#elsewhere

"Eggs, who's in charge of you? Who's teaching you about Fae and stuff while you're a fledge?"

"Why do you ask?" A bit suspicious

" 'Cause I wanna know."

"More than one person. " She says honestly "Including the Baron. If there's some place you feel my education is lacking, blame the student, not the teachers."

"Blame ya both." she snorts.

Her eyes darken just a bit then "What pray tell do you think it is I haven't learned right?"

((pause))

She sighs and rolls her eyes, sets herself up to pick up the horse hoof again. "-If- I was gonna blame someone, I'd blame ya both, or all. As it is, Iwas wonderin' who to talk to."

She slides a hand down Snowthorn's leg to prep him and clicks her tongue, squeezing a tendon and lifting the hoof to straddle it.

"I'm gonna ask again.. blame for what? because I asked just what, specifically, you think I haven't learned right... and you're still not telling"

"And I'm asking because if I'm getting something about the Escheat wrong I need to know. If am getting something about a holiday wrong, I need to study up on holidays. But you're just being really vague." A beat "Did I hurt your feelings?"

"Pfft." She rumages for nail in her apron. "Nah. But you might need more info on Kiths."

"Mm okay. So trying to make it sound like it could be a challenge to your craft was the wrong tact huh?"

She says "I admit, nocker ways still confuse me"

"Not just that." She examines the nails carefully and throws three into the discard pile. "Not just me."

"Okay, if I did hurt your feelings, I apologize." She sighs "I suppose I should have just said you might have fun and I think it might be nice to get to know you and a shared party might allow me and some of the rest of us, to do that"

Willy looks up. "Look, not judging but I'm straight and not into group scenes."

"Great, we have something in common" She says wryly "Seriously? You think I'm hitting on you? is this 'there's no middle ground' view something most nockers have or is it more a Willy thing?"

She has found some nails that suit her, although how she judges them..... "And that, makes my point. Go ask someone who's paid to answer. I'm paid to shoe and hammer and tongs."

"You're crowding me."

She backs up "I'm trying to learn, and you're right, it's not your job to teach but it seems like it would make it easier on both of us if you told me more about nockers if it's causing you annoyance that I don't know " She has some other opinions, but they're NOT going to be productive, "Anyway... I hope I haven't soured you on the holiday before it's even started, and I hope you join us, even if only for a little while. I'll leave you alone." She turns and walks off

Willy carefully sets and secures the next shoes, and moves on to the following shoe. Four will do it!

And Gwen's brow is at a hard knitted formation as she walks off trying to figure out how the hell she keeps offending the nocker despite, or perhaps because of her best efforts.

"Come on, Ivan. Let's go for a walk" A good patrol might ease her mind

Meanwhile, Snowthorn doesn't complain , ask questions, or try to make friend and just rolls with the shoeing as it's done. Which might be a pleasant change for Willy. 🙂

Willy snorts, and keeps shoeing. She'll learn.

Willy finishes the shoeing and cleans up while the horse stands in cross-ties.

"You want some hoof-black?" (Nail polish)

A neigh and soft shake of mane. He's good.

"Right."

Willy goes to unclip him from cross ties.... and hands off a few SUGAR cubes.

Happy munch, appreciative ear pose. Many thanks

"Yeah, we'll see." She snorts and leads Snowthorn to his stall. "You need to squat or what?"

He does eye the field nearby, probably best he do his business there rather than the stall. Courteous horse

Willy looks out at the field.

"Ok," she puts him in his stall "I'll tell the stablehands."

And she goes to find some.