#rivervale_lodge

Ashblythe goes out into the summer of jersey, more humid but not as hot so a trade off. It was nice to talk to the Mountain who told her a lot about bieng a troll, and Dame Dagmar is awesome, and the food here is good.

She stares at the garden, where a satyr boy is working

He sings, and a glow fills the soil

"Inch by inch, row by row...' he sings

A dragonfly buzzes along, visiting from the nearby lake, and it's wings almost seem to dance in time with the song.

She smiles at the song as he finishes, "You've got a nice voice"

Jack Flap jumps "Holy moley, another girl!"

"Uhm.. yeah?" She says "What's wrong with girls?"

"Well, theyre' not ALL bad" he says "Just.. I Seen older satyr boys, they grow to wilder and lose their brains"

"Cuz of girls mostly" he says

"Oh.." Ashleigh isn't sure how that's her fault "I"m Ashleigh, or Ashblythe or Ashley ... I'm not here to lose your brain for you"

"Well, that's nice" He holds out a hand , it's dirty. A lot of girls, feminine ones lilke Ashleigh might be relutant to shake

but Ashblythe has Grete for a friend and her hand is always a LITTLE Dirty

So they shake

"Usta I didn't want to sing any more "Jack Flap says "Cuz it got used bad by some jerks. But here I can sing to the plants"

"I bet they like it" She admires some of the flowers that come in summer "You did those too?"

'Yup. " The boy stops and looks up at the taller gir's face. Her face, which the fire doesn't like anyone calling ugly, but we are outside of the hold, so yes, her ugly ugly face

"What happeneed to your face?" He asks

Colorful wings flitter about - butterflies, but also moths, little drab yellow and white things, but they flutter just as gently as their elegant cousins, alighting on flower after flower.

Ashblythe's face, blighted as it is, falls and the warmth that was in her eyes retreats back into her visage. She lets go of the hand "It came this way. Excuse me, I gotta go"

She turns and bolts back to the hold. Back to the safety of walls and away from the sun that shows her face to the world

Jack blinks confused "But you just came outsid..."

He could chase her, he could out run her, but instead he's confused, then he shrugs "Girls are weird" And goes back to his flowers and butterflies and those moths too

***

Finding a troll should be easy

Even a childling

But it's the sound of sniffling that is a greater give away

She eyes the small phone she's been given, and starts to text , asking if she can come home now....but she backs up, and seems unsure

It is at this moment that Edelwiess sees this, annd nudges her Neice Signe "A two legger is sad. Go comfort her"

Not MY two legger. SHE went out without me. Signe is a bit depressed when Brekke leaves.

"they leave, and they leave forever" The Great Pyranness says "But then they come back. And they do not wish their pups sad. This is part of being a dog. To offer your head for petting, for it is good for them. Or you belly for rubbing so they may forget trouble. How can you not know this?"

Even to strangers? Not just MY person, to whom I owe loyalty of paw and fang? She considers, and confides... Small hands DO make for good scratching.

"Strangers who are not welcome should be barked at, we are guardians. If they push, they get worse. BUT, this one was allowed in and treated kindly. She is on the 'okay' list. We do not bite those on the okay list as you know." She gives a canine hmmf "Your person will understand that you accept pets from others, as long as when she returns you go to her and sit by her side and show your wagging tail to explain it is glorious to see her again"

I will do this duty! Signe yips, and goes to find the tall-young-girl-giant. A damp nose pressed against her for attention.

"hey" Ashblythe almost jumps the looks to see the dog and says "Oh you're pretty" A look at the paw "with one different paw. Neat" She reaches out a hand "You don't care that I'm ugly? Do you?"

She leans right up and licks Ashblyth's face. She doesn't really understand most of what was said, just two-legger babble, but she sees the traces of tears, and those need to be washed.

A laugh breaks out of the girl, a joyful sound, so much butter than the tears. Like a happy high bark of surprise and delight "Ack. Dog germs" But she pets Signe, strong small hands that can give the good scritches. Of course, Chief knows Signe better, but this girl can be trained where best to rub and pet

Oh, her entire butt wiggles! It is dreadfully undignified, but what can you do?

Oh that gets more scratches, lower spine and strokes. Thanks to Ladybird's teachings, the girl does know how to pet a dog even if each dog has preferences "You're so pretty. You're weird for having a bright paw splotch are you? Noyouarenot. "

Edelweiss watches proudly. Perhaps she should have gotten the cuddles herself, but Signe needed lessons in how dogs work around here. Guardin the lodge is very important. Protecting the people and horses and stuff MOST important. But shielding their hearts? Also very important

Still, she meanders closerr in arm's reach to get a scratch or stroke or two as well

Soon the little girl is happily overwhelmed

Signe even deigns to flop over and show off her underbelly. It is not Dignified, but... perhaps, warranted.

Belly rubs

And good ones, ah bliss

Olgar enters in, looking like he's been through hell. He's early.

No sign of Dagmar at the lodge... but there is a new childling with the dogs.

An ugly childling.

"Where's the Fu..." He sees the kid "Fudging fire"

Ashleigh/blythe looks up from the dogs "The balefire?"