#rivervale_lodge

Later...

"Kourtney could be a good Hearth if they give her a chance, but I do feel sorry for Sally Mae " Gerd observes after her friend left

"Well, I do and I don't. Sally Mae is definitely skilled, but I think that the ties she'd need to make to the balefire as Hearth might burn her out too early."

"You do? Huh"

A shrug. "I'm willing to be wrong on that count. What do you think?"

"I think she might have to give up a lot to take it officially. Carowynn, and where she can live" Gerd ponders "It's ironic, Sally Mae is the type of Kinain that some Sidhe nobles enchant to keep as prized servants."

"Well, I hardly think Sally Mae wants to be kept," Kerri points out. "But yes, she has some hard choices to make. Of course, Carowynn makes things more difficult, but...we can't help whom we love."

"He TRIED to discourage her.. " A sigh "But I guess sometimes that just... makes one get stubborn"

Her brow knits, her horns folding in against each other

"Okay, even the Chieftain's brow doesn't get that furrowed. What's going on, Gerd?" Retrieving the whistling kettle from the stove and setting up tea to steep.

"Noth.." A stop "It's... personal"

"Okay, fair. But you know I'm here to listen, right?"

"I.. " She bites her lip "Wudlig and I are .. having trouble"

"I was beginning to wonder."

A sigh "I was not a fan of him leaving Darkgate. I think I have a bias against Ailil. Which isn't fair, because Baron Aiden was a victim of mental tampering... so Im trying to give him a chance. More for Connor's sake than Wudlig. But it just feels like Wudlig sold out. He says he has more opportunities at Silver wolf, but he asked my opinion, and did it anyway. I'm trying to roll with it, but on top of this, he's.. when I'm there, he's as polite as ever but it seems faker?"

"Faker?" A curious look, encouraging her to describe this more while she passes a cup of tea.

"He's always been chivalrous, I think it's to compennsae that he's not very attrractive... and it's nice, the manners? When a nocker does it you know it's meant extra. But I ask him how things are going annd it's ALWAYS great. Everything's FANTASTIC... and then I nose around a bit and things aren't that great there. I didn't learn a Sprigan tried to steal the puppies from him. I should have."

"Hm." Kerri has, of course, heard about the spriggan by now. "Do you think he knew about it? Maybe they kept it from him?"

"He knew, he's the onen who made that den for the mother" She scowls "he's sugaring things there. He's not being honest"

A blink. "Well...maybe that's your answer. He made the den, and the puppies got stolen from it. It's not exactly easy for a crafter to talk about their failures."

"I..." She stops "But that's not IS fault... heck, the whole place was bambozled. If it were'tt for Dame Gladiola.. the pups would have been gone. It's not Wudlig's fault anymore than Aiden Or NNadeen's or the thanes"

"Well, I agree. But how do you think he's feeling?"

"If he's blamingg himself.. oh shit that dingus might be feeling too ashamed to talk about it. "She huffs "Men! Why do they... why do they do that?"

Kerri hides a grin in her own teacup. "Because they're worried we won't love them if we can see their flaws."

"That's so stupid!" She is fuming "I LIKE some of Wudlig's flaws... which sounds crazy I know but it's true. And I have plenty of flaws. He puts up with them"

While a troll, she's still a teenage girl, and thus keennly sensitive to male stupidity, and the injustice of the universe

"Well, obviously you can't tell him that." Sip.

"Oh Great Gothy Gods , no" Aghast

"I mean, can you imagine the result?"

"I'm trying not to" mortified

"You might even have to...communicate."

"I know the whole thing is.." She was pacing in place, then she looks over at Kerri, was a time the girl was much shorter. She's gaining. She raises a brow "You're mocking me" Arms crossed, brow raised

"Well...maybe a little," the Hearth admits gently. "But you've been so angry with him about not being honest, and yet you're unwilling to share with him how you truly feel?"

A huff "I truly resent being hoist by my own Petard. You realize this?" However, as she talks she moves the kitchen and starts cooking up something, the ingredients for Wudlig's favorite treat

Kerri gets out of her way. One doesn't interfere with a labor of love. Although she does quietly provide an appropriate cookie tin in which said treat can be delivered to Wudlig before tending to the laundry with a satisfied grin.

"Thank you" She says as she works "He loves these, not sure why, they're not my strongpoint" but she seems pleased at something. Maybe it's nice when someone has more faith in your creation than you yourself do nnow and then.

And Kerri? She finds herself going to the laundry to see it done.. well, in part. Olgar does't do it the 'best' way (Kerri's way) but he's clearly taken some of her workload off, or tried to.

She shakes her head fondly, and only refolds some of the items before putting them away.

And within the hour? Gerd is flicker flashing near Silverwolf wiht a batch of treats for her boyfriend. Looks like they WILL talk

(End scene)

Frank gets a rare chance to work with Jonas. Hand axes in hand "The tree fell over here, sir." This was no poached ever green. This was a tree that just met its end and just fell over. There for, it's free for firewood

Frank follows Jonas to the spot, and regards the downed tree.

"Mm. Right. Let's get the branches off, make sure the trunk is out of the right of way. Be a few hours work, any road."

A nod "I concur," He nods

they begin, working at the branches first.

They don't speak much, at least at first

Some words to coordinate the effort, make sure no one gets hurt. Heavy branches part from the trunk and are stacked aside, one by one.

"Some of this will be excellent for the Chief's and Miss Tove's Woodcarving" Jonas says as they work

"Mm. Pity to lose the tree, but at least it can live on in some form."

"Yes sir, I know how folks feel about trees about here. I like them too."