#fenixtj

With minimal fanfare, Kerri steps through the door into Fenix from Rivervale. Of course, given security, there may be some questions about what "minimal fanfare" entails.

"Dame Kerri, ever elusive to any House, even mine own" Sir Buce, the war horse pooka, bows "Be welcome"

She gives him a nod of greeting and a smile. "Thank you, Sir Buce. Where would I find Zane? I hear he is visiting here."

"Zanne? Zane Zane..." He coughs nervously "I knnow of know... ah.. Dame, is the lad to be flogged?"

She blinks. "Flogged? No, I...is that what he's been saying?!"

"Melady, we pooka never pry into anyone's affairs, all the world knows this truth yet folks insist thrusting their secrets upon us. " He shrugs "I endure it with gravity, but after he slew Everest ..wha more could be said?"

She frowns. "Slew Everest." She shakes her head with a sigh. "Sir Buce, I promise that I am not here to enact any punishment on Zane."

"Ah, then he is in the baptismal" A motion for her to follow

"Thank you." And follow she does.

And he leads her to the entrance of the Spa

"Zane the 13th, thou have a guest" Buce announces

Zane's voice comes out "Do I need pants?"

"Yes, you do, please," she calls back.

"Hearth KERRI?" Panicked splashing

She looks to Buce. "Does he think I'm going to put him in front of a firing squad?"

"Me think he is worried of misfiring, at that agge tis not unheard of for the safety to be off"

Somberly said

"Oh. OH. Sir Buce, are we interrupting him while he had company?!"

"A satyr, with company? I had never considered...." He muses

And out comes Zane in a sligghtly damp bathrobe "Sorry about that"

She gives Buce a look, then turns to Zane. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think that Buce might bring me to interrupt you if you were busy."

"Not busy, just nude..." Zane says "Sir Buce is the soul of chivaly.. ah... hi"

"Oh, good then. And yes, hello!" A smile. "Zane, can we have a few minutes to talk? Perhaps in private?"

"Ah, sure" Zane sighs and moves along "Follow me, please."

"Certainly. And thank you, Sir Buce." She follows Zane.

He peeks in the kitchen "Marie, Rosa? Sorry to trouble you but could we some coffee ... Hearth Kerri is here and..."

A rush of boggan ennergy, and suddenly each of them has a tray full of food and a mug of ccoffee

"Oh, it's not necessary. Hello, ladies!"

She knows, of course, that it's a lost cause to ask boggans not to go to trouble. She accepts her tray with good grace. "Thank you, this looks lovely!"

"Oh this? De nada"

Zane leads the Hearht to a side room "You should try the churro."

"Ahh, my nemesis," she says as she picks up a churro and holds it up to the light to examine it. "I have mastered many things, but the churro remains elusive." She takes a bite and gives a happy sigh. "So good!"

"Wait, could it be Churro is your Questing Beastt?" he smiles

She chuckles. "Quite the tasty quest!" She takes another bite, then a sip of coffee....and then she turns to him. "So...you're well?"

"Better tthan I was" he sighs "I'm sorry it didn't work. I know you ttried to talk to him... but the damage I did was... deeper than I thought"

"Wait...you know I tried to talk to whom? The Mountain? Zane...did you think I was going to try to talk him out of his decision?"

"I was never told the official story, but I deduced a lot," he sighs "I thought you would convey my apology and respect to him, I did too. guess he didn't believe eihter of us, or it wasn't enough"

"You deduced." She takes a deep breath. "Zane, you are a wise person, but I think your wisdom stops short of being critical of your own conclusions."

"I know the Mountain isnn't stepping down. I know it's because of stuff wilders said, or at least 'A' Wilder. I knonw who suspect number one is" He taps his chest with his thumb "how can I go back there? Pillar of the Mountain? I FOLDED under him... and then stabbed him the back because I was in a 'mood'"

A brow. "Zane...did you think that Sir Franklyn would be Mountain forever?"

"As grumps go, he's still young. So forever? no. Quite the same summer I flaked on him? NO. I never envisioned that I'd be his tickett retirement. I'll..find some place where I won't screw shit up"

"Zane, I think you're being more than a little selfish about taking center stage in this particular act. This isn't about you."

"Does't matter if I'm only the straw that broke the camel's back, I still broke it"

"I do not agree. I also think you're not seeing the entire picture."

"And I won't, until something official is made I suppose, but right now, it's on me, annd yes, that might be vain and selfish, but so was lecturing the Mountain like I did. If I can't be trusted not to show proper respect to the point I am a determint, it's time for me to... get off my fuzzy ass annd at least go where I cann do less harm"

She considers him with a slight tilt of her head. "You've never known a time when he wasn't the Mountain. Zane...this is a change that he wants. I believe it's a change that he's ready for. I do not think he blames you."

"He's a very forgiving guy,very zen in his way. But while maybe this formula was going the way with o without me, I'm the Catalyst that sped it up. I robbed the Barony of years of a fine Mountain. Sure, he's the only one I've known, but that doesnn't change the fact I've robbed folks of a good mountain. Enough of this is on me that it matters that I should go. I'll be back to pick up somethings once I figure out where to settle. Sylvi's already.... well, she has a possee ready"

"You're part of that posse, I think, Zane. Or, I think she would like you to be. Did you hear that she's coming back to Rivervale?"

"For good?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure...but possibly. She isn't...well...I shouldn't speak for her as far as DarkGate goes, but she realized she wants to finish her senior year at home, now that there's going to be an in-person year to finish."