Tara turned from lifting the tray from the oven when the stranger, Parne, lowered his hood.  A sharp gasp exploded from her before she could stop for there was no mistaking this.... man to be human.  He was something else.  Tara's own deep blue eyes stared and she fumbled for a moment before setting the tray on the range top.  His hair was as black as her own, the pitch of coal with all its hard blue edged brightness.  His skin was fairer than her own, and there was no flush from the bitter chill outside.<br/><br/>"Oh... I see...."  In truth she didn't, and glanced over to her aunt who seemed to covertly watching the exchange.  He had come in past the protections her aunt had set, did that mean he was good?  Weren't all the stories in irish folklore talking about how cold and evil the elves were?  She shook her head slightly, the twined length of hair down her back, swinging side to side.<br/><br/>Seeing her momentary confusion, Mary lynn got up and without a word, lifted the kettle and a good china cup that bore a wreath like pattern of lavender around its edge, to Parne and set it on its saucer in front of him, and poured a steaming, aromatic cup of tea.  She did this all silently and even Tara paused in her wide eyed staring at Parne to look over at her aunt with a furrowed brow.  Her aunt loved to talk and had been chatting her ear off since she'd come downstairs.<br/><br/>Wiping her hands on a linen towel she pasted a brittle smile on her face.  "Uhmmm... you're welcome here, but I'm... I mean we're a bit confused.  What bad is going on?  Why of all a sudden are we getting such... visitors?"  She shifted slightly, the curves of her body clearer in the pants and shirt than they would've been in a dress.