#bergen_county

--------

The dogs are outside, and so is Gwen, getting used to leashes and the like

"There we go" She says

Sylvi walks up, grinning at the inevitable tangle that Gwen is overseeing.

"There we go.. easy, see, it's not an enemy. No, don't chew it" Gently

"Dame Gladiola," she says so as not to seem like she's trying to sneak up.

She looks up "Holder Sylvi? Is that what you go by at Goldfinch?"

"Sometimes. Just Sylvi's okay right now. Is Gwen okay?"

"Sure. I know titles are taken differently here. Squire Valter is probably the only one I've seen using them much" She makes the puppy try again, firm but not insisting "Sides, I'm about to give these guys a break to roam around. "

"They'll get the hang of it," she says, giving the pups another fond look...but then her expression grows more serious. "If you've got a moment, I need to talk with you about something that happened a couple of days ago."

She takes the leash off the pups, and says "ivan, keep them nearby" The big dog of hers, who could EAT them, instead hops to work, making sure no puppy wanders more than a few yards away

Then she says "Shoot"

Sylvi nods approval at Ivan's attitude, then takes a breath before beginning. "I'm hearing about a situation where you dealt with some kinain who were causing trouble?"

"Yes. " A nod.

her face, stoic.

Very trollish

Sylvi isn't the most troll-ish troll, but she's got her own fairly stolid expression. "I'd like to know more about that. There's a problem related to it that needs to be settled. Can you tell me what they were doing?"

"The Kinain ? They were rolling some homeless people. I came on them, told them to stop. They didn't. I stopped them."

Sylvi nods. "Okay. Um." She hesitates a moment, then sighs. "I can't really talk around this too easily, so I'm just going to say it. That particular group bound somebody I know to an oath of secrecy, and I need to get her freed from it."

Gwen nods "I hear you"

"So...I need to know where to find them. And I was hoping you could help me."

"I don't want to get the oathed person close to them. They'll think she squealed."

"They should be in the hospital. I broke a limb or hand on each one. Deliberately. " She does not say WHY but it's possible the cold hearted nature of the act might be not for cruelty, but to hinder them "Not sure if your Chief went to heal them or not, but i did tell her they were in the hospital"

A blink at the admission of intent. "Okay. So. The hospital." A scowl. Clearly not her favorite place. "Well...now I just have to figure out how to pressure them into dropping it."

A tilt of her head

A mutter, "Maybe I should go to their fae relations, first."

Gwen says "I suppose I should have done something about that but.. " she stops

"But...?"

"I keep trusts given me " She answers, solidly, but also just a hint of frustration "So I have to pretend I only know what you told me"

Sylvi's brow furrows. "Ohhh-kayyy. So...would you be surprised to know the one under oath is another kinain?"

"Clearly I would be stunned and never suspected. " Faux clueless "If only I had known, I could have shaken them until they let her go from it"

A bemused look. "Would you like another shot at it? I'm not sure which one of them set the oath on her, but if somebody happened to have that information, it would be helpful."

"They'll think she told you"

A frown. "I suppose...if she doesn't lose her voice, that's proof enough that she didn't tell me?"

"It SHOULD be. If I may? "

"Please," Sylvi says with clear relief at the offer of help.

"My house is big on vengeance, real big. Normally that's bad to most folks thinking... but right now, those folks are in the hospital, broken arms, legs, or hands. What if, and I'm just spitballing here, this oathed person snuck into there while they were helpless and threatened to break another limb until released? Since the oath APPEARS to be about betraying secrets, not bodily harm?"

A blink. "I...don't know if she has that spirit, not only to face them but to threaten them convincingly."

She thinks, "I might be able to get Elderformed and do it, but I don't know which one to threaten."

"She needs to toughen up or they'll walk all over again" a shake of her head. "Of course now that your lodge knows about this, maybe they can do things about it?" A beat "or send Dirk. They were terrified of Dirk. "

"Dirk would be brilliant at it, but again, we don't know which one to send him after. But I bet he wouldn't mind threatening all of them until the oath is gone."

"I'd rather leave the Lodge out of this part of it. I don't think she'd appreciate that kind of attention."

"All I know is Ivan came at them with teeth, one said "Oh Shit, it's Dirk""