[Smooglenuff Manor] Ice, Ice, Baby.

[Zana]

17th Cylus, 722

The icy wind blew against the skin of her face, causing a flush of red to tinge her cheeks. Zana didn't dislike it, it was her father's embrace after all, but she abhorred the idea of having a red nose or ruddy complexion so she pulled the scarf higher around her face. Still, the threat of such a calamity did not deter her, and Zana continued to walk across the ice-covered ground, the thick heel of her boots crushing all beneath them.

This was not, in her mind, tromping outside in the cold weather. This was the sort of weather for fur rugs, roaring fires and the arms of a lover. Maybe a hot chocolate with just a touch of alcohol. But, that was not what Zana was doing ~ she was not luxuriating on said fur rug in front of said fire ~ she was making her way towards the Smooglenuff stables. The reason for this was simple; Zeke (her dragonling). The ice storm of the trial before was on her mind, and she wanted to make sure that Zeke's needs were taken care of should there be another storm like this one.

In fairness, Zana considered, being on Faldrass meant that 'storm' was relative. There was the volcano which meant that everywhere was warm - warmer than normal, anyhow. There was also the orange sand which kept the place warm, too. So, all in all there was not a major issue, but there had been a cold storm, and it was up to her to make sure that Zeke was alright. So, the brown leather boots which came up to above her knee crunched against the ice. Those boots were mostly hidden by the long brown skirt she wore. Her cream blouse and cream openweave sweater were tightly belted, accentuating her slender waist and curves. A warm cloak covered her shoulders and Zana's ice blue eyes gazed at the stables in front of her.

There were people inside. Little people, the kind that she needed to get on side here. That Zana was superior to the stable workers in every way was not in any doubt in her mind - the thought did not even cross her mind - but the reality was that they had skills she did not and so, she needed them right now. Ever the pragmatist, she had decided on a charm offensive. So, with Zacchary (the small golden dragonet) on her shoulder and her eyes peeping out over her scarf, Zana Delroth made her way over to the stables. Glancing up she saw that Zeke was circling overhead, his golden form glinting in even the slighted light and she smiled at the sight of him.

As she entered the stables area, there were people. She didn't know who they were, so she gave her best beaming smile and asked, "Hello, I'm Zana Delroth. I wonder if you could point me to someone who I can speak to regarding my Dragonling, Zeke, and how we deal with storms and bad weather for him?" And then, clasping gloved hands together, she waited expectantly.

And somehow it was very clear that she didn't expect to wait long.

Some of them want to use you, Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you, Some of them want to be abused.

[Darius Baer]

Arc 722, 14th of Cylus

Darius landed on the ground with a solid thud.

Despite being FireForged, and even with the warm soil of Faldrass lying somewhere beneath the surface, he felt the cold of the snow as it broke his fall. He groaned as the wind left his lungs, aware that he might feel bruises later.

Nearby, his scalvwing snorted, visible plumes of breath escaping its nostrils and dissipating in the Cylus gloom. Darius tried to convince himself that the steed's grunts were not intentionally derisive. He climbed back to his feet and brushed down his coat, his gloves sweeping clumps of snow from his clothing. The scalvwing watched as he rose, its gaze unflinching as he approached it once more, but he was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Y'need to earn its trust, m'lord," came the breathless instruction.

Darius turned to see a young stable boy, wrapped up in a thick, fur-lined coat and with a thick crop of dark brown hair that clung to his temples as he stood in the Cylus mist. He was panting after his run in the cold, his breaths visible, and his cheeks pink. Darius hoped he wasn't being derisive, either.

"What was that, lad?" Darius asked.

"A scalvwing is like a horse, m'lord. If it don't trust you, it'll throw you."

Darius' eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the stable boy. Absent-mindedly, he rubbed his arm that had felt the brunt of his fall. If he wasn't FireForged, he might have expected more than just a bruiseReforged..

"Is that why you ran out here?" he asked. "To see me get thrown again?"

The boy immediately shook his head.

"No, m'lord. I came here to tell you we have a visitor, back at the stables. She seems important."

Darius looked back towards the stables, and from this distance he could see a creature circling in the sky. Perhaps, one trial, he could reach similar heights.

"Very well," Darius nodded, then looked to his steed. "I'll see to the visitor, and you can see to the scalvwing."



Darius entered the stables, brushing off a few small patches of snow as he entered the warm building. A few paces behind him, the stable boy followed, leading the scalvwing by its reigns.

It took the baron next to no time to find their visitor. All he had to do was follow the bewitched gazes of the other stable boys. They too had pink cheeks, too, and appeared to be dumbstruck. They had barely moved since Zana had arrived.

He could understand their youthful reactions. The blonde visitor was unquestionably beautiful.

"Councillor Delroth," he greeted Zana with an outstretched hand and a warm smile. Welcome to Smooglenuff Manor. Baron Thorn said you would be coming. How was your journey?"

