#rivervale_lodge

Kerri takes a seat with them and shakes her head. "Brogan gets a bit much, sometimes, but I appreciate his intent. And Agnes definitely knows her way around a squash!" A smile.

"Have you heard anything about our questers?"

"I know about the three who went to slay the dragon" Coy says

"Yes." A tension and something unspoken. "They have not yet returned. You haven't heard anything else?"

"No."

She looks grim.

Coy looks curious, "I feel there is more I SHOULD know though. Is there more?"

Kerri's smile has slipped away. "Ah."

Kerri looks between the two of them. "There is a second team that went out, doing some sort of secret mission. We haven't heard from them, either."

"Are any DeBukes among them?" Coy said "Should I tell Chieftain Clem?"

"Second team?" She sets her coffee down.

"Well...Sylvi. Honorary DeBuke, but...yes." Tense. "Several other wilders from here, and Squire Colton."

Coy says "Forgive me, Hearth, but for some reason I am profoundly not surprised to hear you daughter's name at the head of that list"

"Siv?'

As if on Cue, Siv comes in, looking tired, beat up, and bedraggled.

A wry grin at Coy's comment. "Forgiven. And no, Siv was on...ah, well, here she is." She rises to help the girl in. "Come, sit. Do you need healing?"

A weary grin, "I'm more bruised than cut I..what a ride ...the Near Dreaming's gone bonkers, Dad and I got caught in the wake of some of the shifting...new sky trods are open! Trods you can only reach by the sky! And the scattering of silver and fire and ....." then her eyes turn to see her sister, "Jessica?!" And she hugs her older sister without shame

"New trods...." Kerri murmurs. Then she refocuses on Siv. "Here, let me get you food and drink. Jessica, make her sit down."

And the Hearth goes into the kitchen.

"I don't need to sit down, and why are you telling Jessica to 'make' me sit down? She's not MY countess" Siv fusses good naturedly

Inside the kitchen, Brogan has focused on supplying the many kinian \currently at Vali's house and at The Ironhawk residence (Jaymes)

Kerri pauses at the kitchen door. "Wait..." she looks to the Lodge entrance, then back to Siv again. "Where's your father?"

"Dad is fine..." she says "He's checking on the DeBukes and others shored up now, making sure they're okay." Siv says

Coy nods "The evacuees are grateful I'm sure"

She nods. "Good. But...have you heard anything about the others?" Clearly meaning the questers. Both parties.

Siv says "They won, they had to win, "Siv says not with desperation, but with almost joyfulness, "If you'd seen what I'd seen, the light display, the shift... the... I know it's nearly samhain but I swear it's like spring all over... and a trollish spring at that!"

"New trods in the sky, balefire like energy..." Siv paces having forgotten to sit down, excited, "Chimera of nordic style and often noble style! It's just the most amazing thing"

Kerri does a dangerous thing and allows optimism to creep in. It might be over? Then she nods quickly and goes into the kitchen. "All is well, Squire Brogan?" she asks as she gathers some food for Siv.

"Yes, Dame Kerri. ..Pardon me, Hearth. one dozen PBJ sandwhiches ready to go to the Gardener residence, and the Wayburtons say they're ordering pizza for the ones at their location. I didn't think we should take that latter as a personal slieight, should we? "

"No, I'm certain it's more a matter of tourist preference. They're in the location for the best pizza, they've heard the stories, they ought to try it."

"Well then I think we're fine, Hearth" He says

"There's news from the Dreaming. Siv says there are new sky trods, and something like a wave of Spring glamour...it may mean there has been a good outcome."

Jess stands. "Siv, sit. Hearth said so."

Siv makes a face, but sits.

Brogan beams, then "If it involes trods, then perhaps the Rover should be contacted if he can be?"

Kerri nods. "Just about to do that. Will you deliver those to the Gardeners?"

"Right away," He nods gathering them, "SHould I pass on any message with them? "

"Tell Vali that Siv is back. Tell him what I said about the Dreaming and the trods. And tell him about the new trod between here and Fenix."

"Of course, oh, he was in here earlier , Oak is healing by the balefire" The boy says alarmed that he forgot

"Oak? What happened to Oak?!"

"From what I understand, Adam was guarding a rath gate to a trod... and something came out of it. Sir Vali said that only Oak or Adam could have won but he didn't explain. Beaumayn seem to enjoy leaving people in the dark. Almost as bad as Eiluned"

Siv looks at Coy "So, planned a coup yet?"

Coy laughed, "Not hardly. We'll leave the ruling to you kings."

Kerri sighs. "I don't think Vali enjoys that. I think it's just part of how his house works, and I can't fault him for that. Okay, I'll check on Oak in a minute." She steps out the back door of the kitchen into the yard near the training ring, and she takes out her phone to dial Olgar.

Jess gives him a dry look.

Coy clears his throat and returns to his coffee.

Olgar picks up the phone, "Heya hotpants....shit, tell me this isn't on speaker right now?"

Siv looks at Jessica with amusement, then "How are things? At Fenix I mean? Anything new..er?"

Brogan has headed out.. to deliver food

"It's not, and thank you," Kerri says with a bit of a grin. "Olgar, Siv's home. She tells me there are all sorts of new sky trods opening...and we just had a trod open right in the Lodge! It links us to Fenix; Jessica is here with Coy DeBuke."