raynecloud

Late afternoon in amber, in the library of the royal palace, and Ciara sits yet again at a table, alone. The table is covered, books and parchment and writing utensils as well as a a nice warm drink setting close by in a mug. The young Chantris-Countess appears to have her face burred in the books that are spread about the table. Flipping a page on one, a page on another, and writing what is no doubt notes here and there.

Melina comes into the library and goes to the catalog for a moment to see if she might locate something of interest, frowning a moment before looking up making a note in her journal. path takes her near Ciara and she regards the woman in some surprise "Hello. How"are you? How fares cuchilla?"

Ciara looks up from her books and notes at Melina and smiles warmly, pulling away from the table as she sits her writing utensil down. She resitautes her dress as she stands fully and moves with open arms to embrace Melina. "Melina, it's been ages.." she says with a warm smile, pulling back slightly to give her a look over. "I, well, I cold be better than I am, but I could be worse. As for Cuchlia? The land the people within fair well." She pauses a moment, "and you?" she asks of the other woman.

Melina takes Ciara into her embrace holding her close "It has been far too long at that. I have heard whispers of dark tiding in Lyonesse. I was worried. I am sorry to be so long away from home, but I am busy. Progress is slow and the child within grows quickly"

Ciara beams as she wraps arms around her friend, squeezing tight in the hug. She pulls back after that and tilts her head to the right slightly in confusion, "You're with child?" she asks, looking utterly surprised and dumbstruck to the point of glossing over everything else Melina just said as though it was never said at all. She blinks a few times and comes back to her senses, "Oh, dark tiding's are a thing in Lyonesse, you know that as well as anyone. As to you being away for so long? There's noting to apologize for, we were both busy."

Carmichael makes his way into the library with a distracted air to him, carting a large tome that looks like it's got Atlas of the GC written all over it. Altering his path almost on automatic to return the book to its shelf, he pauses there to blink and realise that there are others present. "Oh, good evening ladies."

Melina smiles "It's been over fur months now and I'm still getting used to the notion" She turns at the sound of Carmichaeal voice and bows her head. "Greetings your highness. Have you met Countess Ciara as yet?"

Ciara turns at first to Carmichael and forms a smile on her lips, forced or not, it's there. She bows lightly, "Your Highness.." she says before standing back upright. She turns to Melina and gives her a nod to answer the question. "We've met before."

"As her Excellency says, we have had the pleasure on a number of occasions," Carmichael returns, inclining his head. "Not always in pleasant circumstances, however," keen eyes settled on the smile that had fashioned itself and he gives the ghost of one in return, like the expression just can't manage to gain traction on his face. "I appear to have interrupted. I do apologise."

Melina hms "It was unexpected reunion. You've no need to apologize. We can hardly expect to reserve the library to our purposes. I am sorry to hear that your meetings have been less than ideal but I have long given up the notion that all who i consider allies will be in accord." Melina stares off in the distance "I keep reminding myself I like to be busy. Excuse me a moment."

Ciara nods at Melina as she asks to be excused. She turns her gaze back to Carm slowly and hangs her head, exhaling deeply, "No, not all of them have and for that I can only ask forgiveness Your Highness. Though, I do hope that this one and the ones that follow can be brighter?" she asks of him as she raises her icy blues back to look at him, forming another smile on her face. "Oh, and, as Melina said, no need to apologize. This is a public place after all, and the palace, so it is we that would leave, at your command of course."

"Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of it. The palace library is a treasure all may participate in and I'm hardly... aaah... authoritarian in regards to this or anything palace related," Carmichael notes with a shake of his head, meeting her gaze with a slight dip of a nod. "There is always a hope for brighter tomorrows and more pleasant meetings. What brings you to the palace library, anyhow?"

Ciara smiles warmly at Carm and turns her head to the books she has laid out, as well as her notes. She turns back to him and shrugs her shoulders, "Shadowwalking." She replies to him, the statement made as a matter of complete fact and zero hesitation response.

"Ahh. What manner of shadow-walking are you looking into?" The prince asks, looking over the books laid out with a glance at least, eyes travelling over the page. "And if I might be so bold as to ask, for what purpose?"

Ciara again turns back to her books and notes, and then chooses to sit in the chair again, looking up at Carm. "All of them" is her first response, "At least, all of anything here in this library I can read about, which I'm not sure how much that is." She pauses a moment, the second question giving her obvious pause to formulate a response. She takes some time before looking back to him, "I don't know."

"I see," Carmichael replies with a slight frown and thinning of his lips in a press, looking at the books once again, this time in a little closer detail. "Did you simply become curious as to the mechanics of it?"

Ciara shakes her head no, and reaches down to her journal, which is currently open with notes on both pages. She raises up the pages to the journal to reveal something folded and hidden between the cover and the last page. She grabs it, and turns slowly to hand it to Carm. The parchment, when unfolded, is a rubbing of a stone, with what looks to be some sort of written language not seen in amber before. She points to the runes, and says, "I found this. Hidden deep in fortress Cuchlia's library, and hidden well. The language, I've never seen it before but it's a single word, that seems to mean Home.

