#rivervale_lodge

"Absolutely utterly dangerous" Vali fumes at the table

"Yes, Mountain" Siv says, shrugging "Thank you for picking me up"

"And bailing you out? Do you know how lucky you are charges got dropped? Given your, condition?" He points out

"Yes, the prison system is slightly banal. I wouldn't stick around for it' She shrugs

"You think it's that easy" He sighs "A daughter on the lam would draw attention to your parents too"

She winces "Yeah, fair point"

"You want to tell me what brought this on?" He inquires

"Not particularly" Siv observes

"This is really more Hearth stuff, why did you call me?" He asks

"You know why" Siv sniffs

"Yeah, and I'm not sure I'm crazy about you expecting me to hide bone headed stunts from the others. You lucked out this time, Siv. ANd you know what? you SHOULD talk to the Hearth about it, or yes, your mom and dad..."

"Not.dad. Not mom either come to think of it." SHe fusses

"Uh huh" A frown from Vali "Siv, maybe you should talk to Jonas, because while you've been great with your squire, Piper being gone, she wouldn't want you to deal with it this wa-"

"Maybe I be excused, Mountain?" She asks

"Sure" he sighs

SHe gets up and leaves

Vali rubs at his horns, I'm starting to see how Kerri became such a connoisseur of wine coolers

***********

The knock at the door is polite, not soft enough to be a sluagh, but not loud enough to be a redcap

A brief pause, and then the door opens. Kerri looks out to see who is there.

"Hearth Kerri, a delight, a delight as always" says the boggan before her, Sven likes to joke that he fits in fine in the nordic lodges, and to be fair, he does have a vaguely viking like appearance to him, IF one cut one off at the kneecaps. The fellow does most of his work around the county, treating furs, hides, and leathers as suits best. It's been over a year since he dropped by.

"Sven! Well, this is a surprise. Come in!" She moves aside to welcome him in. "I hope you've been well?"

"Well enou, well enou," He smiles "Sadly, my SCA group of singing warriors 'Tyrs for Fears', you remember them, have had our tenor move to another duchy, but we're hoping to have try outs" A grin "Course, it's not about the singing, it's about freaking folks OUT while we charge them by singing. Business was a bit slow, so glad your Chief gave me this job"

He carries a bundle, clearly his project for the Chief

As always, Sven is his own little force of nature, and so the last line takes Kerri by surprise. "I...wasn't aware she had? What's the project?"

"Well turns out from what i hear she got her hands on some fine furs and a few gem stones and the like... now she only kept one for herself, and had me touch it up for her..."

"Oh! Well, lovely!" Kerri is a bit surprised -- it's not like the Chieftain to get something fancy for herself very often. "Would you like me to get her? I think she's out in the training ring."

"Oh that'd be grand, just grand." A grin "I'm really hoping to see the look on her eyes. I mean, yes, I could just leave it here, but but you know how it is, always better to see their faces, like getting paid twice"

"Oh, don't I know it. Nothing quite as good as seeing people enjoy. Wait here a moment, and can I get you something to eat or drink on my way back?"

"Now Kerri, I'm a working man here for a job... naturally that means I'd love to get some of your fine food on it, that's like being paid THRICE"

She grins and gives him a wink. "Get yourself comfortable, and I'll make sure she comes right in." And she's off into the kitchen.

A couple of minutes later, Kerri returns with a platter of pastries and the drink she knows Sven prefers. "She's on her way."

And soon enough the Chieftain enters. "You have returned, Sven," she observes with an approving nod. "It is good to see you."

By the time the Chief returns, Sven is patting his belly, "That hearth of yours, it's a good thing her husband does a lot of walking or he'd not fit outside the door with cooking like this" He wipes his hands on a napkin and salutes troll style "And good to see you as well, Chieftain. I must say I was surprised and pleased to see you treating yourself a wee bit."

Kerri has lingered with some 'tidying' that might be a clever way to satisfy her curiosity. She chuckles at Sven's compliment, and then gives Brekke a curious look.

For her part, Brekke clears her throat a bit uncomfortably. "Normally, I would not do so, but I was directed without option." A bit of a shrug, and she colors. "I...hope it was a reasonable task to ask of you?"

"Chieftain, it's what I'm good at , I sing for fun and to frustrate my foes. I fight in the SCA because I just enjoy knocking tall people down on their butts" A grin "When it actually works anyway, but working with leathers, furs, and hides? That's an art I want to preserve. Twas a joy to work with such material, and of course it's reasonable to ask it of me. It's my craft. Now, " He offers the bundle "You tell me honest if you like it or don't, won't hurt my feelings. Given the materials it's made from, even if it's not my best work it'll be good, and I'm hoping it's far better than that"

Brekke clears her throat again. "This is an extravagance..." she mutters guiltily as she eyes the bundle without touching.

"You're long overdue for an extravagance, Chieftain," Kerri asserts. "Open it. I'm dying of curiosity."

A brow at the Hearth, but she carefully opens it to reveal....

It's just what she asked for, a fur trimmed cloak with cowl that looks ready for battle, but with a bit of panache in the fine fur, a rune clasp clasping it "Try it on. The cowl has a leather band so your horns won't get caught.. I want to make sure it's lined up"

She feels the furs for a moment before holding it up. "This is very fine work," she says. At Sven's insistance, she puts it on, and the sizing is exactly right.

"That'll keep the chill off of you," Kerri says with a smile at the hardy furs.

"It is good," Brekke agrees.

"Excellent, now, this is for a fight, like you were ready for, but if you'll kindly flip the rune about? "

She seems very pleased.

A blink. "The rune...." She frowns with a bit of puzzlement, then twists the rune clasp.

The cloak shifts...

And instead of the sturdy, battle-ready cloak, it is now....

Kerri's eyes go wide. "Oh, my!"