#rivervale_lodge

Frank nods. "Holger is an honored guest, here."

"I see. You must make sure he eats. He will stand guard and forget sometime." A pause "And he needs to read, Salma made him a list"

Frank nods. "When he is here, I will make sure he tends to that list; he does patrols here, and guard duties, but always with another and in shifts. Hearth Kerri ensures he gets his meals."

"Good good.. not that I care, you see, but the girls back home? they would fuss" he whispers "Oh no, Holger is not eating " He mimes one little girls' voice "Holger must learn to read this book it is the BEST EVER Except all the other best books" A fair attempt at Salma and then he whispers loudly "Hey ya'all, where is Holger, is he depressed?" trying to mime Ariel's IOwan and getting it wrong, then he goes back to his own voice "You see I must help him to gain quiet"

"You are a good friend."

The boy sighs "I am born of the gods of the dead. I am brother to the lady of dread. I am darkness, senoir.." A beat "In training."

"And a good friend." The Mountain repeats.

The boy tries for a scowl, but his skull paint mostlly looks like it's pouting

"It is not a bad thing, to be a good friend. It means you have support, and you are support. Community."

"If you have a friend, you might lose them" Ahpuch says "Because you are too smelly, or weird, or just not popular"

"Like me?"

"You are not smelly.. and I do nt oknow if you are popular... but you are weird" He looks up and says "YOu are the broken oak with the broken oaths iwth the broken house that takes in the mortals"

Frank nods. "And it shows, doesn't it?"

"Si. I suppose it does" he agrees "You are saying I Should join House LIam since I m weird? I do not know if I like mortals THAT Much"

"No. Joining -any- House is a serious undertaking, especially for one without a title. However, being smelly or weird or not popular does not have to keep you from having friends. Or being one. Even I can do it."

A brow "You talk a lot for a troll, senoir"

"I try to listen even more."

"mmm" a munch "Thank you for the food, it is muy beuno"

"I will pass that on to Hearth Kerri."

"You are a mouintain, si? Will you be teaching Holger the dark arts of trol ldom?"

"I can't." easily "I don't know dark Arts. But I hope to show him a bit of how trolls organize themselves and how we live."

Ahpuch says "But will that not be boring? perhaps if you mixed dark arts WITH The orginzation, it will be more interesting?"

"I'd have to learn dark Arts first." he points out.

"Mmm this is true. Do not worry, I think you wil lget them in time" The boy says "I believe in you"

"Thank you, but I don't really want to learn them."

His beard moves again.

"Many are intimidated" he says nodding but looks a wee bit dissapointed

"House Liam is strongly Seelie. And my wife is Gwydion." he explains.

"Oh, it is not the dark arts are scary, it is that your wife is scarier!" He gets it

Frank actually chuckles at that.

"She is scary to some, I suppose. Not to me. We both have battled the Dark Kin.... but she has seem more combat with them than I. She frightens -them-. So I will not learn Dark Arts."

"Is it.. possible" Testing "That trolls HAVE No secret dark arts all their own?"

Frank gives him an eyebrow, and says nothing.

The boy twitches. And Frank realize that the boy will now visit again

"The food was very good. The company was nice. Thank you, Senoior"

"You're very welcome. Thank you for coming." He offers his hand. "Any friend of Holger's is a friend of ours."

He sighs at the use of The F word but shakes the hand

"I'll walk you to the door."

"Oh no need senori I would never.."

then Oak puts a cold nose against the boys' back and wags

"Fine" The boy gives up

Frank walks with him, saying "Please give my best to everyone at Renaissance? And... if you would, please, especially to Jessica?"

At that he stops "Si, I will your daughter, she works very Hard. She does your familia proud"

"Yes. She does."

And through the door he goes

Oak gives Frank the eyes of 'well, there you go'

"What?"

A wag . Clearly he just likes kids and suspects his person does too

"Good boy. And thank you for alerting me."

Wags and a look to the door? Walkies? err Patrolies?