#darkgatefortress

Both Storm Colton and Bridge Sylvi meet in the hallway...

"Oh, I was about to go learn what was being done about Karbunkel" Colton seems less irked now, but ...still not happy "You?"

She is wearing a slightly disgruntled pout as she stops to speak with him. "Same." She folds her arms and looks away.

"Well..." It hangs in the air "Guess one way or another it will be decided"

"Yup." Another moment, and then she sighs. "I'm not going to apologize for having a different opinion about this."

"Well, you know I'm not. I think what that woman did was abominable, and having her 'guard' the boy she ravaged is insulting to true guardians, not a punishement" THen he sighs "BUT...then I see you there holding onto your idea and it's the oNLY thing that makes me doubt, even a little, because, even if I didn't love you, I'd remember how smart you are and how often you're right"

She frowns and looks at the floor, scuffing a bit. "Well...probably what I said wasn't enough. Kelby had a good idea -- have Emmitt curse her with something that'll happen if she ever ravages again. Something like that. Then we know she probably won't, and she gets to stay with her kid."

"That's.. not a bad idea" he admits "I wonder if that's why the Chief called Mountain Wildheart?"

"Maybe. Guess we should go find out." She turns to head down the hall.

"Roger that" he nods and they go into see the Chief

She's still kind of quiet.

And he still looks troubled

But they find the Chief, "Ah, there you two are. Bridge, Storm, glad to have ye"

"Hello, Chieftain." Sylvi gives him a respectful salute.

"Greetings, Chieftain" Colton does the same.

The Chieftain returns the salute, then says "First, good work on finding out the story behind Karbunkel in case I did not say it berfore. It was well done, and with a sublte touch folks often forget we trolls can do when there's need. Secondly, thank you both for your suggestions, I know for two love birds it cannot be easy to step forward with opposing views, but you did, and bravely so, with each of you presenting logic and passion combined"

Sylvi gives a brief glance at Colton, then says a subdued, "Thank you, Chieftain."

Colton returns the glance to her, and seems to want to say something, a guilty look on hsi face, but isntead he says "We're here to serve"

"Chieftain," Sylvi adds, "have you decided what you're going to do?"

"I had a lot of ideas. We douglas are not so sentimental towards mortals, but neither are we afraid to get medeival at times. I'll be honest, I thought branding a big R on Karbunkel's shoulder and telling her she was now in a Hawthorne novel only not really innocent"

THAT makes Colton's eyes bug out

Sylvi blinks. "Um...I'm not saying she doesn't deserve it, but that could reflect pretty badly on you, too, Chieftain."

"I suppose so," He admits "S's why I didn't do it. I thought about putting an ankle bracelet of sorts on her, but while Dougal craft is good, if anyone could find a way to bypass that it would be a nocker. Instead, I had her brought in here, scared the shit out of her, and with the Mountain's help put a whammy on her. It's not actually as impressive as she thinks it is... we bluffed a bit. But suffice to say we have enough of her hair and her SON's hair we can track either. Now I would not harm chester for all the world , but she does not know that ,and thinks I might actually have him taken to another hold to be raised as a cupbearer for a Dougal lord who would be debt to me. It is an ugly lie, but I wanted her to understand what some woudl do. why.. if she tried that in Baron Aiden's lands she'd be facing a wild hunt I'd be not surprised, or who knows what else? The man's nice.. for an Ailil sidhe, and I respect him, but that's 'for' an Ailil sidhe. I wanted her to understand just how some react to this. I prefer the carrot to the stick, but I the stick in view. You see?"

Colton looks like he wants to ask something , but .. he glances at Sylvi and decides to let her go first

Sylvi tilts her head a bit. "So...the whammy is making her believe that you would do it?"

"Not by itself. I showed her the absoutely horrible things we COULD do, amde her believe it was not entirely off the table, then hit her with lesser punishements that by comparison she probably saw as a mercy, which I think they were. She will have a visitor from our patrols once a week to check her and to check on Bobby. She is not to go intiate contact with Bobby for a month. SHe has also been put to work... not with Bobby, but community service to help make sure the theatre makes its' time date for Music man. THe troupe was willing to act as supervisors. Lastly, I made her swear and Oath, awhich she was willing to do, that if she ever ravaged in these lands again, her handss would grow shakey, her eyes dim..."

"THESe lands, Chief?"

Sylvi nods at everything Hewitt says, then shoots Colton a look, but presses her lips closed.

"Aye, Storm, i know it is not to Liam's liking, but hte Mountain advised that I was pushing my luck with the Oath as it was by scaring her into it...the more coerced an Oath is, the more D'an notices and not for the better, y'see? Also, I am not baron or Chief of other lands. If she suddenly gets the urge to move, I'll may send word ahead to the next lordd of her past crimes. I may not."

"It might mean she chooses to just move somewhere else...but I think even so, she'll have gotten plenty of good reasons not to risk having her son taken away by anybody if she ravages again."

"I will not lie, I was tempted to make a public display of her, I mean flogging but then I realized that might just make folks reluctant to tell me about ravagers they knew. " THe Chieftain nods to her "And that's my hope. Understand, she's in the hole with me. She breaks ANY Rule of the Escheat again, she'll be lucky if I don't chuck her in a cell for a year or hand her over to that Jude fellow and find a place for her kid. Bridge, I do agree with the Storm that she shouldn't guard Bobby as repayment, not just because guarding is an honor, but because I would be taking a gamble with a boy who had already been abused once. It would be like having the person who assaulted you mow your lawn whether you like them there or not. "

"I...I hadn't really meant it as guarding so much as that we'd hold her responsible if any harm came to him...but I can see how it comes down to the same thing." She nods.

"And... I suppose I wanted to use the stick without even thinking how it might..discourage others reporting ravagers in the future" Colton says to the chief, but.. he also gives Sylvi an almost apologetic glance at the same time.

She nods agreement with Colton.

"Well good. Now see this is where I assure I've made the right choice, and look extremely confident doing so" Hewitt nods "But in truth, it could all go to shite tomorrow, and that's me. Not either one of you. You are not to blame yourselves NOR each other if this should not go as hoped, ye ken me?"

"Yes, Chieftain. Thank you." She's still subdued, though she seems in full agreement about the decided punishment.

"Yes, Chieftain" Colton says

"Now, did either of you want ot talk to me about anything else?" The Chieftain asks

"Um...not me, Chieftain." She looks to Colton.

"No , Chief, thank you" he nods

"Well then, you've got a breather for now" He nods "As do I. I'm gonna relax by hammering"

Colton raises a brow "Very Dougal of you, Chief"

That gets a grin from Sylvi. "Enjoy, Chieftain. We'll leave you to it."

A salute, and she turns to depart.

As does the Storm. He waalks with her "Well, I feel a bit like an over dramatic litttle ass now" he admits to her once they are in the hall alone

She shrugs. "I feel like I was being wishy-washy, so I guess we even out."

"Wishy Washy and Dramatic ass, together, we fight crime" He says in a cheesy narraotor voice

A half-chuckle. "Can't say I'd want to watch that show."

"yeah, me neither" A look at her "I don't like us mad at each other. I can stand when we disagree, maybe even strongly, but... I don't want us mad"

"I don't like it, either," she says. Then a sigh. "I guess...I'm just my parents' kid."