#rivervale_lodge

"You're welcome." That puzzled look again as he starts to go. "Connor. You forgot something."

"I did? " he says stopping

A nod. "Clear your dishes, please." She nods to the sink.

"Oh! " he says and seems to relax just a bit, and takes the dishes to the sink and starts to tend to it inexpertly "This is the way we wash the dish, wash the dish, wash the dish"

She watches, a combination of bemused and concerned. "I think you're a bit distracted today," she suggests. "Is there anything wrong? Besides the mess in the tub?"

"Just buddy being buddy" He says humming

"Well, Connor...maybe Gerd will be available to play for a bit today. Or perhaps Lily."

he isn't doing the best job, but he seems to be doing it twice so.. "Hard work, but sure"

She watches, then says, "I'll finish up. I'm glad you enjoyed." He seems to be being relieved of duty.

"THANKS..." And out he races fast.. hit door...open door...gone up the steps

She watches him go, and now she's got a fully concerned frown as she finishes the washing properly.

Connor can barely restrain his giggles upstairs. A stage whisper from the bedroom when Jackie comes barrelling in, "How did it go? Oooh I smell meat!"

"It's good. Go get some" he says "She's SUCH a good cook"

"Oh! The only one better at cooking that Miss Kerri is Miss Sallie Mae. And the only one better than Miss Sallie May is Miss Tove. And the only one better than Miss Tove is ME! I make macaroni." His tail flashes.

"you are SO lucky, in Memphis they charge you for the SMELL"

"If I charged by the smell, I'd be a bro-zillionaire."

"Because I met a STUNK!"

"I met a sewer rat once" He pauses "oh, we're GARDENING soon. Putting up flowers and trees. "

"I love garden time! All the fresh dirt smells get turned up and you can rrrrrooolll in it!" His body wriggles in pleasure at the remembered joy. "Oh, watch out for the Chieftain though. She has a hand made out of solid gold, that's how you'll know her. She can smell a lie like a hound trackng down a chili dog."

And with that his belly cannot be ignored. He barrels down the stairs, tummy rumbling, and heads into the kitchen. "Are there meats left? I'm awful hungry."

Kerri was just about to get back to work with the bones again, and she turns a very skeptical look on him. "Connor...you just ate a hamburger, a hot dog, a cookie, and a strawberry milk. You actually want more?"

He goes wide eyed at the bones. "Lil' crunchie, you look starved to death! I'm not hungry enough to nibble down to his tails-n-bones."

"It's an ex-mouse, and I wouldn't recommend it, no." A sigh. "No more meat for you right now. Take an apple with you, in case you really are hungry, which I have trouble imagining." She nods to the bowl of fresh fruit.

His ears twitch a bit, and he takes the apple. "Can I have one for Snow, too?" A little forlorn.

Under her breath, she murmurs something about testing for tapeworm.

Then a nod. "And one for Snow, yes."

"I'm a growing beanstalk!" He takes another apple, delaying as he tries to decide which is the biggest and the reddest of them all.

An audible sound from his stomach.

She turns and looks at him. "I think you must be about to go through a growth spurt."

A sigh. "Go out and play for a bit, at least, to work off some of that food."

"It IS time to grow up a little. 1-2-3, and 4. But not a lot though. Because then I won't fit into my favorite shirts."

"Because it's Hopscotch year!"

A mighty crunch out of the apple.

"Mm-hm." She nods, turning back to to the process of mouse sterilization, and perhaps feeling a bit pooka'd-out.

And he reaches out and snags - a third apple! And runs out the door, giggling.

Kerri makes a mental note to speak to the Chieftain and Mountain about Connor's odd behavior. And to talk to Gerd and the local sluagh brigade about available mouse bones.

(End Scene)

***************************************

It is still Saturday morning, though perhaps not what Brekke would consider "early" when she and Adam enter the practice ring. "Choose a weapon."

He pulls a practice rapier from his gear.

A curious look. "You brought your own."

"No, ma'am, Mr. Davidson let me take it home."

She glances at the collection she has, notes the one absent. "Mm." A nod.

"He showed me some stuff."

"Well...now you can show me." She chooses a practice blade, a sword, though heavier than his. A few practice swings as she moves to take a stance at the opposite end of the ring."

He swings too.... much less practiced. But, he demonstrates pretty faithfully what he was taught, albeit at the other end of the ring.

She nods at his warmup swings, then lets him take his first few strikes, parrying reliably but not arrogantly.

"Uh." As she engages with him. Then he nods and buckles down, trying to use what he's learned.

He tends to whack more than thrust.

"Hm." A nod and a step back. She gestures for him to pause.