#debukefarmhold

Briar puts on as much of a swagger as she can on her modest height. After her first initial gawk, she does her best to hide it behind a disinterested sneer. "It's not bad, for a bunch of farmers. They call this a hold? Where's the bale? In the cowshed or under the pigsty?"

"Briar!" Nadeen says "Please remember you are a guest here, at least, you hope to be?"

A wary glance over at the tall troll, judging her reaction to the comments.

"You're what, Farmlord Clementine?"

Clem raises a brow, "Briar, this hold has been challenged many a time by sidhe lords aplenty and we've held it. They don't want it because it's small. Now, as for where the balefire is, well, maybe I'll tell you, though it's not hard to find. As for me, it's Chief Clementine. There's also Hearth Agnes, Storm Murry, and Mountain Emmit. Thouggh none of them will likely be teaching at the school building. I do ask you treat they and the teachers who come here with respect, but I realize you're a redcap and they sometimes don't respect folks unless they show they got some ability. Don't suppose you'll trust me when I say I do?"

A snort and a shrug. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Folk don't like redcaps, if they're smart, so it's smart for redcaps to not bother trying to cozy up to the jerks in the first place." She does have the decency not to meet Nadeen's possibly disapproving gaze. "You look strong, at least. But that's handed to ya."

A hint of interest at the note of a challenge. "For real, you fought off elflords that wanted to take it? Did you kill 'em?"

"Chimerically, yes. The old Chief killed no less than four, Of course in the war, he spread enough sidhe blood to bathe an elephant in. Murray's taken down two- both were storms. And I've had a challenge or two. Mostly I turn them into things... like a tree. If I think they need to do honest work, I elder form a challenging Count of house whatever transforming him into a shovel... and use him for cleaning the stable. That seems to send a message without killing"

"Oh Chieftain, you didn't" Nadeen's eyes widen and she looks disgusted.

"Briar asked, I answered," Clem says "And frankly the son of a bitch had it coming, Nadeen. He insulted my family on top of trying to take the hold. If he was going to talk shit, only fair he got to taste some."

Briar looks started, then grins in glee. "No WAY. That's bitchin!"

"Yes way, you can ask around about Count Drotha if you doubt it," Clem says "And I'm not even a little sorry about it. Now, Briar, you don't have to cozy up, and you're right that redcaps aren't the sort too, but you seem smart enough to know that a hold full of trolls won't take lightly to bullying . However, if you want a chance to fight? Let me know. I got some kids your age who will take a bloody nnose if it means they can practice"

Nadeen looks alarmed "Ah, Chieftain, she's not here to beat people up OR get beat on"

"We got healers" Clem says "Long as she doesn't bite things OFF we're good"

She looks stunned. "You mean it? F'real?" And her eyes narrow. "You know Nadeen's on MY side. So if you say that and you were just funnin', and I go and get into a scrap, you can't take it back and say I'm in trouble for it."

"'Cause she heard you say so."

"She's right" Baroness Nadeen says "I am on her side"

Clem specifies, "Fighting we do, but only inn a specific location or two, and it's supervised. We learn how to defend ourselves here. Normally we don't include non trolls but redcaps are one of the few scrapper kiths aren't they? Think of it as a fighting match more than a random scrap."

"Now, that said, you're here to learn how to read, write, do math, and history and stuff. So if your grades aren't good enough, we can refuse you the physical training. I'm telling you that up front so you don't think it's a 'trick' or anything" The Chief says "Got one 3rd cousin who thought it was unfair she had to make Cs or better for her to fight. I didn't cut her slack and I won't cut it for you either when it comes to that"

"That does seem fair" Nadeenn says to Briar. Hey, so much for being on Briar's side!

She looks a bit sulky when she realizes that it's just sanctioned fights, but shrugs it off. "Still gotta be better than the damn screen. Nadeen said maybe you'd teach me the important stuff. Like what angle to chop at someone's neck to take it clean off vs. a hack-n-dangle. They both WORK, but the first is better for being sure and gettin' it done, and the second if you wanna see them blink a few times first. That's like, biology AND geometry."

