Blacktail Formal Dining Room
Generally used to host Town Council meetings, this room takes up most of the central treehouse of the Blacktail compound – the rest of the building being devoted to kitchens. The walls and furniture are made of stained oak and mahogany, and the chairs of the long table are adjustable to suit people of varying heights. Fireplaces are set at both of the short walls, the area over one holding a large painting of a red-furred Kadie woman holding an axe in one hand and a severed Skreek's head in the other, with a large group of armed Kadies and Lapis behind her. The opposite wall has several lighter spots above the hearth, along with empty mounting hooks. Both long walls are covered with items of historical interest: portraits of prominent citizens and former Lords, broken weapons and various badges, uniforms and crests from past regimes.

Since tonight's dinner is not an official Council event, the long table is mostly empty, with everyone clustered towards one end. The head seat is empty, since Erik hasn't arrived yet, but along the side to its right sit Achilles Blacktail, Jonas Chalk, Ben Cartwright and Mayor Streusel. Along the left flank are Madge Silverfoot, Granny Oggton, Andre and Zahnrad Kettenrad, and a seat reserved for Amelia. The place settings are fairly fancy, with porcelain flatware and silverware that has metal-edged knives. Noticeably absent are either of the town's witches.

'Uncomfortable' is an appropriate word to describe Zahnrad as he sits across from the more intimidating side of Stonebarrow village. He and his father have at least dressed well for the event; wearing a nicely tailored set of black pants and a vest combined with a neatly pressed metal gray shirt. Over that they wear modified versions of the formal clan robes that look like a formal knee length long jacket, split high up the back to allow the large tail through. Andre doesn't look nervous at all, at least. Perhaps being of an older age (or maybe obliviousness), eliminates that feeling.

For the most part, Zahnrad is just looking across the table at those gathered. He seems to want to say something to break the silence, but is at a loss as for something to say that wouldn't come across as 'dorky'.

"How are the repairs to the dam coming along, Andre?" Ben Cartwright asks. "Need any more milled wood?"

"They're coming along well, Ben. The superstructure has been reinforced as well as improved. As bad as it was, the damage gave us a chance to redo a section that has been under more stress than was originally planned for. The supports are much cleaner now than they were with the older and quickly rigged cross sections that used to be there. Not to mention the newer waterproofing process your clan has been using is a lot better than we had when it was originally built. I think we'll have less mold and rot issues now as well," Andre replies and adjusts his spectacles. "We've been considering redoing some of the undamaged sections as well, so we may need to request some of the larger support timbers when we get to that."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ben notes, rubbing his whiskers. "Got some uncut lumber still that I can set aside, since those supports are big."

"Any safety improvements?" Jonas asks next, his ears perking forwards.

"They have to be. The amount of force they have to resist is significant," Andre says with a short nod of his head, "And varies, depending on how much sediment has collected in the lake, the amount of rainfall we're expecting, and so on." To Jonas question, Andre glances at Zahnrad to answer.

It takes a moment for Zahnrad to realize he's being expected to field that question. Once he realizes it, he lets out a strained cough. "A few, yes. We're replacing the interlinks that connect the waterwheels to the shafts that power the Millers' equipment and the like. Instead of single gear ratios and rotation rates, we're fitting them with adjustable ones that should switch when there are surges of wheel speed. It should keep the connected equipment from getting bursts of power from the dam. The new interlinks are based off some of the design work I've been doing for propuls … well, never mind where it came from; it should just be better."

"That's good to hear," Jonas says, leaning back a bit. "That means no one has to go out in storms, right?"

"Not unless it gets really, really, bad," Zahnrad answers, "And we've moved the release controls to a location inside the dam itself. So, no going out on the walkways."

"Good," Achilles notes, a bit gruffly.

"We could consider building a pressure relief trench as well to bleed off lake levels quickly in the case of an emergency," Andre adds, "But that would be a significant undertaking, as we would have to effectively dig a second, smaller, riverbed."

Granny Oggton pipes up suddenly (and a bit loudly, since she's going deaf), "What's wrong wit' gettin' wet now and then? Good fishin' during storms!"

"Well, two things," Andre answers and raises his hand with two fingers extended for emphasis. "One; working around heavy machinery in a storm is extremely dangerous and slippery; several have died from it including my eldest, Stephan. Two, getting too wet could endanger the entire town. If anything fails, the flood would be … well, it could wipe out a significant portion of the town. Do you remember the stories about how bad the floods got before the dam was built?"

Zahn's eyes dart around as his father speaks. The Kadie is also practically sitting on his tail to it doesn't lash around. Every now and then he steals a glance towards the elder Blacktail.

"'Afore my time, sonny," the elder Oggton notes. The otters hadn't arrived until  the dam was nearly finished, after all.

"The floods were bad," Achilles comments. He glances towards Zahn as the younger Kadie looks at him, but doesn't say anything or show any particular emotion. He's not called Stoneface for nothing.

There's a bit of commotion from the entryway, and then Erik von Richebeau enters, carrying a purple velvet sack. "Sorry I'm late!" he says immediately, then sits down. "Had a devil of a time getting Mother settled down. Have I missed anything?"

The Mayor clears his throat, and reminds the poodle, "Um, you called this meeting, Erik. You can't have missed anything yet… "

That doesn't exactly do much to calm Zahnrad down. "Yes. During storms now you can nearly hear how much pressure is being exerted against the dam," he says, trying to redirect his thoughts. "It could wipe out any building; in fact many buildings; if that force hit the town again." The Kadie then nearly jumps out of his chair when Erik arrives suddenly. "Oh, no, just discussing ongoing repair," he says a bit quickly.

"Oh, the dam!" Erik says. "Is it still taking up a lot of your time?" he asks next, looking at both of the Kettenrads.

