#rivervale_lodge

"And California."

"Or even exotic Alaska" Nudge Sylvi

"Well, I'm sure Texas isn't all mass murderers...."

Dag scowls.

Then a grin at Siv. "Hey, Alaska's really beautiful! I've seen pictures. And...have you noticed that the Chieftain and the Mountain get kind of sappy looking whenever it's mentioned?"

"Oh, come on, Dagmar...it's just a summer trip."

"I know..."

"well, I'm told that when the ship journey started, before I was born, mom saw the shore of Norway and got all a glowy bout it. Spoke in the old tongue."

Another glance at Dagmar before answering Siv. "Well, yeah, that's where she was born, I guess she would. Kind of hard to think of her as 'glowy' though...."

"Trolls are from Norway, right? In the old days?"

"Oh, you mean she was literally born in Norway?"

"well, all of Scandinvavia, but yes" A beam

"Brekke's kind of intimidating..."

"That's what I was told, yeah. It's kind of hard to see now, but there's an old painting on the hot tub enclosure wall? Uncle Frank painted the landscape of her home there."

"Mom's a softer touch than folks know, but she's got to be hard for the sake of others. So much on her shoulders" Siv says thoughtfully, "I'll never be that strong. And I don't mean in muscle"

An odd look on Dag's face, eyes drifting far-away for a moment.

Sylvi looks at Siv. "No offense...but it's still hard to think of her as anybody's 'Mom.' She's just always been the Chieftain and Storm."

"She's everything, I don't know how she does it. She's my chiief, my captain, and my mother"

Quiet.

A little too late, Sylvi notices Dagmar's silence...and goes silent herself, biting her lip.

"Sometimes I think..." then she realizes the others have gone quiet.

"Oh, sorry, Dagmar"

"Huh? For what?"

"Well, you got all quiet, thought ..well nevermind what I thought"

"Well...we're just being all bla bla bla about mothers...." Awkward.

She shrugs.

"You got moms."

Sylvi glances at Siv, unsure what to say.

"True. But we worry sometimes it comes across like we're rubbing things in your face ,and that , that would be cruel. And we don't like being cruel. So there you have it."

She shrugs. "It ain't."

"Not like... you aren't rubbing it in my face. Really."

"Good. " Siv smiles, "oh, Tove's been working on more pieces. She found a shop that sells them for her. She made a wooden swan."

Sylvi looks relieved at Dagmar's words.

"Oh, cool!" re: Tove. "I'm glad they appreciate them."

"Tove makes nice stuff..."

"She really does." Then a bit of a grin. "Soooo...do you guys think Jaymes watches her just a little too much sometimes?"

"Jaymes? My Uncle Jaymes?"

A broad shrug. "I'm just asking...." A smile.

Dag chews on her lower lip, and picks at a hangnail.

"Huh son o a ..." she pauses, "She does ask about him whenver i visit her. I mean, not 'ask ask' but .."

"But she asks?" Sylvi's eager to hear more.

"He did dance with her on Beltane."

"Well...Beltane is Beltane...." A shrug.

"It doesn't count?"

"Apparently not" A bit sour about something

"Well...it doesn't count as much."

"What's the matter, Siv?"

"Nothing important I suppose. And yes, tove asks. If she asks "how are folks at the lodge " but I leave out Jaymes, she goes 'aaaand'?"

Sylvi smiles. "I think they'd be cute together."

Her jaw sticks out. Pick pick pick at the cuticle.