#rivervale_lodge

"But not..." She frowns. "Chieftain, I..."

"There's a thing..."

"Go on."

"I know you said I'm not supposed to take an Oath until I'm Sained..." She frowns. "That's why I can't.. with Jaymes, that's why it's not..."

Brekke nods, waiting for the rest of the thought to form.

"She's bound to me" Nadeen says " I tried to tell her before but she took it wrong"

He whispers, to no one in particular, “some might think you owe them a boon, for defeating your enemy. You could let her go.”

Brekke looks a bit bemused at the comment from Symon.

Nadeen does not seem to hear the slaugh. He must be whispering too quietly

She looks down at the ground and scuffs at the dirt. "What she said."

A slight sigh. "Bound in what way, Lady? Do you know the nature of the...is it an oath?"

Dagmar nods. "I... I dreamed about it before. Before she showed up."

"Kneeling, at least. And promising. But I wasn't me, I was old."

Brekke listens seriously, arms folded.

"I.. thought perhaps she swore to obey me but I don't think that's what father made her swear. She's...she's here as my shield... I mean, not a thing, a guardian?"

A quiet moment. "I, too, chrysalized with an ancient oath to a sidhe, in this case Count Hemlock...though he was still only a knight then."

"I'm not your thing. I'm not yours." Despite the anger, there's also a note of pleading desperation.

"That's why... I ..shield wasn't meant litterally" Frustration "Can I say nothing right with you?"

"She does not possess you, Dagmar...but the oath does. If it is what it sounds like, you must protect her when she is in need. But you would do that anyway...for you are a hero."

"But that's how you act. Like I'm yours to order around. And I'm not.. I'm Rivervale's. Jaymes is gonna adopt me, and when I'm sained I'll swear here and be a thane..."

A brief look of pleased surprise on Brekke's face.

A bellow-gust of air and that scowl, but her eyes are bright and her voice is cracking.

"Nadeen...would you see Dagmar broken, her strength diminished? Would that please you?" Asked simply.

"Of course not, she was one of my father's most loyal warriors. Whatever I think of her now, she served with distinction. While I confess sometimes I want to dictum her to jump in a cold lake .. I tried to Warn her that if she attacked me she would be in trouble. " The sidhe sighs "But everything I say she insists on taking in the worst way, she cannot see the patterns right in front of her"

A short inhale, but otherwise silence. Dagmar's arms are folded and she glares at the dirt.

A slow breath of patience. "If you would not see her break herself, then, you must allow that she may not ever like you. It is not in her oath to like you, and forgive me Lady, but you have not yet earned her trust. I have no doubt she will defend and protect you when you truly need her help...but neither you nor I can demand more than that of her without risk her well-being if she does not choose to give it." A slight grin. "She is strong in arm and in stubbornness."

"You'll excuse me, Baroness, if I miss liike being told ' fuck you and fuck your elf dad'... I didn't earn that either, and I love my father very much"

A chin lift of her own

"Understood, and agreed. Dagmar, while your anger may have been justified by the strange situation, your words were unkind. I expect you will not repeat them or similar."

"it's the insults to my father I can't stomach. I understand she and I will fight...err disagree"

"I understand familial loyalty. Dagmar understands it, as well." A bit of a reminder there.

"...yeah.." Sullen.

"I'll try to remember to request and not... order. And... I'll remember what was said of the sword"

A bit reluctantly

Brekke nods. "New habits can be hard to form. I expect you can each be patient with the other while you are both learning." Another look at the tree...a nod of satisfaction. "I am returning to the Lodge."

"Okay."

"Of course, Baroness."

Siv comes rushing up, "Mum? Uh, has anyone seen SmeGal? Peach? She's missing"

"She's with Dirk."

"Dirk's not in the lodge. you mean he took Peach with him?" Siv says

"Peach was out here, and he left with her - so, yeah? I guess?"

"is this not...theft?" Nadeen says cautiously

"Theft? No...he cares for that cat."

"Maybe he took her to the house? Peach likes him."

"not that he'd ever admit it, " Siv says dryly, "So, Tanya what was the big deal out here?"

"Please, " The sidhe says with a tone of acceptance, "Except at school, call me Nadeen. It's...better to do so."

A nod of approval to Nadeen. "Dirk seems to have had a disagreement with a tree, but that is now resolved. I should try to find him, though. Did he seem injured?"

Dagmar paces a bit, working to calm down.

"He did, actually, the tree had hit him in the chest and pin him, Dagmar's strength was...as always," conceding "Incredible, and she gave him room to slip through. He was very tender and limped when he left. I would guess he bruised an upper rib"

Siv whistles "And he just walked off with the cat. He's almost as stubborn as a troll"