#rivervale_lodge

He can.

And he closes the cupboard door after.

Dag hangs back, quiet.

Adam looks around.

The stable is a homey little place, smelling of horse and hay.

He glances up at the hay loft.... away.....

"So.. um. I should get back to work..." She scuffs a toe.

His gaze snaps back to her. "Oh. Uh. Yeah. Ok. Sorry." He heads for the door.

Stops there, turning. "Dagmar? Good to see you."

Shrug. "Sure."

His look goes downcast. "Yeah. Ok. See you around." And out he goes.

Olgar looks to his wife as the boy goes out

"Hm." Kerri frowns. "If you think I'd better not meddle in this, state your peace now."

"I think you're risking having Dagmar hole up like a turtle, but she respects you, if anyone can do it, it might be you. Gentle but firm?" Olgar mutters

Adam looks a bit bummed out.

"She's tricky, but I'll try. And...maybe you could figure out how to get through his head?" she indicates Adam before moving away from her husband and back to the kitchen.

Olgar eyes his axe Well, yeah, but pretty sure that's homicide

Dagmar holes up in the stable - who knows what she's up to? Either way, she's out of sight.

The Sidhe-blooded boy returns to the ring. "Mr. Davidson? Can we keep going?"

A few minutes later, Kerri leaves the Lodge by the front door, but heads to the stables (so not on a direct path with the way Adam returned), can of Dr. Pepper and a few cookies in a napkin in hand.

"Sure, kid" Olgar says "We can work on your advance. It's best not to start with a lunge"

"Why not?"

Dagmar is curled up in the corner, head tucked behind knees. A horse whickers, but she ignores it.

Kerri pauses in the stable door, and just manages not to sigh. After a moment, she goes to the huddled form of Dagmar, crouches down, and offers out the soda and the cookies.

"Because if you charge in, and miss, you have over extended, and pulling back is nearly impossible. " And he lowers his voice "And I'm not just talking about dueling. Sometimes you need to test things out gentle, or try a different approach"

She startles, then turns purple. "I was just... I.."

Up to her feet, grabbing the pitchfork.

Kerri doesn't move as Dagmar startles, just watches her, still holding out the offered snack.

Adam nods, focused on his sword work..... then stops and looks over, confused. "Huh?"

"I don't need anything, thank you Miss Kerri. I have a lot of work to do."

Still whispering "Whatever you're trying with Dagmar isn't working" Olgar says, "Have you thought about finding something you can work on with her side by side, let her feel comfortable."

She stands, then, and sets the drink and snack aside on a shelf. A look around the fairly-neat stable. Then a long look at Dagmar.

She studies her toes.

"You're sure?" Kerri says quietly. "I'm here, and you seem like you need to talk. If you don't want to, I'll leave you be."

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever had you upset." She nods to the corner Dagmar was curled in. "I have my suspicions, but...." she shrugs.

Adam jolts and backs away. "What? I'm not trying... what!??!"

OLgar holds up his hand "Not saying your making a move on her, but .. I know it hurts that she's retreating when you just want to be a friend."

"What's to talk about?" jaw-jut.

"Whatever had you upset," Kerri repeats patiently.

"And I don't think this is about you, it's about how guilty she feels to see me teaching you," Olgar adds, "LIke she let you down, or failed on her duty. "

His voice still low

"We aren't friends anymore. I screwed everything up and that's all it is. Olgar's teaching him stuff now, so I guess I don't hafta worry about it anymore."

She stabs the clean straw with the pitchfork and hefts it into Stormwake's stall.

"Has he tried to be friends?"

"Dunno." STAB.

Adam looks away. "S'ok." (It's not)

"Don't you?" Kerri eyes the pitchfork.

"Maybe."

Olgar says "No it's not. It hurts like hell . You don't want my advice, I'll back up, but I thought you should know not to beat yourself up about it, but at the same time, maybe try other things. Sometimes folks bond looking at the same thing, rather than at each other. That kind of thing"