#anywhere

"Things change."

“Change is good. Things can stagnate otherwise… but that doesn’t mean it’s not hard. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck. But…” he scratches his head a bit. “As a thought exercise, maybe. What good can come of this change?”

Symon considers, and offers. “I’m sure Kerri will be glad to have Olgar around more. And as good as he is, it’s a dangerous job and he’s not getting younger. Moving into a new role lets him step back from Rovering without guilt or shame. And Connor will like having him around more, I bet. Kid adores that guy almost as much as he likes you.”

A guilty look.

"I am sure Kerri and Olgar can work really well as a team. Wooo, Vali is gonna have some adjusting to do, though."

“Why’s that?”

"Well, Olgar and Kerri are tight. They're super married. So now, with the triad, he's kind of on the outs - versus Brekke and Kerri, who were close and good friends, but not... not the same?"

"Kerri is a lot more confident than Vali, and had a long time to work out things with Frank and Brekke when they were in those roles, and she was more established as Hearth when Frank took over from the old man."

"Vali, in some ways, is still finding his feet as Mountain."

"Not my circus, though."

Symon listens. “All good points. And more insight than I would have. I think I’ve come along pretty well as a Troll Whisperer, but there’s still a lot that goes, perhaps literally. Over my head.”

"Ha."

"I guess trolls do have plenty of politics, just, y'know... less chatty than the sidhe."

“The Sidhe? They’re all pomp and intrigue. Chatty, now that’s a boggan convocation. When Mom gets her friends over - that is, when rumor court is in session - oh, brother.”

“And Satyrs, when a tragos has something to..er… hash out, I can only imagine.” He flaps a hand as though to banish the thought.

"I imagine its something, but probably resolves in a pile of sweaty bodies."

A bit of a shudder.

“To me, I wonder what changes we’ll see. There’s personality, yeah, and that affects the balefire… but also, moving from having a Storm Chief to a Hearth Chief, that might change the feel of the hold in ways it’s hard to anticipate. Brekke is… stern, and Kerri is… well, not softer? But she has her own way of dealing with issues… hard to say. You know what I mean.”

"Agreed."

"It's gonna be different." Deeply unhappy, though perhaps only Symon or a few others would pick up on the weight she puts on that word.

“Plus… hm.” He looks thoughtful. He has noticed Dagmar’s unhappiness, of course, but what he can do now, is at least keep the conversation going.

“There’s also connections up the pipeline to consider. Count Hemlock and Brekke, they have history and a shared house. Kerri doesn’t have that kind of pull, not that I know of. I imagine her voice might not have the same weight in court, if something comes up. THat’s where you might be key, you know.”

"I won't be, no. I've never been asked to do any diplomatic things - I'd be lousy at it, probably. Sylvi's good, and it's Lucia now..."

"I've said maybe three words to Hemlock."

“It might not matter. You’re Gwydion, and that means a lot to the elves.”

“They trust their housemates over their own mothers sometimes.”

“There’s diplomacy that is quick thinking and political wording and intrigue. And then there’s being familiar and trustworthy. Not that you don’t have the former, where it counts, but having a Gwydion troll still ‘on hand’ will probably count for a lot.”

“Not to mention that Sylvi represents her own hold now.” He adds.

"She does, yeah."

"I was asked about joining a Gwyd society."

He walks slowly, chafing his hands together against the cold.

“Kerri - Dame Kerri, she only has a knighthood. She can inherit the freehold, certainly, that’s Brekke’s prerogative. But rulership of the barony is assigned by the Count, is it not? If he didn’t want her to be the local Baroness, he could easily appoint someone else. Just move the baronial seat to some other hold in the area. Couldn;t he?”

“I mean, RIvervale would still he here, but the local politics… woof.”

“It kinda makes me wonder. Why is rulership tied to a holding anyways? Like, take Nadeen.” Or leave her, he thinks to himself. “She was a baroness even without any holding or ‘fire. What stops a Count or whoever rules the as overlord from saying, “This Baron rules this barony now, answer to them.

Then again, that’s a different train of thought. Maybe not one I want to continue where any sidhe might hear me, if I want to keep my head.” He whispers, only half joking.

Frown.

"A new Baron, an outsider, would be devastating, yeah. There's talk of elevating Kerri's title."

“I don’t know the Count. I…” He pauses and shakes his head. “No, it has to be already worked out. Right? Like, Brekke, she wouldn’t step down if she hadn’t already handled this all. She’s too smart to leave loose ends. But… woof, if that wasn’t the case - I don’t want to be stuck in a barony under a succession struggle, I tell you.”

"Yeah, no."

"I mean, there's a certain amount of hiding at Rutgers, that's a frontier."

“There’s politics there, too. Not formal ones, but there’s an undercurrent of status and connections. Cairr’ isn’t a boggan, but they’re almost relatives you know. She tells me about a lot of the gossip around campus. Most of it isn’t usefull, but there are some bits and pieces worth knowing.”

"Yeah?"

“Yeah, like who is dating who… or broke up with who… that’s gossip, but also political. If you’re looking for blackmail, or just to protect people, you want to know their connections, right? Even if it seems like just rumor-mongering who is bedfellows. THere’s gossip about dreamers - sometimes fights over them - and mortal stuff too.” He shrugs a bit. “There’s some chaff to filter out, but aint’ there always?”

"You gather info for her, too?"

He blinks. “No…” Looking a bit puzzled. “If anything, I’m gleaning useful info from her. She likes to chat. Sometimes it’s a bit much for me, but I have practice from listening to Mom, you know.”

"Well, sure."

A pause, before he says, “Cairraen told me about the new fledge. She said you did a well protecting the professor, along with Sylvi.”

"Yeah. I made sure she was somewhere safe and that I had support before giving her enough glamour to pop."

"Zane's dad is helping mentor her, along with Masey."