"Primary repairs are complete. It's into future planning and finish work for the most part," Andre says as he looks over to the poodle. "My son works on various projects, so it generally only occupied part of his time in any case."

Zahnrad nods after his father speaks. "Yes, I'm occupied on several fronts; one of which is looking at some things the Titanians left for me," he says. With the way his expression suddenly shifts, the Kadie might be thinking he shouldn't have said that.

"Very interesting!" Erik says, smiling and nodding in the manner typical of those who don't want to appear as if they hadn't understood what was being said. He sets the velvet wrapped object on the table and says, "Well, perhaps we should get started then?"

Achilles turns towards the door leading to the kitchen and says, "You can start serving now."

Amelia arrives through one of the kitchen doors, carrying a large platter of salad fixings. She's wearing a sheer dress of green Zolk that clings to her form, with a high standing collar and sleeves formed by strips that connect at the cuff. Silver ribbons and embroidery highlight the dress, and it is nearly backless to expose the intricate and colorful Creen-wings dyed into the Kadie's fur. Her dark hair, normally curly hair has been straightened and braided – the braids hanging in loops and threaded with more silver ribbon and pinned up at the top with two of Amy's throwing knives, while a fringe of unbraided hair is left to hang down like a veil. She looks as far removed from the barbarian woman in the painting as possible.

"Is Amelia not feeling well, sir?" Zahnrad finally gets up enough nerve to ask Achilles. "I had expected her to be … uh." His question trails off as Amelia comes in. The Kadie is in complete shock as he actually asks, "Amelia?"

Amy sets the platter down on the table where everyone can reach it, and then gives Zahn a little nod and smile. Even Erik seems to be completely derailed by the Kadie's appearance, and the men all stare in silence. It's Granny who breaks the spell with a long, low whistle. "Gel cleans up well, eh, Achilles?" she says to the big Kadie across the table, grinning like mad.

"She looked fine before too," Zahnrad whispers so it's unlikely the Oggton can hear it. He can't help but watch Amelia for a moment. "Uhm, will you be joining us?" he finally asks her.

"Of course she will!" Erik says, before Amy can answer. Then he has to take off his glasses to wipe away some sudden condensation. "In fact, I was hoping she would pour the wine," he adds, and undoes the top of the sack to reveal the neck of a wine bottle – although he cinches it tight again to keep from exposing the whole bottle.

Amelia takes the cue and picks up the wrapped bottle. She peals away the seal and then momentarily spoils the image of elegance by pulling the cork out with her teeth.

Another squirrel follows in Amelia's wake minutes later; it's Morgan, carrying what appears to be the bread bowl. "I thought I'd help out," he explains as he walks out, smiling to everyone. Dressed in a blousy black shirt, pants, and a sash – all with purple embroidered patterns – he manages to look both festive and formally understated.

Erik's staring elicits a momentary glare from Zahnrad, but the Kadie does catch himself and settle back down. He also can't help but smile slightly at Amelia's image breaking moment of handling the cork. And when Morgan arrives behind her, his brow goes up.

While Mayor Streusel fills his salad bowl and Amelia begins to pour the wine for people, Erik notes Morgan's entrance a bit after the fact since he isn't used to seeing the Kadie without his witch 'uniform'. "Morgan!" he yips.

"Morgan, indeed," Morgan agrees. He places the bread bowl down on the table where everyone can reach it, then steps back. "A bit of neighborly helping-hand is never out of place at any table, don't you think? And I baked cookies." He gestures back towards the kitchen, where the cookies presumably are.

"Oh… well," the poodle says, trying to unruffle himself. "Would you… care to join us then?" he asks, a bit timidly.

Both Zahnrad and Andre start filling their salad bowls as well. Andre hasn't reacted so strongly to Amelia's appearance; but then again it's hard to say what Andre will react to.

"Oh, well, I wouldn't want to be a bother … " Morgan only pauses a moment, preempting any chance to interrupt him, "BUT, since you insist, Erik, I would be glad to join you." And with that, he takes a seat.

"Liliana is a bad influence on you," Zahnrad mutters towards Morgan.

Morgan seats himself next to the mayor, in the witch's traditional place. "I like to think Liliana has brought color to my life, Zahnrad," he replies.

After pouring the wine, Amelia gets out another place setting from the sideboard and sets it up for Morgan. Then she pours him a bit of wine as well before taking her own seat across from him, next to Zahn.

"Well, now that we're all here, a toast!" Erik pronounces, and stands up. He waits for the others to follow, then raises his glass. "To Lady Inaya, and the promise of a prosperous future for Stonebarrow," he toasts.

Zahnrad actually seems to calm down a bit when Amelia sits beside him. "You look amazing," he whispers quickly to her. His left arm shifts as if he's going to put it around her, but then stops, figuring it may not be appropriate. When the toast is called, Zahn stands raises his glass, but looks a bit confused about the toast being to Inaya.

Andre stands as well and raises his glass. To Zahnrad he whispers, "Who is Inaya?"

"To Inaya!" the Mayor echoes in his booming voice, which breaks the confusion of some of the others.

"Hmmm," Morgan murmurs. He then lifts his glass, adding, "To a prosperous future for Stonebarrow," leaving out Inaya.

"Visiting Khatta," Zahn whispers to his father, "I'll explain later."

The wine is exceptionally smooth, and unlike anything Zahn has tasted before. Madge Silverfoot actually lets out a small bark of surprise as she sips hers, while Granny just tosses the whole glass down her throat in one gulp.

After the drink, Zahn can't help but stare at the glass momentarily. Andre speaks up, asking, "This does not taste like a local wine. Where is it from?"

Morgan lifts a brow at the wine, taking a moment to savor it and try to place it. He might not be a vintner, but he's tasted enough strange herbs to have a sense of such things.

