#rivervale_lodge

When Dagmar returns to the lodge, she sees the chief is not returned yet. However, Mountain vali is.

He's smiling as he works on paper work

"Hey Vali"

"Hey, Dagmar. How goes the census? Got anything for me?" He's in a good mood

"well, pretty awesome giant moose, and... oh, question?"

"Do you know a lot about phoenixes?"

"Not a lot, but more than most. The phoenix is a legendary and there for true mythic creature that represents the cycle of birth to death and rebirth. It ages, bursts into flame at the end of it's cycle and is reborn again. Further more, it is often variable in size. Some are reported to be able to tangle with dragons! The flames they are surrounded with can burn or heal as the phoenix wishes. Sadly some unsavory sorts seek them to break them into components"

"Would having a chick on the mantle hurt the fire?"

"A chick? Huh.. tell me more about this chick, please. What's it's state?"

"Pretty pathetic."

"You know the naked ugly stage?"

"Yup.."

"Jimmy is trying to keep it alive, but dross alone ain't cutting it. When I whispered, it said it'd need 'A warm place to be, warm in dreams?' to survive."

"And, well, ain't that a freehold?"

"A glade, maybe, but phoenixes are tied more to fire."

Vali ponders, then says "I'll go and get it myself, check it out, and if I think it won't gobble things up, I'll bring it here on my approval. I think your judgement on this sounds spot on. How has Jimmy kept it alive if it's so weak?"

"I think way more personal dross than is wise."

"He's kind of soft-hearted."

Dagmar would never deplete her reserves for a helpless critter, right?

Vali wonders that same thing wryly but does not bring it up "Then I may tell Jimmy to camp out by the fire too. Seems like a lot of wilders are giving of themselves till it hurts around here"

She shrugs. "Lodge."

"Yeah. " He ponders this then says "how's May doing? "

That gets a smile. "MUCH better!"

"She's not been taking the pills at all!"

"Fantastic. Those can be helpful in some cases, but not I think in hers." A nod "Have you been musing her? Trying to coax her to happier dreams?"

"Trying. I'm not.. I'm not really great at musing?"

"All I ever needed to do was listen to May."

"She liked the movie."

"I'm glad she did" he says then says "Look, I hate to say this, but we're going to need that dream catcher back after a week is done. Turns out there are side effects for others. That's why I am hoping she gets mused to brighter happier ways"

"What? But it's working."

"And I'm glad it is... " He says "But unfortunately, while it is clearing her out of her nightmares and giving her purifying rest... those nightmares are being funneled to Jonas. I suspect because he was so cavalier with a dreaming gift. Every night, Jonas is waking up from a new nightmare. Each one not his."

"He's getting May's nightmares?"

"That's fucked up - the Dreaming is punishing him for helping May?"

"That's not cavalier, that's... that's downright honorable. Protecting the Dreaming is the first part of the Code."

"The Dreaming is punishing him for treating it's gift and prize like it was an old DVD you could loan out, at least that's my theory. Whether we like it or not, it's important you coax May to good dreams. So muse her if you would? At the end of the week she'll be dreaming again ,and we do not want her nightmares tormenting the land"

She grimaces.

"Couldn't you shunt her bad dreams my way?"

"She's my responsibility."

"I'm not sure what it says that you'd rather take nightmares than try to muse her" A brow

"What if I can't muse her? Her imagination is strong enough to birth some pretty big chimera."

"So can you imagine the nightmare chimera?"

"Or she'll go back to the pills."

"I don't exactly have room for failure here."

"It's scary. I know... but it seems to me this is something you need to do for her sake, and yours. Look, if you don't, someone else will. She was mused very well indeed, but to nightmare sides. That's where she's likely to stay if not guided back to the light. " A gentle look "you can do this ,Dagmar. You know her better htan anyone. You know what she WANTS to dream"

A jaw jut.

"That doesn't mean I can do it, Vali."

"I can't let her get back on those pills."

"Does not mean you can't. Maybe this is on us. We may have neglected in teaching how to muse . It's a skill every changeling needs to learn. Tell you what, get another changeling to guide you through the process but you still do the musing"

Then "As for the pills? Getting her to pleasant dreams will mean she won't want them anymore"

She folds her arms.