#rivervale_lodge

"Oh, let's set you up in a room, are you staying long?"

"It would make your folks day if you could"

"Overnight." she lifts the hiking backpack she carries. The other hand holds a large food hamper.

"Oh, " he looks at the hamper and grins "Your kitchen cooks insisted, right? don't need to see the future to guess that"

"You are correct."

He knocks on the kitchen ddoor "We have more food"

Squire Brogan comes out "More? As if we can't provide for ourse..."

"And Jessica is here," The Mountain ahems

"Countess,"the young sidhe bows, "An honor, and how kind of you to bring food. I'll take it"

"Here you go." she hands off the hamper "My ladies insisted."

"Please tell them we said Gracias, your excellency" He takes it with another kind of bow and slips in

Vali watches the kid go "He's all right"

"I will." she assures Brogan as he goes "Seems... touchy?" when he's gone.

"Well, like a lot of Daireann he has his pride, but normally hes pretty easy going. I wonder if he has some current trouble on the side we didn't know about" Thoughtful

"Does he have friends here?"

"The Shadowpaw gang mostly..."

"Mm. But you said Connor was visiting SilverWolf."

"Yeah, though Jack Flap, Layne, and others are still thriving. Heck, we even have a new Redcap childling. Dirk's mentoring her... and I don't want to know the full details as I think there's a streetgang missing now"

"Oh boy."

"YEAH..." Vali admits "Dirk's a great assset to the lodge, but you can never assume that a redcap is ever 'tame'. I..oh right you've got two of them. Loud Knight and Glarey Thane... uhm I forget their names"

"Phobos and Demos, not necessarily in that order. They've been with us since the start."

"Oh right, used to run with Diego?"

"Still do, I suppose. Deigo's our Steward."

"I know, dangerous man" said respectfully

"He owns everything he's done."

A nod "And he still has his voice heard"

"Aleays will, as long as I have anything to do with it."

"I'm not trying to deny him a thing."

"Of course not. Sorry."

"It's okay. I AM a traditionlist in a lot of ways" he admits "Somewhere between that and Reformer, but around here it takes all types to work with . Olgars' hardly big on titles, for example"

"No one around here is, really. I'm not either. But I have barons and regents and freeholder who are so...."

"So you roll with it when you have to, practical and sensitive" He nods then a smile "I figured you'd be annoyed if I referred to you as Countess Jessica over the dressing"

"I would be." she agrees.

"would be weird. Here, let me put up your backpack and you relax"

And just like that, she's alone save for two dogs and a cat while she can have a seat and relax

Indeed, Siv's cat, Mackerel, well, she's already eyeing Jessica with caution

Jess sits.

She watches the Balefire for a bit, so familiar but... not -hers-.

It feels of those joined to it, the slight shift of it with the new Mountain is a bit jarring, but it is still a dream of guardianship amid the trees

And familiar in her bones.

Yes. It cares for her.

But then, in its way, it cares for everyone. Too many good people wrapped in it

"Jessica!" Siv says happily

"Hello, Siv." Jess stands.

Siv gives her a warm hug, "I didn't know you were already here. This is wonderful."

She gets a hug back. "Good to be back."

"I thought you might put it off till later" Siv smiles "Mom and Da are patrolling together... I think for them that's like a date"

Jess shakes her head "I told Kerri I'd be here today, and stay the night. But she's in Crete? Or she was?"

"Oh she's back" Siv assures

(Though her adventure is in a time bubble. So we'll assume she lived!)