Erik grins brightly, and removes the bottle from the velvet wrap. The label is a bit faded, but still shows a crest that matches one of those hanging on the wall. "Why, it's from here, of course! Bottled almost a century ago. Dr. Pike was kind enough to let me have this from her wine cellar. It's grape wine, and before all the troubles with necromancers and floods this wine graced the table of every noble worth two shakes."

"You can't grow grapes here," Madge notes. "We've tried to bring them back and they just won't take to tree grafting."

"It's the effects of the War," the witch explains. "The land has suffered considerably, since then."

"Have you tried not grafting them to trees and just growing them in the ground?" Andre inquires. "Or if you want them up high, you could contract the Wingnuts to help build a treetop garden."

"The old vineyards are all under swamp now," Erik explains. "But the grapes grown in them were like no other. Just as almost everything you grow here is oversized, Stonebarrow grapes were the size of plums and had other unique qualities."

"But building a hanging garden would fall to Deirdre," Zahnrad whispers to his father, "Do you want her working on a large project like that?"

"Tried everything," Madge tells Andre. "The seed won't take to the soil here anymore."

"So, nice wine that we can't make anymore," Jonas comments. "Why show it to us, Erik?"

"If the the seed won't take to the soil, perhaps you should take the soil to the seed," Morgan offers in typically cryptic witch fashion.

"Because this is something that is worth trading with the outside world," Erik claims. "We just need to reclaim the old vineyards!"

"You want to spend the reward money to drain the swamp," Achilles says to the poodle. "Didn't your 'consultants' say it would cost many times the amount we have?"

"So, you want to drain a portion of the swamp?" Zahn asks now, brow raised. "You do realize the state of the land under that water is likely terrible. Even if we did drain it, it may be useless. The Wingnuts have to occasionally deal with the silt in the lake bed. The stuff is terrible."

"Are you suggesting we drain the swamp, Erik?" Morgan takes another sip, then leans back to hold his goblet cupped in his right hand with the stem dangling between his fingers. "I am assuming, then, that you have a brilliant plan in mind to smooth over these fears?"

"Zahn has the notion of it," Erik says. "Not the entire swamp – just a small area so that we can test the soil. We can do it with local resources. With a Wingnut to supervise and the construction skills of the Cartwrights, followed by the Silverfoots' natural talent with winemaking… "

"Granny," Jonas says, interrupting the poodle. "What're the odds?"

The elderly otter blinks, and stares off at nothing as her eyes unfocus. "Hmmm, best spot… close in… expect to lose three for every ten. Two if guarded… "

"We can't risk sending Wingnuts into the swamp with that sort of danger level," Achilles says bluntly.

Erik looks stunned for a moment, then turns to Andre seeking support. "Really, would it be that risky?" he asks.

Morgan tilts his head, murmuring something about 'the dangers of otters.'

"Wait, wait," Zahn says and raises his hands actually speaking before his father does, "Even a small section of the swamp would be extremely difficult to drain. You're talking about thousands of gallons of water. You would need to sink a stone wall to hold back the swamp waters all around the periphery just to start it. Wood wouldn't hold up long enough; maybe as a temporary wall, sure, but it would have to be replaced quickly. Once you have that, how do you remove the water? We don't have pumps on the scale required. And we can't send dam power that far. The only power source transportable would be my … " Zahn stops there, then adds, "And we can't use that."

"Stone?" Erik asks. "I thought it was just moving dirt around… "

"It couldn't be done with brute force," Andre says in a calm voice. "For one, the Wingnuts don't have enough members left to do that much manual work. And please don't take this the wrong way, but few other clans would be able to handle the engineering undertaking for it. I'm not saying it isn't possible, though. It would require working out a different way to accomplish it. We would need to evaluate the site and work out plans."

Zahn nods to Erik. "The core of the dam is stone, if you didn't know," he explains, "Dirt will eventually erode or water will seep through it. You need something stronger to hold back the quantities of water you would have to deal with. Stone or metal would be needed if you wanted something that would last longer than a few years."

"It's still too dangerous," Achilles argues. "Maybe after a few generations when the Wingnuts have built their numbers back up, but right now it would be reckless."

"The gains would have to exceed the effort and, possibly, injury invested. This plan represents a potential influx of injured, as well as diverted labor – and for what? Soil samples? I should think, it would be wiser to narrow your project down considerably in order to test that soil, before major effort is invested," Morgan says. He takes another sip, and his tail twitches.

The poodle doesn't seem eager to give in just yet. "What about existing stone structures? The old village is still there under the water. If you could use those walls as a base and… fill in the gaps… wouldn't that make it easier?"

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, Achilles," Andre admits, "Given past history."

"Lots o' stone down there," Granny mutters in agreement.

"That gives us a solid base, yes. That's helpful. But we still have to have the walls go above the swamp level. By several feet, in fact. You're effectively building a dam all the way around the old vineyards," Zahnrad says.

"I'm optimistic," Achilles replies to Andre.

"Too bad you couldn't just drain it all by breaking down a natural dam holding it back someplace else," the Mayor comments between bites of bread and salad.

"Also," Morgan goes on, "are we really in a position to open trade, at this point? We have a war on our southern border, and, to be quite frank, I do not want to see increased Gallisian scrutiny of this village. The Gallisians are, to my mind, fond of a good wine." The man gives Erik a glance, raising a brow, before looking at the rest of the table.

"Now, is it possible, yes," Andre says, "But we would have to spend a lot of time doing some analysis first." And then with a not towards the mayor, adds, "Such as looking for things like that. A way to divert off the water. But realize doing that may unbalance something else. Every action has a reaction."

"What is your father optimistic about?" Zahn whispers to Amelia.

"But we're already a Gallisian territory, technically," Erik notes.

