#rivervale_lodge

"Why, when we get married in 2020..." She says off hand

Frank growls quietly, a low rumble.

"I'm joking, dad." She sighs

Then pokes his shoulder and smiles just a bit "But he IS a good man. Would it hurt so much to admit it?"

"I hardly know him." Frank points out.

Her brow knits, then unfolds, and her jaw lifts in a way akin to her mother when making an executive decision "Well then, we'll have to change that. What evening do you have open in the next week?"

Frank's gaze lingers a moment as her mother comes through, then a faint smile hidden under the beard. "His schedule is a little less flexible than mine. Talk to him."

"I will. " She says still determined, "True, he's a workaholic with barely any time for his own enjoyment, but I can ask him to make space not for me, but my father. Mmm now what should you two do together with me out of the picture..."

"Hunting?"

"Hunting? Huh... he did mention hunting boar once. " She tilts her head, "what would you and he hunt for?"

Frank lifts his shoulders in a massive shrug. "It's the journey, not the destination?"

"I don't remember if we ever went hunting, fishing sure. Interesting. Hunting." She considers "Might see if our Hearth can work with Venison, o h who am I kidding, she could probably make sure leather taste grand"

Frank nods. "She does. And I'm sure we went hunting, of one sort or another."

"In the dreaming then... mmph." She tries to think, "You're probably right. Would have had to. " Then a smile, "So, I send out two mighty hunters with weapons into the woods with no witnessees and trust my father and boyfriend not to kill each other. What could go wrong?" a chuckle

"We could play Monopoly instead...."

"if he turns down the hunting I'll see if he goes for that" She pats her father, "Or you and I could play that sometime. " She tilts up to kiss her father's cheek, "Dad, I don't always say it, but you do try very hard to, well, work with me even when I'm a bit harebrained or don't think things through. I am glad."

"Life is a learning process. Making mistakes and taking chances is how we learn. I've done some pretty dumb stuff, too."

"Well, now I'm curious" She admits, "Perhaps morbidly so. "

An amused hmph.

"Gonna leave me guessing, eh?" But a smile

"Oh, well. You want little ones or big ones?"

"Well, which ever you're willing to share? I don't.. I'm not trying to make you feel terrible"

"Oh, one of the advantages of my season is that you get some perspective."

She's listening

"Get to where you can own your mistakes."

"Hm. Well, you've heard the story about these...." He flexes his scarred hands.

"And you know the story about Jessica's birth and my Chrysalis?"

"I know you were hunted by the LEanhaun, though not details. Mother said some things were yours to say."

"Mm." He nods.

"Though I don't see how that's your mistake. Just their cruelty"

"Before I met your mother, and for some time after, I ran with some folks that ... well, truth. -I- was involved in some stuff that would have gotten me detained, or worse, if the nobles found out about it. Not sure there's a statue of limitations on it, either.

"The one eyed boggan.." SHe says "you mentioned he was a bad influence...to put it mildly"

Frank nods. "He ... he is charismatic, and knows how to manipulate people. He's holds a fire about his beliefs, and his anger. Not what most folks would think of, in a boggan."

Frank takes a moment. "In the course of my life up to the point I got to know your mother, I was... not completely in tune with him but I agreed with many of the points he made. My part of the operation was moving people. Stayed off the trods, which is where the nobles operated. Mostly I moved Dreamers away from noble patrons to commoners who needed them; usually with the Dreamer's knowledge and understanding." He looks at his hands. "Usually."

He clears his throat.

"Oh" Her eyes get wide at the word 'usually'

"I got to know a lot of Glamour-poor Fae. There was a family.... to be honest, I don't know if they were all related by blood or if they formed a family on their own. The patriarch, if you will, was a hare pooka. Mother-figure was sluagh-blooded but not Fae. Five kids, three were Fae, the youngest two... not sure. One was just a baby. Living on a dirt-farm, trying to keep themselves in enough Glamour to keep themselves."

"Sounds like a scarce living"

He nods. "It was. I know the dad faded more than once to make sure the kids had Glamour. Then they'd call me, or someone else and... " He shrugs.

"oh.." Sympathy for this family of long ago is clear. Siv has gotten better at her troll poker face, but sympathy, compassion? She has a hard time hiding that. Something a certain one eyed boggan would play on like a virtuoso with a violin

"The kids grew up, as they do. Got involved in the boggan's operation. The Fae ones did, that is. Of the other two, one is at MIT. The other... missing."

"I think the three that are working with the boggan are doing so to look for their baby brother."

A nod

"-Any-way....." He shrugs. "The three fae kids... wilders, by this time, asked me to help them in the Dreaming. They were looking for their brother, thought they might have a lead. Something went wrong. We should have been covered, safe... but we were attacked instead." He shrugs. "I made sure they got away. In return, they decided to stay around and work to get me free."

"They kept me three years."

A scowl, then a perplexed look "Dad, how is that your mistake?"

Frank looks up at her. "Siv, I don't remember being rescued. I don't remember a lot of it; I mean, it was in the Dreaming... But from what we've put together of our memories..." He looks down at his hands. "I came back with my hands shattered."

He looks over at her. "No chains in the Dreaming should be able to hold a troll, Siv. -Maybe- if they were enchanted.... Maybe. I gave up hope, Siv."

She takes his hands and holds them in hers, "Dad. People have hope taken from them in this world, even I know that. In the stories, even the greatest heroes often thought all was lost. And only when reminded by..someone anyone else, did they start to fight again. And, perhaps it's pride, but I choose to believe that if you lost hope, you found it again. Or maybe, maybe you let yourself be held to save someone else? The Leanhaun would not be adverse to... hostages or the like, aye?"

He nods. "That -feels- right." He shakes his head. "More than that, though. We think... from what we can tell.... I betrayed... or thought I had betrayed... your mother."