He paused briefly, then pointed upwards, as if he could see through the roof of the stables.

"That is your dragonling I saw outside, I take it?"

[Zana]

17th Cylus, 722

Well, Zana thought as she turned and there was the chap from the Council Meeting which Zana had recently attended and, during which, she had been made the Council Member for Foreign Affairs on Scalvoris. Darius Baer, or - as she had pointed out - Baron Baer. He smiled and recognised her -frankly he would have to be challenged to the extent that he was unable to breathe without assistance if he was able to forget her - and he offered his hand. "Why, Baron Baer, I do believe that you're a very formal fellow," she smiled at him with a winning smile and then added, in a conspiratorial manner "What say we throw caution and propriety to the wind simultaneously and dare to assume a first-name basis?" With a deep chuckle, she added. "I am very happy for you to call me Zana. It's quite my favourite name, after all."

She shook his hand and nodded. "Yes that's Zeke. This," she said, motioning to the small golden mini-teacup-dragon who peered suddenly over her shoulder, "Is Zacchary." She gave a slight shrug and said, good- naturedly. "It seems to me that you know the story, you heard it in the Council Meeting. But I was just a little concerned that your stables here would be able to care for Zeke, in case of a snow storm." She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the words. "Do those happen often?"

With a slight and delicate shrug and not the slightest hints of shame or concern, she explained. "Devin ~ or Baron Thorne as you say ~ is an absolute delight and I am so pleased to have accepted his invitation to stay here. My offices will be on Faldrass, so I thought it would be nice if we could try and make sure that we're all friends." That would be quite delicious, she thought, but Zana was a good judge of who would be up for romping around in all sorts of indelicate situations and this one, she knew as soon as she met him, would not. No, he was one of those. Upright. Steadfast. Loyal.

Boring.

But, a good potential ally and she needed them. So, she smiled at him. "I would be very happy to help with that proposal of yours," she said. "And if Zeke and I can help with anything, well we'll be very obliging. After all, protecting our waters is important so that foreign folks can feel safe coming here and bringing me wonderful gifts. That's the job, isn't it?" She grinned at him and then changed tack suddenly. "So, how able to handle a dragonet and dragonling in a storm is Smooglenuff Barony. And, come to that," she looked around. "Where did it get such an unusual name? Hardly very regal sounding, is it?" She waited then for Darius, wondering what the Baron Baer would say. It would be telling, she was sure, what ever he answered, because it would tell her about him. About the man he was and some of his strengths and weaknesses.

And those? Those were always fun.

You've got your reputation baby, I got mine.
There's every indication you're the dangerous kind

[Darius Baer]

Quite without intending it, Darius felt his smile grow as Zana greeted him. There was something disarming and beguiling about her demeanour, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was fully aware of it.

Even so, he found himself chuckling at Zana's comment about formality.

"I think that when someone has earnt a position, it pays to err on the side of convention," he admitted, before adopting the same conspiratorial tone that she had used, "but truth be told, I prefer a casual approach."

They shook hands.

"Well met, Zana," he offered a friendly, deferential bow. "I'm Darius."

The Scalvorian chuckled when Zana introduced her dragonling and dragonet.

"I sense a theme," he grinned at the names.

But he was quickly shaking his head at the suggestion of snowstorms.

"Snow doesn't last long on Faldrass," he explained. "Even the snow you see this morning will have melted away by evening. A snow storm would be almost unheard of here, so your dragonet and dragonling should be perfectly safe on Faldrass."

He paused briefly, hoping he had put Zana's mind at ease.

"Ishallr, on the other hand" — despite being indoors, he made a vague gesture in the general direction of that frozen island — "is snow and ice all arc long."

Darius nodded at Zana's mention of Devin.

"Aye, he's a great host," the bearded blond agreed. "Has he played his lute for you? You must ask him to, if he hasn't. He plays a fine rendition of Baer's Libertalia."

He grinned when Zana spoke of her support for his proposal.

"Thank you," he replied, his gratitude sincere. "The council took some convincing, I thought. I'm glad you understand the importance of being able to travel safely across the Hollow Sea. I'm very grateful to have you in my corner."

He guffawed when Zana suggested foreign visitors should be bringing her gifts. And yet, he wondered if she wouldn't mind it if that was precisely what happened.

The beauteous blonde's question about the barony's name

"Aye, it's unusual, I agree, and I couldn't even tell you its origins with complete certainty. Most of what we know of its history comes from a man who had a habit of embellishing the truth, somewhat."

As if to prove his point, Dariud recited a couple of the more outlandish examples from his book about Enri Smooglenuff.

"But there had to be some kernel of truth to these tales. But as for the current barons? I'm pleased to say that we weren't born into this. We didn't inherit any titles by birth. We were granted this position based on merit."

And so he told Zana about the Cylus Dusk festival of 721, and how he had come to become one of three Barons von Smooglenuff.

[Zana]

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