#rivervale_lodge

"She may learn to choose her targets more wisely." Brekke's arms are folded, her jaw tight. "Mr. Dyer, I have heard you. Send Rikki here tomorrow. We need to speak further," she glances to Frank. "But we will have a decision by then."

She looks at Connor as he speaks, but doesn't answer.

"If my daughter gets banished, my family is going too. Which isn't a threat, it's just I can't let you break us up no matter how right you think you are to do so." he rises and goes

"Understood," she says to Mr. Dyer as he leaves.

Connor also withdraws, heading back upstairs if no one says otherwise.

Frank exhales, heavily.

"Connor..." she says as he goes. "What you did, you did as a childling, and you are still a childling. That grants you certain levels of forgiveness. A grown wilder...must face harder consequences. But I have heard your words."

He pauses and nods to her. Connor's mouth moves a bit, but he stays silent - apparently not trusting his words any further that day.

She turns to Frank. "Your thoughts?"

"Complicated."

She nods, listening.

"I find I'm circling back to one concept; if we have to explain why what they did was a problem, are they capable of understanding it?"

"If it isn't so obvious as to stop them from doing it in the first place, are they able to understand at all?"

He crosses back to the table and picks up the part, fiddles with it.

She frowns. "I tend to agree...but then...that is also what I thought when Siv took the Kestrel." Her anger from before is cooler, and now the doubt seeps in.

Frank nods. "And how I felt when you sent her to get the Rig and drive it here."

She raises a brow at him. A quiet moment, tense. Then a nod. "Understood."

Frank nods. "I'm going down to pack things up at the Rig." He puts the part in his jacket pocket. "From now on, I'll just remove a few key parts when I lock it up for the night."

"Mm." She nods. "I do not like that that is necessary...but it seems to be too great a temptation." A pause. "Frank...you need to introduce Connor to her. So he understands better."

"The Rig?"

She nods.

"Mphm." he nods.

"Thank you."

"Welcome." He pauses as if he'd say more, then shakes his head "Back in a bit." And he turns to go.

She watches him go, then turns to regard the balefire in quiet contemplation.

(End Scene)