Amelia blinks at Zahn, and then shrugs.

"I don't recall agreeing to be part of Gallis." Morgan gives the collective members another look-over. "Does anyone present feel we are a 'Gallisian Territory?'"

"On paper we are," Erik points out. "And paper is what matters in Gallis. They can't invade someplace the Marquis has already granted to a Chevalier."

Zahn rests his face in his hands. "Morgan, he wants to establish trade through Inaya and the emirate, not Gallis," he says, "And Erik is right about that at least. On paper it is his, so as long as he's here they should leave us alone."

"Even if the Chevalier in question is a pig?" Jonas asks.

Trying to just get back to the technical feasibility of the discussion, Andre asks Erik, "How many acres of land are you wishing to recover?"

"Forgive me if I seem less than convinced of the Marquis's honor in regard for our lands, Erik," Morgan replies. He shoots Zahnrad an annoyed look, then explains, "It's the nature of powerful men to take what they see is valuable, whatever their promise. Like, for example, Sylvania. Erik is a fine buffer, but only so long as we are not so valuable as to be worth wresting from his grasp. As Jonas says, our 'Chevalier Lord' is a pig, and if we become the shining vintner of the land, can we shake the hands that grasp for us? I'm not convinced."

"I… " Erik starts to say, then looks to Madge. "At least an acre," the woman says. "That for a test crop. But if you can dredge enough soil from beneath sediment, we can try to see if the seed takes first."

"Then would it have to be known it came from here?" Zahnrad asks, "If we used traders who kept the origins a secret, I don't think we would have much to fear from being overtaken. Plus, we could always build in a safeguard; we could rig a method for collapsing the walls and reflooding the fields if we were invaded."

"Worrying about invaders is our job, Morgan, not yours," Achilles points out.

"Dredging could be done. We have equipment for that at the dam," Andre says.

Granny nods. "Yar, that'd be not too dang'rous. Could prolly do it from one of the barges."

Andre nods to Granny. "That was my thought," he agrees.

"Worrying about the village is always my job, Achilles, as is advising and opening eyes. If you feel we are set to handle such a thing, I will trust your judgment," the Kadie witch insists. He takes another sip, then shakes his head.

"Dredging isn't dangerous at all; it's just dragging the waterbed with a heavy tub, effectively," Andre adds. "How much soil would you need?"

"Would the land you wanted cleared need to be square? Or would it matter?" Zahn asks Madge.

Madge as another sip of wine, and then says, "If you can get a deep sample – maybe three feet below the sediment – then a cubic yard would be good for testing."

Andre considers the amount. "We would need some help from the otters to track how far below the sediment we have reached," he finally says. "Or alternatively, the Wingnuts could try to repair one of the old airsuits that were used when the dam was built."

Jonas twitches his long ears, and says, "I'm with the witch, I think. Do we really need this trade stuff?"

"How much would it cost to get the soil sample?" Erik asks.

"An afternoon on a boat at standard wage; you're not asking for much and we have the equipment for such already," Andre answers.

"For the record, I am not against trade. I am for caution, in this regard. Trade with relations half a world away? Hiding wine from Gallis? Significant labor investments? It's all very far-fetched, very risky, in a time when we already face southern invaders, as well as a unusually large amount of local threats. And remember, trade leads to expanded culture exchange. We risk more than property, we risk culture as well," adds Morgan.

"I'll give you a good deal on a barge rental," Granny promises, although the glint in her eye suggests the 'good deal' would certainly favor the otters.

"I like my culture the way it is," Jonas agrees, but sounds a little less sure.

"So was building the dam," Zahn reminds Morgan. "Many things take risk. If all we ever did was be cautious, we'd still live in mud huts glued to trees and bonk things with nuts."

"I believe that's what Dr. Pike would call a 'slippery slope' argument, Zahnrad," the witch counters. "It's caution that prevented that dam from killing us all, as well. It's a wise man that considers his move carefully, before he makes it."

Concerned over Amelia being so quiet, Zahnrad's attention shifts to the Kadie. His left arm slips around the small of her back and he leans over to whisper, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, well said Zahn," Erik replies. "And we can't remain hidden forever. Stonebarrow should stand out as an example to the rest of Sylvania of that a community can accomplish."

"And who is to say, we are better off away from huts and nuts? You'll see how the Gallisian poor live, despite their fancy homes and cities," the witch adds.

Amelia nods, maybe a little too abruptly though. "Sorry," she whispers. "I'm worried about saying something stupid if I talk."

"Which is why I have stated, as has my son, that we would need to analyze it first," Andre points out to Morgan. "None of us have stated we want to do something stupid."

"And we'll show them a better way too," Erik counters Morgan. "It's high time for Gallis to change as well."

"Of course not," Morgan replies to Andre. "Although, this meeting was arranged without us. I'm not wearing my hat, but I never stop keeping an eye out." He takes a sip. "'It's when you blink  that the hunter steals your stock,'" he quotes.

With a glance to Morgan, Zahnrad starts to say something, then just stops. Apparently, he decided it wasn't the time or place. To Amelia, he says instead, "You can't say anything worse than we already have going on around this table."

"I was not in charge of the invitees," Andre points out, "Nor had any knowledge of what was to be discussed. But I should also note that we do have the right to discuss things without always involving the witches; this does not deal with magical threats or concerns."

"Well, speaking of stealing… ah, once we know if we can produce a high value-to-quantity product, there is the matter of transporting it safely," Erik says. "A new type of airship would be needed. One that could survive Sylvania's capricious skies. Then… well, then the whole country could be opened up. Banditry would be a thing of the past… "

The mention of airships does get Zahn's attention; but he also remembers something Amelia said and lightly noses her cheek before directing his attention to the conversation. Remaining as calm as he can, Zahn says, "Well, that is a bit of a challenge. There are such things as airship pirates. Anyway, beyond that there are complications with materials on building airships around here. Ideally, we would need metal for parts, but, eh, I've been working around that with some experiments with ceramics made by the potters. I think I'm close to a breakthrough on getting a prototype built; but I'm being careful. I made a promise to someone that I wouldn't blow myself up and I intend to keep that promise."

