#odyssey

TOTALLY REVITILIZED, our heroes feel powerful! Okay, juiced at least

Dag is feeling pretty good! Re-organizing her pack, leaving her purchases here, packing up some Kerri baked goods for Jessica...

Loaded and raring to go. Gerd helps "Tell Jessica I might visit. Tig said he had a nice stay there"

She nods.

"Thanks." a nod

"Only thing that sucks is not getting to really SEE places."

"Quests aren't tourism things but I get you" she nods "You're locked like a laser on your target and don't get to take too many side trips. But hey, at least you know a good place near baltimore that serves that Yucky whatzit and , of course you know where Sweet Sorrows is." Amused "maybe you should write a book about the best places for a wilder to dine?"

"Yeah, food has been on point."

"So that means, what - look for awesome tamales? Is there a thing Fenix does well? You've visited. I don't know Jessica that well..."

"Jessica's a lot like her mom and dad... reserved, private person who works herself too hard. Siv gets on her nerves because they're so different at least that's my guess but they got each other's backs. Maybe you should just leave the food and a note and go on? Because she might butt into your business thinking it's her business? "

"That's what Vali said."

"Vali wants to keep this on the downlow, I can tell," Gerd shrugs "arguably the map IS his. Not sure why he scattered it in the first place...and I'm sure a few pieces he didn't plan to end up where they did. Voodoo clubs with vamps and werewolves and stuff"

"Well, why would he do that?"

"Why not just keep it in the FIRST place?"

"Got me, probably some weird vision?"

"Yeah, if he chose to give it to that damned clown..." Scowl.

"No. I don't think so..." She says "Though I am sorry .. everything I hear about Lolly is ..brr"

"I hate him."

"What the heck did he may you see?" A whisper "I mean.. if it doesn't make it worse to say?"

Jaw-jut.

A look - no Symon right now.

"Just... I mean, they were lies."

"They just didn't feel like lies when they were happening."

"He used cantrips to find out what got under your skin and used it. What an asshole"

"I guess."

"Okay.. well you know that whatever it was, was lies. That's good" A pondering "Did it involve your family?"

She nods, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yup. Asshole" A frown "I figured. You'd love you fam hard, so naturally he went after that."

"..he made me think I killed Symon."

Gerd's jaw falls open, THAT she didn't guess

She chews on her thumb. "I had... there was a trap door, and Symon fell through and I didn't catch him. I followed, and found, like, three Symons..."

"I.. the one, the one told me not to save them, and to go, and I was pretty sure that was the real one, but I wanted to be sure..."

"So, like." She frowns. "I turned my back, as if to leave, and Lolly killed all three of them."

"I thought.. I dunno, I thought the fake ones would have begged me to stay..."

"Probably why he just had them die, because you out smarted his plan to keep torturing you with indecision "

Grunt.

"It smelled real."

"Geez. Have you told Symon?"

She shakes her head.

"Why not? He's your friend. Certainly your best guy friend"

"I... tell him I let him die?"

"You tell him what your plan was. You didn't let him die. For one thing, he's very much alive. Secondly, it was LOLLY who threw the switch, not you and he'd know that. Symon knows how villains think" A pause "And.. as I say that i realize it might sound like I was calling HIM a villain. And he's not. We're just lucky he hasn't decided to shave his head and create troll kryptonite"

"It was a lie. It wasn't real."

"Right. But.. shouldn't he know what was tried so if he ever goes back he's forewarned?"

She shutters. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Okay, sorry. I won't tell him , that's for you to do or not do.. and I didn't mean to pressure if I did pressure." She says "Kay?"

"Yeah."

"And thank you for trusting me. If there's anything I can do or say in addition to keeping my blue yap shut, let me know okay?"

"S'fine."

"Okay" Gerd says, then switches the topic for Dagmar "SO.. how great is Connor as Dogmar? " A smile