#rivervale_lodge

A fist raps on Zane’s door.

Zane opens "Yes?"

Piper! “Hey! So things are all sorted out with Uncle C?”

"Yeah, dad and I talked.. he.. hugged me" He admits "I...he says he was wrong."

“That’s good. And Auntie M?”

"She's mad because I nearly got shot" He looks sheepish

“But you’re not in trouble with them, are you?” Concerned.

“And you Didn’t actually get hurt?”

"Nothing they couldn't heal up at the Count's. I"m good" He says then "Well, I think Mom wants to ground me, dad thinks I was through enough. Weird huh?"

“That doesn’t sound too bad. But before I forget...” She smiles, then winds up and socks him in the arm! Piper is not super strong- but her fists are POINTY and she gives it some oomph!

"Ow!" he says and rubs at it "Bony fist! What was THAT for?"

“That’s for NOT TELLING your FRIENDS!” she shakes out her hand. “I thought we were bros, bro. And you know Adam thinks you’re the bees knees among all the other fae kids. And Timmy said you talked to him, but then just ran off. What’s the point of HAVING friends if you don’t trust us to help when you need it? Even just to listen. We were - ...-I- was worried about you.” She rubs a hand angrily over her eyes. “You’re the closest thing to a trag’ member I got around here, you big dumb moron.”

He hangs his horns "I'm sorry."

She leans forward and lightly knocks horns with him. “Don’t be. Just be better next time, Zu.” And gives him a quick hug. “And tell me about this adventure you had! -I- got run through the ringer by Brenda, and am lucky she’s got hooves now or it would have suuuucked.”

He hugs back, then says "Run through the wringer? What did she do to you?" A frown

“She caught me sleeping over.” A grin, abashedly unashamed.

"OH! Right. " He says "But she was cool with it? I mean.. you said wringer but she does have horns"

A laugh. “Does she Ever. No, she was super nice about it. But I’m gonna try to steer clear for a while. If only it would warm up outside already, yknow?”

"Oh, well, if you ever need a place to take him besides your own room, let me know ok?"

“If you’ve got any not-too-secret spots you know of, I’d be glad of it.”

"Sure..." he says "Oh, don't do it on the Kestrel. That is just asking for troll glare"

A laugh! And she laughs again- actually wheezing and turning a bit red with amusement.

"You mock, never been more grateful for satyr speed"

She catches her breath with a last giggle. now now, don’t kiss and tell. She thinks. “Do you think she’d toss you out to sea, or shrink the ship to bottle-size with you in it?”

"Geez, don't give her ideas" he says "But the Kestrel is the one that doesn't go in the bottle. It's on the dry dock"

“Oh, right. I was thinking about the Narwhal.” And a small smile, remembering -fuzzy, but pleasant.

“No, I’d not risk the Chieftain’s wrath, even for a mighty fine night.”

"oh" he grins then "Oh.. as for my story? Anne Marie got kidnapped. Symon and Dirk ..well, I got them, the three of us went to rescue her and Jonas..."

“How’d you find out? Did your magic help you? You said Uncle C is more understanding now?” Peppering him with questions.

"I used some magic to stumble onto things... it must have gone wrong though, see, isntead of leading me where to runaway, I stumbled onto these merc kinian..." And he relates everything

She listens, wide eyed, and squeaks with appropriate fear at the Guns, and outrage at the treatment. If told about the kinain killed and somewhat disemboweled, she blanches. “Remind me to stay on those two’s good side. Or on the far away side.”

He does fill her in "I know right? But.. uh.. that cantrip of mine had them shooting each other with the tranqs"

“That’s impressive. I thought maybe you had luck with the last one, untrained, because it had to do with Lust and that’s one of our keywords. It sounds like you’re branching out, and good for them that you are, and were there. Is this what the Mountain is teaching you? I met him. He seems- mm. Nice, but... mysterious.”

"i'm sorry" he says, and his voice going in a deep whisper "It is not for the unitiated to know"

She snorts. “I can punch your other arm too, and then how are you gonna get to sleep tonight?”

"So mean" he says his voice normal again "Yeah, he's teaching me Chicanery, Soothsay. Did you know the Dude knows naming? Can you imagine ME knowing Naming? GEEZ o petes"

Eyebrows up. “I thought you had to be an elf to learn that. And hell no! Suddenly the bikini straps at the beach think that they are worn out, and with a mighty snap...” Pause. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea.”

"When I'm more mature maybe"

"Like... 30 years I guess" A chuckle

“Hearth Agnes offered classes to Adam and myself, but I’m not sure he’ll go.” A small frown. “They’re just seeing his Elfbloodedness, and he’s not seeing why they might have reason to be wary.” Looking slightly u comfortable herself.

"Oh poor guy, he always has to win folks over it seems" A sigh "He so should have been satyr ,or at least a satyr kinian. He'd be happier, you know?"

“Yeah. I wonder if there isn’t some way to still.., I don’t want to say fix, but... if his family was able to get turned, maybe there still is a path for him, too. And who says it would have to be Sidhe?” A wrinkle of her nose.

"maybe there is another way? I'll llook for it. I mean, hell, baby varich almost turned jersey into fae all over...which might have been a problem, but maybe something can do just one.. some holy grail of satyreness"

“On the other hoof, I like him just as much as he is, and.. I don’t want him getting hopes up, just to dash them again.”

“I like that, just dump it into the town water supply and suddenly it’s Satyrvale.”

"How about if I learn something like that I run it by you?" A snicker at Satyrvale "I think the Chief would quit and move to norway"

“Get her to drink first.” A snicker. “That reminds me, I heard a rumor about this place called Firnost, and the water there...”

"Oh, the legend of Lady Anne! Redheaded Winged Lesbians on tap!" A nod "Nope."

“Oh you’ll tell me, or I’ll give you SUCH a noogie.”

"Okay, okay... " And tells of the many legends