#rivervale_lodge

He looks up at her, and says, wide eyed. “I learnt at the farm about the first thanksgiving and sharing gifts, but I didn’t have anything to bring to Turkle Day. I heard that cheese baskets are good gifts but I didn’t have a basket so I used a basketball... only it was all rolly-Polly and now the dogs ate it, and I don’t have any present.” He sniffs, and sniffs again, rubbing a hand across his face.

“Does that I mean I don’t get to come to dinner?”

The front door of the Lodge opens, and Brekke trudges in, wiping her boots on the mat by the door and hanging up her fur-lined cloak.

...and frowns in confusion at the strange object the dogs are fussing over.

"Oh, Connr" Sally mae can't be mad at him "You're coming to dinner, but you should check with the Hearth before taking all that food...okay?" Then she sighs and looks back "Hello, Chieftain. We have an incident"

"Apparently. The dogs seem pleased." She notes the wagging tails. "What happened?"

"Conner might have used every cheese slice we have to ...gift?" She shrugs

“Um. Um.” He casts a glance around, and spies a bit that fell off and snatches it just before it is consumed by an affronted looking Edelweiss. He offers this to Brekke. “Happy Thanksgiving?”

"It was for me" from up the steps, "And I dropped it. I got surprised" Gerd says miserably. Why didn't Conner hide ? now she's got to be all honorable and protect him "So the messo n the stairs is MY fault. I'll help clean"

He shakes his head wildly and jumps up to the bottom step of the stairs, blocking the way. “She’s a liar and she didn’t even go to the moon! It’s my cheese.”

He shakes his head vigorously.

“I mean, it’s all her fault. I mean.. um... um...” his ears droop and he looks confused.

Brekke blinks, looking from Sally Mae to Connor to Gerd and back to Connor again...and grins slightly. "I see. Well, I think that you must now help out with some extra chores for the extra cheese that was used. Does that seem fair, Connor?"

"I dropped it though so I should help And..oh both of us?" Gerd says

Sally Mae starts getting out supplies

He thinks about it for a moment, then adds stoutly, “only if I can do it alone because, uh, I don’t like Gerd and she’s ‘stractin when I’m trying to work.” He shakes his head.

"Don't be a doof" Gerd says "We're a lodge. We do things together. "

Protectively asserting wisdom! Where did she learn that!

“But you didn’t even get to eat the moon cheese!” He stage whispers back. “That’s not fair!”

"I believe that was what he is hoping for, Gerd."

He shakes his head at a Brekke, then nods, then just looks miserable.

Sally Mae shooos the dog out.

"Moon cheese...?" A pause and she shakes her head. "Regardless, you and Gerd will help Sally Mae and Kerri in the kitchen for as much as they need you to." A glance to Sally Mae...that last phrase is to give her an out when wrangling kids gets to be too much.

DOGS

His gaze follows them desperately... traitors, all...

"And..." Brekke adds, "should any of the dogs have an accident inside the Lodge over the next day, you will clean it up. Understood?"

Sally Mae shoots a grateful look to Brekke and says "Got it, Chieftain." She hands the supplies to helpw ith THIS mess to the childlings and herself. Only the chieftain is not expected to partake

Oh, he knows that word. His ears droop and tail goes down, and he nods guiltily.

"Sally Mae, I will contact the DeBukes to see if we might obtain some replacement cheese from them."

"Might be a bit short , what with all that food going to Tijuana" Sally Mae says "But maybe"

"Wanna what?" Gerd says getting to work. Cheese, it turns out, is tricky stuff to clean

And nod his tail is truly between his legs... oh, who can expect a pup to consider such far reaching consequences?

"Mm." A nod. "Then...it is easy enough to obtain locally, though the Farm products are best."

He takes up a sponge and rubs it at a smudge of cheese.

She notes Connor's expression. "I am not angry, Connor, and I appreciate you and Gerd and Sally Mae fixing the mess."

"Now...have any of you seen Siv?" Any traces of the grin go away.

Sally Mae smiles at the Chief "Proud to hear you say it, Chietain. " then to Gerd "Tijuana... that's where Jessica is helping those caravan folk. That's why the food."

Sally Mae says "And I haven't seen her but I only got in recent."

A flicker of pride as she nods about Tijuana. Then a "Hm." A pause. "If you see her, tell her I am looking for her, please."

"Will do, Chieftain."

Scrub scrub. Diligent, and with care. He takes the basket ball and peels off the last of the cheese, which he drops in the wastebasket with a sigh.

Gerd starts singing "it's a hard knock life, for us...."

But she's cleaning while she sings it

Brekke clears her throat. "It could be made harder...." she suggests as she fills a mug with coffee.

He edges closer to the door, mopping at a smudge there.

She doesn't sound particularly serious, though, and goes to stand by the Balefire a moment, coffee in hand.

"manana manana is good enough for me " Gerd changes her tune in more than one way. It's a testament to MASH Reruns

Sally Mae fights a laugh

How did cheese get on the door jam? Scrubbing carefully, there.

A sip of coffee and a grin at the change in tune. "I will be upstairs if anybody needs me. And Connor...I believe the majority of the mess is over here...." She helpfully points out the area near Gerd.