#rivervale_lodge

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The group having split up, Sylvi feels thoughtful, and Vali is not blind to this "Penny for your thoughts?"

She doesn't answer right away, but she's not exactly as attentive to the patrol as she could be, either. Brooding, 14-year-old style. Eventually... "He almost died, didn't he?"

Vali says "Your father has had close calls before. Heck, before you were born he...well, let's just say it wasn't the first time you mom patched him together. This is the first time had to do a rescue party."

Another silence draws out before "I've never seen him this hurt. And that was after they already helped him some."

"Take it as a sign you're growing up. There was a time they'd have kept you out of the room until he was more presentable. Because they wouldn't want to upset you. That's when you were little. Now? Well, weirdly it shows you're a wilder. Not that every wilder's father has a job as dangerous or as needed as a rover."

She nods, but won't look at him.

"It's hard I know." Vali says "I know what it's like to find out someone you love very much is neither immortal nor invulnerable. I... well, by now, more than I like to think on have proven that to me."

"Maybe I should go back to being a childling," she half-jokes.

"Too late now, and you'd find it confinging..." He says "Clothes would be too tight"

A little snort of not-quite-laughter. "Still...tempting." Another silence.

"I was...." A sigh. "I was really mad at him, Vali."

"Wh... okay, about what?" He asks

"He was...wow, it sounds so stupid to say it now...but he was really rude to Colton. Made me mad." Embarrassed.

"Ah. Your dad is not exactly ... a diplomat. " He says "What insult did he give? Not that it matters... I think it sounds like the real thing is you're worried your last thoughts of your dad might be 'jerk' and then...that's not how you want it to be. Luckily, it wasn't."

She nods, cheeks coloring. "Yeah...but it might have been. And...you don't get to fix something like that. And...he wasn't really awful to Colton...just...just being Dad, y'know? Like, huh, you still here?..." she mimics her father's gruff voice. "That kind of thing. He didn't call him names or anything." A pause. "I think Colton might not let it go if he did." This is a revelation.

"Oh? Colton holds a grudge?" Brow knit

"I...." She cuts off, thinking. "N-no...no, I don't think he does. I mean...not like that. If it were about getting revenge on the Leanhaun who killed his folks, that would be...." She trails off again, then shakes her head. "But I mean, I don't think, if Dad really insulted him, that he'd let it go without saying something. I mean...he's training to be a knight. He's got to defend his honor, right?"

"Varies, if he had a house I'd make aguess at it. Okay, just for the tallybooks, what was the insult exactly?"

She shrugs. "It wasn't really an insult. Dad was just rude. Like...doing the whole get-away-from-my-little-girl thing without saying it. And then saying you can invite him to dinner like he wasn't even standing right there. He could have invited him himself." She starts getting wound up again, but then sighs and slumps. "But like I said...it sounds stupid to be mad about that when...."

"Look. It's possioble your dad didn't think how rude it was, or he had a ruder thought in his head and zigged too hard when he should have zagged, but I know one thing. He would not want you beating yourself up for being mad at him. Just because he has a hard time letting go does not mean he's...he would never want you miserable. Never. I'd swear to that on a stack of Odin Atlars' THen he adds "The god, not the cat"

That gets more of a flicker of a grin. "The cat would just hiss at you." Another silence. "I know he doesn't want me miserable. I just...I shouldn't have been mad. But I was."

"You're human, well, kithain. You know how many times I've been irritated when I felt like the Chieftain was treating me like a rookie? She didn't mean it one of those times, and when she says "It was not my intent' I believed her, but that didn't make me less irritated. We all have buttons, and sometimes they get mashed. Accidentally or not"

She nods automatically when he pauses.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sylvi. In a world where amazing rovers like you dad can get ambushed, and legendary leaders can annoy followers like Brekke. WE, those still new tothe story, get to have flaws. We'd be boring if we did. YOu feel bad? Tell your dad. Tell him you feel bad for being angry if you want, bring him breakfast in bed if your mom will let you, but don't carry this around and beat yourself up. "

A long pause. "I don't want to. I mean...if he didn't know...won't it hurt him to tell him now?"

"or it might let him clear things up if you weree wrong, or not make that mistake again. Look, if you're unsure, maybe ask your mom, but I think your dad likes talking straight normally. He'd probably respect it, even if he didn't agree."

"....yeah."

"Now, wave for the Wayburtons. Half of patroling on this level is just letting folks know we're here and ready to fight for them"

Sylvi blinks...she hadn't even noticed where they were, and that means she wasn't really patrolling. Another blush, but she raises her hand to give a confident, reassuring wave.

"Don't worry, once I flexed for some pretty ladies and walked into a sign post. " Vali mutters

Zane's little sister waves "Hi, Sylvi!"

"Hey..." She calls back. It sounds a little weak even to her own ears, so she tries again, louder: "How're you doing? How's the dog?"

"She's perfect...she likes mom's shoes!"

Vali smiles at that

"Oh, don't let her chew on those, or she'll get in trouble. What are you calling her now?"

"Sunflower" The girl beams

Sylvi smiles. "Perfect."

"I know..." ANd they move on. ..greeting others.

It gets easier. And it requires Sylvi's attention, which means she really can't keep brooding.

Indeed. Speaking of cats, Old Nana Binky, a Grump, needs help getting hers down from a tree- again

Sylvi volunteers, and if the cat is out of reach from the ground, she tries climbing....

It takes a while, and is not easy, ,but climbing takes her mind off things... and...Wiggens the White cat hisses as someone joins her up the branch

Sylvi has picked up a bit of a knack at connecting with animals ((Animal Ken 1)), and she does her best to calm him. "I don't know if this is where you want to be, really. I mean, it's not a bad tree. But you're freaking out Nana Binky, and that's not fair to her. Can I help you come down?"

It takes patience, but eventually WIggens stopps wigging, and is coaxed down. NOt even a scratch

"Oh thank you dear, you... oh my word, Sylvi, is that you? How did you get so big? "

She smiles and shrugs as she carefully hands the cat back over to the grump. "It just happens, I guess. Wiggens is a good cat, by the way. No scratching."

"Oh good, Wiggens" She pets the cat now that wiggens is in her arms "ANd you my dear have grown to be a lovely young lady. Good to see Rivervale has such promising young people." She eyes Vali "Sir Vali. I hear you might be settling down."

Vali's eyes bug out a bit 'No no..not yet."

"mm why not?" She says with a humph, "You're not a player are you?"