#rivervale_lodge

"Look, I kin see you got a slipped seeming, kid. But you don't -grow-??"

"I mean, you grew -this- tall, right?" referring to his current height.

He offers her a hand to shake. "Pleased ta meet ya. I'm Cpnnor, called Buddy, and sometimes Dogmar Hamboneswipe, age 16."

His tail wags.

The nocker shakes. "Willy."

He LOOKS somewhere in the 8-10 range...

"The kid ages slowly"

"So - wait, why Connor's hair?"

She looks at Willy to explain THAT

"I can make a saddle that grows with the horse. I can make a saddle that grows with the rider. I can make a saddle that does both." she speaks slowly "I need samples if you want the gear to grow with the horse, and/or the rider."

"For ME to ride?" He sounds a bit baffled!

"Well, Spark is yours..."

"I'm not a knight!" He giggles. "I don't need my own horse. Spark is his own. Or Star's!"

"No, you're my Squire."

"So you'll need a horse."

A brief "wuff" of greeting from Oak as he and the Chieftain exit the treeline, returning from patrol. Brekke gives the group at the stables a curious look and approaches. "Hello?"

"Chief!" Connor waves. "They want to shave my head!"

"Hey Chief." A smile.

A blink. "Who is suggesting this, exactly?" she asks of the group. A nod to Lavender, whom she remembers from Pennons. A more curious look to the unfamiliar nocker.

"Dame Dagmar," a nod in reply.

"No hair off my ass either way." the nocker mumbles. "Gimme the stuff I need and I'll get the job done."

"So, okay... Baron Aiden has sent Dee and Willy to take a look at Spark to outfit him with... a tether? Something so he can't just fly off once he's airborne."

A thoughtful nod. "I see. That may be wise." Then a brief hint of a grin. "We required something similar when Siv learned to walk, I recall."

"But she can SWIM, cuz she's a fishie!"

A snerk.

"Yes, but she cannot swim as fast as the Kestrel can sail, and we were inclined to keep her a bit longer," she replies to the boy with just a hint of whimsy. "Now...how does shaving Connor fit in?"

Dee bows low

"Um. Something about growing saddles?"

A curious look to the nocker.

A SIGH. "No one's gotta get -shaved-. They want a saddle that grows with the horse." Slowly again "Can do. A saddle that grows with the rider? Can do. A saddle that does both? Can do. Need samples. For calibration."

Brekke listens carefully, then after a moment, nods. "That makes sense. You can understand caution, though, about such samples being given. How can you ensure they are kept secure?"

A blink. "Put 'em in my pocket till I need 'em?"

That doesn't look like it was a particularly satisfactory response. "I think, then, we should wait on the construction of such a saddle until a more secure arrangement is available. But the idea of a tether of sorts is sound."

"Baroness, if I may, this is in part to repay a debt the Baron feels to Dame Dagmar. He would not taint that by trying to take advantage of his repayment" The knight says with dedication

A little brow furrow.

She believes it is true

A look to the satyr knight. "No. I believe he would not." Only the slightest emphasis on he, but it's there.

Connor tilts his head to one side, ears flopping.

"What did you have in mind for this tether?" she asks Willy.

"Halter and lead rope, to start with."

"He's on a leash?" Connor looks a bit concerned.

"Easily done for ground. For the air?"

Then to Connor, "Much like holding a hand when crossing the road. He has ability to go where others cannot keep him safe, or he will have such ability soon enough."

"Gonna work on a chip, modified ID chip kind of thing. Help track him. And the halter would work in the air, too. Thing is, best answer is -training-."

A clear nod of agreement at the notion of training. "Yes."

The pooka relaxes. "Training is good. Sit, and stay! Roll over!"

"I mean, yeah, there will be training..."

Meanwhile, Spark is trying to catch Stormwake's tail in his teeth. It is a FUN game...

"You get him trained right, won't need tracking or gear."

Swish - Snap!