#rivervale_lodge

(Sometime AFTER July 4th)

Connor is sitting on the porch of the lodge, looking DESPONDENT.

He is keeping watch, he has his favorite practice staff, but his ears are drooped.

Somebody apparently notices this. After a few minutes, Kerri comes out on the porch. "Connor? I have a couple of extra peanut butter cookies that are just about to go stale. Can you save them from this terrible fate?"

She offers over a plate with the two cookies.

"It won't HELP." He snuffles. "Unless it can give me HEIGHT, and THEWS."

A puzzled look, and she takes a seat next to him on the porch. "Help with what?"

"Dame Dagmar has gone to fight the mighty. She told me to stay behind and guard the Lodge... but that just means "don't get hurt". There are MONSTERS and I don't get to see ANY of them."

A pause. "It was funny to see Rover running though. He never runs. Red rover, red rover, send Olgar right over, and he took Dagmar with him, but THIS rover was left over."

Kerri at first looks puzzled...then alarmed. "Rover Olgar was running? Connor, where did they go?"

He considers. "Olgar said a swear. And didn't even have time for the JAR. And then they went through and I have to SIT, and STAY."

Echo is also pacing

But seems 'on guard' and not merely left behind

"They went through? Onto the trod?"

"It's okay, though. Dagmar said she wouldn't die. She doesn't LIE. Right?"

It's clear that he's worried, more so than upset at being left behind.

Or maybe both. Too anxious for COOKIES.

"Maybe I should go check."

A frown, and she stands again. "She avoids lying, yes. Connor, stay here with me. I'll need your help to guard the Lodge, after all."

He looks down at Echo, and back up at Kerri. "But what if there's MORE of them. They might need more of us. HOW MANY is a FLOOD?!"

She stares at him, trying to parse that last part. "Did they mention a flood?"

Echo looks towards a direction, and gives a growl grumble

"He said, it was a giant problem donkey. And a flood of bad. And he was RUNNING. Like, hup hup hup!"

"Dagmar grabbed up her spear, and she doesn't even need me to help with her armor any more. What if she doesn't NEED a squire now?"

"Connor, I assure you, she needs you," Kerri says, her words soothing even as her eyes follow the direction of Echo's growl. "She needs you to make sure that all of her responsibilities here are cared for when she cannot be here. That is part of the work of a squire. Ask Brogan if you don't believe me."

"Are you gonna run off to fight, too? Can you? I'm not worried about Dagmar at all, but Olgar might need help."

"I mean, Echo is worried."

He gives the pup a pat.

"I'm not...." she assures him, then after a moment's pause, she says, "Connor, the Chieftain is on patrol. She said she would be near the old playground. I need you to run and find her, and tell her about Olgar and Dagmar and this fight. As fast as you can."

Echo licks Connor, he will protect

"I can run! I can run FAST!"

"But... but... Hearth Kerri? Your shoe is untied."

A blink, and she looks down almost involuntarily.

By the time she looks back up, Connor is a 4-legged blur, bolstered by Quicksilver.

Poor Echo, left behind AGAIN

And Echo chases after. He was told to protect Connor. So he is protecting!

THen the quick silver makes it hard to follow, and he has to sniff and track

Darn it, glass makes this look easy

Kerri might want to call to the one pup that WOULD listen to her

"Echo! Come!"

As he rounds the playground.... "ARF ARF ARF ARF ARF ARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARF!"

Echo hits the breaks... and turns back tail between legs to Kerri

Brekke is finishing up fixing a post-and-rail fence on one side of the playground, and she looks up as Connor races up on all fours.

"Good job, Echo. Stay here."

says Kerri

He grabs her pant leg and TUGS

Echo stays guard. Wish I were a squire so I could get away with stuff

Brekke frowns and sets aside her task. "Show me." It might be a risk, but she trusts that Connor is not so insistent unless there's real urgency.

He spins in circles, and GROWLS, then falls over, playing dead - then opens an eye, and barks again, panting, out of breath, and leads her to the trods.

She follows him at a run, which at her height keeps up with him easily unless he ducks through underbrush.

He skids to a stop outside of the trod proper, as cleanly as if there was a wall there. A whine, and he circles Brekke's heels, nipping lightly at her shoes as though to herd her onward.