#rivervale_lodge

"True. But with you...she listens when you tell her what you need."

Stormwake looks curious as he's dragged into this.

"She's a smart horse, yeah."

"I love her. I'm glad Chief let me... y'know? Let her sort of be mine."

"Sort of?"

"We're gonna go to the Dreaming, and she's gonna fly there." Scritching around the mare's ears. "Well, like, mine for official business. As a knight. For Rivervale."

"But, like, she's still the Chief's first."

"My understanding is that she's yours."

She shakes her head.

Ears swivel as she listens to the low voices.

A pause. "Are you protecting her from you, now? She won't thank you for that."

"We can't afford her. She's the Chief's for real, but it's so nice that I can... y'know? Have her... ceremonially, I guess."

A bemused look. "The stable space, the grain, the hay...those might be courtesy of the Chieftain. But she has granted Star to you."

"Right, all the parts of owning her. I couldn't keep her, I can't keep anything... "

"But she's wonderful." A sigh.

She frowns a bit. "Explain keep to me. Explain what you mean by that."

"I couldn't feed her or house her or take care of her. Horses are expensive. There's vet bills and farrier stuff..."

She bites on her lip. "I already... I pushed on Brown Dog, and Chief took him, and there's Snow and Odin...."

"Snow's not a pet, really, but she's my fault kind of..."

"Perhaps...but she is yours. Look at her. She knows. She is yours."

Kerri shakes her head at fault again, but doesn't comment on it.

"But I can't... she's expensive. I know how expensive it is, I googled it..."

"As far as vet and farrier...we have arts and DeBukes. Sometimes, Dagmar, you seem to forget that you are fae living among fae."

A searching look. "You looked for what it is for a mortal trying to do it alone. You...are neither mortal...nor alone."

"But somebody is paying, and... it's the Chief, isn't it?"

"Some is the Chieftain. Some is part of the funding we receive from Count Hemlock...this is his barony, after all. And much of the food and all of the farrier work is done by the DeBukes, for free. We help each other, the Lodge and the Farm."

A frown.

Star gives her a nudge with her head. A heavy nudge.

"..hey.."

"She is yours. Because you are hers."

She closes her eyes, touching her forehead to Star's neck.

"She's a wonderful horse."

"And she chose you."

A soft nicker.

"Oh yes, you know it." Indulgent, affectionate.

"Mmph" ("Of course she did. Who would't choose my girl?") Jaymes might startle them.

Dagmar shrinks a little, ashamed.

Kerri turns around. "Jaymes. I didn't hear you approach." A tension in her expression.

Star rolls a eye to watch the Troll man, but Dagmar’s presence and pressure on her side keeps her calm. Though as she shrinks away, her tail switches a bit.

"No worries. Just came up to tell her it was dinner time. Tove made mexican"

"Let me put this away..." grabbing tools and bucket.

A nod, then "Smells like something in your own kitchen is cooking ,hearth"

"Okay." Kerri nods. "Enjoy your dinner, both of you." She passes by Jaymes, giving him a look of undisguised concern when Dagmar can't see.

"Oh? I wonder who...." And Kerri heads back to the Lodge, hoping that Connor didn't get into the macaroni again.

Jaymes nods to her as she goes

Once it's just he and his daughter, out of the two leggers, Jaymes moves to help "mmmm" ("Good job on Star's coat")

"Night, Stormwake. Night, Star."

"thanks." Subdued.

"Mmm?" ("Rough night , huh") As the horses give their own farewells

Star swishes her tail a bit, watching them go. (My human is perturbed.) Glancing over to Stormwake.