Clem gives Nadeen a look. Nadeen looks a bit sheepish

Then Clem says "I can see we're going to need to tailor a few subjects towards a redcap's sensiblities. I'll pass it on to the teachers. Now, you got a transcript of your grades from mrotal school?"

"Yeah, you ain't gonna like it though. They kicked me out for a whole half a year, and no one even found out because I ditched the paperwork. THAT was a good week until someone called and the steward snitched on me. Then they were teachin' me at home, which didn't suck except no one really wanted to do it so it was annoying. Then COVID came and they said I had to do online and that was the WORST."

The paperwork would show C's and D's - and numerous citations and suspensions.

Clem looks at Nadeen "You told me she would be a challenge. You didn't say how much"

"Every one deserves an education" Nadeen says "And nnot like all the kids you have now are angels"

"Truth" Clem says then looks at Briar "We'll give it a trial. But for at least a week, no online classes for you"

She brightens up. "Are you doing any slaughtering? Boss back home taught me how to break down primal cuts. I bet a sheep or a cow ain't much different from a deer or elk..."

"As a matter of fact" Clem says "mostly we have cows for milkinng so slaughter doesn't come up much. A few sheep for shearinng but they're fine. However, if you're interested, we have a neighbor not ten minutes away who does pig farming and has some for the slaugghter. Got to tell you, pig killing is not for the faint of heart"

Eyes widen. "Can I go? Can I?!"

Nadeenn makes a face, but looks to Clem "If you don't mind, Chieftain, it would mean a lot to her."

Clem says "Come on, Briar. We do a ggood job we get a share of the meat "

"I can do a good job! Meat's the best thing there is! And I wonder if a pig is more shaped like a man when you slice it open? Is that why they call it long pig? I wonder if I could find a picture side by side."

"As a matter of fact," Clem says "Pigs are so much like humans in some ways I believe you can use a pig heart for a replacement heart for a human" THe troll leads the girl to pick up truck waving goodbye to Nadeen

Nadeen is just glad she's not going along

Briar trots behind her with hardly a second glance. Some naive kids may be lured away with strangers who promised candy, or puppies... but Briar? It takes heart... and guts!

"I left my claws at home. Nadeen said it'd not be a good first impression." Rubbing at her bare knuckles. "Me and Gwen? She's like, this troll girl I live with. She and I took down an entire corby this one time and saved an old greybeard who they was gonna get beat up."

"Yeah? Don't tell me you got away uncathed" Once they're in the truck, clem starts to drive

The pig farm is a squalid place compared to the DeBuke form, the smell of stys are in the air. It's not that the place isn't tended to somewhat, but it is clear the money here goes to porcine health and business and not pretty picket fences.

From the look on Briar's face, she's gone to hog heaven. Which is possibly not what the hogs consider it.

"Well, Gwen has rock-skin, so you can't beat her up, really. She's invincible. And Me? I just work on not getting hit. Being small helps. You get un-estimated."

Briar comments through a mouthful of something. She has a loaded backpack, but any hopes of it containing books or school supplies is dashed, it's packed with jerky. If Clem gets caught looking, "It takes a little bit longer to chew so it's better to keep around."

"Stoneskin? that's. that's a rare gift" Clem ponders, then nods a the jerky "Come on. Let's meet Mr. Wahckenbush. He's redcap kinnain"

"Bout time you showed up, DeBuke" A SURLY sourfaced man greets them

She can see his yellow teeth reflect his herritage... there's something about the unhealthy glint that makes one think he bites his words when he talks "And who the hell is this? I don't need some little girl crying while the pig blood is flowing"

Briar scowls at him. "Ain't even smart enough to recognize yer own kin? Are you sure this is the butcher, and not another one of the pigs?"

Clem toss the kinain something "You for got your gum, Bubba"

The kinian chews it, with the wraper still on, then blinks as he ignites a bit "Oh.. so we ARE kin eh? Huh.. you must be the runt of the litter "

"Bubba..." Clem stresses "This is Briar. She wants to help with the slaughter"