#baronyofthesilverwolf

The massive bear dog is now a massive floppy rug as he sprawls for tummy scratches.

And he gets them! "Goober"

And she finishes up with a command "Up and at em boy, heel"

While Gwen would deny sidhe have rubbed off on her, she has grown to be just a bit snooty about how OTHER people rarely have their dogs properly trained. It takes discipline AND love and some folks neglect the former terribly.

Of course, ivan still gets into her room quite often... annd yes, nnow and then a human treat is won through him simple being cute... but other than that, discipline!

She looks about for one of the thanes as they approach the lodge

Ivan is a puppy and silly, but he's also clever and smart. He's learned where he can push things a bit, but also that the best rewards come in the mode of Gwen's approval when he does things right!

Danica is sitting on the wrap-around porch, enjoying a bit of sunshine as she fills out a stack of paperwork. She looks up as Gwen approaches, and nods in greeting. "Back from school. Lemonade?" A pitcher sits out along with a small plate of treats, as of yet untouched - Marigold has been here.

"...you seem to have some sort of parasite on your shoulder." She remarks, a brow raised slightly as she sees Bink.

She smiles at the plate of treats, then becomes more troll like and official "Yes, I had to get him out of the school before an Autumn person ...at least I think he's an Autumn person, snnuffed him out. This is Bink. I think he migght do very well in our garden, but I wanted to run him past you or your sister for security. "

"Bink, this is Thane Dancia, a guardian of Silverwolf." Respect

Danica frowns and stands to move over to Gwen. She takes a moment to look the girl over - there's that slightly distant expression that Gwen has started to associate with people kenning (when not trying to hide it, at least), and then a solemn nod.

"Good. He didn't seem to have affected you. Gwen, you must stay away from this Autumn person. Understand?"

Bink stands up tall (as he can) on Gwen's shoulder to look UP at Danica, even taller. "Ooooooh."

The fledge starts to nod ,but then stops, "There are..complications regarding the Autumn Person that will make that difficult"

Danica is examining the small chimera - a hint of a smile on her face, but that fades as Gwen goes on. "Tell me."

"He's a teacher at my school. While I do not take his classes, I will encounter him innn the halls again. Further, he's a danger to other in that he kills their dreams. Bink is the last of his siblings partly to that"

Danica frowns, and gestures to the chairs on the porch. "Sit with me."

She reluctantly sits

The thane takes a moment to marshal her thoughts before proceeding.

"There will... always be Autumn people. That is a fact that we cannot change. In every town, in every city. There are more and more every year. The best thing we can usually do is to avoid them. Sometimes, we can find a way to move them away from us, where they cannot threaten kithain. Sometimes it can even be possible to save them from themselves. Rekindle whatever spark went out that made them the way they are. But sometimes, they cannot be saved. And sometimes, trying to interfere with them may have the opposite effect, and push them closer to being something far more sinister and dangerous. Autumn folks are most often innocent of their effect on us. That is a saving grace in a way. For those who are not, they become Dauntain, which are our greatest and most dangerous foes."

"He's no kithain I don't think so wouldn't become Daunntain, he's just.. banal.. and yes I realize the word 'just' is there. But he's a danger to a dreamer. That dreamer is worth protecting, isn't she?"

She nods. "That is good, for whatever good there might be in this." Danica sighs. "Of course she is. But not at the risk of danger to you. No dreamer - no dozen dreamers, is worth the loss of a single fae."

"I don't plan to go head to head with him, but I want to try to help her onn the side so encounnters ARE possible. thats why when you say 'stay away' well, I'll try, but I'm just saying it may not be easy. The ggood news is with school ending I think she'll be safer for a bit"

Danica reaches over and claps a hand lightly on her shoulder. "I am proud of you, Gwen. It takes courage to face danger for someone else, and even more so to speak to us when you knew we may tell you to stay away."

A BLUSH "Well, don't praise me too much. not long ago I WANTED to kick that same dreamer into a kiln. But that's complicaed" A smile "Good news is in a short time I'll be sainned and hopefully less work for you gguys to keep track of"

A brow raises at THAT. "You wanted to. But you did not." Approving. "Do you wish to speak about it? Or a round or two in the practice ring?"

