#rivervale_lodge

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Rather than try to beard the lion in her den by pursuing Gerd at her home, Kerri starts making Gerd's favorite food.

A sniffing sound

Of course, food is a tricky thing with Gerd, but Kerri generally finds.... Wait, what's that?

She looks for the source of the sniffing.

Signe, Brekke's dog is at the kitchen door

And looks up hopefully if Kerri opens the door. Behind her, the bone she dID have, has been taken by Edelwiess

Kerri does open the door, and she gives Edelweiss a look. "Edie? Is that yours?"

Selfish chomp of the bone as if to say pawsession is 9/10s the law.

"Edie." A frown. "Give it back. I can get you your own."

She sighs, and lays it down before Signe. She's grumbly , and pregnant, but still a good girl.

Signe takes the bone quickly while she can

"Thank you, Ma'am. Just a second."

With so many dogs around, the best bones are stored in the back of the fridge. The supply goes pretty quickly, but is replenished equally quickly with all the meals prepared around here. Kerri gets a fresh bone for Edie, making sure it has some good meat scrapings still on it. She presents it to the expectant mother.

Eddie looks a bit ashamed, as if she realizes she does not deserve the bone. Then decides to hell with it, she wants it anyway, chomps and gives a weak wag

And then as if by magic, anothe sniffing... she can hear Gerd just outside. She's on the phone "No Uncle Vali, I'm fine. What can I say? It's good protection from Bedlam. " A tut "No, Uncle Vali, you're not neglecting me. Everything's FINE. Yes yes, love you. Remember I text? Yeah... yes, yes, you're a Millenial or Gen X or whatever... but this is very BOOMER behavior"

"Next time, ask instead of taking what isn't yours," Kerri corrects gently. She remembers being pregnant herself. She gets it.

Ah, perfect. Kerri gives the recipe another stir, trying not to laugh at the side of the conversation she can hear.

Edelweiss perks up at the voice of her own person.

And Gerd comes in, "Hey, Eddie. " She bends down to pet the dog gently. She appears to be done with her call

"Hi, Gerd," Kerri says from the stove. "Your timing is perfect. If you're in the mood, I'm preparing some of your favorite."

"Oh my gosh, is that why my mouth is watering?" She smiles "Well, if I wasn't in the mood before I am now. Thanks"

"Should be ready in about five minutes. Want something to drink? Tea?"

"Oh I can make that. You want some too? I've got some lovely blends"

"Yes, please, that'd be lovely." A bit of working side-by-side before she points out, "Sounds like your uncle is driving you a little nutty?"

"Oh, he just worries. He says I've been acting a bit odd lately and he thinks sometihng must be wrong. SO silly"

"He does tend to worry," Kerri validates. A little more quiet working. "But I'm not sure he's entirely wrong."

In the midst of teamaking, Gerd freezes. One can almost see the calculations of to Flicker flash or not to flicker flash in her head for a moment before maturity takes over fancy, and she says "What makes you think that?"

"You're a little tense," she points out easily. "And there's that bit about needing extra money for something." She finishes up with prepping the food, and it smells fantastic. She serves out a portion for each of them.

"It's far too early to be stressing about holiday shopping, so...it got me a little curious."

"A little huh?" Side glance

A grin and a slight shrug. "'Little' is a relative term. Here, tell me how it tastes."

She tastes it, then samples "Mmm is that a drop extra of vanilla?"

"It is. I thought it might increase that sense of warmth in the flavor. Does it work?"

"It does " She says "I like it"

"I'm glad." Kerri takes a seat on one of the kitchen stools and savors a bite as well. She looks satisfied with the result.

"So...can you tell me what's up?"

A sigh "I'm not sure how Sylvi gets away with things with you"

"You're assuming she does."

"And if she does...well, I guess mothers have blind spots with their own kids."

"Could be a grass is greener thing" She admits with a smile but the smile wavers "I kind of screwed up"

"Well, pour the tea and tell me. Let's see what's what."

"I've been doing my emmisary work hither and yon. I like it. I get an excuse to visit Silverwolf. I've been to Alaska to check up on Snowmantle, and more.. it's pretty cool. I feel useful. And, Of course, i am ON guard for sidhe tricks" A frown and she pours the tea "Didn't think I'd need to be on guard against a lodge"

Kerri frowns. "What happened?"

"I had thought the troll I was speaking to was commoner and unaffilated. In that vein and to put it simply, when he seemed impressed by my mastery of Wayfare, a request was made for a few jumps to locations, and picks and messages ... once now, and sometimes in the future a few more. He offered to pay me in cash. It was... well, to a girl like me, it seemed like a lot of cash. I took him up on it once I told him I thought he was being too generous. " A sigh "I did transport once or twice only to learn that they were now in service to a lord of House Ailil... and then I realized. I just became locked into the role of a transporter for who knows WHAT intrigues"

A sigh. "Wonderful. Well...why 'locked in'? Can't you just refuse further work?"

"Because I already spent the money" she explains "I can't return it, that's why I need to earn more. I got myself into thsi, so I need to earn the cash to get out." A proud look

Wide eyes. "Oh, Gerd. What did you spend it on?"

"That, I would prefer not to say" She says "But it's a non refundable situation"

A sigh "I screwed up so big"