#rivervale_lodge

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And later still, Frank, Olgar, and a cooler are out at the paddock fence. Stormwake is on the other side. Olgar pops the top off a bottle, pours it into the empty water bucket on the horse's side.

Frank takes a pull from his own beer.

Stormwake samples his 'water' and nods, his huge head waving up and down. Tastes like grain and fun.

The men, fathers all, stand together in silent solidarity. And drink beer.

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Lily clings to the rafters of the hold, looking down in her off white sundress and hat (Must be sure the hat doesn't fall) to see if she finds him.

The satyr boy clumps under him, none the wiser , carrying a card for Torin.

But Jack is not the one she's trying to get a look at

Where is Connor? sneakity sneaky...peek here and there

a hiss, she does not find him. Is this about the new pony? is he out and about in the direct sunlight fussing over it?

She saw the colt. She's not sure it's that interesting, why doesn't even have fly wings or anything truly appealing. just feathers. everyone has feathers. ramona, that sidhe who looks like the god of beauty breathed on a rose, the saddle... lots of feathered wings. Where are the moth wings, the fly wings? bat wings? or even the dragonfly wings if one is to be predatory?

she makes one more round about the lodge. if she does not find connor inside here where it is not too bright ,she will have to go out in the sun.

good things she brought a hat.

And here comes Connor, dusty and manure streaked, coming from the stables - he must have just missed her. He trots through the garden, taking up the hose to rinse his shoes. The garden doesn't mind a little fertilizer...

"you" an accusatory whisper

Splish splash with the hose, but his ears prick. "Lily?" He peers around, squinting in the sunlight.

"you made me come out in the sunlight" the little shadow accuses before becoming more apparent. even the best sluagh have a hard time hiding in lots of sun, "i am not going to be so scary if i am out in the sunlight."

"Oh, well now I'm all wet, so I should go inside. Before I freeze from the chill?" Obediently trotting over to join her out of the sun. "Did you hear the news?"

"yes" a frown "you got squired. o connor, how did you let that happen? did you forget to wear a mask?"

She reaches out and touches his cheek

"I meant there is a new animal. A wingy-thingy.. But yes, I'm filled with responsibilities now." His tail gives a wag. "Do I have something on my face?"

"yes, sincerity and good humor, but it will clean up," she assures him "oh, your colt. yes. i missed the hoof tentacles and that's really the only interesting thing to me" a pause "Well, I do like ponies, but only because as a lady i have a certain duty to gush over some animals . it's contractual, but i am more worried about this squiring. i am not even sained yet, and not sure how best to spy on a squire. will I beforced to grow sentimental and grumble about how you drag me on your exploits while still covertly making sure you are okay as a certain older sluagh does? i will not name 'he who says' by name of course, for he should be terribly cross if i mention it, but i have seen his fate and so has he and he seeems quite broody about it. i already liked you. you didn't have to become a squire just to get attenion from me."

Connor blinks, trying to follow this. "It is a very nice pony. If it learns to fly quiet you could maybe go out at night, since he's mostly black, and spy on people from above?" He offers. "And I like you too. You might be my best friend. Well, you and Jack. So, you're my best girl friend."

she blushes, "well, i like you too."

A bright grin. "I have a new duty that's not part of being a squire. I need to find dead things." His nose wrinkles up a bit. "And give them to Dagmar's friend. But I could show you first, if you wanted?"

"ooh, Connor, you do still want to be my friend" Pleased "yes, please. What dead things are we to find?"

"Well, the owl in the stables coughs up hairballs, but they are filled with mouse bones. And sometimes I find a squirrel tail with no squirrel on it, I guess because they're too fluffy to eat. I think maybe there is a fox?"

"i can help with that" she says "Yes, solstice and i have had fine conversations. owls understand the value of silence when they're not feeling chatty. he knows about death, the night, and the beauty of a mouse's eyes as it looks up that one last moment to see that it has turned its head one moment too late. I suppose I should favor ravens, but in truth owls are very nice. "

"I don't know much about mouse eyes, but you have nice eyes too. Sometimes they're the only part of you I can see if the light shines right and you're in the shadows." A nod.

an odd happy sigh from the girl i wonder if Symon would taxidermy him should he pass away? Then he could be free for me to gaze on forever

"You want to come with me to the barn? I should go check up on the pony again, if I'm not there, Dagmar starts to worry." His chest puffs out just a bit. "I'm helping. And you can look at the mouse balls in the shady spot?"

then she says "i shall have to be careful about narrowing my eyes at the right time then. thank you for the hint. so, squiredom, you are allowed to have a non sained commonor sluagh friend?"'

"Of course I am. Right? Dagmar has hers." He looks worried for just a moment, but then shakes his head.

"oh, yes, let me broaden my hat so the sun doesn't get all of me."

"And I was Brogie's friend, and he's a kitchen Squire."

A soft sigh, a little jealous.

she takes his hand, somehow despite the growing summer heat, it's clammy and cool "Tell me more about brogie"

"as we go out"

"Oh, Squire Brogan. He's about 6 feet tall, because when you are squired to a troll, you start to grow. I'll start any day now. And he works for the Hearth, so she lets him taste all of her baking first..." He spins a yarn about his friend he hasn't seen for a while as they go.

"Oh Brogan, yes. " A pause "he is very hand some"

but she listens to the yarn, and gives soft gasps of surprise at juuust teh right times

"...And that's why he can't eat blueberries any more. Professional courtesy." He finishes up, and will fetch her so many owl thingos to look at, and even the squirrel tail - most of the fur is rubbed off, but it's still kinda neat.

"I think this one was a chipmunk" she has gathered them in a fine feminine basket of weave

Symon will find some good stuff to work with from this.

(End Scene)

Siv walks into the kitchen and looks about

"Hello, Siv." Kerri is washing a bunch of carrots clean of dirt, and taking the greens off the tops.

A grin. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Hey," Then "In truth, I was feeling a bit peckish and hoping to get a snack, if it's not trouble?"

"Not at all. Some muffins over there..." she indicates with a gesture with the carrot greens. "Or you know where the sandwich fixings are in the fridge."

"Oh thanks," She says "Do you want help?"

"Well...at the moment, just getting some treats for the new parents. Pretty sure the baby's still too young for carrots yet, though."

"Baby? Did I miss something?" Siv says

"I mean, CJ is the only baby I know of.."