#rivervale_lodge

She heads for the kitchen.

He shuffles his feet a little, and looks at Skulk with curiousity.

Skulk says "Everyone know how to flash like that here?"

Connor nods. "I'm learning tomorrow."

Skulk looks at the boy then smiles toothlessly

"You can learn by next week if you stay. Are you hungry? I know where they hide the freshest foods."

"Little man, you were araised right" Skulk says "But I'm good"

Dag returns with two small glasses of bright pink milk. Well, small to her - regular sized to a pooka.

He nods. "I was raised here, except I didn't listen well, and never remembered to grow tall and blue."

"Dame.. Dagmar right?" Skulk tries to remember "Gerd says he's your squire. You ggot a good one here."

"Yeah, I'm Dagmar. Connor's my squire." She reaches over to ruffle his hair after setting one of the glasses in front of him. For safe-keeping, certainly.

"I'll save half of this for you to drink next week." He promises Skulk as he takes a sip. He still looks worried though. "Are they still in the lake? Should we get them out?"

"It's cold out."

Knock at the door

Dag gets up to answer it.

Eden is out there, shivering "Hi, I know my mud is name but can I c'come in?"

Connor frowns...

And looks away, uncomfortable.

"Hey Eden. Come in. There's dry clothes in the hamper in the closet..."

Eden walks in "I seem to be a fool"

And Gerd appears..with KERRI

"Not the skull No dunking!" Eden clutches her head

The Hearth takes a deep breath as they get back into the Lodge. "Thank you, Gerd." Then she spots Eden, and her eyes widen. "What were you thinking?"

Eden winces "With thep ranks on the fools April"

Connor sits up and frowns. "You could have gotten Gerd blamed! And then she would have the headache and didn't do NOTHING!" He is upset!

Kerri closes her eyes and contains her temper with sheer force of will. "I have so many, many things I want to say to you right now," she says quietly and evenly. "None of which I want Connor present to hear."

Eden winces "I ..life.. words.. things and.. funnny?"

Kerri turns away from Eden and looks to the sluagh. "You're okay?"

"thanks to her" he points to Eden "otherwise I'd have been at least undone, probably dead. "

Kerri nods slowly. "I'm glad she helped you. And I intend to do more to punish those who hurt you. But it will not be tonight. Please, be welcome here at Rivervale." This is not her usual warm tone, but she is not being chilly towards the sluagh...merely tired-sounding. "Excuse me," she says as she turns to go into the kitchen.

"thank you," the whisper miht be heard.

Eden takes a seat by the fire and won't make eye contact

Connor stands up and reaches over to pat the sluagh on the arm. "My name is Ember, so I'll show you around. I can pull out one of the cots, unless you want to stay in my room. It's bunkbeds, but Jack doesn't live there any more."

"Thank you, young man.. I'll be fine on a cot"

"But then I'd get fired." He sets up a cot anyways. "Out of a cannon. Into the sun."

Once he is settled, Connor goes to Eden. "Where is the bandit? Why did she not come in, too? Is she still in the lake?" Trying to look stern, but still a bit concerned.

"She went to her exotic palace in the skies to seek a goat "

Connor nods. This seems to make sense to him, or if it does not, he is good at pretending. "Go sit by the fire. Shoo."

Nevermind that she is already by the fire.

And Eden grows quiet

He brings her a warm robe from the laundry room, so that she can wrap up. Looking to Gerd - "The Mountain is coming home?"

Gerd says "yes, he is. .but it'll be two days or so."

"...He didn't like that."

Eden mumbles

Connor sighs, and eventually heads to bed as well. Worn out and rather disheveled... but he DID get strawberry millk and a ride on the bike. Which helped!

And Gerd and Dagmar compare notes, and make sure to end to Connor through the night, if that's what it takes

(End Scene)