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[h2][color=DarkMagenta]Raven Silverlight[/color][/h2]
Raven watched as Are constructed a prison for the hobgoblin out of dirt and rock. It was a fairly impressive show but not an uncommon feat. Are was after all a land nymph. Much more powerful than the nature spirits who were only tied to one facade of a ecosystem. Are in her own right controlled all the elements of her particular strip of land, wherever that might be. Land nymphs were very protective of where their earthly body was located in the same way that Hamadryads were protective of which tree they truly embodied. That land was their body, if it was harmed or destroyed they would go right along with it.

While the cage curled around the hobgoblin, Raven saw one of the stones jut out towards his unfortunately exposed skin. Rock peirced skin and blood began to drip drip drip onto the floor of the cage. Raven almost felt sorry for it but a bigger part of her mind was calculating how she might have escaped from a similar situation.

Are requested that Raven follow her and the Tuatha did so. She was here for the money the hobgoblin's retrieval would give her after all. When Are said that she'd thought Raven brave for exercising the rights of her clan Raven had to suppress a laugh. [color=DarkMagenta]"Most people thought I was signing my death warrant."[/color] In fact she nearly had. There was nothing powerful fae hated more than defiance from what they judged to be their lessers. And what Raven had done was the ultimate act of defiance. She'd told them that she would never again adhere to there laws. It had been worth most of the trouble it brought her simply for the looks that had flashed across their faces when she'd made her announcement in each of the courts. Though she'd barely gotten out of Fall's lands alive. In present company it was better not to mention the fact that Summer had also sent assassins after her once she'd escaped the court following that meeting. 

Most were skilled but Raven was more so, enough to stay alive though not without some collateral damage and not in one piece. After two dozen or more failed attempts rumor spread as Raven had hoped it would about the powers of the treasured sword she carried and how no one could best her in combat because of its ancient magic. Once it became clear that killing Raven would be more effort than it was worth the rulers one by one started to make use of her services. It had started with Spring and not wanting to be at a disadvantage the others soon called on her.

As they entered the treasure chamber of the Summer King Raven was tempted to slip a couple objects into her cloak but fought the urge. She'd taken from Court palaces before. The treasure chambers were warded against removal of items by any but the ruler or a very small number who could represent them. Given time she could of course circumvent these wards but not without Are noticing and alerting the guards.

Raven took the leather pouch with a nod and a smile, the kind of smile that made anyone you gave it to think you were planning something. The Tuatha was about to take her leave when Are offered to keep Raven company in the lounge. She nodded to Are. [color=DarkMagenta]"Of course, it would be rude not to take up such an offer."[/color]

In the lounge the Summer Court's famous fruit was served to Raven. Before she tasted it she held her hand out over the food. Her skin started to glow and in her palm appeared an Aurora Borealis. It danced over the surface of the fruit which glowed a bright orange. The birthright of Raven's people granted them access to a nearly limitless energy reserve of pure life essence. It was powerful but also extremely dangerous to make use of. With the Tuatha scattered and unorganized and most of there elders dead none remained to teach the ones that came after how to use it properly. Raven's father Kamenth had burned himself up with the power. Raven only used it in very minor levels or in direst circumstances. 

As life energy the Aurora reached to other living things. If you knew what to look for it could be used to glean a lot of information. Raven's mother had been a healer and used the lights to diagnose her patients. The fruit reacted to it the way Raven had expected but not entirely trusted that it would. If the fruit had been contaminated with poisons or other substances it would have reacted differently.

Satisfied that Are was not attempting to have her killed Raven bit down into the fruit. Flavors washed over her tongue. There was a good reason Summer was famous for these foods. 

Before either of the fae women had a chance to say anything in conversation though a number of nymphs carrying an obviously frightened child entered the hall. The handed the girl off to Are explaining that she had been terrified by Raven's prisoner who had apparently been simply left in the Great Hall.

Raven of course knew Lyra. They had seen each other in passing a handful of times as Raven worked tasks for the Summer King. Lyra had the body and the mind of a four year old human child but Raven knew she was far older than that. Raven found it rather cruel of Feoras to trap a human in this form for eternity, never to grow up, never to become self sufficient or independent, never to know freedom. Though Raven supposed the Summer King preferred a creature like Lyra relying on him for everything. Raven herself didn't have the skill with sorcery or the inclination to free Lyra from this existence but it was more than likely that someone else would eventually, if only to use her as a bargaining chip against the Summer King.

The bunny that Lyra was holding seemed to scowl at Raven but she paid it no mind. [color=DarkMagenta]"Hello little one. Did something frighten you?"[/color]