#anywhere

"Purple!" She claims one.

"Oh that's a pretty one," Ariel says well, because it IS and that's what friends do.

"HEy, you have a crown!" Ariel just now notices

She touches the wreath. "I do. Salma made it."

"It's very pretty" She agrees, "Sally Mae won the Harvest Queen prize once never lets anybody forget it"

"Who's that?"

"One of the DeBukes. She's Kinian, and Chief Clem says she used to be real stuck up but she got better...oh she's at Rivervale now..which is a troll lodge with the grreat Chieftain Shacklebreaker.. who freed TEN THOUSAND Slaves... sand Slew FIVE thousand soldiers of evil, and wields a weapon called Speaker that can break through Dragon Scales... and she fought a great dragon with the help of our Mountain and some other guy whose name I don't remember... and they freed a million troll souls and brought a new spring to the land for about two weeks in winter. Rivervale folks are okay, we tease them a bit and they us but they're allies and they're fun. " The satyress says "And Sally Mae stays at Rivervale now helping their Hearth, and boy is SHE good. Hearth Kerri's as good as Hearth Agnes and like...half her age or somewhat..I think she's taught Sally mae a lot."

"What's a Hearth? A Steward?"

"You don't know? Oh i guess you wouldn't because it's a troll thing normally" She explains "Troll lodges have the Storm.. they're in charge of fighting, defending , and usually the best warriors. And they've got Mountains who are like shaman... kind like..historians priests and wizard? And then there are the Hearths, they cook, but they also assign chores to clean and handle the mortal side of htings like bills and blah stuff... and they're just as respected as the Storm or Mountain. You tick off a Storm he GLOWERS and you better hope he doesn't challeng you to a fight.. but if you anger a Hearth it's dishpan hands and no seconds for you for weeks. No one gives lip to Hearth Agnes, cept mahybe the Mountain and even he knows when to shush. Chief is in charge of it all but listens to the others. For us the Chief is Clem, and she's just the Chief, but at Rivervale Brekke is Chief, and Storm..." A pause "She's also a Baroness but we don't much talk about that."

Salma has happily given over the reins of the conversation to the bubbly satyr, and is busy weaving a second flower crown, this one with daisies.

"Oh, dios mio. I don't have enough flowers..." Slightly fretful, the pooka girl dashes off.

"Poor Salma... " Ariel watches her go "if she had goat hooves she'd run faster" She's certain of it.

"Oh... maybe?"

"Well, I have goat hooves and I'm fast so.. you know" She says

"oh..she left before picking a dress..what color do you think she's look nicest in?"

"Yellow, like dandelions."

"Or sunflowers!"

"oh she's look lovely in that!" She nods "I think I'll take the green one, we gingers look good in green" A pause "Right?"

"Sure!"

"You would look pretty in blue, too."

"Well this one is green with blue touches... " She takes it and puts it before her "Do you think this will work? " Clearly the sidhe is considered to know fashion better so is being asked

"Oh, especially with daisies...."

A blush "Yeah.. daises"

"Salma seems very sweet."

"I like her..." A nod "I don't even mind sharing a bunk bed with her because she let me pick which part"

"Goats like to be up high. So you're a mountain goat!"

She makes a bleating sound then grins "I practiced that"

"You sound just like a goat!"

"Well, I'm NOT a goat" she says "But.. I can sound like one..." SHe says "The hooves and legs are..well just part of me. I'll have horns one day too. I hope cute ones. " A smile

"Oh, very fine horns, I'm sure of it."

"well, for some they come in ..uh, wwaht's the word? they don't match? One goes a bit too far one way and the othehr doesn't balance? " A nose wrinkle

"Oh, no, you shouldn't fuss."

"I guess not," she admits "but horns become very important to satyrs. " She looks at the sidhe intently "Okay, you just look pretty all over"

"That's our gift, like you being fast."

She nods, proud "Yeah, or trolls being big and strong." She ponders as if reminded, "I think I like Countess Jessica. She's very .. uhm.." She makes a VERY serious face, "But.. she's also gentle."

"I'm glad she found me. She seems nice."

"She's SO Serious though... maybe that's why the Dreaming is sending her childlings? we can save her from being all lonely or grumpy?"

"Oh! Maybe!"

"Are you okay? Sometimes i hear you talk in your sleep... "

"I talk when I'm dreaming, sure..."

"Well," She ponders "I guess we all do"

"I had GOOD dreams last night." Happily, as she gets into the purple dress. "Ariel, could you do my buttons?"

"Sure!" She is happy to help

"Thank you!"

She buttons her up "You really do like purple.. is that yhour House's color?"

She nods. "It is. We have a purple star in a night sky."

"Oh that sounds pretty" She admits "I'm not supposed to say much about noble symbols being pretty I don't think.. I eman, it's not against a rule, but the older DeBukes get all scowly"

"I liked learning heraldry. It's all kinds of pretty pictures and lots of animals, too."

"Well, I bet the books here have stuff on it.. sometimes I wish I had heraldry... like a Mermaid of gold on wavey lines?"

"Ooo, we could make you a shield! You could be Dame Ariel, protector of the Springs."