"no I mean.. it's tempting but I better put Bink in the garden and in less than an hour I'm going to meet by boyfriend. There's this bitch who tried to put some poison in me. I never swallowed it, but I am mostly mad at myself for lettingg it get near my lips"

"It does not matter in the end how close you may have come to temptation. The important thing is that you did not. She gives a small smile. "Go, I will warn Marigold that there is a new visitor in the garden lest she worry that rats have settled in."

"Rats?! No, no! Bink is a GNOME. We protect gardens. Rats, feh!" The little man proclaims.

"I will see you after dinner for spear practice." Danica nods, and settles back down to her paperwork. Then a glance up at Gwen, and she adds, "Your friend? His mother filed for divorce, it was noted on the records. Our social worker is recommending counseling for the lot. I had him advise that if either of the boys seeks that out, they speak to the counselor at their schools." She pauses before adding, "They are paid for by the state, so no cost to the family. More so, I did wish for you to confront Calanthe again. He is, for all intents and purposes, yours to oversee, protect, and muse, if you choose to do so."

"He's mine" At the mention of Calanthe "And... their mom doesn't need the same conselor they had before that would.. ruin everything"

Danica straightens her paperwork for a moment. "Perhaps so. You might make recommendations, if you wish to do so."

"I'll find some" She says. She may appear calm but a fellow troll can probably recognize masked alarm. She did nnnot expect the abusive husband ggoing away to send Mrs. Chesterton into the hands of another Abuser

"You will find a way." Danica says, with a nod of confidence.

"Did you ever feel like...no matter how strongly you're ready to stand up to the flood, it just rushes by you and people drown anway? that you.. you can try to build the barrier... but there's always holes because you.. you failed somehow andn by the time you see it, the water's already in?"

A long moment of silence. "Yes. You must do what you can. It will never be all. At the end of the day, you'll need to look to those who you did help, those you did save. And that must be enough."

She nods "No one promised me only happy days and success as a changeling, only the power to try in ways no one could. thank you, Thane. You.. thank you. You're always honest with me" She rises "I need to drop Bink off to the garden and see Chuck"

"Thank you. Spear practice, after dinner." A reminder, but with a hint of a smile.

"Wouldn't miss it" She nods

And soon she's dropping bink off at the garden

The wee gnome is so surprised by the garden that he actually doffs his pointed hat - Gwen wasn't sure if it DID come off, or was molded onto his shiny head! "Grand, grand! Such a garden, and it is for Bink? It is really and truly?"

"Well, Dru and Sylvi boh had their part in it, and the Baron may have the right to evict you, so manners... but I would say that if you can help here, you'll be welcome. You like it?"

Bink does a little jig in place and plops his hat back on his head. "Oh, VERY yes. It needs a Gnome though, else how will the ivy know where it should grow? And who will watch over the dew drops and buttercups, to make sure that the rabbits only eat the cowslips and clover?"

"Well, I guess that's why you'll do it good" she says

She blinks, and he's already settled down next to the fountain - if she didn't know better, that little stone statue had ALWAYS been there.

"Incredible" She beams "Got to tell Dru when she visits" And she moves off to see Chuck

He'd asked her where she wanted to meet up - the ice cream shop, at a park, his house? He knows she's reluctant to bring people home to her foster family.

The park works

The park is a nice, sprawling green space. There's a little something for almost everyone. A few girls toss around a frisbee, kids are on the swings, and there's a rumble of background noise from the wheels of the skate ramp. Chuck is waiting for her at a picnic table - too late for lunch, too early for dinner, so there's no one else nearby.

She moves to him quickly "Hey"

He stands up to greet her. "hey Gwen... um. I guess I owe you an explanation."

"I feel like you do, but I'm not mad at you.. bit mad at myself."

He looks surprised at that. "But.. why? You didn't do anything. I'm the one who was in a, well, odd situation with a girl you don't even know. I should know better. Gossip travels faster than the flu around CHS."

"That's why I'm mad at myself. Kristen wanted me to explode and I didn't but I still let her get to me. "

"But yeah, Shirtless you NEARLY got Kat pressed into A kiln" BLUSH