#bergen_county

"Ah, this time. We shall find you a proper kettle soon."

"Yes," A glare at the Ms Tea device "I shall need one soon, I predict"

"Indeed."

"Thank you, and Mr. Symon, of course, I learned so much, I knew the basics, but..."A shrug, her shoulders looking ready to collapse in on each other "the troll lessons always felt off"

"Trolls mean well, but they are... ah... blunt instruments."

"Yes, but they can be nice." A pause "I do love father. Sometimes I get in his hands and just pretend I have died, and that he is going to carry me to my grave no matter what is in the way"

"Oh, lovely!"

"My birth mother is a nocker, as are my uncles... they are a loud and prickly crew. But they are mine, and I do love them."

"yes, love makes the loud a little less , well, loud"

"And they will learn how to best show their care for you."

"They mean well, even if they are loud and clumsy. They cannot help that."

A nod "I must try to be forgiving. Not everyoen can be a sluagh"

"Alas."

"yes, though, I guess if they were, who would we spy on??"

"Oh, that is a good point!"

Pleased look at the praise as she helps clean "I should spy at the lodge more. "

"Aye, I think you will enjoy it. And, once you have your name, we will show you how to walk the silver."

"What kind of secrets are on that?"

Zara smiles. "Countless."

"Oh, Mr. Olgar says if he catches an unsained on it, he'll bounce them all the way home . "

"It is very dangerous for the unsained, and not the fun kind of dangerous."

"oh" She sighs "Well, he said sluagh who doesn't listen, he dips them in bright color pools. I would hate to be Fuchsia"

"That would be terrible. Best to wait."

"Yes" A nod, then "He's ..different from most trolls. Not just the face. His dream is more of the giants that crushed villages that displeased"

"He is unseelie."

"Sluagh may be either - but unseelie trolls are rare."

"Oh, yes, the courts. Mmm Trolls wear winter differently than sluagh, but I suppose that makes sense. "

"Aye... and think not winter is bad, though it may be dark."

"We are that which creeps in the dark, that hides in shadow. But we are not evil, for all of that."

"of course not, the night is gentler tahn the day in many ways I think"

"It is. Not all will understand - treasure those who do."

"do you have a non sluagh who understands? "

"I have some who... well, they don't get everything, but they know that I need my secrets, and that, a'times, I need solitude. They respect it. And they, too, love the night and the stars more than garish day."

"you are lucky" She pauses, then smiles "Connor likes to howl at the moon, which is loud, but at least he loves the moon. And that's good."

"Connor could be a good friend. Pooka know how to listen."

"He is my friend" she says "He seems happy, but sometimes? He is a melon-collie" Sagely

"Oh.. puns.."

A blush "he has had an influence"

"But aye, pooka do hold a sadness. I find it lovely."

The dishes done, there is a poite knock

"yes?" She says

Another knock whoever didn't hear her.

The girl sighs and moves to open the door, and it's her mom

"Sorry to intrude, " Brenda says "I thought to clean up the ki..oh you didn't need to do this , Zara"

"It is fine, Mrs. Thomas. And... pardon, but would you wish, mayhaps, to meet my mother?"

"I, suppose I could?" Curious

"My mother is kinain, and thus, aware of my nature."

"She would, I think, be a wise counselor?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't say no to good advice" Mrs. Thomas says

"And she knows recipes for food what's good for sluagh" Lily adds