#rivervale_lodge

Gerd isn't sure what's going on but she IS sure she's being left out of something. Sparrow visits... a courier by night?

Sparrow, while not a troll, does appreciate the coffee.

"Anything else I can get you, Sparrow?" A blush "Sorry, Regent or Baroness?"

"Please - Sparrow, especially here."

The sidhe nestles into the oversized chair - troll furniture is actually very forgiving for wings.

A smile "Thanks. That comes easier. To me you'll probably always be Sparrow the really cool artist who made me the best Rikki Tikki Tavi artwork evaar"

She laughs. "Well, that's a pretty fine compliment. I've been painting a lot, lately - I'm a bit useless at Earth Runes, these days."

"Well, I'm a wilder now so supposed to be above that 'kids stuff' but truth is I still love it. And I bet you're useful plenty. Art work lifts the spirits and all that.. bet people need to see it. Even if Earth Runes is going smoothly that just means everyone's on the top of their game" She takes a seat nearby with her own tea. "Everyone wants to know how Siv is doing. Is your mom running her ragged?"

"Oh, Coradel has boundless energy. Fiona."

"So... yes."

"Though..." She considers, eyeing Gerd. "You are a wilder."

"Yeess.." Almost cautiously but intrigued "I am. "

"Which means you are of an age to take on risks."

"Well, I've had a few" she says "But nothing compared to some of the others I admit"

"True that."

"How are your wayfare studies going?"

"Oh I've mastered it... only realms remain" A proud look

"Wonderful!" Feather-fluff.

"Have you heard anything of what is happening north of you?"

"The rumors about human traffickers you mean? Not much. As the youngest wilders I'm kind of ..." A frustrated look "Out of sight out of mind with the others? So I find out things AFTER just about everyone else except the childlings"

"So, if I were to tell you those weren't rumors, and I'm here to do something about it?"

"Then I'd say humans can be hard to get to safety when I don't know them well but with dross to burn I can do it.. .and I'd offer my services because there's a specail place in hell for anyone doing slavery in the 21st century"

"And getting them out to safety is going to be a fight. We only have one shot."

"Portal passage can get you guys in. Trolls aren't known for stealth but there are ways to cover us, and once i get to a wall I can open things. I'm not the best fighter in the lodge but I can swing a mace, but I get the feeling if I go along my job is going to be as back up and transport period huh?"

"Well... I won't stop you from swinging a mace. You might have to contend with Frank and Olgar, however."

"They get protective."

"is Uncle Vali going along?"

"Possibly. The Cheiftain will be making choices, ultimately. I know, for sure, we have Frank and Carawyn. Liam, after all."

"Uncle Vali's the one who would try to protect me most, but yes, our whole kith is kind of mental about protecting" a sigh "it's the core of our dream but it does make us very unreasonable at times. I just need to drive home that I'm a troll too and I NEED to protect. Heck, connor, he's my brother... I mean, it's weird to say but he needed a sister and I wanted some family back so there you go... I should thank him. Protecting him, looking out for him? It helps me deal with my own anxities. It makes.. sense. you know? Like there's purpose in the universe"

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"When you don't have a purpose..." A sigh. "You feel lost."

"Yeah I..." Then her eyes go sympathetic "sounds like you really feel that yourself."

She nods.

"This - helping here, doing this? I'm glad to be doing something that matters."

"Have you ever thought of being BannerHouse Truthbranch's roaming agent? Seems to me you have allies here, in Rome...Earth Runes, of course, KC.. and more. And others could hook you up elsewhere. Your dad maybe head of the house, but he's got Earth Runes as his nexus. You could be the one that goes out and about? Checks on the various wandering knights of the Bannerhouse, backs them up?" A stop "oh listen to me, giving advice.. I guess more important is what do you WANT to do? Where would you be happiest and feel ilke you were DOING the most? I mean, you're no troll, but clearly doing /helping /mattering is in your make up. We don't OWN that"

She shrugs.

"What don't you want to do?" She flips it

"I don't much care for court. Not really. I handle a lot of the logistics for Coradel... and, really, it's not that I mind."

"Someone needs to go over ledgers, and numbers, and I have the authority to do it..."

"You do" She nods listening though

"So, it's a duty. And I like being useful."

"And everyone at Earth Runes is very kind."

"Well, you are useful and kind yourself, but as they ARE kind, if you find something that calls to you more, I know your mom and dad would support you.. they might miss you if it meant you weren't there as much but ..well, it's like The Chief and Mountain here and Jessica. They're very proud of her, they miss her, and they'd go through hell to get to help her if she so much as whistled"

"Well, I didn't do very well on my own."

A brow

"I am housed, and fed, and live on charity. On the graces of Coradel and August, who are, in mortal terms, younger than I."

"On my own, I struggled to keep a roof over m head and feed myself. It... holding a regular job is... difficult."

"Autumn sidhe attract attention I hear. Sir Carowyn certainly does. So I can see where the difficult part would kick in" A bite of her lip "Though, uhm, isn't Coradel rich? or at least really well off? I mean, sounds like she started on third base, your father on second, and you're acting like it's some kind of failing that you had to hustle like hell just to get to first"

A brief grimace and a nod. "It sounds... wrong, to complain about being pretty. But it's... sometimes, it feels like you don't own yourself, when others want to comment, to stare, to touch..."

"My mortal family was comfortable. Not wealthy like Coradel's, but comfortable."