#scarsdale

"That's about right. We wanted you to have a care free summer," Emmit nods, "But you've been so keyed up anyway. Ever since..well, nevermind. Then Zara saw it clear, and ..well, I might as well confess. "

Clem stops blushing and instead "let's see...You'll need a new right hand for Mountain Work," A sad look to Emmit "I'm sorry, Uncle. Earls' not coming back, not That way." //"That's on us, Clem, the older ones. "He says "DOn't you worry"//"ANd Murray needs assistance though his daughter Tisha might handle that, if she doesn't want to be Mountain... and Aunt Agnes...well, Sally Mae will help during her visits but.... I want to make sure there's failsafes and back ups for this whole thing."

Clem is clearly letting her regent legacy take her into planning and devising stages.

"I need a note pad" SHe muses "We might be able to steal someone from one of the other lodges. Damn it, if I could steal Tove in heart beat she'd be our skald hearth but Dagmar Sylvi and Siv would like to plot my demise if I tried"

"Is Tove from the boat trip?"

"And, well... is it a rule that a Hearth MUST be a Troll?"

"She is, and she doesn't want to go too far inland which also hurts my chances" Clem sighs , then a pause "Well, it is a troll lodge, Zara. We...kind of understand each other best. I mean, we have a satyr girl and a pooka farm hand ,but who else but a troll?"

A shrug. "Sallie Mae, eventually."

"I....wow," Clem says "I bucked up against that idea something horrible' A frown "Need to work on looking in the mirror"//"Clem, don't be too hard on yourself., Kinian are excluded from the high positions here, always have been. It's not you that started that It's how it's always been"/ Clem frowns "Don't mean it's not ...worth considering. It would stir and rile, maybe too much. But right now, there's a kinian in our kitchen who is on equal footing when it comes to cooking with Agnes...and Zara will go on and tell you exactly how good she is at it, and for that matter so could I. I've been over for dinner there. I need to look into that. Not the least of which is talk it over with Hearth Kerri and Chieftain Brekke. "

"Why did Sallie Mae leave - or Earl, for that matter? Because their paths were closed here. Things are changing, aye... and change, well... I am a troublemaker."

"Sally Mae went for an education with plans to come back here and help us with finances," Clem says and bites her lip, "Which, by the way, is another hearth duty"

"And yes. Mama is as good a cook as any full kithain, boggan or otherwise."

A look to her Uncle, "Unlce Emmit, I hate say this where she can hear it, because she's got a scrawny neck and a swelled head might flop over, but the trouble maker maybe right"

She sticks a black tongue out at the other wilder.

Clem smirks

Emmit gives a low whistle, "Talk it over with the folks at Rivervale, and talk it over with Agnes. Agnes will be hearth, and she has final say on who should be under her. THat's one tradition we should not shift even if it doesn't seem fair. You can't start a new foundation with cracks already built in"

"There also might be a childling well suited, or one who's not yet fledged." She shrugs. "Let the future be the future."

"I'll talk to all about it," Clem says "Lord knows I will need some advice." An amused look at Zara, "There's an idea"

Emmit looks over at Zara "Mmm"

Yup. Troll gazes stereo

Dark eyes flick between the pair. "Aye?"

"Now... I do worry about Vashti. If he saw us, saw here, he saw her."

"Well, Zara, if we're setting up a standard that non trolls are being considered for positions, and with me not being under the mountain soon... and you already Uncle Emmits apprentice.."

"After my birthday..." A frown. "He will likely...." A pause. "Oh... that's for... there are troll-specific things, nu?"

"Right," Emmit says 'Now, with right quest, a bit of reweaving, we could turn you into a troll and solve our problems and yours... that balor won't recognize you"

"It could work" Clem says "Nothing wrong WITH Sluagh, but if she wants to be in on troll specific things who are we to deny her?"

"Jewish troll, Tisha complains about our lack of diversity here" Emmit muses aloud

"Well, I've been a nocker and a sidhe... but..."

"Of course, we'd have to smuggle the library out of Earth runes over here, build a new building" Clem ponders... she Sounds like she might be serious

"And Earl likes his ladies scrawny, he might have to adjust" Emmit muses again

"And set up a little nocker forge..."

"Think her family would be willing to move from Scardale for summer visits or the like?"/"Not sure we can stop them"

"I think the witch may be just a bit too far, nu?"

"mmph, you know, Uncle Emmit," Clem says "Even though she can be a Hermonie granger level know it all, and a trouble maker to boot. I think that one thing Earl and I agree on is we wouldn't change Zara for the world. I think she should stay a Slaugh, and ... while she's happy to help I suspect, it wouldn't be fair to expect her to live or work on the farm"//"Well, blast. I suppose it's for the best. Someone would dunk her with water in a water balloon and we'd have melted zara all over the place. What a world indeed"//Clem nods looks to Zara, "Sorry, Zara. We'll file away your resume for now, but we don't think at this time this position is for you" and she sticks HER Tongue then grins

A soft chuff of air. "Aye. For the best."

Clem does bit her lip, "I would like you to make sure no one pressures Earl again like I started to. Wasn't fair of me then, and it would n't be fair from someone else. He'll say no, but he'll feel bad anyway, and he doesn't need that."

"You know I am a friend to the farm, yes? And Earl, too. Even when away."

"I am proud to call you an apprentice, and ally" Emmit says "And yes, I think Earl is..not lost to us so much as just on his own. He knows where to find us if it goes for the worst"

Clem gives a small smile, "And yes, I know you're a friend. You're probably my best friend"

"And you to find him, when there's need."

"Welll... would you forgive me if I said it was a toss up between you and August? Both of you..."

Clem shakes her head "It's okay. A little bit of Zara's friendship goes a long way. I'm happy for the part I've got and thank you"

"Well, I'm a bit hurt" The older troll says "I think I have a nicer profile"

Clem rolls her eyes

"How many friends may one sluagh have? I fear two are already unseemly!"

"Two, and a mentor, and a boyfriend, and a sister, and uncles and parents..."

"And a lot of them trolls, how the mighty have fallen" Clem smiles then rises "I have to get that notepad and get to work. Uncle Emmit, please check on Vashti, maybe provide her some protection even as you check her out"

"Sure thing..chief" A smirk then to Zara "Care to join me in hunting up a moth?"

"Aye..."

And in the kitchen two women talk happily mostly complaining on how to deal with pick eaters, "And so Hehe says he'd rather eat glass.....well, if you freeze a colorless jello..." "Oh that's just dandy" ....while Zara heads out to find her sister. She's planted an idea in Clem's head about shaking things up further, and ..well, that's good. Trolls need careful management