#rivervale_lodge

Dagmar has a sleeping chimera in her lap. It's... furry.

Kerri is used to seeing Dagmar with furry creatures nearby, but.... "Is that somebody new?"

"This is Bilbo. He's lost, but I know where he needs to go."

"Oh?" She puts the basket down and gets a closer look. "Somewhere nearby?"

"Duluth."

A blink. "That's not nearby, no."

"Just a bit. Olgar's gonna talk me through how to get there."

"If he's lost, how did you figure out Duluth?"

"He has a tag, and I got a bit before I lost the willow whisper."

"He's smart - probably as smart as Oak or Edie."

"Well, he looks very sleepy right now. He must be relieved to have found somebody to help. Do you think he's hungry?"

"Oh, good point. Probably. A redcap tried to eat him."

"And it sounds like Rikki might have found him briefly, but he wanted to go home so ran away from her."

Bilbo hears the word 'hungry' and perks up from sleepishness

"Well, that was sweet of Rikki. What do you think he eats?"

She muses. "I'll have to thank her for trying to help."

"Mmm. He looks doggish, so probably meat? Chicken?"

"Who doesn't eat chicken?"

wagging at the word chicken!

A chuckle. "Fair enough. Hang on a moment, I'll get some." She heads into the kitchen.

Dagmar laughs softly. "Well, Bilbo's excited."

Bilbo makes a SCruf kinda bark to affirm this

A few minutes later, she comes out with a small dish of chopped up chicken breast. "Here we go..." she hands the dish over to Dagmar to give to Bilbo.

"Hey there." She sets the bowl down.

"Thanks Kerri."

Bilbo holds very still... eager to go in, he gives Kerri and Dagmar a questioning look. So well behaved, waiting for permission

Kerri grins. "Go ahead, Bilbo."

And Bilbo digs in, faceplanting into the food1

"Ah, another compliment to my cooking," she grins.

"Yeah, he's a good boy."

"The cantrip faded before I could get everything, but I figure Duluth can't be too bad by trod."

"Well...it depends on the trod. I'm sure Olgar can find you a safe route. And he can escort you."

SIGH.

"He said that, too. But I'm sure I could do it. I've gone on trods before."

"Oh. Well...of course you have. Maybe take somebody else with you, though? It's always good to have back up."

She nods. "Probably Symon."

A little crease between her eyebrows.

"Oh! That sounds like a good choice..." Then she pauses. "Sorry, I didn't meant that to insult. I mean, I usually have somebody travel with me on a trod, too."

Olgar comes in looks like he's carrying a large canvas "Ah should have gone in through the kitchen sorry" something in it? Faint smell of animal

Bilbo looks up from his chicken to wag, dish pretty much clean, and wags

"Oh that is so damned cute it's almost a crime" Olgar observes

"What is that?" Kerri asks about the canvas as she goes to meet him.

"Right? He's too cute."

"Deer." he says "I didn't ask for it. They gave it out of gratitude when I rescued them. Wouldn't take no. so.. here it is, a half a deer worth of venison"

Bilbo done with the meal gives the food bringers a lick. One on Dagmar , then to Kerri. Probably at their ankles as theyre a bit tall. As if to say thank you

"Little guy has better manners than I do" Olgar looks amazed

Her eyes go wide. "You...got a whole side?" She smiles. "Get that thing into the kitchen, hunk."

"Knowing me it's not the deer's best side" A wink "But that just means the deer had character. And yeah, that's pretty much all the story"

"That's a lot of venison..."

Dagmar ..hears a lie? there's more to the story?