#rivervale_lodge

With news spreading of Siv Waveborne's condition, rumors fly locally, and even a bit beyond. Some speak of a curse, others brain damage that is beyond most heatherbalms, and some mutter than the offspring was never 'natural' to begin with.

Dagmar knows the truth, but how she feels about that ...well... that's for her to know and others to guess unless she tells them.

Her answer is usually a glower or a scowl - and despite being a young wilder, her broad shoulders and furrowed brow don't invite much argument.

The fact her father went off with Mountain Frank to support him is not making her mood any better. She just GOT this dad, broke him in, and he's got to do the brother into the woods thing. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite like that. But there are chores and things- some less unpleasant than others- like brushing down Stormwake. And... who the hell is doing construction?

Construction on the stable? She can help! She's had woodshop!

Desperate for any distraction from the lies about Siv, the worry for her father, she finds herself coming onto five burly DeBukes. She's seen these four fellows and two ladies before, though she does not know them well. Hammering and cutting away, measuring and more.... and talking.

"Dead wood only?" One wilder girl says "I mean, all wood is dead once you chop it down, but i mean... ONLY trees what fell on their own? Sure did limit our material."

"We have a dryad. She gets fussy."

The oldest, a grump, sees her and nods , "That and nature tends to provide and the Chief is a bit fussy about her woods as well. Guess the world can't all be farm land. Where would we park?"

A few chuckles. But nods. The Wilder Girl waves, "Hey, you're the one who came over for riding lessons not long ago right? We didn't meet proper. I'm Gale."

The older female, Gale's mother clearly, smiles "And I'm Dorothy her mother... what brings you, young lady? Fraid the noise can't be helped"

"Well, Stormwake seems okay with it..."

"I'm Dagmar. I'm a thane here. But I could help? I know how to do stuff."

"Oh Stormwake don't even know we're here really, we veiled ourselves again animals..." Gale says, then looks to the fellow in charge, "Rucker, what say you, give the girl some work?"

"THAT'S why he's so calm! Oh!"

"Well, if it won't interfere with her duties?" Rucker says "What do you know about carpentry, girl?"

"I was thinkin' he'd spook, but then thought it'd be different because he's a fae horse, not a regular one, and whip smart,too..."

"I took wood shop at school, so I can use a lot of tools and measure and cut and whatever. Or at the least, I'm plenty strong and can haul stuff."

"But Stormwake needs better digs than he's got for now."

"Saw him" One wilder lad says "He's a fine steed. " A bit envious "We got fae horses to, but you know how it is, you get one, sometimes you want another."

"We got plenty," Rucker snorts, "Don't cojme to the young lady's place all coveteous" Then he turns to Dagmar, "All right, Miss Dagmar... make sure these boards are all the same size to start with, and then later if you like you can help me put in some hinges for a shutter"

"Well, Stormwake is the Chief's. She won him in a duel! But oh, he's wonderful, isn't he?"

A grunt of acknowledgement as she takes the boards to check them.

It's not fancy work what she's been assigned, but it needs to be done- and it proves to the DeBukes present as she gets done with that that she's no novice around wood.

And they do talk, with Gale saying "We heard about Siv. We're really sorry."

Dagmar scowls and shrugs. "Thanks, I guess. Don't... don't wanna talk about it, if that's okay?"

They nod, trolls understand stoicism in the face of trouble, and there is another subject to go back to, "Won him in a duel you say?" Speaking of the Chieftain "With who?"

"This Daireann Baroness! Now, we don't have any sidhe outside of Nadeen around here, but Tove took me down with her for a gig at a horse farm..." And so she tells of how the Heroine Chief stopped an injustice!

There is no small amount of hero worship in how she talks about Tove and Brekke.

Tove's song is important as Speaker's swing, even if the latter probably was more concrete.

One of them does admit they HEARD that song... and liked it. That's waht this was about? Others are pleased with Brekke curb stomping such a petty elf.

"Well, I mean, she was going to destroy a place that helped a lot of kids..."

"Very petty elf" Gale adds, nose wrinkle "Glad Skald Tove brought the attention of many to her. And Chieftain Brekke found a way to help. If more nobles helped little kids, well, might be a better world."

Dorothy looks less dubious about any sidhe being that great, but she is of an older generation of DeBuke.

"Agreed. But the dame's a Liam like Frank."

She frowns at something, suddenly self-conscious at a thought.

"Trouble with the placement? " RUcker misunderstands the frown.

"Nah. Looks good."

He nods "Good, we want to align this right. I see you already have that... you must have done very well in shop class."

"All A's!" She beams, the smile of a kid who doesn't get A's.

Dorothy smiles "Good on you" And without sarcasm or snideness.

"Oh sure, I get an A in classes like that and you ask about my English." Gale sighs.

Dorothy looks at her daughter "Spell 'Serendipity' right now and I will try to cut down"

"Uhg. English."

Gale gives Dagmar a Argh, MOMS! look

"Better than math, at least."

"Math I'm okay at," She says. "Need to know how to measure and find the right shape for what you work with"

"But that's not math."

"Well, technically... you are calculating angles and more..." Gale says

"Don't ruin it for her" The boy wilder says with a smile