#rivervale_lodge

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Brogan lays out the pastries for approval by Kerri. The boy has worked hard to master them.

"Hm." Kerri gives them a very serious look...picks one up and turns it over to check the done-ness. "Not bad on the outside..."

It seems to be solid, not burned at the bottom, nor so soft as to break into mush at a touch

"No soggy-bottom," she says with a bit of humor, then takes a knife to cut the pastry in half, and assesses the look of it a moment.

Good grain, slight rivlets of fudge on the interior.

An unreadable glance at the boy, and then she tries a bite. A carefully neutral expression as she chews.

It's QUITE good. A bit too much sugar on the sugar, so to speak, the sprinkles being redundant for flavor, but looking nice.

Yes, rich

"Mm." She gives him another measuring look...then grins. "Nicely done. Perhaps a bit oversweet for some of the grumps, but the childlings will love them."

"Ah, is there away to offset the sweet? I thought aobut doing a touch of lemon but worried it wouodl be too.." he tries to find the word "Busy?"

"A slightly darker chocolate, higher percentage of cocoa...and just a tiny bit more salt draws out the flavor but balances out the sweetness." She finishes the pastry. "But overall, I approve."

"I forgot the cocoa levels" A frown as if he might have dishonored his House, though the overall approval lessens his frown "I'll do better next time"

"You did well this time, and yes, your best will improve over time...although sometimes it won't, sometimes you'll make what feels like a rookie error about one thing you know well when you're learning about another new technique or ingredient. That's normal and to be expected." She gets herself and him each glasses of milk. "You try one," she nods to the pastry, then takes a sip of hers.

"thank you" He says and takes the drink. Then he tries a bit of the pastry "I do like it, but then I like sweet..perhaps too much so"

She shakes her head. "You like what you like. Just learn to bake for a range. And do not be apologetic for a matter of taste. These are neither burned, nor undercooked, and the textures are all good. Not easy to do with pastry," she points out.

"Thank you" He says again, but a bit more of a smile "My first pastry attempt ever was ah, shall we say charcoal laced?"

A wink. "My first wasn't, but my second was. And one time I tried to make pastry on a camping trip...you can imagine how well that went."

"Smoreagedden?"

"More like, butter-palooza. All the butter in the layers just oozed out of the dough, into the fire, and then...well...yeah, things got a little enthusiastic from there." An embarrassed grin. "Which would have been okay, except then the ants decided that all that burnt jelly was actually a really good thing to gather up....while we were trying to enjoy the campfire."

"Oh dear" he says

"Yes. So, I took that to mean at least the jelly was good." A shrug.

"Now...why don't you set these out on a platter and put them over here for people to help themselves."

"Of course, Dame Kerri" He bows and moves to do just that, but he speaks as he does so "A question, your husband has agreed to 'beat me about the practice yard' with your approval. I need weapons practice to continue, may he? "

A grin. "He may. How do you feel about that?"

"Daireann don't run, and I need to learn from a variety of opponents if I'm ever to pass my House Test"

Kerri tidies up a few things as they speak. "I'm not sure I know what the nature of your test is."

"Unlike most other houses, in Daireann the Fior-Righ is a time of challenge; the passage into adulthood usually given when the childling becomes a wilder, rather than at Saining. All members of the house who would call themselves warriors run a gauntlet of sorts in the presence of the local ranking lord or lady. Any available warriors are welcome to participate. They let their interest be known, and the new wilder has to best them in a fight." He says "Then, it gets hard"

She frowns. "Best them? Not just face them?"

"It's not so simple. The would-be warrior must fight each challenger in turn in a battle of first blood. As long as they win every fight, from every challenger, all is well. However, should they lose a fight, they must begin again with the first challenger. It can last for hours, or even days. The weapons are chimerical, but the stress and fatigue are very real."

A slow nod. "And...if the would-be warrior should fail to get through the 'gauntlet'?"

"Normally, one hopes that one's attempts never to stand down, to keep trying, impress the lord... and a halt to the process is called" He says "That's why our House has such great warriors. We do not withdraw lightly, we endure for our personal honor demands it." a sigh "And if not? Well, a month passes, and they try again and again. Even our cooks must learn sword play or spear work"

That gets a more approving nod. "Good. You are not prevented from trying again, and the lord has some amount of say in the duration. That is fair."

"Far fairer than a real war they say" He nods

"Yes...but to judge a beginner by the measures that many experts do not survive would not be reasonable. You lose more beginners that way."

"Well, yes, but we want the best, not the riff raff"

"Ah." She carefully schools her grin. "Well, make sure you tell Rover Olgar that. I'm certain he'll be glad to oblige."

"Thank you. I hear he's quite adept"

"He is. Adept, and deadly." Stated as a simple fact.

"My House would say your marriage to a warrior like that gives you glory and honor, and your skill at hospitality and hearth does the same for him"

She considers him. "I'm glad I let you get all the way through that sentence; otherwise, I might have been offended. Well, thank you. Yes...he and I are proud of each other, and of Sylvi."

"Oh sexism is for idiots who want to lose," he says planly "Our founder was a woman after all, though she was known for other talents other than battle skill, there are many ladies of great battle prowess in our house. They under go the same Fior after all."

"And no sense marginalizing those who have strengths to contribute," she nods.

"I'm learning that from this place" he admits then says "I didn't relize there was so much variety among trolls.. I knew they were a guardian kith, but the many ways that.. expresses "he says after searching for the right word "Itself here is really educational. "

"Hmm..." Kerri wipes down a counter. "I think you mean 'manifests.' So...what are you seeing?"

"Well, take the way you divide your lodge into.. ah. " Remembering "Hearth, Mountain, and Storm.... each guards something... in a way. You protect against famine, and banality of mortal day to day with fienese. The Storm..who is also the chief here, is ready for battle, very straight forward though she also rules. And the Mountain protects your customs, traditions, and the arts you practice. It's... impressive."

She nods. "You should also know that the Chieftain is not always the Storm. It is different in different Lodges."

"I really need to listen more" he says this was new to him "So a Hearth or mOuntain may rule? I.. yes, I guess that makes sense."

"Yes, absolutely. One voice leads, but all three branches contribute."

"Much like our own house" pondering it "Yes, I think perhaps it was more than one reason I was sent here. " A look "Pardon me, but I should go get that practice in while your husband is willing. I hopefully won't need healing by the balefire but if I do I'll make sure I don't bleed on the floor inside"