#anywhere

Siv slumps in after practice, having got a lift from Jaymes. The dogs go to sniff her, and make an auiable fuss, even a slight whine from Edelwiess. They are FAE hounds

"Shh shhh Edei, don't"

"Shhh quiet... ye beasts. She'll hear you and I don't have what to say planned out yet"

Too late...Brekke comes out of her room, where she was attending to some reading. "Oak? Something is wrong? Oh, Siv, you are home. Good. How was..." she is half way down the stairs and half way through the question when she pauses and focuses more closely on her daughter. Her tone changes immediately. "Sit by the 'Fire. Now."

"I am sitting by the fire..." The girl says and tries to THINK Blue. It doesn't work. she's wrung out like a wet rag dried the hard way

But she scoots closer TO the fire yes

A mutter to the dogs "squeelers"

Edelweiss nd Oak wag to see Brekke. The Alpha will handle this pup

Brekke comes all the way downstairs, frowning. "You would have tried to hide this from me?" A sigh. "You will tell me about it in a minute. First, do you wish food or drink?"

"A drink and no, I wouldn't.. I Just don't wnat you worrying so I wanted a bit more time to think on how to make it sound as positive as possible. "

A sigh "Which probably sounds not much better to you, I know. I'll be fine mom. I just.. well, I am glad to be home, but I don't want to be pulled from Gymnastics"

"You are right...it does not sound much better. It happened at Gymnastics?"

"Last part... you know that girl I told you about? Her mother came in. She's worse"

Brekke grumbles slightly. "Both of them are like that? One gets it from the other, then." She goes into the kitchen briefly...and soon returns with a glass of dark liquid on ice. "In spring, I will show you how to boil sassafras root for syrup to add to soda...but this will do until then." She hands Siv the glass and takes a seat nearby in her usual chair. "Tell me how it happened."

She sips it 'mmm" A drink "Well, she was annoying, but I was holding up pretty well, then her mother comes in, rattling on about her little girl not getting enough time, wanting to know exactly what the plan was and why her girl was being ignored and wanting to make 'suggestions' and argh. She was so controlling, like she wanted to show a doll off to everyone. Is it possible to spoil your daughter AND control her at the same time? She managed it. Then her daughter was all whiney and...I was too close and..the jabs... not literal... but I felt myself slipping. I burned some glamour to keep it from overcoming me"

"Your dross?" her mother reminds.

"oh...yes. I stillh ad it, was keeping it ready in case it got REALLY close."

"I mean, I still remember who I am, and what and all. Dagmar saw me, and I rode home with Jaymes" Thoughtful "Dagmar fussed a little over me too by the by, though she'd not call it that"

Brekke nods, making a mental note to thank both of them later. "My concern is that you may try to wait too long, that you may miss the moment before you forget."

"Well, I do admit, some part of me felt like..grabbing the dross too soon would be.." Sheepish "Wimping out"

Edelwiess' ears fall flat t the girl's confession

Brekke takes a deep breath and exhales heavily, nodding. "I was concerned that would be your thought. Siv...you must accept that your needs are significant when it comes to fending off Autumn. And if you wish to continue a sport that puts you in contact with these people...then you must also accept 'wimping out.' "

Siv sighs "I hate that you're right. No offense" A bit of self pity slips out "I just..hate being the gimp o the lodge"

Both eyebrows are raised. "You do not get to own that title. Each of us have our own strengths and weaknesses. We learn how to use the strength and compensate for the weakness. We all do it. With you, the issue is glamour. For me...well, when I am unseelie..." She trails off uncomfortably before resuming. "But we find ways to compensate."

Chastised, and worse, rightly so, Siv says "Yes, mom. I... sorry. I just..." Unsure how to word it "I suppose I envy how others can last against others with chillier folk. " Another sip "And... you know... Vali said that even unseelie.." Sheepish "He said that even at your deepest unseelie that if trouble came to this lodge, you'd still end up on a pile of bodies..." A fond smile "He just said you'd apologize about the mess too much. He's right you know? You're still bad ass even when you don't see it"

"Mmph...I hope at least I would be standing on that pile, and not simply the last to fall." A bit of a grin. "Yes, Siv, you envy others that skill...but I sometimes envy you your agility and grace...and your ease with talking. You are...in many ways...much of what I never have been, but always wished to be."

And her daughter blushes BRIGHT purple

in a good way. It is clear that Brekke has said something that both embarrasses and pleases her

She gets up, resting a hand on Siv's shoulder briefly (and passing a bit of her own glamour to the girl) as she goes to get herself a mug of coffee.

"Mum" A gasp "You need your glamour too" A fuss "You ambushed me" Not as upset as her words would indicate "You'll be staying near the fire yourself too then?"

"Ha. I am fine." She doesn't seem much depleted for the lack of it. She takes a sip of coffee, and before returning to her seat, she goes to a bookshelf and searches briefly before finding a cloth-bound book. She brings it and the mug back by to her seat by the fire.

She looks at her mom, "Still ambushed me." Huruhmph then "Fine fine. I'll use the dross earlier. " realizing if she doesn't, her mother will likely do that sort of thing a lot

"I am your mother. I retain the right to ambush." Apparently, this is not up for discussion. "Will you let me read to you?" The cover suggests that this is a book of Norse folktales...though (mercifully) in English.

Siv realizes her mother is going to be head strong about the ambushing thing. Sigh. Her parents can be so hard headed. Well, so be it. then, at the request? her expression grows from resigned to surprised anew . She tilts her head "You haven't read to me in... well, it feels like years" then "I'd like that"

"As would I." Brekke sips her coffee, sets it down, and opens the book. "Now...Old Aegir wished to host a great feast, and all of the Aesir were to attend. All of them, that is, except for Loki...."

"uh oh" she says obligingly.

Brekke continues the tale, a saga she knew and loved when SHE was young, and Siv soon ends up leaning against her mother listening raptly as Brekke's voice carries her away to stories of northern dreams. The girl is enraptured, and Brekke feels a glow not unlike the balefire's.

(End scene)