#rivervale_lodge

Squire Brogan looks to the Hearth "Dame Kerri, is his behaivor acceptable? Or would you like me to oversee some punishment on your behalf? He has made a mess, whcih i why I ask."

Protective. "Connor's ours."

He bounces a bit, eagerly, and then pauses and gives a full formal bow to Brogan. “Hello, young Sir Lord sir. Um. I’m supposed to be this way, because the dirt lives on the tree and if you don’t climb up you can’t see the SQUIRLS.” He sounds a little unsure about the mention of punishment.

"No punishment." That's a firm statement, then more gently. "Connor, this is Squire Brogan. He's a new part of the Lodge family. Squire Brogan, this is Connor, who knows a great deal about parts of Rivervale that even I have never seen."

"Yes, Dame Dagmar, that's why I asked. " He says

"Oh," The boy's attitude shifts slightly at the approval AND praise to Connor, "you are a scout then? A surveyor of the estates?"

"Connor, I will make sure there's still a sticky bun for you, but first you need to wash up. With soap, water, and dried with a towel afterwards."

“Is he MY squire? I was wondering when I’d get my very own...” a sheepish glance down at the floor and he shuffles his feet a bit. “Sorry, I remembered to wipe off, but my feet didn’t.”

Squire Brogan says "I am squire to the Hearth, Dame Kerri. She who stemed the Imbolc swarm, champion of Pennons bakeries, and so much more"

"Feet are like that." She nods, and her demeanor is gentling. "I will make you a deal...wash face and hands-up-to-the-elbows, and you can wash your feet later."

Then an embarrassed look. "Did the Count call me that, or are you being creative on your own, Squire?"

“Oh.” He responds to Brogan, and nods to Kerri, pulling out the foot stool they had added to the kitchen just for him- even Gerd can reach! And washes up obediently, though his ears are still cocked to listen in.

"I was given the basics of your achievement and practiced transforming it into a proper brag, Hearth Kerri. Daireann are of Celtic heritage, and a good brag is expected. As your squire, I thought i might be expected to brag for you." A smile "I am told I am not bad at it"

Then to Connor, "It is nice to meet you, good pooka Connor"

And he smiles. It would appear if there is no thrashing required, then it's all back to smiles

"Well...no, you don't do badly. And a boast is not uncommon for trolls, either..."

Clean, he presents his hands, front and back, to Kerri for inspection.

"It isn't? I don't think we do that too much here..."

"I suppose that is another reason the Count thought i might be acceptable to a lodge"

“Hearth, what will you do with your Esquire? Are you going to leave to go ‘venturing now, and find windmills to tilt at?” He sounds concerned.

Brogan looks very intrigued!

Then he glances over to Dagmar, "Dame D..pardon me, Dagmar, are you going to hunt the Snipe? "

"The Snipe?"

“Damegmar,” he tries out, but it doesn’t quite flow as well as he hopes. “She hunts fish with her pops, and maybe someday they will bring them back and Hearth Kerri can turn them I to sticks. But we’ve never had roasted Snipes before.”

"I was told there was a snipe in the woods, and I should seek it out" he says

Kerri approves the clean hands and serves Connor one sticky bun. At the mention of the snipe, she doesn't quite master a grin. "And who told you of the Snipe?" she asks.

She rubs the back of her neck, looking over at Connor.

He beams at Kerri, but pauses. “Did everyone else get a sticky one too?” Tearing a piece of of his, he holds it out to Brogan. “Hearth makes the best sticky ones ever, and she never even puts poison in them most of the time.”

"I do not recall his name," the sidhe blushes "He was at the count's court. A visiting knight"

At the offer from The pooka, the boy seems touched, "You are most gracious, Connor. I almost regret checking to see if you were to be punished. I hope there is no ill will" he takes the piece and eats it

"No, no poison..." A sly smile after he swallows

Blandly, Kerri asks, "It wasn't a Sir Vali, was it?"

He tears the rest of the sticky bun in half and offers the larger piece to Dagmar. “It’s okay. I probably deserved it for something, but the Blue Guys here are all really nice and pretend they don’t see most of the time. Have you met Gerd yet?” If not taken immediately, Connor insists to Dagmar, “you need to grow big and strong like a knight should.”

His brow knits, "Mayhaps, a Beaumayn, I believe. Frankly the prophets give me the willies, but if one has foreseen a snipe in the wood, perhaps there is merit to it. Is Sir Vali a troll also?"

"I have not met Gerd, I'm sure's nice" the boy says

"Uh, thanks Connor." She takes it.

“Oh. Hey!” He gives Dagmar an appraising look. “How can you be a knight if you’re the Day Maiden? That’s like being the Sun and the Moon.” A giggle.

She swallows her bit of sticky bun. "I don't know. I'm kind of figuring out the knight thing."

“Start with curfew and find out when bedtime is, and you’re halfway there.” He advises soberly.

"Are you battle tested?" The Squire asks

A nod from Kerri. "Sir Vali is, indeed, a troll. And Dagmar was sained very recently, but has already been in several battles prior to that."

"Then it seems likely that he is the one I speak of."

And a new respectful look to Dagmar

Kerri makes sure that Connor gets a whole sticky bun for himself, after sharing so much of his first one.

“Sir Vali is the best. He promised to take me out to chase wild geese. Maybe we can find your Snipe too.”

"It'll be a week Friday."

"That sounds like it would be quite the hunt," Kerri says in response to Connor. Then a nod to Dagmar. "I imagine it still feels a bit like new clothes."

He is quite happy to gobble up the next sticky roll, hungry as always, and licks his fingers clean.

"Squire Brogan, I didn't ask...when was your saining?"