#bergen_county

"I don't know, kid. " She admits "I don't know why she didn't use the Gwydion bone. "

"I don't think 'mean-to' matters sometimes, if they just hear 'mean'. "

"Yeah, won't ever express my concern about stress on someone again." Huff

"I started it!" He says as though he is being robbed of glory.

"I need to learn more blue."

"Kid, you couldn't be mean if the Grich gave you a blood transfusion"

"I could so! Look!" He makes a snarly face, and holds up his hands like claws. "Rar!"

"more curl to the lip, more tilt to the hip."

Dagmar does return with a basket... and Flyswatter. "Snacks. I'm going on patrol."

Star whinnies and paws a hoof. Her head tosses.

Trotting over, she snorts at Dagmar. The meaning clear!

Tiffanny says "Dagmar, I'm great at apologies. You keep Dogmar pinned in a wrestling hold . I'll take the patrol while you watch the criters. I think the horse wants me for lunch"

"or that"

A conflicted expression, then a frown and she shoves the basket at Tiffany. "Snacks."

"It's not safe to take Star."

Star stamps a hoof.

A few steps back, and she rears a little. She could JUMP the fence if she wanted to... she stays inside as a courtesy...

"It's not safe."

tiffany takes the snacks. Her own mood glum

"I gotta go..."

Star gives a shrill whinny at being left behind.

Tiffany says "Well... you know, if htere's a way I can shove my paw any further in my mouth let me know"

But the troll is gone... away from the crowded lodge, away from the pooka, away from the horses she failed...

Or disappointed?

Maybe that's the same thing.

Tiffany looks at Connor "Kid. I didn't try."

"Me either." He offers a carrot to Star - NOT an apple.. but she turns up her nose and prances off in a huff to run a few laps around the paddock.

"Oh." He kicks the dirt a little. then rubs the dirt off the toe of his sneakers.

the older pooka sits down and looks at the kid, though she keeps ears and nose ready for trouble "Sometimes, folks beat themselves up so much they don't realize that their stomping is geting dirt on our shoes. They don't mean doom, but they feel doomed, and there's no room, and then comes the gloom. Boom."

"There's too much doom." He huffs. "And Dagmar is getting a lot of it! It's not FAIR."

TIffany nods

A sigh, and he starts trotting around the paddock again. Slow at first, but then he looks determined. "Dagmar left me in charge, so hup! Hup!"

Spark bounces along on the inside of the fence, playful, blissfully unaware and innocent. He likes this game!

And she hups along , after all, the pup is in charge

*************

Hup

Hup!

Hup!