#rivervale_lodge

"If I'd gone inside, and THEY'D seen me... the thallian? They might have robbed or hurt them next. I know it's not MY fault, but..."A bite of his lip "but it would a felt like it, and they'd be endangeroused whoever's fault it was"

"You were trying to protect them." A sigh. "That is a great burden to put on a childling. The others...the might have been able to help you, had they known, but you are right that the Thallain might have hurt them."

"it's the only way a coward can protect anybody I guess," he says and nods "But you know... i guess I do feel good that I did keep them away from that spot"

"You were a small childling. You did the best you could do. You are not a coward."

A bit of a smile, "You're not just saying that because, you're nice?"

"I rarely say things I do not mean. I mean this. You are not a coward."

"How did you find that place, with the music? Did you follow the sounds to it? Or did you already know of it?"

"Well, I know the streets of Memphis okay.. it was on the edge of where the pigs will go... so it is kind of safe kind of not."

"And one night I heard the music start up and stick around"

"The pigs? Ah...the police."

"Yup. But don't cal lthem pigs where they can hear it or they find reasons to plant something on you, then they got reasons to beat you"

A pause. "I will keep that in mind."

"See, if you pay a cop a percentage..he can tell the other cops things for you.. and then you got the whole force with a blind spot where you work. It's like they say.. one bad apple spoils the bunch. Since criminals want bad cops they can work with, they do their best to find the biggest worm in the force and work from there"

"It can backfire though"

"Yes?" She's not sure she's following all of this, but listening as he speaks. She has a thoughtful expression.

"Sure... sometimes the cop is really corrupt and tkaes the lions share ..that's means the most" he says confidentially

"And when he takes too much it cuts into your profit and you gotta hit folks up for more if you wanna stay where you were... and it can backfire either way. "

The boy explains in further, gritty detail of how to corrupt a cop and make him work for you but how it goes overboard.

Brekke hesitates, but while he talks and works the soil, she makes a rune in the air over his head, hoping the Willow Whisper will settle over him like a soft warm breeze...she has never tried this before, however.

he turns, he's been working hard, but it seems the glamour sinks in.

"Jack...keep working, but tell me...you remember so much about those who hurt you...but who cared for you before them?"

"Before then " He whispers "it was my folks.. I think... she had big eyes..."

"Your folks...do you remember a name? Perhaps on a letter received?"

"Just mother... but not in public... folks think you're old if you have a kid in public calling you mom... " He looks a bit lost then says "She changed her name a lot"

"Nothing on a letter"

Brekke frowns. "Do you remember an address where you lived with her?"

"No. We moved around Memphis and.. then.." the last question asked and he starts to cry "I'm sorry I don't.. remember I don't want to "

True.

"I am sorry...Jack, it is enough...I am sorry...." She goes down on one knee beside him. "I am sorry...I had to try...."

And he latches onto her ans cries into her shoulder "Please don't do that again...Please. I know you want to get rid of me but please don't do that again"

It seems every youngster she knows assumes they're lined up for exile.

She holds onto the boy. "I do not want to get rid of you. Do you hear that? I do not. I want to help you find...." She stops and shakes her head. "I will not do that again. Not without your permission. I thought you might remember, since you were remembering so well, but I have no right to do that to you without your permission. Please forgive me."

"Skay...you..you're nice to me. "

Tears still flow but "you weren't making me hurtn o body you just wanted.." Shudder gulp , satyrs cry hard but it's working out "you want to help an you don't know how "

"Yes." Her voice is rough with emotion, too. "I want to hurt those that hurt you...but more, I want to find those who did not want you hurt, and let them know you are well."

"Can..can we go back to talking about the seeds and growing and stuff?" A plea

"We can, yes..." She takes him by the shoulders and looks at him a long moment, then nods and stands. "Now...you see how this area is in sun? It will be in shade when the sun moves. We will need to choose seeds for that spot that do not need all-day sun."

He wipes his eyes and looks and nods "Nature is totally woke and understands the Virsity"

"...the Virsity?" Puzzled, then... "Oh. Diversity. Yes."

"Diversity" he gets it right this time trying to remember "Like how.. satyrs are smaller than trolls but faster and trolls need higher ceilings..." He says "So..what kind of plants don't need all day sun?"

And, if she explains... he listens, and soon it's as if he never cried at all. Satyrs, they hit hard, then get up so quickly. They don't hold onto the pain the same way Trolls can

doesn't mean it didn't hurt and won't hurt again

But some might envy it

(End Scene)