#rivervale_lodge

A tilt of her head "Yeah?"

"But... I know."

"Oh" And she nods as if understanding "yeah. Heart, Head, Gut."

"Yeah."

"They don't always agree do they?"

"They don't."

"And some days, it's just... too much, you know? SOme days it's okay."

"I hear you, and folks are like 'follow your heart' until the heart is like 'get the fuck out' then they say 'oh now let's use your head'... and sometimes what they really mean is 'go with whatever agrees with me' " A Shrug "not because they're jerks, but because they want us to be happy."

"I should get home..."

"Yeah. Sorry. I'm not exactly a bundle of cheer. Still, it's nice to have someone who gets it"

"It is."

"Well," She pats Star now that the horse is in her stable and saddle free "See you around. I hope we know wrong, if you know what i mean, but..yeah"

"Me too. Night, Gerd."

And Gerd heads out.

Star nuzzles Dagmar fare well. She had a wonderful fllight and Dagmar was a good co pilot

She presses her forehead against Star's, before heading out and back to the Barn.

(End Scene)

Meanwhile, Connor wakes up in a heap of dogs as a ray of sun hits his eyes. Kerri being sick and everyone else pulling double-duty means he actually got away with sleeping in a puppy pile and not his Big Boy Bed, but he seems less than enthused. "Oh, horse apples. Why'd you have to turn the sleep rays on me?" Rubbing at his eyes drowsily, he resumes his search for Snow... but then his belly rumbles. "Maybe she's the prize in the bottom of a cereal box..." Heading for the kitchen instead.

Sally Mae works in the kitchen, the mess almost completely gone, but her pretty face is burdened.

"Oh! Farm Lady! Did I fall asleep and wake up on the other side of the trod?"

"Oh, no no, are you okay, Connor? I thought about putting you on your bed, but after a busy day I ... are you all right?" She says "Snow said you were in danger, Dagmar..." A pause there, then "Dagmar was going to go after you, but then found you in the pile."

"Snow! Is she okay?!" He spins, looking around.

"She's fine, but she made a huge mess. " Sally Mae said, sour about mroe than just that, but she sighs "So you are okay?"

He exhales in relief. "I was worried about her. Did Miss Kerri get her fruits?"

"No, Snow was so upset she ate them all," A frown "And left a mess, and then I ... oh it's not been a good day, Connor"

His face falls. "It all got messed up. And I didn't even mean to go on that adventure... I just saw Snow leaving and figured I should foller'er... " Moving over, he starts picking up stray fruit peels and moving them to the trash.

Most of them are gone., Cleaned up already "I've got it," She says "And you tried to help a friend sounds like. Me? I upset Dagmar because I was so stunned to come in and find a mess, aNd it turned out the mess was but four hours old. It was wrong of me to assume, but after the fight with... "A sigh "I've got it , Connor."

He huffs and goes to get a wet sponge, wiping at a sticky spot. "I've got it too. The counter is sticky. ...Dagmar can be sticky, too. Like a prickly blackberry bush. You gotta watch out sometimes, but she doesn't meant to bite."

"Should have known better, I've been warned about angry nobles all my life" Sally Mae says "I was just in a bad mood anyway after a fight with family, and then come here expecting things to be ,well handled with only a little clean up, but no, instead it looked like Kerri was going to step out and find a mess... and I dreaded telling her I was wrong for tending to family when I should have been here." Clean clean "got so frustrated about the whole day that I slipped, and forgot that Dagmar was a noble, and a Gwydion noble at that."

"Yeah, you gotta watch out. Gold feathers get ruffled easily sometimes. " His tone understanding. "I think everyone's a bit fluffed up with Miss Kerri out. It will get better when she's better." A sigh. "Not as fast as if she'd gotten some fruit, though. Me? I was gonna look for flowers. But everything is dead and frozen outside."

"Yes," Sally Mae says sadly, "I miss her too. The flowers idea was nice, but I'm not sure she could smell them right now, Connor. Maybe 'glad you're back flowers' after she's well will be better? I can get you some from a florist"

A sigh. "I'm not -good- at adventures. I never seem to do it right. It always turns into someone ELSE's adventure and it's "rescue Connor"."

"Nonsense, you got home, you saved snow it sounds like.. you just had a rough time." She tilts her head, "I dont' know if you ever had the Return of the King read to you. The movie sure, but the movie leaves out the Scouring of the Shire. It's after the battle is supposed to be won. Frodo, Pippin, Merriweather and Samwise all return after the King is on his throne, the ring destroyed... the big bad defeated, only to find out the Shire, they're beloved home, is mess. That's how it is sometime, you try hard to save the world, only to find you've neglected home, but if you never leave home, you risk the world, and risk never growing. You're a childling, and it's good you stay close by and let others care for you, but don't let your victories be taken from you even by your own imaginination, okay? You're a fine young boy and one day you'll be a fine young man. And there's no shame in asking for a bit of help. " She kisses his forehead, then says "Frodo needed Samwise, Robin Hood needed Little john, Lone Ranger needed Tonto. If someone else is your sidekick, don't begrudge them too much"

He shakes his head about the book and listens, head cocked to one side, ears pricked. "I can... try?"

For a moment it seems as if the kinian might cry but , that's odd because there's very little to cry about, the mess is gone. Then she plasters on a smile, but it's not fitting right, "Thank you for the help, wash your hands. I'll get you a treat"

He gives her a hug instead, sticky fingers and all. "I'm sorry it was a bad day. I don't want you to be sad, though. How can we make it better?"

"Wait, I suppose" She says "Time is part of the cure, not the whole of it, but.. it'll be a major part"

"Is that to make Miss Kerri better, or Miss Sally Mae?"

"Yes" She says

"I think I understand. I know where Miss Kerri keeps the hot cocoa mix. That doesn't fix things... but it might help? Everyone always feels better with a bellyfull of warm."

"I can make my own coco, but thank you"

"How do you make it? Can you show me your recipe?"

"mmm" suspicious look, then "Fine. I'll show you" And she demonstrates

He listens, nodding, and sneaks a slurp of the milk when she's "not looking", but otherwise is attentive. Once there are steaming cups, he wraps his fingers around one, and inhales deeply of the scent. "Smells good! Not the way Kerri makes it. But, still good."

"Thank you, " She pours him a bit more milk if he likes, "And yes, Miss Kerri is amazing. HEarth Agnes , our Hearth, might know more in some areas, but Kerri's her equal or better in others, and still very young. WHen she hits as old as my great Aunt ,she'll be her better"

"Someone else is pretty great too." Slurps, and wags his tail a bit at Sally Mae.

"Not great enough to cut the muster it seems" Sally Mae says, "I was set to be the right hand of the Hearth at the farm, only to find they've got a real troll to take over that after all" A frown "And they're pushing me to ..oh never you mind"

He frowns a bit. "I don't know about the mustard. But pushing is rude, though. If they keep doing that, you should find a new game to play. One that's fun for you."

"You mean just leave the family entirely? No. They'll need me, and I'll come back. It's just in me." A sigh "Though I'm really tempted to tell them marsellius can stuff it"

"Who's Marsellius?"