#rivervale_lodge

"Edie's just as bad - she just pretends to be all dignified."

"Ha. You're right about that" She admits, "Very coy about it, then pushes her brother aside to let you get at her instead."

"Exactly!" She grins. There's a brief cloud, but it passes.

Tove notes the cloud "Something wrong? "

"Huh? No."

"Oh come on.. I.. oh, is it because you have to go to the lodge to see the dogs? or..something related to the animals?"

"I love the dogs."

"And?" Coaxing

"What? I do." She fidgets and frowns.

"I wouldn't ever hurt them, I swear. I'm... they're not mine... I'm allowed to pet them, Brekke and Frank both said.."

"I know you wouldn't," Tove says "Heck, If anyone ever did hurt those dogs you'd make them regret it. Right beside the other girls"

"Right!"

"You said they're not yours ... oh. Is this about the idea Jaymes and I had of you getting an animal of your own?" Excited

Her jaw sets out at that stubborn angle, a faint scowl and a line between her eyebrows.

A startled look, then "Okay. What happened? "

"Whatever. Nothing."

"Well, if it were nothing you'd not have scowled so. Did he miss a clue again?"

"What? No." She folds her arms.

"Bet he did. this explains why he's sulky today. He said or did something wrong, and that put you a bit cross, and now he's all confused. He's so.." A sigh "Jaymes-esque"

"He didn't!"

Tove stops "Then...what upset you?" then she adds, "Please."

"I'm not upset!" She is.

"Okay. then why do you seem upset?"

A frustrated noise. "I'm not!"

"Okay. So. There is nothing upsetting you in anyway related to animals, or Jaymes?" Tove says

That plucked a nerve - a flash of pain, quickly covered by anger. "Shut UP."

Tove looks startled and draws back, "Dagmar?"

Panic! Her eyes widen. "No. No, no, no, I'm sorry." She pushes up to her feet - too big, too tall, lumbering and clumsy when she's trying to be quick and her retreat is half a stumble.

"Hey, it's okay, " Voice soothing, "It's okay. Please, let's sit down. I pressed too hard. I guess I got used to Jaymes' ways and you two are so much alike, that I thought pestering might work like it would for him. "

A bit of a guilty look on her features. Tove is an older wilder, but still a wilder herself.

"Don't be mad at Jaymes. Don't go away."

"i'm more mad at myself, truth to tell" Tove says "I should think before I feel somedays. "

"I'm sorry."

"So am I" tove says "And I wouldn't leave you OR him over some silly misunderstanding. Sometimes friends argue. "

Her hands are clutched into white-knuckled fists. "Okay..."

Realiztion, then in a soft whisper "Dagmar, are you still worried if you ..mess up, you'll be sent away?"

She turns her face away. Shrug.

"Okay. No more questions pestering from me. But... if you are worried bout that. Don't. You have a home now, and you are part of Jaymes family, and..and mine" A stubborn look on her own face, "And I'd not be giving either of you up without a fight"

Softly. "It ain't real, though."

"I...just said I would stop askking questions tonight and now I want to ask more when you say things like that. It's real. It's just not easy."

"It ain't. That's what the Oath is for. It's magic, and it will make it real, because it's magic..."

Tove tilts her head "No wonder you want sained. I think the oath is recognition of what is, a...declaration to the dreaming of what is, but.. then there IS magic to it. Yes."

Her lip threatens to quiver before she corrals her expression into a mask of a scowl.

"Please forgive me for hurting you tonight. I did not mean to." Tove says gently, sounding a bit misty herself.

"You didn't. I ain't hurt." Stubborn, proud... and Tove doesn't need to be a Gwydion here.

"Well, I feel like I came close" She's careful to use 'i feel' not to manipulate the girl, but because maybe taht will be allowed by the girl's pride. "So..sorry anyway"

She wraps her arms around her torso, like a hug. "Didn't. S'okay."

Tove takes a deep breath, and "Okay" A pause "Could I have a hug?"

She shakes her head.

"Okay. That's okay" She says