#rivervale_lodge

Connor is eager to join her. He had passed out in a brief nap after the trip to the lake, but now is up and perky again. "Did you hear about the three new trees? Jack pointed out the oak to me, but I found the other two, once I knew what to look for. One of them is growing real close to the trail, but maybe you can ask it to move so it doesn't get stomped before it can grow big?"

"Show me," she says with interest.

He beams at her - having been asked to go with her was accompanied by surprise, but unmasked joy at being invited. "I found it first, really? See, I thought you knew every tree and rock here by name by now! It's down the southern trail that goes squiggly a bit near where the old dead tree is, but the stink-squirrel lives in the hole where the trunk fell down, so DON'T put your head in there. It's only fun the FIRST time." As he leads her over to where a small oak sapling - still barely more than a twig - has sprouted where a bit of sun filters through the canopy.

"Ahh..." She nods, and looks up at the space where the sun peeks through. "It may struggle, I think it may thrive as well, eventually. Very young."

Connor carefully gathers a small pile of rocks and puts them around the stem. "So no one steps on it. And I gave it some water. Jack said they like water, but not too much. Don't worry, I didn't WATER it." A silly grin.

A half-chuckle. "I am sure the tree appreciates that." And she nods approval at the circle of rocks. Then she sighs. "Connor, an issue has come up that involves you. I want to let you know about it. It troubles me."

He blinks, and looks unsure "Oh. I did something?" He scuffs a foot. "Is that why we came out? So no one would hear me get in trouble? ...I didn't MEAN to eat the snickerdoodle cookie dough. It was in the freezer, and I thought if I just had ONE bite it was okay, but it turned into a lot of bites, and then it was gone, and I lost track. I would make more but I don't know how."

"You are NOT in trouble," she says firmly. Brekke lowers to one knee to be closer to him and rests a massive hand on his shoulder. "In fact, I want to speak to you about keeping you safe."

He looks up at her. "Is this about The Mission?" Putting capital letters in his words. "I know I was grumpy about you saying I couldn't go, but I talked to Ladybird, and it's okay. I wasn't going to sneak off and try to help..." (a small ping there, he may have been thinking just that) "But I can help out other ways from home."

"You absolutely can help with the Mission from home. We will need you. No...Dagmar has received an invitation for a Midsummer celebration...and she has been asked to bring you along. The invitation...is from your father."

He looks... stunned. Tentative, "From my... Lord Aiden? He invited ME?"

"No. He invited Dagmar. He suggested she might bring you as well."

He looks puzzled. But then his tail gives a slow wag. "He asked for her to bring me."

Brekke takes her hand from his shoulder. "Connor...I do not trust your father. I do not trust his intentions."

He blinks up at her. "Did he do something bad? He let me stay here, and gave you a pretty horse for Dagmar to ride, and he gave me a treasure for my birthday. He scolded Perschal when he was mean to Star... And.. and he patted me on the head..." He has carefully cataloged and filed away each of these little fragments of the sidhe's last visit carefully, it seems.

"Connor...he has done a few somewhat good acts. They shine like this beam of light, and you crave them as the oak craves the sun. But...I fear that most of what he offers you is shadow."

He regards the sapling quietly. "Sylvi's papa is Shadow but we still like him lots. Because he does good. And we're s'posed to judge people by what they do, not what they are..." He nudges a rock around with his toe a little. "Maybe it's hard being a big fancy lord, with lots to do and things to take care of all the time. Maybe... I learnt about the houses. Maybe..." He bites his lip a little. "Some people say that the dragons, they can't ever admit if they done something wrong. So maybe they can't ever say they're sorry... but show it in a different way. Like... kinda like a pooka... not that I know what pookas mean. They're crazy, which is why I'm glad to be just a normal buddy."

"Connor...you are very wise for a young one. What you say may be right. But I do not think that is the case. I think...this is dangerous. To Dagmar, and possibly to you."

His chin wobbles a bit. "Dagmar is strong and smart. She can take care of anything that happens. And I'm tough, and fast. And strong, practically troll-strong, I just haven't gotten my blue in yet, even though I keep eating blueberries to make me strong..."

"You are a brave one, Connor. And you are kind. I do not think you face a threat that Dagmar can fight. I think...somebody may try to manipulate you somehow, due to your kindness. Dagmar is also concerned about this. Connor...Dagmar is going to decline the invitation. I simply do not want you to find out about this at a later time."

His eyes shoot open. "No... she... she can't!" His voice, desperate. "Then I'll just go. I can go. I can find the way."

"Connor." A pause. "I am telling you that I do not give you permission to go. If you like, the Mountain will certainly help you to write a letter to your father, and he can come and visit you here."

She keeps her expression carefully neutral.

"You don't UNDERSTAND! He's never... NEVER asked for me before. But he asked now! He said to go! He wanted me to go! If I don't go, he'll think I didn't want to! And what if he never asks again?!"

It may not be every day that Connor raises his voice - almost NEVER, but he shouts now, his voice breaking.

"He will not think that. Nadeen is helping to craft the letter that declines for Dagmar. And we will make sure that he knows you regret not being able to go. That is the truth."

In the face of his frantic tone, she is steady.

"He WILL, he'll think I'm like Jack and I don't care and will throw him away, when I've been good, I've BEEN GOOD, and I've waited! You CAN'T chief, you can't." Begging now.

"I can. I am."

"Why?" His face is crumpled. "You HAVE your family. He doesn't have anyone. He NEEDS me."

"Connor...he may need you. But he is not ready to treat you properly. If he wishes to have you present, he must express that to you directly...not as an added notion at the end of somebody else's invitation. You, Connor, have been a great gift to the people in your life. He has not yet demonstrated that he values what a gift you are. I do not believe he is ready to treat you properly."

"But he's my FAMILY."

"He is your blood. He is not your family until he treats you like family. As with Dagmar's mother. And Dirk's. And...others."

"You just... you just want to keep me here! I... I hate this! I hate you!" And he is on his feet, running from her - back towards the lodge, though. And though she can feel the ping in his words, that maybe he doesn't truly MEAN that, inside, the hurt and upset in his tone is real.

She is still on one knee as she watches him go. She drops her head and sighs. Really, that is as much as I expected.

Eventually, she stands and looks to the Lodge for a long moment. Then she turns to look at the oak. "May you grow well. Both for yourself, and for him." Then she continues on patrol, taking some time before she returns to the Lodge.

Back at the lodge, Connor creeps up to the bedroom and Buddy curls up in the closet. Unseen, he snuffles and sniffles there until he dozes off to sleep.

______

"Yeah, Gerd does that. Magic."

"Am I here? ALL here? " She checks her wings, hooves, looks down her top "Okay... nothing cut off" Alyce says relieved

"Gerd hasn't squinched anyone yet!"

"Always a first time" The younger teen says

"So, this is the Lodge." A gesture, encompassing.

"I could fly in here I think" She says "Normally my wings are cramped"

Gerd nods "Well, to fit us, everything is supersized. "

"Yeah, trolls ain't small. Now - that green fire there? That's the Bale, the.... source, I guess, of all the magic you feel. This place will heal you, you stay. You don't even age when you're inside."

A door closes upstairs and then Sylvi's at the top of the stairs and on her way down. "Oh, hey, I...oh! Hi!" The new arrival is kind of hard to miss.

Basking, the winged satyr approaches it lifting her head as if catching the heat on her throat

"Oh my it's like... love all over" Then the winged satyress turns, her feathers rustling as she turns to see Sylvi "Wow. And for my third wish..."