#rivervale_lodge

He thinks about it for a moment, nods. "Well enough. Work is steady, but I find it is more difficult to find ways to help others. And there are more that seek help."

"Tell me about that?"

"Mm." he sips "Trucking is ruled by the clock. With the advances in tracking and timekeeping, every moment is accounted for. Or scrutinized. Or both. It is more difficult to find ways to excuse an unscheduled stop."

"And everywhere, across Concordia, mortals are struggling in ways that are new to them."

She frowns. "The timekeeping seems banal. But this is ever the difficulty. Fae must find a way to live in two worlds, and the two often clash."

Frank nods agreement.

"Banal or not, it is what I do. I have tried other lines of business. I come back to trucking."

"Would it be different if you worked more independently? "

"Not significantly. Sooner or later you're hauling someone's load and they want it there on time."

She nods. "I am sorry it is a conflict."

"Well." he sips "It is manageable."

A breath in and out "And as much as I enjoy the work, mundane and Fae, I wish I could be here and patrolling. With you."

She looks over. "It is good when you are here." She reaches to touch his hand.

He takes her hand.

After a time, he says "The girls are doing well."

"Yes." A pause. "I do not like the risks they face. But this is their choice."

"I don't like them either." dourly.

"They are doing good work, helping many."

"Yes." he sighs.

"Siv takes great pleasure in her work, I think. In the danger of it." She looks at the stars and clouds for a moment. "Do you think Jessica is happy? I know she is glad to be doing meaningful work. But I would wish her happiness, too."

"Happy? Yes, I would think so." he pauses, looks over to Brekke "Why?"

A brow at him. "I do not wish to be that mother...but...I wonder." After a moment, she elaborates, "She has no partner, that I know of." A slight squeeze of his hand.

"And she need not have one. I only know my life became better through sharing it."

"Mm. No partner -that we know of.-" Frank's views on her previous paramour have always been clear.

"This is true, I suppose. Do you suspect there is one?"

"I do not think about it much."

"It is her life."

Another brow. "I am not the one who brought up the girls," she points out with a bit of amusement.

And she passes him some food from the basket's bounty.

"True." He takes a sip of his cider, and then a bit from the food, still warm through some Kerri-magic.

She nods and takes a bit for herself. "This is good," she comments on not only the food, but the evening.

It is then that something shoots past the Kestrel, so close and fast that it throws the sails into fluffle and causes the ship to wobble

"Yes." He looks over at her again "It is good to be with you."

Her grin in return is interrupted by the fast fly-by. A frown, and she stands quickly, steadying herself against the mast.

Are they under fire?

Frank stands as well, food and drink set quickly aside, and moves to the prow to squint.

Nope . A set of Nockers is flying by...

"HEy, look at that OLD relic..." meaning the Kestrel

"Wanna drag, grandma? " one calls out

Brekke narrows her eyes. "I need not prove myself to these," she mutters....but she casts a glance in Frank's direction to see what he thinks.

THey spew smoke in the air in puffs as if to taunt

From his posture and what she can see of his expression, he's still more worried about attack than honor.

They don't seem to have weapons in view, just attitude

She shakes her head. "They are loudmouths. Nothing more."

"Hey, if that heap can't handle it, we get it"

Brekke doesn't bother responding to them...but she she does fold her arms and look very smug.

Frank stays on guard.

She mutters to him, "It is tempting, but they are a mere nothing."

And they race off, jeering...