#rivervale_lodge

Kerri grins. "A secret for you..." she motions Siv near, then murmurs, "If you watch very closely, you'll see the same with your parents. It's just a different kind of dance. And I think you'll find that for yourself, too...eventually."

A smile at that, "Mom and dad don't dance so much as orbit each other to my eyes. Dances are quicker, orbits are... well, slow. And by the time they show how much in love they are where anyone BUT Them can see it... I'm SURE I've aged another year"

"Maybe that's true. But you don't need to see it to know it's there. By the way...don't think for a second that that's how it started for any of us. Olgar and I had some pretty rousing arguments, and your parents...well...." She shakes her head. "If you think their love is slow, you should have seen their courtship. It was glacial."

"I guess that's why when they disagree it worries me so much.... it took them so long to come together, and it takes them a while to let their guard down enough so anyone else can know how in love they are... " A bite of her lip "I don't want to think how long it might take them to forgive each other for disagreeing on this."

Kerri sighs. "It may be a while," she agrees. "Don't expect them to return, skipping and holding hands, tonight."

"Where's a satyr when I need one?" Wryly

"Don't rush them. They'll figure it out. Now...I believe your mother told you to head to bed." An eyebrow, bemused.

"They say a lot of things" She says "But yes, a i suppose a disobedient daughter sure isn't going to help. Good night, Hearth and Aunt, and.. thank you. For the good advice and the open ear"

"My pleasure, Siv. And...nobody said you had to sleep just yet." A wink from the grump.

"Why Aunt dear," A smile "If I thought about it, Mom didn't even tell me WHOSE bed to go to." A wink ,and she walks off, but despite her sass, she goes to her own room

Kerri waits until she goes upstairs before muttering, "She said it, not me."

Olgar flickers an eye open from his cot "She's getting smarter , ,that one"

"Yes, we're all in trouble. Hey, you do need to go back to sleep."

She pulls a chair up next to the cot. Not the Chieftain's chair, no...but another one she can bring close enough to take his hand while he's lying there, which she does.

"I could say the same to you" A soft squeeze "No need for you to get a bad back while I'l laying here. Y'know?"

"I'll go to bed later. I'll just stay up for a little bit. Go back to sleep, old man."

"Oh ho.. I maybe a grump from the navel up, but I'm a wilder in the waist down..." but his eyes do flutter a bit as slumber starts to reclaim him. "Fine, but just so you know, We're still going dancing soon."

"Oh, I know it. You're not getting out of it that easily." A firm and stubborn tone. "Sleep."

Mumble mutter "cute when you're bullying me..." Zzzzzzzzzz

And he drifts to sleep. She knows he's not pretending. She knows the rise and fall of his breathing better than her own.

Kerri gives him a fond grin, and she watches him. And of course she has no intention of going to bed any time in the near future.

None at all and unrepentant about it , it seems (End scene)