#rivervale_lodge

Jack helps himself up into Frank's lap

"My mom and dad are busy. Told me to hang out at the lodge." He says

Frank sets down his mulled cider to avoid bathing the fawn with it, nonplussed. "Well. Of course, you are welcome here, Jack."

"Oh I know.. Everyone's nice at Rivervale" A pause "well, hard to tel lwith Dirk, but even Symon is nice.. he's helping Dagmar!"

"Friends help each other." He agrees.

"Yup. Connor's working hard while they quest though, so we have to help him help her. Sure, he's all this big fancy squire, but you don't need a title to help a friend help friends and family" A whisper "Dagmar's my niece now you know? With Torin as my dad and her grandpa.. it's all very Game of Scones"

A soft puff of amusement. "I hadn't thought of it that way."

"it's true. Which means Connor may have the title of Squire, but I am indirectly his Pawtriarch!" A grin

"That might be a stretch." amused.

"Oh, well, Vali told me that one so if it doesn't work it's on him, if it's funny its in my delivery" Nodding.

"Pretty sure it's Vali's fault, then." Frank agrees.

"It kind of is, this whole quest thing is for..." Then he covers his mouth

"Quest?"

"I shouldn't have said anything." he says

looking a bit sheepish

"Were you sworn to secrecy?"

"Uhm.." A pause then "Not xactly ..folks tend to forget to swear me to secrecy cuz I'm little"

"Then you are not breaking an oath. Is a quest why Dogmar is doing Dagmar's patrols?"

"Well... sort of , but it's not like, he had to? that's just Connor being connor being Dagmar so he's being Dogmar."

As if this is so simple

"Mm. But Dagmar's not here. Where is she?"

"Warm" He says

"Not exactly an answer, Jack."

"They went through the door" He says sheepish

"Jack......" a low, chiding rumble.

"Well they did!" he says and points to the halls where the door to Fenix goes

Frank looks... eyebrow. "They went to Renaissance? Why?"

"Quest" He says

"And Symon is with her?"

"Yup. They're a good team so need to worry" Jack Flap says "Symon's SUPER Sneaky, and Dagmar's no dope!"

“Hip hip hup.” Connor is heard approaching, chanting his marching tune.

"It's the hip hip hup pup" Jack says

“Jack, all square inside? Hup hup?” He calls to check with his watchman friend!

"Yup! All's well..."

Frank lets Jack answer on his own.

“All’s quiet on the snack front? No stealth crunching? No nibbling bandits?”

He looks hopeful.

“If I defeat them and save the snacks, maybe a fair maiden will grant me a boon.”

"Just me and the Mountain" A pause "And maybe popcorn if I can talk him into it'

“Sir Frank the mountain is the only one here who can.” Solemnly. “Cuz he’s a pop.”

He glances towards the TJ door, and sighs. “No one back yet?”

"Nope. The Quest West continues" He says "Uhm. I might have told the Mountain a bit more about it than I shoulda"

Sheepish look at the Mountain then back at his friend

“Is it a secret?” He ponders. “Dagmar wouldn’t have told us if it was.”

"I.. don't know. I thought with a sluagh attached it might be, but you're her squire. If you say it's not a secret, then it's not"

He leaaaans on one of Frank’s leg-pillars. “Maybe it’s news? Sluagh s trade news. They trade it for popcorn.”

"Buttter or cheesy popcorn even?"

His ears go up!

“Cheeeeeezy?”

His beard shifts. "Maybe even both. And a drink. But...." a sigh ".... I should probably go to Renaissance instead, and see what Dagmar and Symon are up to."

“Oh, I know that.”