#fenixtj

"Yay!"

Another hug, but she lets go so Salma can give her hug. Holger, being a troll gives a salute again, but says "You did your duty and brought honor to Fenix. Bueno"

"Wait until YOU can guard the firebrands!"

He puffs up at the thought of it "That would be... wonderful"

"You'll be a great caballero!"

That from Ariel

Diego is with Jessica "She did well I think. I suppose" he says in a lower voice "SOME Nobles are decent"

and he winks at her

A soft snort of amusement.

"I must work in baby steps" Diego admits self aware

"You do just fine, Diego."

"i dare say most of us do"

And he admires as the childlings are swarming Ellie for her stories of what bieng a firebrand is like

"She'll be good for these lands." Jess murmurs to Diego.

"wtih enough commoner advisors, of course" He says, meeting her half way

"Always a good idea to have a broad spectrum of input."

"It is." he nods "Can I get you something to drink?'

"Was it dangerous?" Onyx the Ailil asks Ellie

"Juice, I guess." she agrees "Thank you."

Diego gets her juice and says "Imbolc is going to be grand this year. T he nunnehi have accepted invites"

"I wonder if they have a similar holiday."

"I think they must"

"I would think the Dreaming, no matter how it comes to each people and Kith, just have the same basic patterns." she muses.

"tito Woden says much the same" He nods

"Sounds like I am in good company."

"He has matured, and I dont' mean grump hood"

"I hope we all have."

"Sometimes I miss the idealist I was"

Jess nods "I see plenty of idealism in you still."

"Mmmph, thank you" he nods

"You're welcome, Diego. We couldn't survive without you, you know that, right?"

"Ha. " A smile 'Kind of you to say, but I am not so filled with confidence in that. I see in some of the young my eventual replacements in one way or another. Take a look at young Ariel. She maybe a DeBuke, but Nancy and I have taught her more about her satyr heritage than she knew and she takes to it well. Nancy herself alreaddy does many of my duties and my contacts and influence fade with years, as is normal. If I vanished, would it hurt the hold? A bit... but it is a blow that you would recover from. All of you are quite amazing"

"Diego, you're not alone in that feeling." Jess says with a touch of dryness "I had an heir -assigned- to me, and she's a natural leader. If I dropped dead right now, she'd be fine. Fenix would be fine, Renaissance would be fine."

"Not ..quite yet" he says with a smile "Ellie needs you still. We all do"