"I'm not quite sure what this is, or what it could mean. But the rubbing, has some detail to it, and the runes do mean home. I, had a thought that perhaps this might be some sort of map, or something, speaking about another shadow. Though, being an amnesiac and one of the youngest Chantris's alive at the moment, I have a distinct lack of knowledge on all this. So, I decided to come here to the library, see if I could learn shadowwalking for myself, and use this to see if it is a map of some sort that leads somewhere. Though, for all I know, it could be nothing."

Carmichael licks his lip lightly, his frown remaining as he looks upon the rubbing. "I'm afraid that shadow-walking does not usually work to a word. There are a variety of means to travel through the various worlds, but none of them that I am aware of, function on a single word as a link. Most require some greater knowledge of where you are headed than that - or a mechanic. I have seen Mandrakes follow the path of a living creature, river people travel the waterways all across. I am sure there are means to do the same with other kinds of ....fluid motion..." he looks from the rubbing to her. "Have you presented this to the duchess of Chantris? She may have access to deeper areas of the library or insight into this language."

Ciara frowns as well, reaching out for the rubbing back. "There was, more, inside a book. I only brought this piece out of worry that it might be part of something important, or dangerous, I truly do not know. I could, return to Lyoneese and get the rest of the things that were in this book? Though, I do actually recall this.." she says, pointing at the stone itself, the picture of it above the rubbing of the word. "It's in Lyoneese, in southern Cuchlia near the ocean."

"Oh, and, as a note.." she says softly, "I am unable to use any resources of House Chantris." This is said with some degree of guilt, and regret in her voice. "I, made a mistake, out of anger and I've been thrown out of the house by my own actions. Speaking with the Duchess, will not be a thing I can do. So, if you can guide me to someone that could help me figure this out? Or, of course, that is if you yourself are not interested your highness."

Carmichael stares a very long time at the stone and the rubbing. It's almost as if he's gone into some kind of trance, but slowly, he takes a deep, deep breath, gesturing toward the word and the stone. "I could perhaps meditate on this, if you wish. I have some insight in using the dreaming to shadowfind. Do you have a copy of this?" That brings him to looking at her, with a look that might have a smidgeon of pity, or perhaps sympathy in it. "The Duchess is prickly at the best of times. It may be that a sincere apology for your actions may achieve wonders."

Ciara waits, patiently, during that moment of trance. She nods a yes and beams somewhat at the thought of His Highness being interested in this little situation of hers. "I, would like that very much Your Highness, and, being as I know where the stone in question is, this.." and she gestures to the parchment with the black and white picture of the stone and the runes meaning home below it, "is a copy. So, you are welcome to it..." she adds handing it to him. "Forgive me for not being quite as forthcoming with all the truth with this your Highness, I simply did not know what I had stumbled upon." The second part no doubt in regards to her admitting that she did not, in fact bring this from Cuhclia, that was a fib, she copied it and no doubt has left the rest behind.

"As to speaking with the Duchess? I, well, your highness is wise. I will do just that."

"Eeeh, I wouldn't go so far as to dub me wise, considering the amount of people that won't speak to me civilly or at all, these days," Carmichael replies in a quiet tone, nodding lightly and folding the rubbing back the way it was previously. He considers his attire, slides it into the fold of the snug jacket torso. He looks at her levelly once again afterwards, analytically in so far as he's gauging her mood and level of motivation. "Is there anything in particular with this language that you seek the key for? It would help if I were to glean a little more insight into what you hope to achieve with the study of it. I take it that the language is not local to Lyonesse? I assume as a Chantris, you would be able to decipher the majority of it and find etymological links that might be significant, even without access to your House. That much is in your blood."

Ciara smirks lightly, "I speak to you your Highness, and civilly at that.." she replies plainly, the smirk forming in to a real smile. "That, and your current level of social engagement with people who may or may not be.." she stops there, before adding some sort of random insult to the statement and coughs, choosing not to finish the sentence. "Excuse me" she adds, pausing, "has no baring on the level of wisdom you have or do not have." To the first question, "I, I really do not know. It could lead to a new shadow, or it could be the musings of an insane person." She shakes her head no this time, to the second question, "No. It is not local to Lyoneese at all. Which is why its presence on a random stone near the southern most beaches of Cuchlia has me perplexed. That, and the book, journal perhaps, with other bits and pieces in it hidden deep in the fortresses library. It's just, I find myself being drawn to find out more, to know more and yes, I could decipher most, if not all of the language and find those significant links."

Carmichael just gives her a very long look at the tongue bitten to hold things back. He nods to her, approving of the fact she didn't let it run off with her and flicks the tiniest of smiles with it. The rest though, he pays more diligent attention to, fierce eyes intent. "Do you know where the language originates? Golden circle? Beyond? Does it have links to any modern language?" he asks pertinently.

Ciara shakes her head no, "As far as I can tell, no, it doesn't originate from any known golden or silver circle shadow. Though it does seem to have some similarities to languages spoken in Lyoneese and Kitzeh. So, there could be something there."

"Those two are strange bedfellows, although I suppose kites did land all over the place," Carmichael muses, then nods with a soft sigh. "Well, I shall see if anything comes of this. I can contact you if I do uncover anything of significance, but failing that, I do wish you extensive luck with your quest, your Excellency."