#rivervale_lodge

Dagmar is quiet. This feels like throwing another hand grenade on her life, but what doesn't, of late?

After a bit, Brekke says, "I am glad that you have told me information I did not know. I need to understand more, however. Now...tell me what happened with the Dreamer."

Signe sniffs here and there, but all seems clear. She is on guard so they do not have to be

"I... after starting at school, we..." A frown. "I didn't read her letters." A flare of anger. "Who sends letters, anyways?"

A blink. "I do. Often." A pause. "Why did you not read them?"

"I... I don't have a good answer."

The steady, unhurried clip-clop of the horses' hooves is soothing. "Any answer will do, as long as it is truthful."

A bit of silence, before. "Because it will hurt."

A brief pause. "You mean because it will hurt you." A statement, checking her understanding.

She closes her eyes and nods.

"Then, there was a second letter, and I hadn't... there was still the first, but now there were two, and... it was too late, wasn't it? But I couldn't... "

"Mm. The first was an error. The second demanded you confront the error of the first. Were there more after that?"

"...yeah..."

Prickly defensiveness. "Sylvi is right, I will make sure that the Dreamer gets someone to look after her, to protect her. I should have done that months ago."

"This is why Sylvi abused your honor?"

"She's right, I should have made sure the Dreamer had someone."

"Hm." A pause. "There are multiple issues here. Does the rift still exist between you and Sylvi?"

"I apologized."

"And Sylvi says we're square. I'm not sure I feel square, but she says it."

"Then I will not give that further attention for the moment. The letters...you have them still?"

"Yeah."

"Good. You must read them."

Grimace.

"Yes, Chief."

A glance over at her. "You will read them with me. You need not share what they say, but you will read them while I am present. Then we will discuss what should happen next for the dreamer."

Her eyes flare wide.

"But.. I.. but why?"

She looks at her. "Because you have not done so until now. And because you may need counsel as you do so."

It's a simple, calm statement of fact.

Her mouth twists. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are. You made an error. Now we start to make it right, if we can. It seems you have already made it right with Sylvi, so we must focus on the Dreamer. And on you."

"I'll do better. I was thinking... I... there would have to be either another troll or a Gwydion out there."

"Someone we could trust. I was being selfish, maybe."

"I didn't want to give her up."

A thoughtful frown. "Who is this Dreamer?"

Another hesitation, then guilt. "May."

"May?" Brekke pulls Stormwake to a halt, startled.

Dagmar shrinks.

"Dagmar she is...she is a very powerful dreamer." Brekke looks off, thinking. "If she has been without guidance since last fall...."

"She's in California, at Film School. Everyone can see how special she is."

"Exactly. Without guidance, she may become prey."

A deep frown, but it doesn't seem directed at Dagmar.

"I can't... how could I help her from here? That's... yeah, right. That's why I need to make sure she's protected, and stop... "

"Stop wanting her to still be mine, I guess?"

Brekke is silent and urges Stormwake to walk again, still thinking and frowning.

A delay, and Dagmar starts back up after.

After a drawn-out silence, Brekke says, "This was an error. She is your first Dreamer. You were not given enough guidance on how to manage distance."

"She probably found someone else already. Someone better."

Brekke's expression has been turned inwards, brooding, but now she returns her attention to Dagmar. "It is possible she has found another patron. I can only hope it would be somebody who has her best welfare in mind, as you had before she left." A pause. "But we cannot assume it is so. We must read the letters."

"I didn't really do anything for May. She just... that was all her, I just listened."