#rivervale_lodge

"We were trying to be efficient..."

He snickers. "Anyways, you can count me in. That's two. And if anyone else we ask ain't for it? You know, that's okay. Because we know that even if they have other things going on, they're still HERE for us."

A pause. "Just not as Faithful and Reliable and Awesome as SOME of us. I mean, I have a statue."

He is not going to mention Zane's statue now... maybe not ever.

"I wasn't gonna mention the statue."

"I tried to get rid of it three times. The last time? They bolted it to concrete. Almost gave me a hernia. Some thanks, right? Jerks."

"There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about, though, right? And I guess the Chief too." He glances where she left, and shrugs, they can catch her later.

"What's up?" Dagmar has steadied, the panic banished.

"I can't be involved in this thing with Silverwolf. I don't mean going forward... well, I do. But I mean this last thing. If it comes up, I need you to cover for me. Say that Zane clued you in. He knows about it too. But I... I can't be involved." Serious, maybe even a little worried.

She nods.

"That's why I didn't mention you told me anything, just... that I had a source. I'll stick to it being Vali."

"That's not a lie."

"I never met up with you-know-who. I didn't help her out. Never happened. Anything else could be, like... hazardous to my health." He sighs. "Either my own will stop trusting me or think I had a hand in handing a freehold over to a Varich... or even worse, some Varich will find out, and think I tried to manipulate Her into her dumb 'almost managed to kill herself' plot. Either way, Symon loses."

A firm nod.

He nods at the mention of Vali. "Hey, that's good. Good thinking. I didn't know he... " Rolls his eyes. "Of course Vali was involved."

Symon suddenly remembers something and digs into his pockets... other pocket... found it, crumpled and shoved into the bottom of his boot. "I almost forgot. She gave me this. Probably safe to open it here. Then if it's Goblin Parchment or poisoned ink I have a witness."

He doesn't actually sound like he believes that, more that it's a rote requirement to say.

A scroll of parchment that has seen better days...

Brow.

Shrug??

"Well, probably as safe as you can get, yeah."

"I half think it's going to be a gotcha. Or maybe it's a will, saying if she kicks it I get her stuff but I have to fight off a Varich army to get it."

Carefully opening the seal and unrolling with delicate fingers.

"Nadeen can be sentimental for a Varich..."

It isn't anything so personal. It's notes on a prison , a Leanhaun one, holding a sluagh prisoner...

His eyes widen.. then narrow, as he reads.

Leaning over so that Dagmar can read over his shoulder as well as he spreads it out on the table.

It is not in Nadeenn's writinng.... but rather a Leannhaun notation on the slaugh refusing to divulge the location of a house treasure even underr dictum...

(A LEeanhaun house treasure)

A deep frown. "We'll need to go."

There's a 'transfer' of said prisoner... in (Convenient time for RL purposes) weeks and (ditto) days

Symon scowls at the paper.

TTthey believe once the prisoner is at the new location, they can use extra magics to overwhelm the sluagh who has refused o talk

"...If they're moving him, that'd be a good time to rescue him. Right?"

Dagmar, the strategist!

Symon's hand on the table shakes a bit, and he shoves the paper away, needing a moment to collect himself before he speaks. Angry!

and a smaller note falls out of the scroll

"She knew about this. She KNEW, and kept it as collateral. If I hadn't helped her out? If I'd refused like any sluagh n their right might would have? What then, this slug just ..." He doesn't even notice the note right away.

Dagmar crouches to get the note.

"You don't know what'd happen if you had done something different. Asking for your help was a risk to her, just as helping her was a risk to you."

He exhales, drumming fingertips on the table top. He knows she's right, but he's still irked.

It says in Nadeen's writing If my house found out I was helping this fellow even indirectly I would be disowned or worse cost SW standing and do it harm by association. I know you understand how neither of us wants our alliances mentioned to the other. Criminal or innocent, he's yours to save. If you inSIST on my help in this... endeavor, for Dreaming sake don't stop being discrete now but I thought the CHANCE would be of value to you

Signed N

"What you'd tell me is what matters is you got it now." She skims the note and then holds it out to Symon.

A HUFF at Dagmar. Now perhaps a little annoyed that she's right. But only a little.

He reads the note... more than once... and then very carefully tears it into tiny shreds, and the shreds go into the Balefire - no evidence linking Nadeen to the Clue left.

"Yeah... so.... ...If they're moving him, that'd be a good time to rescue him. Right."

"Exactly. So... we gotta get a team and plan."

"Sounds like I already have a team, but yeah, maybe we want to bulk it out." He gives her a thumbs up.

And plans are under way to assemble the aven..err the team!

(Fade for now to assembly plans)