#rivervale_lodge

Siv waits for her mother and father..she's had a good time, but she wants to see how Dad is DOING

As if summoned, Frank emerges from his room; clean, dressed, and whole.

Brekke follows him out. They both look well-rested, or at least much better compared to what they each looked like when they got home.

"Dad, mom! Whew. Thank goodness you're both all right."

"Siv?"

Frank pauses on the stairs. "Siv? What are you doing here?"

"We did not expect you home." Brekke does not look displeased, but concerned.

A tap on her husband's shoulders to get downstairs, or at least out of the way.

"What am I doing here?" She says "My father ends up poisoned, my mother nearly winks out of glamour... and you wonder what I'm doing here?" She brows, and it's not bad brow either

A blink...and a guilty look. "You heard about that so quickly."

Oh, this brings on the crossing of the arms "Aye"

One way or another, Brekke gets down the stairs, even if she has to go through her husband to do it. "Siv, we are fine. And events happened so quickly..."

Frank moves on after his initial surprise.

"Yes, we wonder what you are doing here. How did you find out?"

"You're fine now, aye, or I would have been breaking through doors when I got here," Despite her mother's words, she does look her mom over and then gives a hug "Å stikke noe under en stol" Hurumphing about her mother hiding something from her like this.

A surprised chuckle as she returns the hug. "Tilgi oss?"

"Of course," She says "You just worried me at all, and .." Then she looks at her father "House Fiona has an amazingly under rated intelligence network, father."

Technically true.

Father-brow. "You have spies on us?"

A frown. "In our home?"

"No, " She rolls her eyes, "That was meant to be a joke. " Then a huff "In all honesty, not sure you'd believe me if I told you, or at least you might thing I was odd in the head"

She believes all of that

"Not that far a leap, Siv."

"We appreciate your oddness. Come, sit with us. Tell us how it is there."

She moves to her dad, makes sure he's okay, and then gives him an elbow nudge before hugging him.

He hugs her back.

"Aye, surely" Siv says to her mother and moves to sit with them, wanting a spot close to both, "It's much as I said in my letters...but has improved since. I .. AM Sorry I misunderstood so much. As for Earth Runes itself, it's grand... there's a new Dueling Course, or swashbuckler course you might say... narrow bridges, rope swings and so on...dueling decks."

Her mother looks amused. "I imagine you had something to do with that."

"I did" Siv owns it, "The Baroness and I got into a bit of sparing, and she knows her Princess Bride. We quoted, trained, showed off, then... well the idea came to me and I suggested it. Now, it turns out, there are Dougal there. And saying 'well, if you don't think you can do it' is a POWERFUL motivator for the House of the Hammer"

Frank might look a little dismayed at how manipulative his daughter can be.

Brekke has watched her manipulate her father long enough to know not to be surprised. She nods. "Good. She is teaching you well, still?"

"Aye, and...some of it, things I didn't expect." She admits "i'm learning where my fears lie. What scares me. And where I am strong ,and where I didn't know I had a weakness."

"Those sound like valuable lessons. And difficult ones."

From his expression, Frank agrees.

"Oh I frustrate her powerful. She accused me of..well, timidity. This is not something I had ever, to my memory, ever been accused of" a frown "Worse, when I put my brain to grind stone, I found out she was right"

Frank frowns powerfully.

"Timid? You? That is not the Siv I know."

"Me neither, but it did come to be so in some areas." She says "And I think I have shaken it, so the better then." She says "And there are checks on ego aplenty there." Amused "For example, that Dueling Course? It has a tunnel, and narrow bridges and high points... so naturally, when it's not in use by those dueling or practicing their acrobatics... it's claimed by various pooka , in their critter form." A snerk "Nothing to check even Fiona sidhe ego than to see an animal just easily going up where you've fallen three times, or finding a skunk in the crawl tunnel"

"Ah. Best not to surprise that one, I think."

"Ah, Shallimar's prainks are more dangerous than his stink, but then he is a jester. " SHe says "Lot of likable folk at Earth Runes" Truth, but there is more to that that she's not going into

"Yes?" Inviting her to share some of the more.

"i'm not always sure who my friends are" She admits, "They're warm to everyone, friendly as a default, but there's a difference between being friend and being a friend. It's another part of training I never expected from pursuing a house"

"Mm. Interesting. Do you feel you do have friends there? Or that you could?"

"I know I could" She says with a nod, "And I have one that is a true friend for certain. But it goes back to that timidity. I try to please others... and that's a good thing overall, but not if it causes me to risk my duty or honor or efficiency at both you know?"

"Hm." Her mother considers this carefully. "Do not sacrifice your honor to please others, no...but understand and respect the needs of others, even if you cannot satisfy them."

"Agreed." Still frowning.

"Now da, why that face?"

"You are not timid."

"You would not risk your duty or honor to please others."

An eyebrow.