#rivervale_lodge

"How would you screw up?" She finishes with the hooves and puts the tools away. "Stormwake, you look totally handsome."

A toss of his mane

"I know you know. Go on." She gives him a light pat on the rump.

"Dunno. If he wants to do something that I don't. Or.. like... what if he finds out about me? Like... like how I've done stuff, but don't wanna do it with him?"

"Last night was real nice, though..." A sigh.

And Stormwake goes off for a trot.

Sylvi comes a little closer, but not so close as to spook Star. She does hold her hand out for the mare to sniff. "If he wants to do something you don't want to do, then nobody has screwed up. You just want different things. The screw up is if one of you tries to bully or force the other." She pauses, and pets the mare's nose softly. "Maybe if things start getting like that, maybe you should tell him about that? I mean, not in detail, but just that...that you've got stuff that happened that makes you nervous? I mean, I think it's too soon to tell him now, probably, but maybe later...it would be important for him to know, so he doesn't accidentally screw up."

She nods. "Maybe. I don't want to tell him yet. Don't... like.. I think he'd look at me different."

"Maybe. Maybe not. A lot of people have stuff they're afraid to let other people see, y'know?" She thinks. "He can be a jerk sometimes, but I don't remember him being judgey about anybody. Well, maybe Dirk."

"And Dirk is a jerk."

"He's better than he was, maybe, but..."

"Y'know...yeah, but he did something really...." she pauses. "Never mind. Anyway. Adam. You're seeing him today?"

"Yuh-huh. Pennons training!"

"He's excited."

" I'm excited."

She smiles. "Pennons is exciting. Remember last year? When we totally took the field?"

"I know!"

"Just wait until you see the Chief joust. It's like watching an avalanche tumbling right at somebody. Stormwake's going to do a great job."

Eager for it, a stamp

"Oh, he is!"

"He's the best horse."

She steps back when Star threatens to kick.

"Heyyy, whoaa..." Sylvi smiles at Star. "I think she's jealous, Dags."

"Ha. Maybe. She's... the Ailil hurt her, so she's not sure about us yet."

"Yeah. Did you bring out any carrots for them? I can get some...."

"Oo, yeah. That'd be good."

"I'll do it. Some for you, too, Flopsy!" And she heads back to the kitchen.

Dagmar holds out a hand for Star. "C'mon, it was going so well. Look how happy Stormwake is."

Sylvi's back pretty quickly, handing Dagmar a couple of carrots and passing a nice big one to Flopsy before offering some to Stormwake.

"Have you told Adam what Pennons is like?"

She offers the carrot to Star. "Hey girl."

"A little - I compared it to Knight's Tale."

Star sniffs...

Stormwake takes his .

And Star takes hers, looking a bit more pleased.

"Good girl" A gentle hand on the grey's neck, reassuring pressure.

"It really is, isn't it? I mean, except around the places where the nockers are showing off their stuff. We don't get a lot of that here, but down where Jessica is? They have invention competitions and drag races for Pennons."

"Oh, that sounds fun!"

Brush-a brush-a brush-y, as Star allows.

Sylvi grins at the dynamic between Star and Dagmar. "She's beginning to trust you."

"Not trusting anyone gets exhausting."

"I guess it would, yeah. Always watching your back, and stuff."

She nods.

"And when people are just being the same, when they got no reason to, and ain't getting anything out of it.. I dunno, I guess you believe them?"

A brow-furrow. "Think she'd let me do hooves? I thinks he might need a halter for that, and she won't like it."

"You mean, like being consistent? Makes sense."

"Yeah. Like how folks here are, I guess. You know?"

Then a dubious look. "Maybe, but you'd better be ready to get kicked, even if she doesn't mean it."

"Yeah." Sylvi grins, pleased at the praise of her family and home.

"I mean, old me... well. Old me wasn't very happy. And Star - she ain't either." A long look at the horse. "Well, she might not like it, but she needs it."