#rivervale_lodge

"She's mistaken."

Then to the woodwife, "What's your name, again?"

"Stop it. NOW. " She narrows her amber eyes at the chimera.

"I don't really remember," She shrugs "Call me Twine, I do enjoy entangling"

The dryad actually looks back "Oh my... I see. Boys, help help...she's going to hurt me"

The four mesmerized DeBuke boys turn and stand up blocking Dagmar off ready to fight

"I will. If that is what it takes for you to stop." Her chin juts out.

"Dagmar, don't. They're DeBukes. You don't want to hurt them just to get to her."

"You can't hurt her" One boy tells Dagmar "We love her"

"She's everything. we don't want her to send us away" another says

"No you don't. She's doing something to you."

"You don't. Not really. She's like the Scarecrow. Remember the Scarecrow?"

"She's...she's like false spring, that makes you want to plant before you should. Right?"

"Some sick magic thing." Her knuckles go white as she clenches the shaft of her halberd.

"Ugly nonsense from ugly girls" Twine makes a gesture of dismisal

"Hey, watch it" Colton says "Unlike you, Sylvi is beautiful inside AND out"

Sylvi darts Colton a grateful (and relieved) look.

"Yeah, I am ugly. And I know it. But I don't need to magic up people liking me. Stop it now. Or I do."

"Do what? Crush one of their jaws? Risk killing them? they'd die for me you know?" twine says

Nadeen says "You are not a true tree spirit...not a Kubera, but I bet if we searched, we'd find a tree you have begun to tie yourself too"

"If you cared about them...if you loved them back...you wouldn't put them in a position to die for you."

A look at Nadeen and a sharp grin. "This is a big axe. Won't take long against a tree."

Sylvi looks slightly alarmed and shakes her head.

"Don't even need the axe. Bet i could take down a tree with my bare hands."

"you.. you don't even know which tree it is" Twine says

A few steps over and she casually leans on a particular tree. "Welp, then I can just pick one and start."

"...OR....we could make a deal so she doesn't have to."

"Don't worry, Sylvi... we Varich know how to recast wood... We'll have her bound to a pipe and make her dance for us, get a taste of her own slavery"

That from Nadeen

"Wait... wait" Twine says, looking worried "It .... can ..can I keep two?"

"No. You can't keep any of them. They're their own. You don't get to keep people."

"You can't make people act like that."

"but they LIKE it"

Colton frowns "A drug addict likes his poison too"

"One of us might be able to make you enjoy dancing in a fire."

"NO.. fine, I'll.. I'll let them go. "

Scowl.

"And don't capture others. That behavior isn't welcome here."

"I won't I won't.. just..well, the Chief need not know"

"Oh, so you know she wouldn't like it, but you did it anyway?"

Nadeen says "Who wants to give this wench the 'We don't need the Chief to bring her to heel if she ever tries this again' speech?"

"I don't do good speeches. But..." A casual thump of her fist against the trunk, making the branches quake.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure she's already figured that out. And if she hasn't, she's a fool."

A grin at Dagmar's casual thumping.

Twine looks to the men, they shake their heads looking.. .not turned on, but deeply shamed

Sylvi notes the change in their expressions, and nods. "Thank you, Twine."

"They're free." Twine says "Now we can be friends"

Nadeen raises a brow "Friends? Be glad this is not Varich lands, woodwife, or you would be reminded of your place FIRMLY. "

"Well...it's kind of hard to be friends with somebody you don't trust a lot."

"I see.. well, at least not enemies" She eyes the tree Dagmar is still at