#rivervale_lodge

"They're not bad people. I don't want to get them hurt."

"Right. See? Exactly."

"So you're not bad." Like it's the answer to a math problem.

"But you ain't gonna tell her, right?"

"No...but I think that, if they knew, it wouldn't make anybody here like you any less." Her turn for a stubborn chin.

Falters, a dangerous note of hope in her voice. "Maybe."

"It doesn't make any difference to me."

A snort.

"Well, okay, it makes a difference...I understand why you don't want to call your mother, now." Shrug. "But I'm not, like, kicking you out of my room or anything."

She ventures. "Maybe you could come over when you aren't selling stuff?"

"...if you wanted.."

She smiles. "Sure!"

"Which...kind of brings us back to the question, should I come over for a sleepover tonight? In case there's another attack?"

"Or you staying here."

"Matt and Jenn will probably wanna put on a show...." She bites on her lip. "Maybe if Kerri called and asked? Or Olgar?"

"They wanted to talk to him before I was allowed to come here after school."

"Sure, that's no problem. I'm sure she won't mind. Especially considering what's going on."

"Are the beds as big as everything else is? Is there room? Could we sleep by the fire?"

"We always find room. And...I don't know about sleeping by the Fire. We have to find out if anybody needs it, but we can ask, and Mom can check."

"Seems like it'd be cool. Like camping inside."

She smiles. "Yup! I've done it, it's fun...well, when it's not because somebody's almost faded or dying or something. Then it's not so much fun."

"Yeah. But we could sleep and.... not soak up the glamour?"

"Yup. Probably have some pretty cool dreams, too."

"Y'know, I've had the WEIRDEST dreams since my chrysalis."

"Like what?"

"Like - Lord of the Rings stuff. Elves and dragons and knights in armor.."

She grins. "That's probably a lot of Dagmar stuff. I mean...yeah, the lives from before."

"Yeah? Frank said that, too. I had armor. And my halberd."

"I bet that felt great. In the dream."

"It did! I was... I was protecting my liege. I was the best, and there were monsters..."

"Huh...do you remember who your liege was?"

She shakes her head. "It was... a lady? Her father... her father picked me to protect her..."

A broad grin.

"I had a horse! Though, man, think how big a troll-sized horse would be?"

"Oh, someday you've got to come up to the Farm. They have troll horses there. They're BIG."

"I wanna go see it, too. And Firnost!"

"Oh, I think you're gonna love Firnost. But you gotta wait until Dad and Frank say you're ready."

She sighs. "That sucks. They're gonna say not until I'm sained."

A shrug. "It's a pain...but it'll pass soon enough."

"It seems like forever." She huffs.

"Okay, you've lived probably like a dozen lifetimes....a year won't hurt you."

"Well, I don't remember those! Do you?"

Sylvi frowns. "I remember less than you do."

"Well, guess that's what it is, too."

"I guess."

Eventually, permission is asked, arrangements are made, and Kerri calls the Browns.

And Kerri says, "Just a thought, Dagmar...part of building good will with your fosters? I know she's not your mother, but...maybe a note to Jennifer tomorrow, thanking her for taking care of you. Not an instruction...just a thought." And she leaves it at that.

A grumpy sulk over that suggestion.

But aside from that... Dagmar is happy to hang out, get dinner - maybe even play some games?

She learns tafl.