#rivervale_lodge

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Siv having served drinks looks as if she's tempted to ask her mother or father something.

Brekke sips her coffee and notes the expression. "Siv? There is something else?" She glances over at Frank, who is hunched over his desk in a quest for information, and draws Siv a bit further to the balefire instead.

"I... is there a way beyond will power to defy a dictum?" Siv asks

A frown. "Somebody has tried to dictum you?"

"No," True says Gwydion sense. But there is more, says mom sense

"But...you think it may happen?"

"I know it can, and I recently faced that possiblity," Truth "is there a way beyond wllpower that either of you know? I.. can see a use for resisting"

"Outrank the Caster." Oh, the Mountain -was- listening. And now he looks up.

"A Superior title will cause the Cantrip to simply.... slide off. Fail."

"Oh," Siv chuckles but it's a bit ..bitter. "Course"

"Mm. As your father says, rank has its privileges." She still looks troubled. "I would know more about this possibility you faced."

"Who?" Frank says at the same time as Brekke.

"I don't think it will do any good to tell and will just lead to future trouble, sides, it's against the Wilder Code"

"The.... Wilder Code?"

"Hmph. I suspect the word 'snitch' is about to be uttered."

"Variations abound, but essentially 'snitches get stitches' or 'Don't trust a narc' to use older"

She smiles at her mom "You win a..well, I don't have a doll"

Brekke gives a resigned look and sips her coffee. "However, that suggests that it is a wilder, and one of rank. This does not exactly narrow the possibilities, but...."

Then she shakes her head. "Beyond willpower and rank, I am not familiar with other ways of avoiding dictum, Siv. Well, unless one also knows Sovereign."

"Well, not likely to learn that here," SHe says "And less interest to be honest. Fine, as you might feel obliged to search and investigate, Nadeen basically said that if she thought she could get away with it, she'd dictum me and slip out the back. I think it was, weirdly, a sign of respect for you and dad nearby, but the fact she was so sure it WOULD work on ME was..." A scowl, "Irritating. "

"It would." Frank turns back to his book.

A deep breath and a sigh. "Perhaps respect for us. More likely respect for the Right of Demesne." She shakes her head. "Her desperation is disturbing. And yes, Siv, she might well be able to dictum you, easily."

"It's that easily part that rankles me" She admits "Well, what cannot be cured must be punched before it can get it off if it comes to that"

Her brow furrows. "If her research leads her to proceed with this act...her actions will put me in a position to make some very difficult decisions. Decisions that may cause divisions."

Brekke looks at Siv, a complicated expression...then a nod.

"I know. I think Nadeen is... oh... she was so proud too" A sigh

"If she enables her father to return, and the influx of fae souls who have not taken the changeling way...if even one life is sacrificed to permit this, I cannot forgive it."

"The way she was talking it was 'only' torture," Siv says with a disgusted face for a second, then "But for me, I do not know... I'd like to think a soul that didn't under go the changeling way isn't so horrible. Being one meself"

Frank glances at Brekke, for a moment, then back to his book.

Brekke is very still for a moment...and sighs. "You are right. But you came through with us. We still do not know how it worked, exactly. But..." she shakes her head. "This, I do not trust. My fear is that what will come through will be Dark Kin."

"Aye, I can understand that, like draws it's own, and this ritual..." Siv says "If I ..understand dad's books and lore what little I read, "A glance to her dad "There's laws of.. macrocosm and resonance? One of the reasons why a troll might cast a quicksilver and it be as if an arctic wind were shooting by, where as a satyr did it, it might a fast tempo music along with the casting not even counting the bunk...same cantrip, but what we are draws the magic...like to like. So to use a formori magic might... I don't know if I'm right but I think it was in there. THose books gave me a headache"

"Yes, it is that." Brekke nods. "But I cannot make Nadeen hear me."

"Of course not mom, she's.... it's like when Dad was held by those Leanhaun, I wasn't around for that, but ...if you thought you could open away for him to escape them...even at risk others might come through, wouldn't you?"

"Well, wouldn't you be tempted?"

Brekke looks to Frank. "More than tempted," she says quietly. "He was gone so long...I was caught between desperation and despair, and it made me make several errors. Without meaning to I..." A pause. "I put Jessica at risk. Thankfully, she has always been clever."

"Mistakes were made. By many."

"But even I will say that Leanhaun aren't Formorian."

Frank frowns slightly, thinking.

"No, they are not."

"In fact.... of all Houses I would think to treat with Formorians..... Neither Leanhaun or Varich are first."

"Balor."

"I know, but Nadeen thinks her father is smarter than the elder dark, or smart enough to hold them off or trick them for long enough, she worships and loves her father whether he deserves it or not. If you want to sway her, telling her she might be i ndanger, or her father is doing bad things won't do it.. she'll close...up. I think...maybe you should point out her FATHER is in danger from this?"

Frank nods to Brekke. "They taken some hits recently." He reminds her. "Not from us directly but....."

Brekke blinks. "Balor. A Balor deception. That...may be it."

Then to Siv, "That is part of what I had intended to suggest, but perhaps I was not clear."

"You think a Balor is pretending to her be father? Or the balor are tricking her father?"

"If House Balor has realized that they might exploit Nadeen's loyalty to her father, her urge to establish a hold for him...yes, I think it is very possible that they may have done something to him and are acting in his place to deceive her."

A shrug. "When we say it outloud, it doesn't sound outlandish. Torture, dark rituals, Formorians......"

"And paths in the dreaming that the silver won't reach..." Siv says "It doesn't sound so outlandish does it?"