Amelia smiles and squeezes Zahn's hand under the table.

"Ah, but if you had help then you could design something?" Erik asks. "Maybe put together a small scale test craft?"

Thinking a bit further on it, Zahn adds, "And actually, I might be able to use some of it in the project of land recovery to stress test the parts." And with a look to Morgan and Jonas, he adds, "If it is determined it is safe to do so. You have raised valid concerns which would need to be addressed. Please don't think we're dismissing them. We're working out ideas only."

"Ideas are what make the world move forward!" Erik proclaims, wagging his tail and smiling brightly now. "And just think of the benefits to Sylvania! Once we show that it can be tamed by native talent, the Chevaliers lose their last excuse for conquest!"

At the offer of help, Zahnrad flinches. "Well, I made a promise to the Titanian I wouldn't expose the items we are working jointly on. I mean, the only person I've let see any of it has been Amelia because I trust her and share my ideas with her anyway," he explains. "But, maybe I could contract out building parts of it to the Cartwrights and such. I do need some pontoons built and some framework built. The power system I have to do."

"Mmm," Jonas grunts in nominal agreement, while the Mayor has been more concerned with his salad the whole time.

"I only ask that you consider carefully, that is all," Morgan says, sounding a bit calmer. "Remember, I'm the one that fixes your foot when you break it, or soothes your burnt skin when your fuel project explodes." He smiles a little, as if to show there's no hard feelings. "Besides, I'd like to see an airship."

"Well, if you could give me list of materials at least, I could work out the costs of development," Erik says, waving a fork. "Once we know if we can grow grapes again – even just through harvesting the old soil - we'll be able to plan things out better."

"I have one very good reason to be careful Morgan, if nothing else," Zahn says, "I have to plan for a future family." Then looking between Achilles and Morgan, he adds, "And consider the defensive implications if we have airships that can fly here but no one else did. Would you want to invade a place that could attack you easily from above?"

Achilles grins very slightly at that notion.

"At the rate you're dreaming, Zahnrad, Justininople will fear losing the title of capitol," Morgan teases. "For now, I urge modest dreams, and step-by-step work. This all sounds like a great deal of effort, and as I think you've told me, it's the complicated machines that break the most."

"It's a lot of work, yes. But tell me, are your rituals easy?" Zahnrad asks the witch.

"Of course. I am my mother's son," Morgan insists, grinning.

"Then where is your sense of accomplishment? Are you content with just doing things that are easy, or do you like to push your limits?" Zahn asks next.

A few Kadie women come in from the kitchen, bearing trays with the actual dinner courses. Most of them give jealous glances to Amelia when she isn't looking as they lay things out on the table.

"My sense of accomplishment is in helping this village, and keeping your noses dry." The way Morgan gives everyone a look, for a moment, he resembles his mother a little too much. "But," he adds, holding up a finger, "I am also happy if you find your happiness by your own two hands. Don't think I don't know the value of hard work, young Zah- … " he blinks, " … Zahnrad."

"I'm really proud of you Zahn," Amelia whispers, and then smiles across to Morgan. "Liliana did my hair up, Morgan. You should let her do yours too."

Morgan tilts his head, then nods. "You're absolutely right, Amelia. Both to be proud of Zahnrad, and that I should ask Liliana to do my hair," he replies.

"It isn't work that I find happiness directly in; it's doing something that hasn't been done before. Not letting things tell me its impossible or cannot be done," Zahn says then squeezes Amelia's hand beneath the table. "Our town is founded on that idea, if you really think about it. Look what we've built out here in the middle of nowhere."

Morgan nods, but adds, "But it's our tradition that holds us together as we grow. The heart and soul, to our body, if you will."

"Let's eat," Amelia urges. "Bodies and souls and whatnot need to keep up their energy, after all."

"That's something I think we can all agree on," Morgan replies. Then, he reaches for a piece of bread, adding, "I have to keep my girlish figure, after all."

"Also agreed. Besides, one thing I've learned; it's wise to listen to Amelia on such matters," Zahnrad quips. The Kadie then begins his meal. Andre, chuckling, begins his as well.

---

After the meal, Amelia excuses herself to help clear the table, and makes Morgan help as well. With the main discussion of the evening settled, people tend to cluster into smaller groups for casual conversation. Granny has managed to snare Andre into a discussion of fish farming in the reservoir, and Erik is having a lively conversation about rare wines with Madge Silverfoot. Jonas Chalk, Ben Cartwright and the Mayor are also having a low-toned conversation, likely business related. And with Amelia out of the room, Zahn is left suddenly alone.

That is, alone until a large black paw rests on his shoulder, and a deep voice says, "Come get some fresh air with me, Zahnrad."

Every muscle in Zahnrad's body goes tense at the same time. It takes a conscious effort for the Kadie to relax enough that he might be able to speak. In the moments he takes to draw in a breath, he thinks, "Oh Gods, it's her father. He wants to see me … alone. I'm doomed." Finally mustering up enough movement to speak again, he manages out, "Ah, certainly sir!" Afterward, he thinks, "Way to go, sound like a coward."

"This way, then," Achilles says, letting go of Zahn's shoulder and heading out the door to the main entryway.

Zahnrad follows the large Kadie out through the main entryway. In a well practiced effort to calm himself, the Kadie does what he does best. He mentally starts analyzing the architecture.

