#rivervale_lodge

Brekke plucks some tomatoes then notices... one of the tomato plants has already been plucked.

It surely wasn't Kerri's doing.

She frowns and inspects more closely. She doesn't begrudge the loss of the tomatoes, but....hm...not pests, hopefully?

No, not of the six legged kind.

Plucked clean off. Most likely by hand.

She looks again. Just the one plant?

Just one plant. Mmm

She scans the surroundings for tracks.

She finds tracks... recent. Mmm

Curious. She follows.

While someone gave slight effort to covering his or her tracks, they are not expert at it...and well, Brekke is a ranger, and knew the woods and wilds for so may years the trees actually consider her worth of notice and greetings. The patterns and size are wrong for Dirk- and while the boy is coming along better than she hoped, he probably would have just torn the plant out.

She makes her subtle, quiet gestures of acknowledgement to the woods as she enters its boundaries, following the tracks. Not Dirk. I do not think he would be interested in tomatoes, at any rate. Hm.

It could be Snow, the Chimera. She does like Fruit. But she's never shown an interest in tomatoes.

Indeed, she's a leaper, a springer a climber. Were Brekke feeling cheeky she might also decide that also rules out Siv.

And then.. ah, roots and a tree that might break up the trail...

Brekke doeesn't even break stride. She now knows how long the step and stride of her quarry, and that means she knows where the next step would have to go, and even on a root there would be another furhter out... yes. She moves along and hones on where she knows there is a small clearing. From within she hears munching sounds.

She could veil herself, but for the crime of pilfered tomatoes? She does not anticipate a substantial foe. So she merely approaches the clearing as quietly as she is able.

it doesnt' work. The munching sound stops. Whoever is in there realizes SHE is there.

She can of course, still look.

Which she does.

It's a good hiding attempt, it really is

But it's not good enough, and she notices the shape of the lump pressed against the tree

"I can see you, you know."

"Well, clearly I didn't know, or I wouldn't have tried to hide" A bit sarcastic, a lot practical..and younger sounding than she expected by the shoe size.

The boy, and it is a childling, peeks out... Kithain... but not a one she is used to. To fae eyes, the boy has the hind legs of a rabbit, wings of a hawk, and antlers of an elk .well, buds of an Elk..and the wings are scawny... and the hind legs are in... some adult shoes that are too big for him.

Is the voice familiar?

Nope.

Judging by the bedraggled nature, the boy has been living off clothes lines

She steps a bit closer, hands up slightly to indicate no harm. "I am Brekke, Chieftain here. I do not know you."

"I rescued these tomatoes from an evil fiend, would you like one?" He offers one. "I think he stole them from a garden."

Clearly the boy does not know she's a Gwydion, because that was a WHOPPER

And he is no pooka. She's sure of that

That even made her wince slightly. "I do not believe what you said is true. And thank you, but as they are the tomatoes I was growing, I am making a gift of those ones to you. No more than those," she adds for clarity. "Who are you?"

"My name's Falko," He says, looking sheepish. Well, he told the truth then "I was..hungry, and I figured one plant so.. .you know"

Then "Thank you for the gift"

Shuffle

At least the lad is not a complete savage

One word comes to mind... a park legend come to life... A jackalope?

She nods, satisfied at the truth of his words. And she kenns him...he must be chimera, not kith or kin...right?

No, he's Kithain... true fae, mortal body is a boy about Connor's age, a bit older..

She's...astounded. "I...have never seen a being like you, Falko. How do you come to Rivervale?"

"I was given a ride here." He says, "Well, not 'here' but to this part."

"A ride? Who brought you?"

"Uhm... friends..really nice guy" Oh the lies are going again.

She frowns and crouches down to bring herself closer to his level. "Why are you lying to me, Falko?" Quiet and calm.

"Because they weren't nice people and they twirl their mustached laughing about me maybe hurting a local hold" True..and he is SCARED of her.

"Hm. How would you hurt a local hold? This hold?"

"im.. I'm a Wopletingler" he says glumly as if that explains it all

She frowns. "I...have heard the word, but....explain this."