#fenixtj

Ash watches and then says to Jessica "That boy is going to grow into a fine young man I think, and you have made his year" a smile

Ellie is full of praise for the brave caballero.

Causing poor Holger to blush nicely "It was the countess who did the killing blow.. her maul, wham, at the back of the wyvern's neck."

"Did it make..cracking noises? " Tex asks

"What do you think of sending him to visit Rivervale? A little time with other trolls. He seemed to feel like he ..... I don't know. Either wasn't fitting in, or was passively expected to be like other kiths."

Her voise a murmur as she and Ash consult on the side.

Salma exchanges a startled look with Ellie and Ariel, her sharp ears pricked. "Princesca, they would send him away?"

"What? Send Holger away?"

"He's our caballerito...."

"to visit?" mmm Ash ponders "He'd love Rivervale I tthink. to visit"

"That's right! He's ours!"

Holger is blushing even more, but he says.. "I.. would learn to be a better protector"

"But... but going away?"

Ariel pouts

Salma's chin wobbles a touch. "Why can he not learn here?"

Ash tuts "Oh my look at you all... Holger wants to learn more troll styles of fighting and guarding. He's not going away forever, he's going to visit Rivervale every now and then. Think of it like going to a camp for him for a short time"

Holger looks unsure what to say to all this that he hasn't already said "I did not mean to make anyone upset"

"Just... visiting, not going away?"

"I believe that's the plan" Dame Ash says

Jessica sighs. "Yes, to -visit-."

"Can we visit, too?"

"They visited US" Ariel points out

"They did!"

Jessica consider the request.

"I will think about it. It might not be a bad idea to have you visit the Duke's court, Elleanor."

"Could Salma and Ariel come too?"

Ariel gives a BIG Smile

"I will ask."

"Gracias!"

Holger whispers "Sorry, Contessa, the girls are very protective of me. They do not understand it is supposed to be the other way around"

"I think it can go both ways, Holger."

Salma goes "Hmmmph." But nods.

"But you do not like it when others make a ggreat fuss over you" Holger scratches his head confused "Like when Senor Duff tries to protect you"

Ash wisely fights a smile

She nods. "I do not." she agrees "That is more a matter of personalities than Kith. My sister Siv and I are both trolls, and related, but she is an extrovert and I am not."

Holger nods and gives her a sympathetic look, "The extroverts... they mean well" As if this mantra has given him some support and he now shares it

Ariel looks at Ellie "See, it's not that he's trollish, it's that he's Holgerish"

"He's OUR Holger. As long as they know that."

Holger blushes as he's talked about but smiles

"Si. We need our Holger."

"I need to make a song about Holger's battle against the wyvern!" Ariel realizes

Holger braces himself and sighs, resigned

"Holger...." she beckons him away to speak quietly and privately.

He walks over with her.

Ariel is already testing tunes

"I understand if you aren't comfortable with the attention. Would it help to know that my mother, who is just as, um, attention-averse..... sometimes she calls for a bragging contest on holidays?"

"And special occasions."

"Truly?" he says surprised

A sigh. "I would not lie about that."

"that will be a hard test" he admits