#rivervale_lodge

"Then again...she's got the ship...she can go just about anywhere in the blink of an eye."

"So can I" Gerd says "And I don't need a ship" Hmmph. Of course, Gerd can only go places she's been before normally

"She was at school?"

"Yeah, she was there. Kind of distracted, though, you know?"

"I think she has to be or she'll be held back a year, help from Uncle Vali or none" Gerd says "SPeaking of Uncle Vali ah... ahem... did you guys know he's staying the area but house hunting?"

"But then again...Siv." A bit of an eyeroll.

"She is the Siviest Siv we know" Gerd agrees

"A house? Cool. Oh, it would be neat if it were close enough that we could walk to it like we can walk to the Barn."

"Oh, I'm glad he's staying..."

Rustle rustle papers... "Look, here - a map! There are oceans, and Siv can just NAME the body of water..."

"Any word from Symon?" Gerd says "ANd yeah, it would be cool. But they might move closer to the School."

"Ohhh, good point, Dagmar!"

"I missed him at school today... man, we are gonna need him. I don't know that much, I looked this all up in study hall..."

"I might get Vali's room" Gerd says offhandedly but not really as it's actually a big deal but she knows it sounds selfish

"Well, that'll give you a bit more space, right? More comfortable."

"You'll stay here, and not his house?"

"That's the plan" she says "Why would I stay at his place?"

"Because.. I mean, he's your family?"

"Yeah, but we're all her family. It's not all about blood."

Gerd bites her bottom lip

"No..."

"But, I mean... "

"Dags... your .. bio mother wasn't a real mom, I know that. ANd Tove is a better mom than she'd ever be, but my folks are dead. Vali is my uncle, and he gave up a lot of his wilder years making sure I'd survive to live to become a wilder myself. Now that he is, I think he deserves a little freedom... even though I think he ..may have stuck around partly for my sake."

Gerd fidgets, and her hand goes to her stomach without thinking about it

"That makes it sound like he considers you a ball and chain..."

"I don't think..." A frown. "I dunno. I'm glad he's staying here, at least."

A bit of a wince from Sylvi about Vali sticking around. "Might be. But that's a gesture of love. And now you're showing love back. And besides...this is your home now. Not fair for you to have to get uprooted again because he's changing his life."

"No.. if he ever did he never said so" tO Dagmar "But sometimes I... well..." then Sylvi chimes in, and she smiles just a bit "Not now that I can maybe get either a full sized room or at least the bigger 2/3rd of it. You know that if I get the whole thing it'll be bigger than your room, Sylvi?" A grin

"Well, I don't think he did."

"Thanks, Dagmar" Gerd says

Sylvi pouts a bit at that. "Well, when you put it that way, I might have to fight you for it."

"You're kidding..right?" Worried look from Gerd who realizes perhaps this was not her smartest move

"Yeaahhhh... you guys figure it out. I have the best room, anyways."

"That's becausee it waas like, custom made for you, Dagmar"

Sylvi makes the I'm watching you gesture...then grins.

"I know!"

"We'll figure it out...but I gotta go. Lessons." She gets up. "Ready, Flopsy?"

"Best dad. Just sayin'."

Gerd sticks her tongue out, then shrugs "Truth to tell, even if you got the room and I got your room, it would still be a major upgrade for me"

"Oh. Have ah.. fun?" Gerd says

Gerd gives Dagmar a poke "Fine. You two can fight over the dads thing, but Jaymes IS pretty awesome"

"Learn fast!"

"Oh, and we are SO going to have a best-dad battle at some point!" She points at Dagmar. "Okay, see you guys." And she's heading out the front door.

Gerd waves to her, then goes back to the map.

"Well, Olgar's pretty cool too. But... yeah." A sigh, and she looks at the map. "Symon would know the best places to go first, I bet..."

"He better, this is.. this is immense. I'm sure sure Uncle Vali's books have as much of his novels setting covered"

"Well, it's, like, a whole series..."

"Yeah. I did some re-reading. "

"I just googled."

"Well, let's just say it had some weird stuff. Mentally deficient Gully Dwarves, insane gnomes that were like nockers without the cussing but talked at super speed, and three moons."