#darkgatefortress

"Bye, now!" Sylvi smiles and waves. "And come visit the Fortress if you need to, okay?"

"Will do" She says

Sylvi walks away from the house and waits for Colton at the sidewalk.

And once they're out "I worry she might bolt"

"She might." Sylvi agrees. "But Colton...she's got a kid. I understand if you feel we need to go back and bring her in, but then...what happens to the kid?"

"Jealousy, Vanity, and Spite. She wasn't nearly forgetting herself. she wanted her son to be 'the best' and so she ravaged Bobby! for ..pettiness! I'm not sure she DESERVES to be a mother"

"I'm Liam, we don't suffer Ravagers"

"Colton, I get it. I do! But...if we've essentially put her in charge of making sure Bobby is safe, isn't that a punishment-in-kind? She's clearly terrified of what might happen."

"In kind? That kid was assaulted... betrayed... and she bolted a thinkinng Chimera's mouth on top of it. No, I don't see guarding someone as a punishmennt. It's an honor she does not deserve"

Sylvi takes a deep breath. "And I ask you again, what about her KID?"

A frown "Kinainn, we can find someone to care for him, another nocker maybe?"

She stares at him. "One parent is as good as another, mix-and-match, just like that?"

"That's not what I said.." he frowns "And, what about the father? "

A blink. "How do you know there's a father in the picture at all?"

She walks down the sidewalk in the direction of the cat, or at least where the cat was. Is it still there?

And up it walks

"I.. don't" Colton admits

"We should have insisted on talking to Chester," she admits. Then she checks that they're out of sight of the nocker's windows before saying to the Cat, "Bobby's okay, now. For now. What do you know about Chester?"

"Well," The cat says "As a point of fact.. I know a lot"

"Yes?" Sylvi encourages him.

"Bobby likes him, they are..were friends. Chester has been enchanted once by his mom, so I talked to him"

"What did he tell you?"

The cat pushes hsi glasses up "That he liked Bobby back. That he just wished it didn't bother his mom that Bobby was better in some sciences. "

"Is he safe with her?"

"Is bobby safe with that womann?" The catfusses "Certainnly not she ravaged him, muzzled me.."

"I think she means with her own son" Colton says

"Oh. Yes? I.. suppose" The cat calms a bit

"You don't think she's, like, abusing him or mistreating him in any way? She's just overly competitive?"

"I admit, I watch Bobby more than Chester. Bobby helped Dream me" the Cat admits "So maybe i missed somethinng"

Sylvi considers that. "Would you be able to watch over them both? Or...maybe coax Bobby to get Chester to confide in him if anything's wrong in that house?"

"I'm not safe near Mrs Karbunkel"

"No...but if you stay in Bobby's house...." she suggests.

"Well, yes. I suppose I could be you eyes, but what are you going to do with mrs. Karbunkle?"

Sylvi takes a deep, slow breath. "I want to give her another chance to do right. I don't want to take a mother away from her son if we can possibly avoid it. She knows that we know....I don't think she'll do it again."

Colton frowns It is clear he disagrees then, a thougght hits him and he looks at the Cat "Does Chester have a father? If so, what can you tell us about him?"

She nods at Colton's question.

"Divorced. He lives in another part of the state and visits and gets his son the last weekend of everymonth. He doesn't seem very banal, but obviously can't enchant chester like his mother can."

"So, either he didn't want or didn't win custody."

"That would be my guess" Mr. Catt says

A look at Colton.

"So.. if we bust her, Chester can go with his father. I think we ougght to brinng her into the Chief and ask Count Jude if he has a spare mirror"

Yup. Liams can be unforgiving of Ravaging

"Colton...do you not get that if the Dad doesn't have Chester, there might be a good reason."

A frown "I think we disagree on this, Sylvi. We KNOW her guilt, you're guessing at the father's"

Sylvi's jaw tightens. Then she says, "I've had my say, but I'm not the Storm, nor the Chieftain." Her tone is clipped, a bit chilly.

"No, but you are the Bridge, and as we disagree. I suppose we should take this TO the Chieftain" His own tone hardens just a touch

"Fine." She looks to the chimera. "Mr. Catt, keep watch over Bobby. We'll be back."

"I shall" Mr. Catt says

And two jaws set , the young lovers make their way back to the fort

An it's a quiet, tense return.