#rivervale_lodge

"THAT sounds .. ominous" Gerd observes "Aunt Kerri?"

Both girls look curious.

She is straightening items and wiping down the counter. Eventually, she says, "Being strict...and firm...can work well to ensure that all your people make it through the Winter."

"Which is how we survived" Kourtney says "We have spring because Hearth Agnes held the fire in our winter"

She looks to have not thought thatt through before now

"I think that is true. But the earth needs to soften in spring to allow for growth, doesn't it?"

"What if winter comes again and I'm too.. spring like?" Kourtney asks

"Oh...don't let those burn, now," she says of the meat pies, letting the Hearth-in-training fetch them out.

Annd she does, quickly

They came out a beautiful dark brown, and the scent is very inviting.

"Oh it's niiice" Kourtney smiles, then whispers "Should we wave near the door and see if Rover Olgar sniffs againn?"

"Guaranteed he will," she whispers back. "And if we pretend to be working hard, one of those will be missing when we turn our backs."

"And we should let him?" Kourtney inquires

Gerd smirks "Kerri's a master of stategic sample sorting"

"Oh, I think we should. He's been good."

And so the experiment is set.

"I give him 45 seconds."

It is a testament to Olgar that it takes 47 seconds, thannk you.

But yes, as pedicted, he peeks in

And the ggirls put on troll stoic facade as they 'look busy' while doing work

Oh, there is sweeping and wiping down and rinsing off....

"oh.. you're still busy..." He says "I'll get out of the way"

"Oh, thank you, honey!"

And he , like a gent, vanishes again

Kerri says without looking around.

When the door closes, she peeks around to see how many he took.

Just one!

A wink to the girls. "It's a kind of a tradition."

"He did it, he really did" Kourtney fighting a laugh

"Just one?" Gerd says "I'm surprised"

"He has a strong self-preservation instinct."

"Speaking of..." She pauses. "Kourtney, you will, indeed, have to prepare to endure winter. And some of that preparation will have to be readying to harden your heart. With any luck, you will seldom need to do so."

"Must be nicee, having a beau" thennn she nods "I.. thank you."

Kerri gives a fond look towards the door. "It can definitely be nice, yes."

"It's got it's complications" A mutter from Gerd

"Of course it does," she says to Gerd. Then a chuckle. "I found him almost intolerable at first."

"He think he was all that and a bag o Chips?" Kourtney smiles

"Barbeque chips, yup."

"But...well...he's a very good man, under all he pretended not to be. And he won me over. The fink."

"The bum" Gerd says in a Jersey accent that's not her usual one

A chuckle. "Here, let's give these our own taste test." Indicating the meat pies.

And they do. It is, to put it milldly, Hearth worthy

"Well done, indeed." Kerri approval.

Gerd supports her friend but the talk of 'beaus' being complicated was not lost onn the Hearth. For now ,she guides both girls... but she'll talk to Gerd alone whe Kourtney heads back to the farm

but that's.. later

(End Scene)