#rivervale_lodge

"Honestly, that might work in your favor. The next person I'm thinking of turning to is Baron Kealan...or the Count...and are you really ready to talk about this with either of them?"

She blanches "God no. I mean, both are good men, but this would reflect badly on any and all future times I serve as Emmisary near either, and would also hurt Rivervale's standing. "

Kerri nods. "Call Siv. Have her come over if she's available."

"I will" She assures

A brow. "Well, I do mean now. Or I could just call from the house phone," she says as she begins to move in that direction.

"I'll do it" She says , rising "Is.. is there anything else you think I should do? I want to keep it small"

"Well, yes, several things, but I don't think you'd agree to most of them. Also, I'm still thinking things through. Let's find out what Siv has to say about this."

She makes the call on her own phone, a text really

Siv enters in "Where's the fire, Gerd? I just skipped patrol and ran here" SHe's got sweat on her

Indeed, she must have run all the way, because she got here fast by foot

Kerri has Siv's preferred drink at the ready and offers it over as she says, "We've got a problem, and I think it might require some knowledge of sneaky things."

Siv grins "Wait, I get to be useful, in my niche? This isn't just a ship trip?"

"I flicker flash," Gerd reminds

"As long as you can keep it quiet, yes."

"And the fact that she can flicker flash is where this all starts. Gerd, tell her what you told me." An encouraging nod.

And Gerd spills... everything. It is a credit to her troll side that she restrains her shame with dignity.

And Siv grows.. somber. Oh, Kerri can tell she WANTS to chastise Gerd, but for a moment, height diference aside, Siv looks like her mother... realizing it is not just her OWN honor at stake, but that the honor of a friend has been hurt too

Siv gives Kerri a look for a moment, as if to ask You already gave her the talk about how this shouldn't have happened?

A slight shake of her head: Save it for later, solve problem now. "So...she needs to get out of the arrangement, sooner rather than later. Here's where you come in...do you think there's enough information in what she's told you that it might be valuable to somebody else that you can think of? And would that person be willing to pay for that info? If it doesn't cover the full eight grand, it could at least cut it down somewhat."

Siv ponders then says "Well, word by now will be out an it's ailil loyal lodge. So that won't be worth much."

Gerd winces

"True...but what's being shipped, and to whom?"

"But I can't look IN what I'm shipping" Gerd reminds

"Ah, but Aunt Kerri knows there are loopholes. They used them on you, we can use it back, Gerd" Siv smiles "Clever Hearth. Aye. Heck, I could appear AS Gerd in disguise and no promise binds me."

"Oh, I like that!" says the clever Hearth who hadn't thought of that option.

Gerd's brow knits "if you show up wearing my face, they have only themselves to blame for giving it to the wrong person" realization "Siv, this could be dangerous."

"Stop threatening me with a good time," Siv grins

"Fiona" Gerd sighs and looks to Kerri ("See, told you she'd get Fiona about this")

"Yup," Kerri agrees, returning the look ("Like I said, exactly what you need")

"Now, Gerd, there are other options for buying you out of this that run more to the mundane. If Siv can't dig up anything that provides bargaining power, we can still turn in that direction."

"Like?" Gerd says, then also says "And not killing your idea, Siv. I just want to hear the options"

"A bank loan. I could cosign for you. I'm sure we could arrange it. Then the money is paid back to the Ailil, and you keep paying it off as you were planning to do."

"...but without being forced to work for them further."

Gerd frowns "I don't .. this is MY fault. MY mistake. MY honor. It's one thing to set them up. It's another for you to pay my tab"

A blink. "Who said I'd pay? I'd cosign. That guarantees in case you default, fail to pay. But you wouldn't fail," she says with certainty.

Then more gently, "And if you think you're the only one in this room who has had to ask for help in fixing a mistake, then we haven't told you enough stories."

"It IS different, Gerd." Siv nods "And da...da doesn't mention all his past, but he's told me that there are things bad enough he hopes I never mess up like that. Whatever mistakes he made, they helped make him the man we all admire because he made himself better for it. You'll do right by this too. You are only bound by this if you don't take action, and sometimes, a little help request is the wisest course of action. You know how many times my bacon has been saved by friends? "

Kerri does know some of Frank's background, but she doesn't share anything other than to nod somberly at Siv's words.

"We all bail each other out, and that keeps the whole fleet afloat. Or something," she shrugs at Siv after her attempt at a nautical analogy.

Siv smiles and nods

Gerd ponders "Okay. Let's set both in motion and see how it goes. My next pick up will be soon" And she relays a general idea.

And soon, they are... setting things up, at least a Plan A and B

(End Scene)