#brightwindsbarony

"I see that. Well, he's dead now."

Sylvi frowns, but she's not exactly surprised that a Balor went back on his word.

She nods. "Good." Stubbornly... yet a tear runs down her cheek, leaving a trail in the dust.

"My name is Sparrow. What's yours?" Gently.

"Grete. Grete Steinfeld." She adds the last name with emphasis. "He deserved it." And rubs at her face as it betrays her with a second tear.

The name prounounced like "Gret" rather than "Gret-ah".

"Steinfeld?" Hope blurts

"Death is never ideal. Hello, Grete." A look at Hope.

Sylvi looks at Hope. "You know her people?"

"Steinfeld was.. the Baron's mortal name" Hope says looking at the girl

Sylvi's eyes go wide as she looks at the girl again. "You're...his daughter?"

She shakes her head negatively. "I don't miss Harkson. No one does." Her chin jutting out. "But sometimes he would pretend he was still Uncle Harold. I know it was just tricks though. From his host memories."

Softly. "Ah."

"Do you still have your parents?"

"Oh. Wow. That's awful. I'm sorry."

Little Joe has backed upa bit, and tries to make sense of this young girl

"Please don't make me go with them." She stares at Sparrow. "I've listened. People say you're a nice one. You can make them let me stay."

HOpe just melts "oh my goodness"

"If you don't want to go to your parents, you don't have to."

"My mortal parents kicked me out, too. Blood isn't everything."

Sylvi goes back to being quiet, listening.

A weight seems to lift a bit from her small shoulders. "There's not many of us." Gesturing to herself. "They just... don't understand me. They're on a CRUISE." She says this as thought it's a dirty word. "Miles, and miles, and miles away from land...." A shiver.

"I think I would shrivel up and die."

"And... witchels, right? Witchels need land as much as selkies need the sea. Forgive me if I am wrong - I've never met one of your kith before."

"I don't even like airplanes." She nods agreement to Sparrow. "But they're always on a boat, or a jet flight off to Fiji or whatever it is that month."

"Then you stay here." As if that's easy enough. "And you keep your room."

"I don't care what room I have." She looks up at Sparrow and thinks a moment, then nods, as if coming to a decision. "You can stay too. There's plenty of room."

Little Joe blinks "The room she was in was actually small.. I think that's why few searched it"

"Sylvi... " Hope says "I'm sorry, our trip might be post poned. Would you like another glass of water or anything? "

"But I won't dig for you. Not if you're a beast about it." She quickly adds. Then gives a very belated bow. "Baroness." Glancing around at the others.

"I'm fine, thanks, Hope." She's watching the interaction closely.

"Is,,, is it a proper bedroom?"

Little Joe says" It's bigger than some cells we have in the dungeon, but not by much. It's got four walls, a bunk.. and a chamberpot"

Nose-wrinkle.

"So, not great. Sounds like someone shoved a bed in a storage room. Alright, so, we'll need to find you a room with a closet, and the lock from the inside, not the out. Do you want a window? The ones on the inner rooms are.. um.. magical, I think."

"The windows in my room are amazing," Sylvi confirms.

"Windows are nice. I like when I can see the ridges on the hills." And perks up at the mention of the closet. "Can I have shelves?"

"Sure. Might take a little time, but why not? I like being able to see the hills and sky, too. I - Hope, wasn't there a room past the library that looked out towards the mountains?"

"Yes there is" She says "Near Stew's room"

"And shelves are no problem" She scoffs as if boggans poop out the darn things when no one is looking

She digs deep into a pocket and pulls out... a perfectly ordinary looking rock. "I'll put my friends where they can see out, too. I have to gather them all. I hid them." Grete looks up at Sparrow, and a little shyly. "D'you want to see?"

She tilts her head. "See what? I don't know the secret! If you want to share, i would like that, yes."

Sylvi smiles, and says quietly to Hope, "I'd offer to help you with the shelves, but I think I'd just slow you down."

She offers the rock to Sparrow. "This is one of my friends."

She takes the rock, turning it over with curiosity.

Hope whispers "Don't be so sure... I don't mean to be rude, but your kith are wonderful for heavy lifting"

On the backside... but the underside feels smooth, polished a bit. And when she turns it over, it shines.

"Oh, that's pretty..."

"Harkson didn't care about my friends. He just wanted to know where to find oil or gas." Her nose wrinkles much like Sparrow's did at mention of a chamber pot. "He'd dig right through the ridges and the trees to get at it. So I told him where he could put it."

"...he didn't like that."