#rivervale_lodge

"So...you didn't just go to his defense. You put hands on the other guy. And sadly, in this banal world, that can add up to a whole bunch of other kinds of lawsuits, even if you were in the right." A sigh. She's definitely been in situations where she had to talk around things when she'd rather have smacked a fool.

"Yes" He looks down at his feet

"Did you hurt him in the process?"

"threw him to the ground, but nothing serious"

"Hm."

"I'm wondering if...at that age and weight, if that was needed for a mortal?"

A frown "You think I broke the Code of Dagda"

She shakes her head. "No. You did not truly harm him."

A nod

"And...this was soon after your chrysalis, you said?"

"Yes." He says "Pardon, Hearth. I think we're out of dishes. May I go?"

She hesitates a moment, wiping down a counter. "If you wish. You're welcome to stay, too. Either way, thank you for the help, Hesso." She gives him an honest, warm grin.

He eases, "Thank you. Hearth. I know you mean well" Hesso says finally "But excuse me"

A nod as he goes.

He slips away. Olgar, a moment later, slips in

He catches his wife at the end of a long sigh.

"that bad eh?"

A worried look

She shakes her head. "I don't think I did well. But...yes, there are issues. Do you think it's safe to talk?" she adds quietly, glancing at the door.

"Yeah, Siv is yakking them up" He pauses "I suspect deliberatley so we can talk in private"

"Good," she says as she grabs herself a beer and passes him one. "So, it's like this...." And she tells him what she learned. "...so I'm not quite sure who the woman was. There are a lot of options. I think there's a good chance Hestian would know more?"

"I see.. he put his walls up fierce huh?"

She nods. "I almost...well..." she sips her beer. "I think you're right that if he doesn't sort this out, he's going to be a bad fit for the Silver."

A frown "Damn. I'll check with Hestian"

"You almost what?" He asks her to go on, a sip of his own beer

A deep breath that she lets out slowly. "I...could have told him...ordered him...to tell me more."

"Oh baby" he says and puts a hand around her, "that would have been the wrong tact in so many ways and I'm so glad you realize that."

"Yes, but he was so frustrating," she says, leaning into arm. "It was a temptation."

"I can understand that. he's fighting being helped, but you were right to resist the temptation"

A sip of her beer. "He's going to be on guard for the fact that I've told you everything. Rightfully so. You'll have to play your part carefully."

"Well, it's not atypical for a married couple to talk with each other. I tell you most of MY secrets and they know that"

Most? mmm

Oh, that gets a brow and a hip check.

A chuckle

"He hasn't been able to hold down a mortal job, either, Olgar," she adds with concern.

"ThAT I didn't.. hmmm I didn't know that." He ponders "Need to work on helping him. Think Anne Marie would know someone?"

"Oh, that's a good idea. I'll check in with her."

"And you'll check in with Hastien." She raises her beer bottle in salute.

"Sure will" He toasts with his own bottle "And thanks, my lady. Your lowly rover knight has the best wife in all the land"

"That lowly rover knight's wife is very glad to have him," she says, reaching up to give him a kiss.

Olgar dips his head obligingly and kisses her

She enjoys a tender moment...and then pulls back and taps his shoulder. "Go take care of your lambs."

"From bad ass wilder to Grump Bo Peep. What a revolting development" he grumbles amiably, then slips out ... the door opens long enough to hear Siv telling a story she shouldn't...

"And that's how Uncle Olgar won fifty bucks getting Aunt Kerri to ride the Mechanical bull!'

"Oh boy...." Kerri finishes her beer.

"you trying to ge tme in trouble?" Olgar can be heard

"Like you needed the help!" she calls out, coming out of the kitchen after disposing of her beer bottle.

"Now...anybody need anything?" she checks in on all the visitors.

Eulalie DeBuke says "A napkin and you tell us if you ever rode a Mechanical bull again after that?"

Kerri rolls her eyes and procures a napkin from a drawer in the side table and hands it to Eulalie. "Oh, you can't possibly believe that."