#rivervale_lodge

"So he meets us at Firnost," Siv explains the plan to Sylvi, "Where you get to get your dragon diplomacy skills on"

"Wait...the dragon is coming to Firnost? I thought we'd be going somewhere in the Dreaming...although I guess if we did, we'd forget."

"Near Dreaming near Firnost Gardens. By the way, that means we'll be in the open and easy prey, but hey"

"Great. Well...been there before, I guess."

"It's great to be young and insane, isn't it?" A smile

An eyeroll...but also a grin. "Some of us moreso than others."

"Did you get any tips about this dragon in particular? I mean...Oh, wow, should be bring some kind of gift?"

"No Onions... and we should ask Gerd for Tea"

A shrug "I have no idea why no onions"

"No onions...hm." A shrug. "Okay. Yeah...how much tea would we need? I mean, we're talking dragon, so I'm figuring a bunch."

"Does Tea come in Kegs?" A brow

"Oof. Well...we'll bring some and promise more if necessary?"

"Maybe something else to hedge our bets." She sighs "And there will be a cost in addition the gift. I don't know what it will ask for."

"Yeah, but...well, if it's to save the Lodge? Or another Lodge, or trolls? Then we gotta find a way."

"We'll figure it out," she says confidently.

"We will... and mom would be angry with me if we only wanted to stave Rivervale. How about this, helping kill Skallstryke indirectly? "

"Yeah. Even just doing something to weaken or...or distract him at a key moment."

"Exactly. We can't kill Skallstryke, but if we can ...throw him off his game... increase the odds of the others besting him or at least coming home alive. Oh that would be worth it"

"So worth it." She nods. "And I've been practicing my Spring arts, Well of Life...I can help with the healing, now."

"Not just a pretty face," She confirms

"Well, I happen to think the pretty face can be helpful, thank you very much."

"I think Colton is going to want to come along" Siv says

"You mean...to fight Skallstrike...." Sylvi bites her lip. "Yeah. Probably." A troubled look.

"No... he can't. It's got to be the three. I mean he might want to come with us to meet Nocturnus. Up to you if we invite him to that"

"Well, I mean, I know he can't fight Skallstrike, but neither can I, but we can be part of the...the support team, you know? But to see Nocturnus....yeah, I'd like him to join us, if he can. You think that'd be okay? I don't know what Zara arranged."

"I think it'll be ok. The dragon is expecting trolls"

"Okay...let me....wait a minute." And she gets out her phone and starts texting....

BZZT Meeting a (hopefully) helpful dragon at Firnost garden. Want to help?

BZZT Oh gee let me... YES.

"Wow, he responded fast. Boy is WHIIIPPPEEDD" Siv smirks

Sylvi smiles at her phone, then pouts at Siv's comment. "He's enthusiastic, not whipped!"

BZZT See you there. ❤️

"Okay," she says to Siv. "Let's do this."

"Enthusiastically whipped" Siv smirks

Bzzt ❤️

"He is not!"

"Fine fine... " Siv says "Just teasing really. What with you poking at me early flirting days, bit of payback was due"

"Yeah, but you're charging interest...." she grumbles.

"Agree to disagree on that," She says "But I'll try to cut it out. Fine..on a more serious note. He seems a good guy and he's lost in you without being creepy. I'm happy for you" A smile

A smile returns, and a bit of a blush. "Yeah. It's...it's nice. I mean...really, really, really nice."

"...plus kind of scary sometimes, but nice."

"Well, make sure your relationship isn't all about 'it'. I..." A thought "That's nice too, but ultimately one dimensional And both of you deserve the emotional conduit as well as the ah.. ahem. Good vibes"

"Yeah. I think, right now, it is kind of, um, well....you know....new."

"For me, anyway...."

A roll of her eyes "I swear that sounded a bit like a dig" but smile anyway and a nudge "Is kind of a kick how we can make them light up though isn't it? "

"Oh, no, Siv, that wasn't about you... that was...." A pause. "You know I'm not his first, right? Like...a lot not."

"And I mean...he's....um...I'm pretty sure he's not disappointed or anything...." A blush. "But I still get nervous."

"Oh!" an arm around her, "Hey.. I know this is going to sound lame, but I do think you're his first real ... well, Real Romance. You know? What he has said about his Leanhaun training made it sound like he was taught how to score, but he never learned how to make love. Your'e the first one he's... well, seen that way"

"Yeah, in that we're both kind of new, really." A deep breath and a cleansing exhale, smiling. "And yeah, he gets this gleam in his eyes, that's just...." a wordless happy shiver.

"You don't know where this is going but you're loving the trip so far?" Siv smiles.