#rivervale_lodge

Siv's eyes go SOOO Wide

Connor's eyes go wide. And flick to the swear jar...

A whisper. "GOLLY."

Hand over her mouth.

"Pardon!"

The memories of everything SAID to August is just icing on the "Oh, &^%*$$#..." cake

Velvet warned her, but still

She turns very pink.

"Oh, that's a swear jar. Aye."

She fishes in her purse for a dollar.

"Are you.. are you all right?" Siv asks

"I am. Just... oh, she made a mess." A pause, then she takes out a few more dollars for the jar.

“I got it...” and he climbs on a chair to drop them in For her.

“Was it the mud?”

"Thank you Connor."

"No... not the mud. She just... oh.. put no thought to propriety."

"Oh Zara. I'm sorry. Maybe it wont' be a shanda whatever it is?"

"Aye, a shanda."

“Sometimes I get in trouble. But it was still fun... after, I thought for a long time.., and I think it’s okay to like the parts that were fun, if you understand why the naughty bits were wrong. Like if you run away, but also? You got some very good cake.”

ALSO in her purse, are a handful of slim paperbacks.

"I understand that... but I suspect there may be surprises in my future." She pulls out the books.

“Oh! Books!”

“Surprises are fun. Mostly.”

"Aye. They concern the matter of a young man named Henry, and his dog, Ribsy."

"Can you think of anyone who might like them?"

Eyes wide with longing, and he starts to reach- then stops! “Siv. Because she has clean hands. Except if she’s been eating the peanut snackies, then she might be sticky. But she hasn’t read me a story in AGES.”

"Well, Siv, what do you think?"

"I think I'm reading someone a story before I go" Siv says

“If you start it, I can follow the rest. But books are best with a friend.”

"Books are good things to share."

"But... since Siv travels, COnnor, can I trust you to keep them safe at Rivervale?"

"Yes, it's crucial for book security" A nod to Connor "Can you do it, Squire Connor?"

"Squire?"

"Oh , right.. you haven't been introduced properly, Miss Zara Scwhartz, this is SQUIRE Connor, in service to Dame Dagmar ap Gwydion. "

“Oh, oh!” He straightens up and gives her a proper bow. “My ladies!”

"Oh!"

A bow. "Squire."

“I’m hardly a knightly puss in boots yet, without a tabby to tell people who I asquire to. But soon, I hope!”

"You have gone from Page to Chapter" She says

"That is quite the news. Are you happy?"

He laughs in delight! “You don’t bow to me! I bow! You’re the lady!” Giggling at the absurdity. “Dame Dagmar the Just is just right.” A firm nod! And his tail flashes.

"Dagmar's a troll's troll.. she'd not let harm come to him" A nod

"I... well, I've met her briefly. She seems a bit... stoic..."

"But I've no doubt a Gwydion troll would do her duty."

"She's a tough nut to crack at times" Siv agrees "She and her dad communicate on a facial expression level"

"That troll eyebrow code?"

"Yes, the one that embarrassingly enough I'm still stuck at a 4th grade level on"

"I can tell there's meaning, but it is an obscure tongue indeed..."

"Borderline telepathic" Siv says

“I always know what she means. And she has the prettiest horse, even if she’s big as a barn.”