#rivervale_lodge

"No I mean ..." He looks down and sees the girl's face, blighted.

She sees his face, blighted.. and old

"Nevermind" He says, "I think I figured it out. I'm Olgar, the Rover."

Ashblythe says "I know you! Rover Hastien talked about you! "

"Hope he watched his language around you when he did it" Olgar says "Scuse me, keep talking I can hear you" He goes into a room where he can strip off his filthy shirt at least, and tend to some cuts. Not everything needs magic. Alchohal and bandaids "what's your name?"

"Ashblythe" she says then adds "Sir"

"I work for a living, kid!" The gruff voice comes behind the door

"Sorry?"

"Not a noble" He says "Neither by title nor behavior. I keep idiots from dying on the trods"

"But that IS noble" the girl says "You save people and protect travlers. Even when they probably hate you or look away"

theres the sound of a cabinet closing, then out comes Olgar wearing a clean Red T shirt that says STRONG IS THE NEW PRETTY

"Why would they hate me or look away?" He asks, with his own ugly ugly face. Ashblythe has never seen this on another troll. Only in the mirror only in the eyes of those looking at her

"Because you're.. we're... we...." She gestures to his face, then.. gestures to his face "we're.. " A swallow and she gives Signe a stroke wanting to pull the dog to her "Because we're so ugly, sir. We're blighted. We're.. wrong"

"You kidding? I'm right so often I probably annoy folks. Got one guy here who still doesn't grill a hamburger right despite my wise advice. I ain't wrong on that," Olgar snorts "Look, Little Ash tree, what do you think I'm gonna tell you to make you feel better?"

Ashblthe mutters "that I'm beautiful on the inside, and that looks don't matter...and people who judge by apperances are shallow and I shouldn't care about them"

"Wow, they still peddling that crap to folks in our condition, huh?" Olgar sits down on a chair to be a bit lower

Ashblythe's eyes bug out "Rover?"

"Absolutely looks matter. If you see a bright beautiful animal in the wild, it's probably dangerous, or a bright plant or mushroom? Probably toxic. There are exceptions mind you. Just like there's nice enough sidhe out there who ain't bad. See, we're part human, and humans confuse ugly with lack of health or at least a health risk. And it's primative and seems to work okay but obviously it can be wrong, very very wrong in our case. Bet you're the strongest childling in Brightwynds, right?"

"I ..... AM" she nods

"So you're plenty healthy , but their monkey brains they got from the humans are all hung up on stuff from way way back... sad really. Sometimes I see someone recoil at me and I wanna offer em a banana "

Ashblythe snickers then covers her mouth

"It's okay, it's funny. No anyone saying looks don't matter is an idiot, or lying to you, hopefully to make you feel better. But you already know they matter. And of course you care about other people. We want friends, we want folks who love us"

She nods quietly processing

"Do you have friends?" He asks

"Yes" She brightens just a bit

"Not many though" He guesses

"No... I guess not many" she says looking down

"GOOD, Quality is better than quantity. Lots of beautiful have folsk who say they are friends, but then tun them out when things are hard. they're not friends, they're spectators. it's like deciding yo're the 'friend' of a tiger at zoo. . are you really? or is it just a really fasscinating exhibit?"

The girl blinks looking nonplused

Olgar realizes that might be a bit much and backs it up tad "Better to have a few GREAT friends than a dozen 'so so' friends is what I'm saying"

She nods at that "Okay. But, still, wouldn't you like to be pretty?"

"It's easier on me I think, socieital norms for women and girls are way too focused on appearance. You gals are often treated as if being pretty is your purpose. Which is flatly.. bunk. If dressing up makes you feel good, do it. But for yourself. Now men? huh... we have different expectations and even then that's not a hard and fast rule. But to answer your question, sure. Who wouldn't. I'd also like to be richer, or wittier, or wiser. But everone wishes... and that's fine, as long as it doesn't keep them from other dreams that are close."

"No one likes a bum" She says

Edelweiss raises her head and looks toward the front door with a "Hrf" that notes somebody familiar approaches.

"True." he nodss "Though not all bums are bums by choice." Olgar says "As for the pretty on the inside stuff... I bet you are, but I wasn't, not for awhile. I was seflish and bitter and full of spite. I used the excuse of being ugly on the outside to be kind of ugly on the inside. But i had power over that, and there was little excuse. You... you seem to be nice now. Decent, and caring. You don't hide that. You're already further along than I was at your age"

Signe echoes with her own "Hrf" but doesn't go to the door, so Olgar might infer it's not Brekke.

"I am?" She says "But you're a hero, a rover, a legend!"

"Oh I am the fudging Bees knees" he looks up, but keeps going "But I was not nice, or even kind. Look, Ashblythe... what we have? It's not unusual among legends of giants, or heroes. While stories like to say that goodness showws on the face, there are unsung giants in myths who were ugly but amazing"

"There were?" she says

The door opens, and in comes Sylvi.

"Yeah." he rises to see who is at the door "Hulk ain't pretty but he saves the..." he smiles "HEy, Sylvi"

"Dad!" She wasn't expecting to see him, clearly. "I thought you were still on the trods!" She throws her arms around him for a big hug.

"I got pulled back early but just for a bit" he hugs her fiercely, "Oh, you met Ashblthye? She's from Brightwinds. Be visiting a bit. "

the girl has put on her wide brim hat to hide her face a bit

"Ashblythe's here?" She looks to where the girl is hiding her face. "Hey! Ashblythe, remember me? Sylvi?"

The hat rises and.. "Sylvi. Hi" A pause "Rover Olgar's your DAD?" Realization , and yes, a look from one face to the other

Olgar grins "I know, I don't believe it either, Ashleigh'

A proud smile. "He sure is! Best dad ever."

A smile "Must be nice" Ashblythe says

"She gets her looks from her mom, her tendency of being right from me" Olgar nods to the little girl "Oh and my incredible modesty"