#rivervale_lodge

Sylvi's making a beeline for the mall exit near the bus line, hoping to catch the next one. She texts home to find out if Siv has been heard from.

Kerri checks with Brekke and Frank, then reports back to Sylvi: Siv's doing a thing, temporarily out of contact, not time to worry yet, Scout. 😉

Sylvi posts back: Mom, you're a rockin' Hearth, but I'm never calling you Atticus. <3

Assuming she catches the bus, she meets up with the others within fifteen minutes.

Gerd and Dagmar await her.

"Hey, guys. You talked with Zane?"

"He got the memo from Kerri, yeah."

Zane trots up "Yo?"

"Cool. Okay...I'm kind of figuring this has to do with that guy."

"That guy?" Zane says

"What guy?" Gerd says

"Creeper nocker. Dagmar caught him lying, and he was trying to...well, I don't have proof, but I think he was trying to gets somebody alone to do some sketchy stuff."

"Course, it could be something else completely. Dunno. Mom wasn't clear."

She nods. "He was a good liar, too. If I wasn't wearing my falcon, maybe he'd have kept at it?"

Zane nods "Up high for the Gwyd dar" Holding out a fist bump as high as he can, no trouble for a troll, "Okay. So this creeper nocker.. wait..." A pause "Fran?"

Sylvi blinks and stares at him. "You know him?"

Bump!

"Yeah, his car was in trouble... I helped him out... Nadeen didn't like him. But she doesn't like anyone the first time. I mean, She' my girlfriend but you know it's true."

"I just figured she was jealous cuse he was hitting on me."

"Wait - his car was in trouble with you, too? When was this?"

"Dude, he pulled the car-in-trouble thing with Bix, too."

"Well, mine was.." He names about an hour later.

"He didn't say anything about Bix.. or anyone else."

"Oh, crap...we were so preoccupied, didn't think to send out an alert!" She looks vaguely horrified.

"Did he try to get you to go to a car show?"

"Creepers are bad news but ... oh, no. Mostly he asked about the barony..thought it was cool around here. I told him yeah it was mostly trolls..and you guys were cool. So ..wait, why would he ask me about you guys if he already met you?"

Gerd bites her lips, "Because he was trying to confirm information. He's learning allbout our lodge without ever having to go IN our lodge"

"Because Creeper!"

"Because he's some kind of spy or some shit. Shady."

Zane's temper rises, "Wait, son of a bitch PLAYED me?" Satyrs are mercurial and yeah.. he's mad to find out "I got played to hurt MY liege and my friends?"

Sylvi sighs. "Yeah, this is bad."

"He got us too, Zane. Me and Dagmar, at least for a bit. What else did you tell him?"

"Way too much" Zane paces on his hooves "Guys, my dad has been studying the chief for YEARS... he's written books on troll rulership with her as the lead example. So I must have talked about the number of thanes, the arts used...her ruling style... I should have listened to Nadeen. She thought he was just too...warm and fuzzy for a nocker. I said 'hey, kiths vary' but...damn it."

Sylvi stares at him, jaw dropping. "Oh, Zane."

"Well.. shit."

"I introduced him to my DAD... you know, the source"

"Dammit....dammit dammit dammit...." Sylvi bites her lip, then focuses. "Is your dad home? Can we talk to him?"

"Dad's doing a summer college thing.. some sort of post graduate assistance program. I mean.. I can text or call but he won't be home for hours. Only good news I have is he couldn't talk to 'Fran' long."

"Oh! Wait! Did he give you anything?! Or did you give him anything?"

"Uhg. Soothsay, right?"

She nods to Dagmar.

"Yeah, his number.. weird too.. he actually wrote it down on paper"

"Burn it. Seriously."

"Like, right now."

"This is .. I'm sorry. I screwed up. Nadeen warned me. Jimmy just hung out.. but I? I WAS a blabber mouth"

"It's...okay." Sylvi takes a breath. "Zane, was he flirting? Coming on to you?"

He pulls out hte paper from his wallet "Little bit...yeah"

Then takes out a lighter

Dagmar's mouth twists into a scowl.