#rivervale_lodge

Olgar looks rather happy as he comes out later. There was something he was supposed to do, someone he was supposed to talk to.

Dagmar is studiously bent over a hunk of walnut, paring away with a knife as Bilbo sleeps.

Oh right Olgar remembers "So, Duluth huh?"

Grunt?

She looks up and nods. Grunt.

A nod back "Sec" He grabs a sheet of paper from the mountain, and gets some chimerical ink so this shouldn't fall in the wrong hands, and writes out as he also talks "Okay, best bet is to get to Firnost... there's an old trod there that still takes you to the Detroit area provided you leave when it's not cloudy, you arrive in a not exactly a nice neighborhood so keep your head low. Walk three miles Southeast, you'll find a set of docks. One of the Docks should have faint glamour.. it'll be the fourth one I think? From there, you call out "Born and Raised in South Detroit" then that should open the trod. .. move quick, the opening doesn't last long. Once you're in the Dreaming though it'll be fine. The silver path will fork again... don't take the south one even if is safer, that leads you to Windsor." He keeps scribling "Instead, take the North one , it'll loop around West again... do NOT wake the Kraken now matter how damned tempting that gong is. Seriously, just don't. Just keep going...You may see a guy offering to buy your soles, he means shoes but don't let him, pervert has a foot fetish and he's gross. Yes, I am kink shamihng him. Let's move on. The trod will start to shift to become a sea trod but that's okay, there's a water trod dock it leads onto. You can either swim, a long way mind and I never suggest it in winter, or pay a bit of dross to Mugo. Mugo will protect you with his life if you're a passenger. Mugo will get you to the County proper and from there you hoof it off trod"

"Mmph. Ain't afraid of Detroit. I'll protect Symon."

"What's wrong with Windsor, other than it being not our destination?"

"Oh Windsor's fine, but the lord there has made it's so it's one way... you go into Windsor and you can't take the trod back or any trod in the area\ without the lord's approval, and usually you have to submit even more dross to him. We rovers have griped about it but he won't listen. SO we just divert folks to other paths."

"Apparently it was an attempt to control the excesses of Detroit"

Eye-roll.

"Also some Balor on those Windsor trods happy to 'help'" He snorts "I tell you, kiddo, some Rovers consider the Balor to be in the same biz, rivals at best, but I've seen too many 'protection racket' like situations for me to buy their story. Speaking of which, watch out for Balor, they're a lot more frequent on the trods there than the ones you see around here."

Grunt. "Ain't a big fan of them."

"Exceptions to every rule i hear, but probably best to avoid. Noble houses are like street gangs. Some want to keep their neighborhoods safe, some want to terrorize them. I hear this group the "Furious Falcons" are all right." An amused side glance "Anything else you need to know or want to ask about the journey?"

"What you know about Twin Ports? Hear it's Beaumayn."

"Beaumayn? I think it has a Beaumayn but I an't sure Beaumayn are in charge. As for Twin Ports itself, it's in a bind. See, it's claimed by TWO Duchies, Galena and.. shoot the other one I forget... basically the Duchy of Minnesota whatever they call that. Anyway, as you can guess the County of Twin Ports struggles to appease both without losing complete control. They had some sort of lottory drawn for who would rule it, rather than have the two duchies squable over selecting the next Count or Countess. How that turned out I don't know because I heard that much a few years ago."

"Mmph."

Another thoughtful look.

"GOod news, trolls are probably plentiful.. lots of Scandinavian immigrants LOVED the Great lakes . Bad news? Well, they're probably not as influential as around here... more standard thane stuff. But I could be wrong."

"Well, I know troll lodges aren't that common, exactly."

"Am thinking I might not go strolling around in green and gold until I need it, though."

"It's your and Symon's mission" He says "You got some dross to pay Mugo? It won't take much or even quality"

"I got some, yeah."

Pause.

"Gonna be harder, when May goes to California."

"We got extra in the storage if..." he stops his offer "Oh yeah" A frown "She's been kinder to us than she'll ever remember"

"Look, it ain't the same, but maybe you could visit? You got me to take you by trod, Gerd could probably learn the area and offer you a ride. Siv can take the water ways... and heck, even Frank might give you a lift now and then"

Shrug.

She rubs her palms against her thighs. "Most changelings don't go, near as I can tell. Don't know if I could hack it, anyways."

"You know I was already to shut my yap and just recognize you have a right to your own choices, good or bad, but the idea you think you couldn't hack it? C'MON... how many times has soemone assumed that because you were a tall athletic badass that you had to be on the dimside? Far too many and they ended up regretting it when you not only out fought them, you out smarted them? You're a smart cookie, Dagmar. The fact some folks want big people to be dumb or clumsy so they can feel more secure about themselves is THEIR problem. SHouldn't be yours. You're plenty smart and more important, you got discipline, you do the work. A lazy genius won't get far in college compared to a hard working Bright person. If you decide not to go, don't make that choice on some self doubt bullshit. Okay? I've been there. For me? More my looks." He gestures to his blighted face, "But I kept going after the best in my life, and I got her. Fantastic wife who I love with all my heart. A lodge that respects me. A daughter who makes me proud every day. And a rep among my Rovers that has them nod when I tell them what my experence says is best. All because the people of the world told me 'you're just an ugly unseelie brute' and my response was 'Shut the fuck up and watch me make it'. And you? Dagmar, you're at least as smart as I am. I would put money down you're smarter. You could hack it. Not saying it would be a cakewalk, nothing worthwhile usually is, but yeah, you could."

She shrugs.

"Now, is it BEST For you, is it what you want? That's another matter." He shrugs "You got any worries besides 'it will be tough?'"

A downcast look and another shrug.

"I'm not afraid of the work."

A whisper from off to one side. He's good at slippiong in. How long has Symon been listening?

"What are you afraid of?"

Olgar gives a glance and a nod to Symon

Dagmar tenses and shakes her head.

"Hey Sy. Olgar gave me directions."

"You two want me to get you some drinks while you talk?" Olgar rises

Symon raises a brow at Dagmar's lack of response. A nod to Olgar, and once the troll has slid off, whispers, "I think you know that there is damned little you can't accomplish with your mind set to it. So what's holding you back? The thought of moving out, or moving away? Leaving friends behind? Or just change in general?" He is blunt, if somewhat gentle for his normal tone..

Her mouth tugs down at one corner. "Moving away."

"I'd say I'd fix it by going with you, but I'm not puffed up enough to think that I would be close to bridging the gap of your entire family and Lodge." A thin, dry smile.

"So. Don't move away. We'll find a college that's local. You're smart, Dags, but you might be overthinking this one. It only has to be as hard as we make it."

"Before... when I moved before..." The words straggle out, stumble, and trail off.

Indeed, Olgar is in the kitchen, and judging by the sounds, no where near the door so no eavesdropping here

He stops, and listens. Then waits for her to go on.

"Before...? With the fosters?"

She bites on her lip and nods.

"They gave you back, and it was 'out of sight, out of mind'." He half states, half asks.

Her hand drifts to her mouth and she bites on her knuckle. A shrug.

Maybe a nod?