#bergen_county

"I'm glad you weren't there, though. It was pretty nasty."

"You want to talk about it? " An offer

Brow-furrow.

"You said it was nasty, might help to share the load" SHe says "I've had some rough moments myself" She sits down with her son

"I mean, we knew going in, like.. like... that they were abused."

"But this was the first time you saw it on this scale " A nod "I gripe about Thyle, but it was NEVER like that"

"Yeah." She rubs the back of her neck.

"I'm glad the Balor is dead."

A soft nod

"I understand your injuries were light. Dirk got shot but had a vest?"

"yeah. I had to wyrd - but my armor took it, y'know?"

"GOOD armor" She says with relief

"Yeah. dented, again..."

"We'll get it hammered out or heatherbalmed" assurance

"I know, I know."

"You think there will be a song needed regarding the raid?"

"Oh, probably!"

"Then I should hear , well, not all the ugly details, but I need more than the basics"

Grunt.

"I didn't see all of it - I didn't see Dirk take out the Balor, for one... there was this.. Symon, he found this lady..."

"Tell me your part, what you did see, and know, and I'll get the others views in time and stitch it together. Want something to drink while we talk?"

"Lemonade?" Pleading eyes.

"You got it" And she hurries with CJ in one hand to get it

Somehow she's learned how to use one hand very well. Tove the agile! At least when it comes to CJ in one arm

"Is it wrong to feel guilty for, like, being so messed up when, like, I've never had anything like THAT happen?"

"no. What happened to you was also bad. It's not a contest of horrors. It's horrible people hurting all sorts of people in all sorts of ways"

"I knew stuff like that happened."

"But seeing is another thing"

She kicks softly at the table leg. "Ain't seen it before, though. Yeah."

"You helped free them from taht. You saved them"

"I'm glad. I'm glad we did it."

"Like - I think maybe this is the best thing I've ever done?"

A smile , weak

"It's definitely a good one"

"Like, made the most difference. But I don't think I wanna do something like it again real soon. I'd rather, like, hunt chimerical monsters and ride horses..."

"I think if you were more into that, helping mortals on that level, you would have been a Liam, and i mean that as no insult to either Gwydion OR Liam. Justt.. Liam guards the Dreamers, Gwydions guards the Dreamed and Dream?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe" (PRESS SEND to RIGHT PLACE)

A nod "Frankly, I understand how you helped them and I am SO proud"

"But I think your idea of working with kids and horses is better for you"

"I don't like seeing that stuff." Sigh.

"No one would"

"But you did a good thing.. and you'd do it again if you had to." A nod "Doesn't mean you can't have your own dreams"

"I guess."

"I'm gonna teach Connor how to ride. Was thinking on Blueberry, especially with Star getting so big."

"Oh right, the squire thing. That is still strange to me, not wrong, but strange" She admits "Blueberry's a good starter horse"

"It is strange. I wasn't expecting it."

"No one expects the Esquire Aquisition!" SHe says suddenly

"But, like, Connor... maybe this will let him know how much he belongs here, and how much he's part of our family?"

then smiles "Vali taught me that. Funny huh?"