#odyssey

Hay is drifting down like snow and sticking out of his hair!

"Hey kiddo. Yeah, good stealth lessons!"

"Spark is a good player. He's fun."

"But too much fun for Star."

"She gets tired so I come and play with him! Otherwise he wants to play snatch-tail and jump arounds all day."

"That's really good, thank you. I bet you both have fun."

"Nope." Big grin.

Smile.

"We had a good trip, I fought a nice dragon named Abuela. The armor was useful."

"Oh! The chicken! Was it fun?"

Spark bounces near Connor ...

"Hip hop hop, Spark!"

"It really was. We got the piece, there's just one left."

"Hooray! And then you can make donuts for Yule!" A big grin.

"Exactly."

"So - you re good for a few more days of being Dogmar?"

"I will be Dogmar forever and ever, except I'd like you to come back soon and then I will hang up my helm for a bit."

"Soon." She nods.

"Now, I need to ask Star something... mind if I borrow your special halter?"

"Oh yeah! It's not mine anyways. It doesn't fit me, my neck isn't long enough. It's Star's."

He fetches it.

"Well, good point there." She pats Star's neck. "I know, not your favorite. We'll just have it for a little while."

She whuffles at Dagmar's sleeve and leans into the halter.

She slips it over the mare's head. "Hello. I know I have been away, but it looks like COnnor has been taking good care of you..."

"Sweethands Hayheart, if you do not tie this foal to a boulder, he will fly away and I'll be glad to be rid of him!" She whinnies! "Oh I don't mean it, but he is a SCAMP."

"You are back and we will run now!"

"Well... I would take you with me on the next part of the quest. Stormwake can watch the baby."

A gleeful whinny! "I will run to the east and west winds and back for you, Sweet hands. Now give me an apple and we will go!" Leaning down, she nuzzles Spark and pulls off a few leaves from his still spiky manelet.

"You behave, not that you know how. You listen to the Boy and the Boss Mare and your Father."

"We will go soon. Should I.. uh.. milk you, so he could have a bottle later?"

A soft snort. "He will be fine. He butts and sips but he can learn to eat hay. It will make him strong."

Stormwake blinks Wait what?

"Okay then. Can you carry me and Symon both? Symon is small."

She thinks about this. "He smells of death. Keep him downwind, and I can carry anything."

"I can. We go to the Dreaming. I will be back soon, I want to check inside."

Meanwhile.. inside, a picnic basket of sorts set up "And Symon, don't forget about that spring cookie" Sally mae is more than done

"We have two left from before. The healing ones, right? The Pitt healed up Dagmar after her battle."

Star nods to Dagmar, and starts in on Stormwake. "Now, you do not let him eat too many apples, and make sure that he stretches before trying those silly hops he keeps doing, and..." Both aloud, and with the nicker-ear-flick-tail-twitch language of the horses.

Connor beams and stays to listen. "Hurry back!"

"Will do." ANd she slips off to the lodge.

"Those don't stay fresh forever" Sally mae says "So best you have this extra"

Stormwake snorts. He knows how to handle a colt.

But he does nuzzle Star lightly . She'll be missed.

"Hey, Star says Spark won't need milk, so we can take her!"

Sally Mae looks over "Well, you've got Dr. Pepper, the one in the blue wrap is YOUR sandwich, the one in green goes to your snake loving friend" A humph

"Ooo, Dr. Pepper? Thanks!"

"Thank Symon and his friend Quetz. Symon is the one who pushed for it"

"Well, thanks then. I think I'm gonna leave the armor behind..." Sigh. "It's great, but man, it is a bear."

"Need help getting out of it?" She says turning to see if the warrior IS out of it "I've removed armor before"

She holds up a clanky duffel.