The building is a bit overbuilt, with more support posts than one would need and thicker walls than usual. Achilles bypasses the stair entry and slides a door back to reveal the balcony-porch that circles the treehouse. "Right this way," he says, before stepping out.

"Mmm, expecting more force than usual load bearing variations. Expected for something that may be assaulted. I wonder if any of my ancestors helped design this?" Zahnrad muses as he follows Achilles out onto the balcony. He draws in another deep breath and pulls his mind away from the architecture so he doesn't have to ask the man to repeat the first question he may ask.

Achilles doesn't stop just outside the door, but actually moves along the side of the building and around the corner. He doesn't look back to see if Zahn follows or not.

Zahn finds this a bit curious, but he does follow along behind the man. "I imagine he doesn't expect anyone to not follow his request," he thinks, "Or maybe he's expecting me to say something."

Around the corner, Achilles has finally stopped, right in front of the brick extrusion of one of the interior fireplaces. He rests his hands on the balcony rail, but doesn't lean forward as he looks out over the compound in silence.

Zahn walks over to the railing and looks out over the Blacktail compound. "I wish I knew what he was thinking," Zahn thinks to himself, "I don't even know what to say to him. It's not like there have been many good interactions between the clans." But the Kadie does decide something, he decides to break the silence. "So," Zahn says, "Unusual meeting. Not quite what I was expecting."

"The discussion or Amelia's dress?" Achilles asks without looking at the younger man yet.

"Both, truth be told," Zahn says. He draws in another breath, then says, "I'm sure you know this, but Amelia is trying hard to impress you. And me, I think. She doesn't need to try to impress me, though; she has done that already in so many ways."

"I understood the message she was sending," Achilles says. "She isn't my little girl anymore." Now the big Kadie does turn to look at Zahn, and asks, "You've been sleeping together, haven't you?"

"Wow, right to the point," Zahn thinks, "Dangerous question; how do I answer that?" Zahn taps his clawtips on the railing, then answers, "We have shared the same bed, but not each other, if that is what you are asking."

"Hmmm, and what are your intentions then?" the man asks next.

"As cliche as it sounds, to be there for each other and support each others hopes and dreams," Zahnrad answers after a bit of thought. "And no I'm not saying that because it's what I think you want to hear. She means the world to me; she encourages me, she's been there when I've needed someone. She rarely left my side when I … when I almost died. After all that, what else could I want for her but to be happy? If that means a life with me, then great. I would be honored. But, if it means she takes a different road, finds someone better, or someone manages to make her dream of becoming a witch come true, then I would support her in that too." The Kadie takes a breath, noting, "Would I be hurt if the latter happened? Yes. But ultimately what matters is that she reaches her dreams."

"Then you've given her what I could not," Achilles admits. "Take good care of my daughter, Zahnrad. She can be reckless at times, so try to keep her out of trouble. I never could – I was only able to give her what she needed to hopefully get out of trouble."

Zahnrad looks momentarily astounded. "So can I, admittedly," Zahn says, "Be a bit reckless, that is. But Amelia helps me with that; she stops me." He pauses, then looks to the larger Kadie, "You've raised an amazing daughter. She prides herself on her skills and that she's part of defending the town. One thing I wish is that she didn't worry so much about how people see her. She was worried tonight."

"That is probably my fault," Achilles notes. "For too long, I looked at her and saw not a living girl but a dead woman. I didn't give her the love or attention she needed, or properly console her after she returned from the witches. Her confidence is in her abilities, but not in her own self worth."

"Why did you see her that way? Because of the loss of your wife?" Zahn asks.

"Yes," the man states flatly.

"You must have loved her dearly," Zahnrad notes, "And it's hard to be reminded that she's gone. My mother was the same way about my brother, Stephen. When he died … she put away everything he ever made for her, closed up his cabin and tried to forget it existed. She refused to have another child after Gunther too; she said she couldn't survive losing another one."

"I remember your mother," Achilles says, grinning slightly. "Andre was lucky her affection fell on him."

"I feel rather lucky as well. I wouldn't be here if she hadn't," Zahn says, for a moment looking a bit relaxed. "My mother is strong. I know she worries about Gunther and I. Granted, we've both done things that have rightfully made people wonder about our sanity … but she's never tried to stop us from trying to follow our dreams. But I can see it in her eyes, though, the worry that something bad might happen. What is it like? To have to let go of a child?"

"You don't ever let go of your children, Zahnrad," the man says. "You never stop being a parent. But Elsa is a Rootrunner, so her ways are… subtle. They are an underappreciated clan, but in truth they help hold us all together, even more than the Skeeks do."

"What clan was your wife from?" Zahn asks, "Amelia has never told me."

"Rootrunner, of course," Achilles says. "You can see it in Amelia's legs."

Zahnrad nods at that, then lets out a breath. "I have to admit, I've been terrified about talking to you. Our clans have not always been on very good terms," the Kadie admits. "I don't know if Amelia told you, but I suggested to her that as much as she's spent time over in our territory helping us that I ought to do the same for the Blacktails. I wanted you to get to know me … not just through the various rumors and otter wagers on what will explode next."

"If you feel obligated, then you can assist Roy," Achilles offers. "That would be the best use of your skills. And speaking of such, have you guessed why I brought you to this spot for our little talk? It is something I don't think your father would be able to figure out."

"It's not a matter of obligation, it's more that I would like to try and bring the families closer," Zahnrad explains. Then at the question, the Kadie has to pause and look around. "Well, if my father would not have figured it out … hm, let me see," he says, then peers over the railing, specifically at the fireplace extrusion to see where it goes.

The fireplace merges with the chimney – also brick – that puffs out a wisp of smoke from the low-burning fire within. The railings seem the same here as anywhere else along the porch, as well.

