#bergen_county

"Sounds good. A plan."

Symon nods.

"The Dreaming is funny though - it's been, what, a weekend? Feels like we were gone for months."

Symon leans slightly against Dagmar. HE didn't mind the time.

"Come on, let's move the stone to it's new home" Vali says and he gives them the date

Klump says "Please, allow me." He hauls the singing stone up easily and starts to carry it, talking to it "Oh there are many memmories I will give you"

She drapes an arm around Symon's scrawny shoulders.

Symon blinks at the date. "We will have to go on another quest."

A thin smile up to Dagmar. "Time to shop for Yule."

"Oh, hell."

"Don't forget my favorite colors" A beat "And thanksgiving is... tomorrow" A smile

"Crap. Kerri gonna need kitchen help?"

Symon curses.

"Well, some of your refugees eat a lot" He says "Gutter? But we also have more help so.. balance?"

"Mom is going to overextend herself again." He whispers.

"Sure it'll work out. I'm glad they made it somewhere safe. Hope you all aren't too upset?"

"I'll help, Sy. I'm good in the kitchen. I can make her sit down."

He twists to look up at her - oh,necks should not move that way. He exhales. "Thank you." Simply, trusting that she will.

"Upset? NO, we're proud" Vali says as they position the stone just so, where the log (Future bench?) can act as an audience to it

Klump fusses over the singing stone like a beloved pet and sacred relic all in one

"And your mom is getting help from some guy named pudge"

"Pudge is good people."

"The lake house is in use, Otho wants to know if we have a workshop, so Magdelihne is showing him around"

"Hopefully nothing explodes. I do think Silver Wolf has a chunk of nockers. There's the one with the hair, and there's Wudlig, and they have a pretty good farrier."

"They do." vali says "And the farm is open to them as well, we checked"

"Farm can be tough for non-trolls." A pause, and she snorts at something.

Symon glances up?

"Well, boggans like them, and the pooka kid might be fine" Vali says

"True enough."

"But we'll see. With a wichtel kid and a grown centaur, some things ARE changing there" Vali ponders "But we'll find plans for all"

"That being said - rock delivered, I'm gonna go home, hug my parents, and squash Odin and Brown Dog in a hug.

"Yeah, about Odin...." A pause "i'm sorry"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh " He stops Then frowns "I shouldn't have... said anything . I'm sorry, this is... " he seems unsure what to say or if he should say but then "Hell with it. Your dad can murder me for telling you first. Odin is... not well. He's been to the vet like three times in the last week and a half"

Her eyes widen. "Odin -" And she swallows, face shuttering. "Okay. Thank you for telling me."

"I'm so sorry to bring that kind of news on the heels of your victory" Vali says "We tried spring, it helps a bit but... then peters out."

"It's fine."

PING

"Yeah, well, okay" Vali says

"You go home then, Klump and I got this" He assures

"Right, sure." Dagmar turns away, stiff and remote.

Symon reaches and takes hold of her arm. Well, his hand can't encircle it, but it rests upon her mighty thews.

I am here. It says, simply.

The touch startles her and she looks down.

He meets her gaze. I will always be here. I am your shadow, even in the night when you cannot see me. You cannot be rid of me.

The blank look breaks, and Symon can see her fear and worry and the certainty of loss, but... a spark of reassurance, too.

"There will always be loss." He whispers, to her alone. "But I will remain. I am your cancer that you can never be free of." He says the most... er... romantic things.

That earns a slightly strangled laugh.

A trace of a smile on his lips. "Let's go."

She takes his hand in hers, giving it a careful squeeze. "Okay."