#rescuemiriam

"Well, don't you think they'll get a call and learn?"

"I didn't make it to homeroom. Maybe it'll just be absent, you know? And you need a couple of those before you're truant. I can write a note."

"Our little Samantha was sick, please excuse her absence! Signed, the Bobbleheads!" A squeaky, sarcastic voice.

A laugh throaty and deep

"You may find some disagree with that, but I'm not sure I see the harm."

"Hey, I turned blue today. I think I'm allowed to skip out."

"Oh, yeah sure... " Another chuckle, "Look, why don't you come in, meet the Storm and Mountain"

"The Storm and Mountain. Right. Well... whatever, why not?"

"oh, yeah, troll lodges have their own system.... Storm war and defense, Mountain Lore, history, spirtuality..and that includes magic... Hearth? well, they handle the practical, the needed! Food, utlitities, sounds dull, but hard damn hard work."

"So they're in charge? Like Rome?"

"Well, one of them becomes the Chieftain, in this case- Brekke Shacklebreakre, that Baroness Imentioned. "

"So play nice with that one. Got it."

And then, after thinking about it "Respect the Station. You respect her?"

"Yeah, I got in her fce a bit years ago. She walks the talk"

"Oh, and you should definitely respect the hearth too. She's my wife, so bias."

"Kerry. Right."

"And Sir Franklyn ap Liam is the Mountain and the CHief's husband... so, youknow, it's a mine field."

"Don't piss off the bigwigs. Okay."

"Same as it ever was there. At the least you should know what you're stepping in. These are good people. I respect em, but I don't mention that to them so they don't get swelled heads about it." He grunts "Got my rep to protect after all. Come on..." He reclaims his axe, and opens the door to the lodge before her. As he does, she can feel a rush of ..warmth, a wonderful warmth for the soul.

And in she goes - her first steps into a freehold. In this life, at least.

(End Scene, but the beginning of someone's story)