don't know if my sorcery will be enough to keep them out until then."

<Cerin> "I know. But your hands are hurting, you haven't eaten and it's way past lunch time."

<Zahara> "Is it? What time is it?" she sucks on a finger absently. "I'm almost tempted to ask Marku to help with the artifacts."

<Cerin> "It's past three. And you should. He is good with his hands and with artifacts."

• Zahara sighs and rubs her hair back from her face. Her ponytail is fraying a bit at the edges, leaving tendrils of loose hair framing her face. "Maybe I will.. if I give him a good plan, he should be able to follow it easily." she smiles slightly. "I will do that. And I'll take lunch with you, too."
• Cerin smiles "Good." he reaches his hand out for hers.
• Zahara accepts it and rises, allowing him to lead the way back
• Cerin leads her down to the sun room, telling a passing servant to bring them some lunch. When he reaches the room, he holds the door.
• Zahara thanks him and enters, making herself comfortable inside.
• Cerin chooses to lie himself out on the couch, his head in her lap.
• Zahara leans back, loosely running her fingers through his hair, and relaxing a bit. "Your hair feels much nicer than that diamond-edged awl."
• Cerin smiles softly up at her does, laughing "That is a relief to hear..."

<Zahara> "So, you must tell me about your trip."

<Cerin> "I went to the realm of the Flowers, to see Herons or visit his library. He was waiting outside, and didn't seem especially suprised to see me."

<Zahara> "Ahh, Herons. He is an enigma, that one. But still, his plays for power are interesting."

<Cerin> "If you say so ... he did not seem overly concerned by the invasion, and could shed no light on Lai's location, nor those of the three central gods in the conspiracy against us.."

<Zahara> "Maybe we should set some of the gods on HIS tail. That might get us some help."

<Cerin> "I imagine it would. I imagine some might be on his tail anyway. The Lily knows of their existance. The realm was rather quiet in fact ... perhaps they have evacuated some people. I did not think to ask Herons.."

• Zahara nods thoughtfully. "Well it wouldn't be unusual, I suppose. And it would be slightly gratifying. Perhaps you can ask him another time."

<Cerin> "I will, I'm sure." Lunch arrives borne on a tray by one of the manse's servents.

• Zahara inspects the lunch thoughtfully, before selecting a small morsel to feed to Cerin. Once the servants leave, she asks, "You said, though, that you did learn something interesting..."
• Cerin nods "There is, or used to be, more than one faction of the flowers. It was a different faction that gifted this ring to Ymir. Herons did not seem grieved by their loss or splitting."

<Zahara> "More than one faction? does the other still exist?

<Cerin> "I'm not sure. Herons said they had 'Depated' and did not elaborate further."

<Zahara> "Sometimes I'd like to break that man."

<Cerin> "Mmmm. But anyway, I thought that quite useful."

<Zahara> "Find out what he *really* knows."

<Cerin> "Soon, I will be able to ask him, and he will answer. Fully."

<Zahara> "Will he now?"

<Cerin> "It is a technique I could develop."

<Zahara> "Hmm that would be useful indeed."

<Cerin> "I thought so. I can do it on a limited basis now already, but..."

<Zahara> "But soon you will be able to do more."

<Cerin> "Perhaps. Though I'm considering developing further techniques for stealth. Ones that could hide me even from someone as perceptive as me."

<Zahara> "Hmmm that would be frightening. I might lose you!"

• Cerin grins, then makes a flicking gesture with his fingers to distract her towards the ceiling.
• Zahara follows his fingers with her gaze briefly

<Cerin> when you look down, Cerin is gone. You can't even feel his weight on your lap.

• Zahara blinks.
• Cerin appears back on her lap a few moments later. He has in his hand one of the flowers from the vase across the room.
• Zahara chuckles lightly, "and you say you need to develop your skills FURTHER?"
• Cerin grins, but then nods "It wouldn't have worked on you, but you're so strung out right now."

<Zahara> "I guess I am a little distracted..." she strokes the petals of the flower lightly. "But it's hard not to be. I have so much to do, and... I cannot show weakness to the others. That just wouldn't do."

<Cerin> "Mmmm, I know that." he smiles up at her, "I guess I'll just have to be subtle when I make you rest."

<Zahara> "MAKE me rest?" she asks archly. "How do you plan to do THAT feat?"

<Cerin> "Well, I considered sporifics..."

<Zahara> "Those would not work, of course."

<Cerin> "Not unless I ate the sesseljae first." he says with a grin.

<Zahara> "If you did, you'd better not let me wake up!" she pokes at him

• Cerin makes very vague protesting sounds

<Cerin> "But failing that, I though I might creep up behind you, kidnap you and take you away to a desert island somewhere in the west some day soon."

<Zahara> "Only if you could stop time, dear. I couldn't forgive myself if taking time from what needs to be done for my own relaxation means that we do not prevail in the upcoming fight."

<Cerin> "Mmm. You're right, of course."

<Zahara> "Of course I am. I'm always right." she smiles slightly.

• Cerin raises an eyebrow, but doesn't actually say anything.

<Cerin> "I don't think I actually got round to telling you what the ring does, did I?"

<Zahara> "No, I've barely seen it, really." she holds out her hand, palm up.

• Cerin slips the ring off his finger and reaches back, placing it on her palm
• Zahara holds it up to the light, inspecting it curiously, "It's quite an interesting ring, you got it from Herons?"
• Cerin nods "It was with some things I... Ymir left, after the murder."

<Zahara> "Ah, so it was yours originally, and not a gift from the star-blessed."

<Cerin> "No, it was a gift from them, just a gift Ymir had worn a long time before I-..she left the ring with Herons and the other star-blessed with him."

<Zahara> "Ah, I see. What does it do?"

<Cerin> "Something." he sighs "Apparently Herons does not know, it was not his faction of the star-blessed that gifted it to me, merely that when a particular constellation is in the sky ... something will happen. Something big."

• Zahara rubs her forehead, "Another mystery, and we do not even know if this one will prove to be fatal. Fantastic."

<Cerin> "I don't think this will be a problem, from what I ...feel wearing it, Ymir was comfortable with it. I do not think she would feel that if it were a threat."

<Zahara> "Ah, well, I suppose that is a good thing, so long as the ring was not what turned Ymir against Talmuda, or something silly like that."

<Cerin> "That would not be good. I plan to spend some time working out just when it will trigger, anyway."

<Zahara> "That sounds like an excellent idea."

<Cerin> "And so anyway, that is what the ring does."

<Zahara> "Well, I'm sure we can narrow down its precise function sometime.

<Cerin> "When it triggers, I think, unless we can find one of the star-blessed more willing to talk."

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Tags: (:tags Herons, Starmetal Ring :) < The Test Completed | Sol Invictus Logs | The Test's Aftermath >