#rivervale_lodge

"How is it among centaurs?"

"Uhm.." Jordon squirms at Dagmar's look "I didn't know I was a centaur not exactly until rrecently. i just felt like I'd been turned to half horse half man"

"That's a centaur. Isn't it?"

" I guess, I never was innto that D&D craze" He shrugs

The Mountain's beard moves "Well, you are now."

Smells from the kitchen, good ones!

"We are a Troll Lodge, but our Chieftess serves all the Fae of the area."

"So w'ere changgelings, half fairy half human... magic is real.. annd it's on some feudal system?"

The Mountain considers this and gives a 'kinda?' head nod. "That is.... un-nuanced, but not entirely wrong."

He inhales. "Smells good, Gerd." he says, and his voice is enough to carry.

"so..what's so bad about.. going poof? I mean, I did't know I was a centaur before and i was fine" Dagmar might get an ear ache from the 'I was fine' part

Eyeroll.

Frank nods. "That's an excellent question. Going 'poof' as Thane Tiffany put it, means you Forget who and what you are. Perhaps forever. And the catch to -that- is that one of our laws is, as you mentioned, to Rescue those who have done so. But it can be dangerous to do so for the Rescuer as well as the Rescuee."

"So for the good of all, we try to avoid the need of it."

"So. .you guys are like the mafia? You won't let people out?"

"No, Jordan. The door is right there. You can leave any time."

From the kitchen "Food is done!"

"It is my duty, though, to point out that freedom includes acceptance of consequences. And, dinner's ready."

Jordan again looked ready to bolt, but the dinner part has him stopped

"Burgers and...." Frank sits up a bit and leans "Gerd, burgers and.....???"

"Onion rings..." she calls out "And fries. Made a bit of both"

"Any chance of milkshakes?" something boyish about the Mountain with this question.

"Oh? Yes.. I can make some, it'll be another ten minutes .. "

Frank looks at Jordan. "Do you have a few questions? Or just go to burgers?"

Brekke returns from the kitchen, somewhat grim, but carrying some of the food that Gerd has prepared on a large platter. She sets it down upon the table. "More follows."

Frank monitors Jordan as this happens.

"I .. what's GOOD about being a changeling?" He asks "I mean, it doesn't seem so great"

"What's good?"

Brekke looks over and blinks at him.

Then a glance at Dagmar and a slight grin. "I seem to recall another who had similar questions when she first awoke."

"I mean, when not chasing evil centaur nappers... I mean, you're magic. And you are part of something bigger than you. And you get to be a hero."

"Yeah... so we're weird but.. big deal? Weird just gets its ass kicked by the majority"

Brekke looks at him again, curious. "Jordan...what do you recall from before this..." she gestures to his four-legged, two-armed form. "From before December. Who were you then?"

"And I donn't feel like hero... me? I was just an ordinary kid.. ahem man... puttingg up with the same shit as everyone." He shrugs but his body language has gone defensive

Brekke listens, but with that little line between her brows that others would recognize as her Gwydion listening face.

"You were ordinary, now you aren't. I was a reject foster brat."

"Orphan." Frank volunteers.

"We're all rejected by someone" Joran says, seemingly unimpressed

"Outcast, of sorts," Brekke says. "And no...you were never an 'ordinary kid'...you were always this. But you did not remember until now."

The Mountain nods."She is correct."

"Uhg. You're just gonna be like this? Fuck it, you want undone? You want to feel forgotten and empty?"

"Dame Dagmar brings up a good point."

"We Fae don't just... forget. We suffer from a nagging feeling that something is missing. We're empty. You have to live that way, when you Forget."

"But you knew that."

"I am empty" he protests "Look, I'm sorry if I'm ruining this fairy tale," He is't that sorry "But this knights code went out with the dark ages.. everyone looks out for themselves now, and you might as well do what you want when you want it or you just end up as slave wage labor.. which is probably going to hapepn anyway"

Still, Frank's words.. cause him to stop, and frown

a hit was scored there

Frank glances at Brekke.

"You aren't sorry. Liar."

"Hm. It is how I live. How we live. And why you are safe from those who took you, for now. "