#rivervale_lodge

"Is there anything Mom can do to help? I wanted her to have a break, and she IS rested, but she's been a little at loose ends. We don't have ROOM to store another dozen quilts if she keeps this up."

"Oh right, Pudge actually helpd her clear a docket"

A blink. "Well, a few thoughts come to mind. If she's not swamped with getting the lick marks off of her own pots, perhaps she could check in with some of the other fae, see if they need help setting their own kitchens to rights if the Boys have been there."

She sighs. "I'm torn. Part of me says, throw them their own feast, they'll be happy, and they'll leave. The other part says a feast is a terrible idea because it might insult them, saying that they have to have food our way, not their way."

"Or they might see you as a soft mark and redouble their efforts NEXT year."

He has slunk over nearer to the Chief so she may hear his whisper.

"That, too."

"But if we try to drive them off....Grylla."

"I suppose it would be wrong to send them to Caer Falken"

Kerri gives Vali a look. Then she pauses. "Perhaps...I can think of different targets...." An amused look...then she shakes her head. "Nope, nope. Wouldn't wish this on anybody's cook or steward."

"I'm hoping that if things are TOO clean, there will be nothing for the lickers to want to lick, at least."

"Not a bad..."

"Son of a bitch!" A voice calls out outside, Gerd!

"idea..." Vali says

"I would make an example of one of them. Not kill them... that is, I don't know if they CAN be killed. An incarnation might be able to, but..." He pauses, realizing he's going down a rabbit hole. "Pick one to rough up and send on his way, and meanwhile increase the wards and clean up. Maybe leave a tithe out to any who has NOT arrived yet, if any?"

"Show them that there is no tolerance for their mischief out of it's place." He suggests.

Kerri beckons Symon to follow as she moves to see what's wrong with Gerd, so she can still hear him. "Rough up...or somehow make him uncomfortable? Maybe, I don't know, give him a bath and dress him in pretty clothes?"

She looks out the window to check what's wrong out there.

Symon visibly recoils.

"I said rough him up, not torture him."

Though, his reaction might be a good sign?

A smirk. "It would be a disincentive, right?"

They see Gerd chasing after Sausage Snatcher, along with Eddie. The Yule lad has Eddi'e pack of Snausages!

"I like it" Vali chuckles

A groan. "Going to have a large grocery bill to make up for this. I don't mind them licking the pots so much...well, no, I DO mind it...but that can be cleaned. Food needs to be replaced."

"Let any sluagh who complain about it know to check out the korean grocers. They make a lot of fermented food that we find palatable, without being officially "left over".

"Mountain, I know you've already done research, but if you come across any incantation or something that drives them off, tell me."

"Surstrommig is good as well, but I can never find it. Chieftain Brekke refused to order me any."

"Surstrommig?"

"Oh." He looks sly for a moment. "It's a preserved baltic sea herring. Swedish delicacy."

Perhaps not describing it in full.

"I will" He says

A puzzled look. "That sounds like lutefisk. She loves lutefisk. Why wouldn't she order you that?"

"An oversight, I'm sure."

She fixes him with a dubious gaze. "Spill."

"It is said to be an acquired taste. I've never had it, so I can't say."

There's a flash!

Outside that is

She sighs. "Well, I'm going to trust her judgment." Kerri's already heading outside to help Gerd, but now she hurries outside!

Gerd is picking up a snausage pack with Eddie waiting, the dog has the bottom of someone's britches in her teeth

Kerri glances around for the owner of said britches. "Lake Tappan?"

"Hope it hasn't frozen over" Gerd says rubbing at her horns now "Vegard's pounding in my head harder than usual"

A frown. "If he has something to say, maybe you should come inside and let him say it where the Mountain can hear?"

"Right.." A sigh and she goes in with Eddie, feeding her dog a snausage

"Sorry, Gerd, but we might need his counsel." Kerri follows her inside.

Symon snaps his fingers in disappointment.

Symon and Vali maybe startled when Gerd walks in, and says in an old man's vice "Dog took off Sausage Snatcher's Britches, a patch of them. Use them in a working or three is my suggestion" He hands them over "Also, rmember, they're afraid of the Yule cat"

"Afraid of the Yule Cat. Hmmm."

"See what you can do with that" Vegard says "Also , tell Gerd here might be a good one to handle the threat... she can pop them off in embarrassing ways if you need . OH, This WUDLIG boy, he's..." Then Gerd snaps back "DAMN it old man, there are BOUNDARIES" she huffs at her past life as she comes to

Symon raises a brow.