#anywhere

In Grete's room, the bunk continues, "And you have scared the childling. You and I are no longer prisoners of evil, We have no excuse for such. I know you want to keep the children close together, you and the baroness, but the wall should be thicker. You know this" Little Joe wags a finger at the wall "You did not think it through, how to protect them. A guardian must think as well as feel. She is a Witchtel, she wants to dig. Find her places to do where she cannot feel she has damaged it"

The essence of the hold is tied to the Baroness, not him, but it appears aware enough to be a bit embarrassed

She hesitates in the doorway. "Mister Little Joe? Sir?" It feels like she's interrupting something.

"Now i don't want to have this conversation again. you are a very good hold, but this was VERY bad behavior" And then Little Joe kisses his finger tips and puts it against the wall.

Grete can watch the glamour flow from the big troll... as the stone glistens.. and drips like limestone... before reforming 'healing' the newly made hole

Little Joe turns to see Grete ,and grunts "yes?"

She hesitates, not sure how to ask, or even what she's trying to ask. "It's going to be different now... right? Not just little things here and there... Everything."

Little Joe looks at her, and nods

"How can you be sure?" She heads over and touches the newly fixed stone space, a little awed. "I mean, I want to believe it. But he was nice at first, too. How can we know?" Her voice wavers, but she is TOUGH, and sets her chin.

"She has his name now, and his money. What if she decides she's been nice and now she has the power and she can do what she wants?" Childlings, even practical ones, can worry, and worries have a way of multiplying.

Little Joe looks at her "I know how you feel. I too don't want to be hurt again. It is hard to trust." he ponders "But Hope is a boggan. Her kith's gift is to see how people tie together, what bonds are forming. I trust Hope. Do you?"

She gives this a thought. But, Little Joe is patient. And finally she says, "I think so. And I trust what I see. And so far... I see good things. I just hope the Lady understands. I don't want her to think I think she's bad..."

"It's just hard to believe that she's really so GOOD."

His brow knits "I am told by her friend Caesar that she can be hard on herself. Perhaps.." A thought "Perhaps she does not believe she is always good either, and that is a good sign?"

She nods. "He always thought he was right. And anything that's different from 'em is got to be better." She lightly taps on the fixed wall... solid! Looking up to Little Joe. "Can you show me how you did that?"

"It's heatherbalm.. but draining.. " He does look a bit faded. "I had some dross. MY dross that I got to use the way I wanted. So I wanted to use it this way" He says "It's a good gift to know, but I don't tell everyone I have it. Everyone wants you to be a healer after that. Little Joe , I got a sprain. Heal it. Little Joe, my favorite sword has a chip . Fix it. Little Joe, you broke my face, put it back. " A sigh "Gets tedious."

Grete frowns and nods. A dig into her pocket, and she brings out a rock. "This is one of my friends." It does not look like anything special... but there is a bit of a sparkle to it that he can feel rather than see. "If you help me learn, I can help take off the work. I don't know about people, but I can help fix things." She offers him the rock. "This is for fixing the wall, even if you don't want to teach me none. You can hold onto it for now, and later I can polish it if you want. I think it might have some agate in it, but I don't know all the names yet." She pats little Joe on the arm.

"And I won't tell no one you got the fixing skill. I didn't like it when folk wanted me just for my dowsing." An understanding look.

Litle Joe looks at the rock, then says "No. " then he explains "I will be allowed to use the fire. or I won't. I will test the baroness with that. See? Keep your rock" A sigh "If you wish to learn ,I will teach you."

She looks at her rock, and frowns a little. "Okay." Putting it back in her pocket. "Can we go back to the tree now? I wanted to see what they were putting up." A sigh as she touches the wall once more. "I won't put in any more holes. I'll wait for shelves. I can be patient, too."

A look at her "You're a wichtel. You'll need to dig sometime." But the big troll heaves the girl up ot his shoulders "Come. Let's go. Maybe three is time for you to put the star on the top and if not, that's okay too"

And he ducks under the door frame so she and he don't get bonked, and carries her back into the main hall of BRIGHT WINDS