#debukefarmhold

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The last vestiges of Pizza last night were as good as the first, and Kerri must admit, those boggans are right to run their Italian Restaurant .. but now, she gets ready for too much squash

The trod from Rivervale to the Farm shimmers, and Kerri steps into that fresh Iowa summer air.

There's a light breeze making up for the heat of the season, and corn and wheat almost wave to her . Further on, lower hanging veggies are being collected.

Murray, current storm and older brother to Clem comes up ready to protect the place, then see he doesn't need to "Hearth Kerri." A nod

She carries a basket covered with a cloth over one arm, and she gives him a nod. "Hello, Storm Murray. All's well?"

Murray mmphs ("Not sure.") then adds "No more carriages we've seen in our area"

"Good. I hear you've got a new addition, though."

"Yeah, " He nods "Little Wichtel girl. Dream Dance came YOUNG. Four years and I don't know how many months. You'll see her if you see the Chief"

He eyes the basket "You here to talk to Hearth Kourtney then?"

"Well, I'll start with the Hearth, yes, but first..." She flips back the cover on the basket and reveals an assortment of jelly pastries. "Have one."

"Bribery, the real danger of Hearths" But he takes one, and takes a bit , savors the bite in his mouth, and swallows, "Really nice, Hearth. Is it true you're going to be Chief soon?"

She covers the basket again and nods. "That's the plan."

"And just to have it said: I plan to continue the alliance between Rivervale and the Farm. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"Good luck, and ..good to hear." He nods "Thanks for the pastry. You know your way around."

A bit blunt, but Murray was rarely one for niceties beyond the minimum

Kerri's quite used to Murray's style and isn't offended. She heads toward the kitchen.

Childling trolls are hard at chores... sort of, for it is acccepted they will also make a bit of play and contest of it. Wilders have less play, but know that the sooner they get things done, the sooner they get to do really fun stuff like... standing watch, and knitting brows.

Okay, perhaps not that

But she gets some greetings as she goes by, and the kitchen door opens for her

She smiles and waves hello in return, and then heads inside the kitchen. "Hearth Kourtney?"

"In here" She says, "Hands in dishes . That you, Hearth Kerri? Come on in" Kerri makes her way past the dinning table, and then steps into the kitchen. The Hearth is alone, which is odd as she often has a few doing chores of helping her, but then maybe she used this as an excuse to be alone with Kerri

Kerri puts the basket down on a counter. This basket has made the journey between holds so many times that nobody remembers which hold it started at. "I bring offerings of pastries.

She reaches for a dishtowel and starts drying the dishes that Kourtney is cleaning, as a matter of habit.

"They smell wonderful," SHe says, making a bit more of a splash for a white noise effect "I appreciate you coming around like this. I maybe over reacting but... Clem seems to have made her mind up without thinking it all through."

"I get the sense that Murray's uncomfortable about this, too."

"If he is, he's not coming to me about it" She frowns "Which means he's not taking me seriously. Why did they raise me to hearth if it's all just for show? I.." A breath "I need to stop worrying about my pride and focus on what's good for the lodge."

"I don't think that's necessarily the issue for Murray. It seems to me he's always been guarded in his opinion unless it's a matter of defending the Farm. I think he might feel like he's staying in his lane...but still concerned."

"Tell me a bit more about what you're seeing from Clem."

"Well, there's the going after the carriage in the first place. One of our got hurt, she got angry, REAL angry, and wanted to go after. Uncle Emmit did a reading on this.. .and warned her that if she went, she might lose a part of herself. She went off anyway... alone or would have, as she ordered us to stay and guard the farm from further incursians. THANK goodness she told Buck long ago that she wasn't in habbit of ordering her love and he could ignore her now and then. HE chose then and went iwth her. OH She was mad at him too but off they went. The fact she got so angry about Rowdy makes sense, but after a warning omen? " A breath "Then, what happens, she and Buck save a little girl. We'll, Clem loves kids, was surprised she didn't have one by now with all the preganances happening with other troll ladies and her in love with Buck and him wanting to be a father, but there you go. But I've never seen her fall so hard for one as she did this little Wichtel girl. Chase IS sweet, though she gets SO dirty... but we don't have any Wichtels. Don't know how they work save by rumor, and you would think she'd be taken to a Wichtel somewhere at another hold who could understand and mentor? But nope. Clem's calling Chayse Chase, and set up a room for her, and ... well, full mom mode. Without us getting much of a word in. Everytime I or anyone else tries, chores are handed out like we were farmhands"

"And I can't be ordered to do chores." Kerri nods, putting aside another dried plate. "Emmit's omen is interesting. It certainly seems to have come true. I don't know much about Wichtels either...do they have some sort of ability to draw on the emotions of others?" The experiences with Cairrean are still too fresh and are coloring her thinking.

"I called around and looked into that. Nothing like it. They're tough, can work for a long time, best as miners and blue collar folk I'm told. THey can dowse water, find gold deposits and more. I think they mnight be nocker kin but not sure. They're Vengeful, if you wrong them they will try to pay you back, but you have a Daireann Squire so I suppose you know about that mentality. But nothing about Charms or bespelling "

A grin about Brogan, then she nods. "Well, then...I suppose it's time I speak with Clem. Any idea where she is?"

"Where else, working the farm in eye view of the child... "A nod through the window "You'll find her among the squash today"

"I guess I'm helping with squash, then. Thank you, Hearth." A grin.

She heads out to the squash patch.

"You're welcome, Hearth" She smiles as Kerri heads out

"There we go, Chase, it's okay to get it out of the dirt but you still don't want it squeezed too tight. There you go," Clem laughs "Well, we'll work on it" As dirt flies. The childling IS only four

She can't help but smile at the interaction, then calls out, "Chieftain, good morning!"

"Hearth Kerri" Clem smiles "What a delight. Would you like to meet Chase?" Kerri has seen the look in eyes like that, as if a whole new star fell to Earth. She wore it when she was a new Mother. She's seen it recently in Siv's eyes, though Siv's is also tinged with a kind of wary cconcern she doesn't want to screw this mother stuff up. WHICH Kerri may have worn too at one point.

"Certainly!" Don't form judgments before gathering info, she reminds herself. She steps carefully amongst the plants and crouches down. "Hello, Chase. I'm Kerri."

"Hello," The girl says looking up from wrestling a squash out of the dirt. The girl is happy, but dirty.

"What have you got there?"

"QUASH" The girl says with a very adorable smile

"Why, so it is. A very good squash." A smile, then she looks to Clem. "How are you doing?"

She waits for Clem to start talking before she kenns the Chieftain.

"Yes, squash" Clem smiles, "You'll like it if it cooked right and it will be. Course we're going to give a ton to Hearth Kerri afore she leaves" A smile "Oh I'm great, thank you kindly."

(Perception plus Kenning or best guess for dice)

/roll explode 6