"Well, I can think of a few possibilities, but I do not know if any of them are correct. One could be that since it is near the fireplace, it would be difficult for someone to press their ear to a wall and listen to the conversation and the crackle of the fire would mask it all the more," Zahnrad muses, "Another could be this spot is traditional for the men of the Blacktails to interview perspective additions to the clan or unions between clans. And yet another is it may have significance to you emotionally; such as you proposed to your wife here and here you are letting go of her daughter. Are any of the possibilities close?"

"The first one is the correct one," Achilles says, nodding in satisfaction. "Jonas cannot eavesdrop on us here. The other two suggestions are interesting as well, in that they do not in any way involve structural details, but people-related ones. Very good, Zahnrad. You didn't answer like a Wingnut would be expected to."

"Well, admittedly I have to deal with the otters and their nearly constant attempts to break into my shop; I've gotten used to having to come up with ways to keep out spies and the like," Zahn says, "The others, well, maybe it's because I came close to dying that I see the people as much as anything. Maybe it's because your daughter helped open my eyes to a wider world. Maybe it's the Rootrunner blood in me. Or maybe is a mix of all three; I couldn't really say. Those were just the first three things that came to mind with a cursory look." Glancing over to Achilles, he adds, "Had we been above a fireplace, a possibility was you could stuff me down it if I offended you." The Kadie tries to smile a bit at the attempt of humor.

"We have a special broom for cleaning the chimneys with, don't worry," Achilles says, without showing any obvious signs of mirth. "And if you had offended me, there isn't much I could do to you anyway. My daughter is rather dangerous when upset."

Zahnrad scratches his ear a bit at that one. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you expecting? About me, that is," Zahn asks.

"Someone… more like your father," Achilles admits. "I have no idea what my daughter sees in you, quite frankly, beyond that you are clever and strong."

Zahnrad looks as if he's not sure quite how to take that as it comes across as a bit insulting at some level. But not wanting to say something bad, he decides that he won't take that as a slight. "She likes my intensity, or so she's old me," he finally says.

"That I can understand, then," Achilles says, sounding a bit sad. "You have ambitions that she can get behind."

"Would you have preferred someone else? Something else?" Zahnrad asks when the tone of sadness registers. "As for ambitions, I know some people in town do not like them."

"We are not an ambitious community by nature," Achilles says. "The Chalks want to be left to live their lives without outside scrutiny. We Kadies want our territories and privacy as well. The otters want the swamp, and Skeeks want security. Ambition can threaten that. Erik's ambitions, yours, anyones. But it was ambition that brought us here in the first place, too, and no matter what we do, we cannot keep the world from moving on around us."

"There is also validity in the concerns raised tonight. But I do disagree that we should stop just because of those concerns. No idea should be accepted on first glance, or dismissed on it, it needs to be throughly looked at. In the end, the answer is likely somewhere in between. I think It would be good for the village if we could grow and expand, be more capable; be able to withstand outside forces better," Zahnrad says as he rests his hands on the railing again. "The Wingnuts probably have the plans for the original town under the swamp in the archives somewhere. I should look for them. It would help show what we have to work with below."

"The Oggtons have mapped it out as well," Achilles says. "But don't let them know that you might have the original layout, or they will never cease hounding you for it. And as for other choices… I had resigned myself that Amelia would never find a partner, beyond raising Morgan's children."

"We have records on anything we've ever been involved in," Zahnrad says, "So we can go back and repair it if needed." At the comment about Morgan's children, he asks, "I know you have many sons, but were you hoping to have grandchildren by Amelia?"

"I want to see what kind of mother she will be, yes," Achilles admits. "I feared she would have been… stunted… by losing her own mother, Abigail, and then her surrogate mother, Isolde, as well. In a just world, she will learn mothering from Elsa now, and your own mother may recall the joy of having a new child."

"In truth, my mother has been happy having her around since none of her children were girls," Zahn says. "I do wonder which side of the family the children would take after, but I would not care one way or another. I also never thought I would be discussing this."

"We're only men, Zahnrad," Achilles says. "Best not to think too much about such things. We will never understand women, and that is probably for the best."

"They're certainly more complicated than anything I work on. I only have to deal with accounting for the forces in multiple dimensions at once as well as the shear and train capabilities of the materials at hand. Much simpler than trying to understand women," Zahnrad says and nods sagely. "So, if Erik's project does go through, I suspect we will be working together. We will need to account for defensive aspects in the design and that is your area of expertise."

"Swamp defense is tricky," Achilles says. "You'll learn more about that during the dredging attempt though."

"How so? Is there something we should concern ourselves with in the older city? Well, outside of the expected collapsing of the muck to fill in dredging attempts, that is," Zahnrad asks.

"The Oggtons will be in charge of your defense," the older man says.

Zahnrad nods. "You were opposed to us going due to the risks," he says.

"For a prolonged construction operation in the swamp, yes," Achilles says. "We can't afford to lose any more of you."

"I'm not sure how long the clan will be around even without dangerous operations," Zahnrad admits with a shrug, "Time will tell. I appreciate the concern, though. I am also glad Amelia has taken to trying to reign in Gunther."

"Your younger brother? The Terror of Mint Dam?" Achilles asks, actually a bit surprised for a change.

"Yeah, him. He's actually called that?" Zahn asks. "She's been trying to get him actual militia training."

Achilles ponders that. "The discipline might do him some good. It would be more certain then if he has inherited the Wingnut spark as well."

"He can be brilliant if he focuses on something," Zahnrad admits. "From what I've heard, he's trying to build some sort of diving suit that mimics the capabilities of otters so that other species can handle the waters easier."

"That could have potential," Achilles admits. "Make sure he doesn't drown himself though."

"We do try to keep our eyes on him," Zahnrad assures. "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

Achilles turns towards Zahn and puts his hands on his shoulders. Staring into his eyes, he asks, very seriously, "Has she tried to get you to chase her?"

