#rivervale_lodge

Zane seeks Frank out, hoping to find him at the lodge

Close; he's working on the Rig in the parking lot.

"Oh.. wow.. you spend a lot of time on this thing" the satyr says as he approaches

"Yep." He puts down the tool he is using and wipes his hands on a rag. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, actually, Mountain- I've been thinking. I'm a Pillar of the Mountain, right? that's not a one time thing?" A bit nervous

Frank nods. "You are a Pillar of the Mountain, Zane."

"Thanks. Because otherwise I overstepped ssome authority. Layne .. or is it Lane? the litle centaur? She's trying to learn arts. I gave her a run down"

"Mmm. What was she working on?"

"Acttually not anything particular.. I gave her a list of various canrips, a song mom and dad taught me when I was young to help remember them. She's a typical kid, everything is the coolest thing unttil she hears about the next thing... but I think she could do better in some than others. She's got no skill for chicanary, that kid is as open as a butterfly's wings"

"What do you think she would do well with?"

"I'm sure.. she seems to enjoy running ...annoying how fast centaurs are, and I thik the idea of flying appeals to her bigly, so wayfare seems her best choice there."

"It is a useful Art." Frank agrees.

"Spring might be good too, but Jack Flap might get jealous.. with Gerd gone he's feelinng like the Spring expert.. and he wants to feel useful. Anyway .. they're not alone. The DeBuke school has been teaching a lot but they don't have the time or focus to share all their arts. Me? I don't want to be my dad, he's the professor- but between Lily and Layne and s oon.. I was wondering, can you help the childlings learn more arts?"

Frank nods. "I could. I would want to work with the school not independently. I think Lane might be too recent an arrival to be attending school yet."

"Okay because, this teaching childlings? It's a grump thing" he says "I mean that respectfully, wilders are not normally tuned to teaching regularly or long term and I think there's a gap here. "

"A gap?"

"Yeah, they're learninng reading, writing , math , lore even... but everyone seems to be assuming someone else is teaching the cantrips and arts"

"So.. a gap" he explains

Frank frowns. "No one is teaching arts and cantrips at the Farmhold?"

"The mountain there has his apprentices, but the school? the idea was to make sure the kids didn't fall behindn on the moral education and still got credit if I recall? It never claimed to be teaching the arts. Partly I guess because a lot of the students were Kinian and they can only go so far in Magic. It would be like rubbing their faces in it"

Frank nods. "This is a good catch, Zane. Good work. I will speak with Emmit and the Chieftess about this."

"Thank" he perks

"You're welcome. How -are- your studies coming along?"

"I've actually come close to catching up with dad on Chicanery, and SO close to tattle tale profeciency I can taste it. I think I need a more physical art..something to back up others in combat but I'm not sure which to pursue"

"I'm a fan of Wayfare, but Jess and Brekke use Primal."

"Yeah, you know, you hide it, the wayfare mastery? Gerd talks about lake dumping .. but you don't mention your ablity to flash folks anwhere like she does. Just hiding your best stuff?"

"Don't need to draw attention to it." Frank (more or less) agrees.

"I guess I'm a bit vain" he frowns , mulling it over "I love magic so much I have a hard time not talking about it. And I am proud of what I've learned."

"Well, there's a difference between being passionate about something you love, and being proud and wanting praise and attention for it."

"Por Que Dos?" he jokes "I guess I'd like both. I really do want people to one day go 'Hey, there's Zane Wayburton, a great wizard who has helped a lot of people, made out with some hot maidens, and discovered lost arts'"

"Nothing wrong wtih ambition, in moderation."

"Oh yeah, don't want to go down the dark side. But.. getting back to the combat magics, I've been thinnking of learning pyretics or Skycraft, but the only ones I know who do that are the other kings. Jaymes and Tove."

"No reason you can't learn from them." a beat "Olgar might have skycraft too."

"Oh? Wow.. I didn't.. mm thanks" he says then stops "Not that it's my business, but.. since it's a subject sort of- is there any art you're hoping to learn?"

The Mountain chuckles. "I appreciate the question. Nothing comes to mind at the moment but.... let me think about it?"

"Sure" he says

He nods. "Thank you." gravely.

"How are things going other wise? Your family?"

"well... everyone got their shots.. and things are slowly getting social again. Mom is eager for her wine club.. pardon, book club. Lydia wants to play with her mortal friends more, as she is a kinain herself. Dad really misses being IN class with his college students more but has thrown himself into his new history books. Piper's doing great ..and Basil is getting sained soon. Me? I guess I became a bit of a lump since things went wrong for a friend, but I guess I'm on the rebound. Between you and me, I'm almost embarrassed at my lack of a dating life lately"

Frank nods. "Some of this I have heard parts of. Unfortunately, I can't offer much in the way of dating advice."

"It's cool, Mountain. I figure you're the guy I go to if I ever want to find that forever kind of woman you know?" he says "You and the Chieftain are tight. Imean I think maybe it's easier for trolls. You two make it look easy anyway"

Another rumbling chuckle. "It was anything but easy. Thank you, though."

"It is good to hear you are rebounding."

"well, thanks. Satyrs feelings are like rubber, we bounce twice as much from the feel of it but we hold up well. Doesn't mean I don't still worry, and i think I blame myself. I'm a wizard. I'm fairly sensitive. I should have seen somethings coming" A frown "I didn't."

"About...?"

"Adam.. I should have fair fortuned him to help with the saining, or omened to get a glimpse a the.. I don't know" Helpless

"I heard something about his Saining." Frank says gravely and pauses before continuing "Adam... struggled. Zane, for what it may be worth. Neither the Chieftess nor I nor the Hearth could help him, ultimately. I think we were late in our realization that he needed a different environment to grow. It may be we were too late. You are a promising magician but please ask yourself; if the Lodge Triad could not forsee or forestall.... is it fair to blame yourself?"

"I knew him better than you did. I called him friend. I made his happiness mine. I think that matters"

"It matter." Frank agrees. "But let him have mastery of his own fate, as well." Gently.

"I suppose. It'll sure be his victory if he makes it" A smile at that thought and he looks a bit misty "Sorry. Satyr guys get teary eyed"