#anywhere

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Brekke sets a quick pace with a hand on Adam's shoulder for the first bit of the trip. "You will NOT attack another in my Lodge over mere name-calling. Is that understood?"

"Yes Chief." He sounds sincere.

"I'm sorry. That was... stupid."

"It was. And you did something even more stupid: you insulted his mother."

From what she can see, Adam's face twists. "Yeah. She's.... my bad."

Brekke grumbles and releases his shoulder. "Well....I can see you are not fully Fiona yet for certain. You still know how to admit a fault."

"Look, Dirk is an asshole, I knew that from the first time I saw him...! "

"But I shouldn't have said that."

"No." She agrees. "What will you do about it?"

"Say sorry to her."

Brekke nods. "And you will do it in front of him. And Symon."

A pause. "I will attend, if you wish."

"Fff.... why?"

A very serious look. "To keep any of them from instigating you into an act that will justify further retaliation."

"I can stop myself, Chief." He grunts, frustrated.

"I mean, I can do it myself."

"Can you? It did not seem so."

Adam marches on in his own. "Yeah, I can."

"For your sake, I hope so, Adam. Dirk will harm you if you push him. Yes, he is a bully, and I will speak with him about what happened. He should not have done what he did, either. But if your tempers both flare again...I am concerned you will come out the worse for it."

"Fu.... " Adam swallows that. "Yes Chief."

"This is no slander to you, Adam. You have seen Colton's arm."

"I can fight Dirk."

"You can." Brekke nods.

"However, you are both Crash of the Storm...and I will need you to find a way to work together. I have already been considering training you three together. This...may make that more difficult than it already was."

A grin that he thinks he hides. "Ok. I mean....not from my account."

An eyebrow. "You are comfortable training with them?"

"I can handle it."

"Hm. You will not merely spar against them...you will need to work alongside them. I hope you can handle that."

Adam makes a sound that suggests he'll lead others.......

They are approaching Adam's home. "Are you ready for this discussion? This is another disruption for your family."

Adam stops.

"We have to tell them? I mean.... can't we just ........ "

"...... do we have to tell them?"

"I don't want to tell them."

"Why not?"

"They've already been through a lot."

"Yes. And some of it happened because of truths kept secret. They will need to know, Adam. They will need to understand what you are going through, or they will do things that frustrate you."

He seethes a few steps. "Ok."

Brekke nods and allows him to go up to the door first to let them in.

He does not knock, he only walks in.

She pauses on the porch. She may not be a vampire, but it's still good manners to be invited in.

"you're a good person, chieftain" A voice whispers "mannerly. please come in"

"Crap."

"Mom and dad around?"

"yes..."

Indeed, "Adam is that you?" Mr. Thomas voice

"Thank you, Lily." Brekke ducks in through the door.

Brekke might be surprised that sshe doesn't have to to duck. Construction has been done to alter the front door