#rivervale_lodge

It's not rational, really.

Of course Stormwake would follow Chief. He's her horse.

As Dagmar is chewing on that idea, Sylvi pulls up on her motorcycle and parks it in the drive. She puts her helmet aside and fluffs out her hair as she makes her way up towards the Lodge. ((Not sure if she encounters Dagmar inside or outside.))

Dag is stomping down the path outside

"Hey!" Sylvi calls out and waves, but then notices the stomping and lowers her hand. "Hey, you okay?"

"M'fine." Sullen. Oh, Sylvi doesn't need to be a Gwydion for that.

"Yyyeahhh." She nods and falls into step alongside her. "Where ya heading?"

"Um." She stops, uncertain.

Sylvi stops with her and shrugs. "Doesn't need to be anywhere in particular. I was thinking of walking out by the hot spring, check out what the fall leaves look like out there. Must be pretty, y'know?"

"Could do that."

Sylvi nods and continues walking, expecting that Dagmar will as well.

She follows Sylvi, hands jammed into her pockets.

"You going to Pennons at Teaneck?"

As they get into the treeline, dry leaves crunch underfoot. "Yup. I'll be doing facepainting."

"You're going to be jousting, right? Joust Club and all, you've been training."

"Yeah. Jousting as, uh, Lodge Champion."

A proud smile. "You're gonna kick ass."

She rubs the back of her neck. "Hope I can just do the thing. Tradition, right?"

"The thing? Oh, you mean putting Baron Kealan into orbit?"

"Yeah." A soft chuff, almost a laugh.

"I'm not her, though. Dunno if it would count? I dunno."

"That'd be cool. Of course, the Chieftain didn't manage it every year."

"I mean...Aunt Brekke."

"Sure seems like she did."

A blink. "Right. Aunt Brekke."

"Weird saying that. Anyway...I don't think anybody's expecting you to 'be her.' You're Dame Dagmar Hammerstrike. You've already got tales about your deeds. Whether or not you win a Pennons joust isn't going to change that."

"I guess, sure."

"I mean, I can't be her, I know that."

"I miss her, though."

The leaf canopy above them is glowing like a stain glass window, yellow and red and orange.

"I know. Me too, but I think it's different for you because you're more connected here than I am, these days."

"I mean, you..." She gestures. "Look at what you did."

A blink. "You mean...Goldfinch?"

She nods.

"Goldfinch, and now you're graduated and you've been so many places..."

"Wasn't just me. It was Piper, too. And others. Lots of people put that together."

A shrug. "Nobody does it all alone."

A sigh about graduating. "I kind of wish I was back at Rutgers. I think I could have done two more years of that life."

"And listen, if you're trying to compare what you've done to what I've done...remember, I started from when I was practically still a baby. I grew up in it. Had more opportunities, earlier. That doesn't mean I've been more successful or anything. Different experiences."

"But you always..." holding out her hands, bouncing them.

"You're always going, and I... I just keep fighting to stay."

A blink, and she mimics the gesture.

A slight frown as she considers that for a few paces. "I think...yeah...that's how it was. I think Mom just got so pissed off that she couldn't keep me from sneaking off to Firnost that she asked the Ch- ... Aunt Brekke to pull some strings so I'd get my curiosity satisfied under closer supervision. That's not about me...that's what my family arranged."

"And I kept wanting to come back, too. I mean...I was supposed to stay in DarkGate for a lot longer, but...Rivervale kept calling me back."

"But now you have moved on."

"Have I? My hold is close enough that I have dinner at the Lodge a couple of nights each week."

"Except, I mean - yeah?"

"I've tried to stay, but..." She shrugs. "You can't just stay."

She glances over at Dagmar. After a moment, she asks, "You mean...you're thinking about going?"

"I... no?"