#rivervale_lodge

"Not exactly, no. But it is likely that you share the same sense of fairness with your former self."

"But what if... what if it was a mistake?"

"A mistake?" Her brow knots.

"I don't think... it's not like there's a hammer I can pick up and show I'm worthy. But I'm not... I'm not sure if... I'm not like you or Frank or Vali who just... just do the right stuff."

"You are not? Are you certain?"

"You are strong, Dagmar. Do you use that strength to bully? To victimize?"

"I try not to..."

"I have never heard of you acting so."

"When you find one who is wounded, you seek to help, not to take advantage. I have seen this...or am I wrong?"

"No..."

"The wounded bird that you cared for, that turned out to be a messenger. The message that drew you to understand that somebody needed help. The journey, and the fight against the Jersey Devil. Where in this did you not 'just do the right stuff'?"

"That's not..."

Eyebrow

"It's... maybe you can be a bad person and do good stuff?"

"You are not a bad person. But even those who have done wrong can learn to do right."

"...like Gwydion. Who was a bad guy."

"Until he decided not to be." A nod, and Brekke sets aside her practice weapon.

She looks down, twisting her hands around the spear. "But I don't know if that..."

"It counts. It is the only thing that counts. Deciding what to be counts. And you have decided, in every act that I have ever seen, to do what is right." She leaves the ring. "We will speak more. I must patrol."

The wilder nods - she's scowling, but that also seems to be her default "thinking" face.

A final glance at the pensive knight, and then Brekke is off, whistling for Oak and Edelweiss to join her.

*GONE*

Later, with Dagmar plagued by thinky thoughts... Siv call out "Hey, phone call for you on the land line. It's your dad and mom..er step mom? Not sure what you call her"

"Tove. I call her Tove."

"Gimme the phone." She reaches.

"Sure" Handing it over "Leave you to it"

With that, Siv leaves her be with thep hone and... Dagmar hears Jaymes voice "Hello?"

"Hey Dad. Having fun?"

"It's actually pretty nice, not as ccrowded as I was worried it would be.." He says "More peaceful. Though I had to go dancing ..Tove wanted to go."

A short laugh. "Good. I'm glad. Should do mushy stuff on a honeymoon."

"It's not so bad" wry "Hey, you want a t shirt or something?"

"Um... sure? You don't need to get me anything."

"Hey, you're my kid, I can at least get you a cheap souviner"

"Well, ok. But don't get me a lame one. Get me a cool one."

"Cool one. Got it. " He nods "you doing fine?"

"Uh-huh."

"TwoBit misses you."

"Aw. that's sweet. Let her have one of my towels, it'll smell like me"

"Can do. I mostly bribed her with bacon."

"Careful, I don't want her getting as tubby as Odin has been." in the background, Dagmar can hear Tove saying 'don't insult her cat'

"Odin isn't tubby."

"He's... filled out, but you know he was too skinny."

"Well, yeah he was" A nod. "Everyone else there doing okay? "

"Gerd is going through puberty-plus, so she's grumpy."

"Uh. Got lessons about the house thing."

"I'll let Vali deal with that. Oh the House lessons? how are those going for you?"

"Um."

"Okay, I guess."

"Well, Tove studies lore more than me, but I hope Gwydion feels like a good fit. I know you worry. But any House is lucky to have you"

"I guess..." She fidgets, shifting her weight from side to side.