#rivervale_lodge

"Oh, and there are some kick ass museums" Zane adds

"Yeah, Natural History and the Met....but it's way too much stuff for one day. I guess we can figure it out as we go."

"Whatever you think would be cool. I'm happy to trust you as a guide , Sylvi"

Sylvi smiles. "Reversed roles, for real."

"Oh, Zane, Nadeen was here before, but I think she might have taken off."

"Oh, I better go find her... she's still a bit sulky about how long off HER Saining is" He says "Nice meeting you, Dika-Hannah. Uhm.. may the great wheel never fall" ANd off he trots

Dika-Hannah says "Nice to meet you too." then glances over at Sylvi once he is gone "Great wheel? That a local phrase?"

"Bye, Zane." She waits until he goes, then sighs. "Sorry about that."

She smirks "It's kind of..well, adorkable anyway. I mean... part of me wonders what he would have done if I had spat on the ground and said 'you have broken one of our greatest traditions with your insult, pale face, we must now be enemies' but I figure that would be mean"

Sylvi groans. "Oh, but SO tempting!"

"INCREDIBLY so.." A smirk "And while I think I might enjoy burning the mayflower, I'd rather burn Columbus' ships. What a jerk that guy was. " She turns to keep washing the dishes "So is he the ohnly one I should expect to atone for the sins of prior centuries or is there a well intentioned conga line?"

The girls chatter, do the dishes and... laughter is soon filling the halls

(end scene)

-------------------------

"Okay, I understand you and Sylvi went to the DeBukes?" her dad raises a brow at Dagmar "How am I just only now hearing about this?"

"Over the bridge. And Siv, too!"

"So I went with TWO experienced trod travellers."

"right. Dagmar, I know you can walk the trods now, and it's great you went with a friend, but next time send me a text or whatever, okay?"

"Oh..."

"...are you mad?"

"More.. well, I guess" He says with a somber face "I'm not Mad, I'm just not used to you being to do that, and while I don't want to curb your rightful freedoms, I do want to be told before you race off. I'm your father. Fathers do that." right?

She considers and nod/shrugs.

"So - text you next time. Got it."

"Thanks. " He says "So, I know you've been to the farm before, but how was it?"

"Great! I got to see Blueberry and brush her down."

"...Do you think I could get riding lessons?"

"Are the DeBukes offering them?" He raises a brow "Or do you mean around here?"

"I don't know if the DeBukes are offering..." She rubs the back of her neck. "But I was wondering if we could ask? I could do work, it's almost summer..."

"We can ask" He nods "And sure. You love animals"

She nods. "And Blueberry is a really nice horse."

"Knights should be able to ride horses, right?"

"I don't know, I'm not a knight" He says "But it makes sense. And yeah she is."

"She is." Happy sigh.

"I can't build you a stable and we can't afford a horse here Just so you know" an almost apologetic tone

"Oh, I know!" A flash of guilt. "I just... I thought it might be fun to ride."

"You'll be good at it I bet" He says "I'll talk to the DeBukes. They're ah, good folk."

She chews on her thumb, frowning. "S'okay."

"Why the frown?" He pauses

"It's okay, you don't have to ask. It was just a dumb idea."

He looks at her, and then sits down next to her, "If you're feeling guilty about me saying we couldn't afford a horse to live here, don't. Okay? That's not your fault, and it never hurts to ask. You should get riding lessons so that if things get better and we can afford one, you'll know how to ride. Okay?"

"But lessons are probably expensive, too."

"Actually, I don't think they will be if we get a DeBuke teacher" he says "They would take things in trade. Like you said, some work or what not. I can pull that off."

She nods carefully. "Because I can take the trod, getting there wouldn't be too bad."

"Sylvi said it's like I walked the whole way, but I don't remember it."

"Few folks do" Jaymes nods "Just remember to stay on the silver. Leave the silver you could get lost, and you'd be vulnerable"

"Right. And there are monsters and everything..."

"And some of them don't fight with steel" he says "I remember ..once, a story of a ship arriving onto Thyle Empty. The sailors had drowned because of a siren call... their weapons couldn't save them from that magic"

"Like - just lured them in?"

"Yup...the sirens sang, bewitching the sailors who dived into the water..and drowned..." A nod

"See? Romance is stupid."