"I, er, well," Zahnrad says, looking flustered again, "I don't know. I don't know what someone does to get the other to chase."

The grip relaxes. "Okay, good," Achilles says. "That is… you'll know when she does it. Probably." After a bit of thought, he adds, "I'm pretty sure I used to know… "

"It's good she hasn't tried?" Zahn asks, completely confused now. "I mean, I guess if it does happen, marriage follows soon, right? I … I really don't know how this works."

"Don't worry about it," Achilles says, and pats Zahn on the shoulder. "It's one of those things men are better off not thinking about."

"Okay. So, uh, I have a question for you," Zahn says slowly. "How old were you when you married? And if I asked her, would you be okay with it?"

"I've been married several times since I was your age," Achilles notes. "And when you are ready to ask her… then that is the time for you to ask my permission."

Zahnrad nods slowly at that. "Okay," he agrees and rubs the back of his neck, still confused by this whole process. "Do you have anything else you wish to ask? If not, I should probably go talk to her before she wonders what happened to me."

"Just try to be patient with her, she's probably as confused and uncertain about things as you are," Achilles says, and turns Zahn around and pats him on the back. "I'll be back inside in a few minutes, go on without me."

"If you ever have anything you wish to ask, or just tell me, please do not hesitate to contact me," Zahnrad says and offers a small smile. "You have a wonderful daughter; I hope to remain worthy of her." And with that, Zahn turns and starts his slow walk back into the dining room. On the way, he can't help but think, "That went far differently, and better, than I expected."

---

Back in the Dining Room, the table has been cleared and the tea service brought out. The air is also filled with the aroma of the Blacktail's signature dessert: plum pudding. Amelia and Morgan set out the cake along with bowls of freshly whipped cream.

Zahnrad walks back into the main dining room. He stretches a bit, then rubs the back of his neck as he looks over the group gathered at the table again. Without saying anything he walks back to his seat and sits beside his father. Andre blinks, looks over, and asks, "Where have you been?"

"Having a talk with Mr. Blacktail," Zahnrad says, "Out on the balcony."

Amelia overhears this, and immediately rushes over to Zahn and starts examining his head for injuries. "Are you okay?" she asks nervously.

"I should hope he didn't hurt you," Morgan remarks. He pauses in setting silverware, stepping over to examine Zahnrad as well. "You don't look injured … Have all your limbs I see … "

"Gah!" Zahn says as Amelia starts examining his head. Quickly he tries to grab her hands. "I'm fine. We had a nice talk. Why does everyone think he would hurt me?"

"I… I didn't think he would hurt you," Amelia says quickly. "It's just that… the porch is old and… you could have tripped… "

"And here, some day I thought I'd be the one getting hurt out on the rail. How times change." Seeing Zahnrad is intact, Morgan returns to setting the table. "I do love plum pudding."

"Glad to see you have faith in my ability to walk," Zahnrad says with a rather amused look on his face. "I think he may actually even like me, but it's hard to tell," he notes.

Amy sits down next to Zahn again, and just blinks. "Really?"

Andre peers at Zahnrad for a bit, then nods. "You can tell me about it later and I can check for signs of torture," he says. That elicits a swat from Zahn on his father's arm.

"Well, we talked a lot about you and about things in general," Zahnrad tells Amelia. "He even told me to take good care of you. I would presume that implies he doesn't dislike me."

Achilles enters the dining room finally, and takes up his seat again. "Have a nice walk?" Jonas asks him with a smirk, to which the Kadie doesn't reply at all.

"What did he say about me?" Amy whispers as her father returns.

Morgan's ears swivel when Achilles enters, but he doesn't look up. "This is a fine pudding," he remarks to no one on particular.

"Lots of things," Zahnrad whispers quickly to Amelia, "I got the impression he was sorry he wasn't able to be there more for you. I can talk to you more about it later." He then sits back upright and sniffs the pudding. "I don't think I've ever had this," he notes.

Amelia pulls over one of the bowls of whipped cream, and spoons some onto her pudding. "You should try it with whipped cream. Everything is better with whipped cream on it," she suggests. "Morgan whipped it up himself. He's very good with a spoon."

"It looks … gooey," Zahnrad observes.

"The spoon is my other magic wand," Morgan insists. "I make kitchen magic, too." Morgan spoons some whip cream on his own pudding, as if to demonstrate.

"I make kitchen disasters," Zahnrad notes. "Or at least that's what my Mother says. She refuses to let me improve anything in there."

"It's fun to lick off of things too," Amelia says, and puts a dollop onto Zahn's cake for him. "I'm not sure you can engineer food… well, maybe sandwiches."

"She refuses to let anyone improve anything in there," Andre adds as he gets the bowl of whipped cream after Amelia finishes with it. "Not after the cake incident."

"Oh, the cake incident," Morgan says with an air of knowing. He then pauses, tilting his head. "Which cake incident was this? I suddenly remember far too many 'cake incidents' striking Stonebarrow. I'm starting to feel old."

"Hey, I figured out the recipe on my third try," Amelia grumbles to Morgan. "It's not like you were sick from it for more than a day or three… "

"You can't engineer food, but you can engineer the process that makes it. For example, I built an automated cake maker," Zahnrad explains. "Except there was a small miscalculation."

Amelia thinks of the possible things that could go wrong with a cake making machine. "Did it mix too fast?" she prompts.

"Well, no," Zahnrad starts to say.

"Ohhhh, that cake recipe. That's when I memorized – by heart! – all those stomach remedies. Pain can be quite the teacher, yes indeed." Morgan focuses on his pudding, but grins around his spoon. His tail flicks against Amelia teasingly.

"No, the spring force was off. Instead of sliding them into the oven, it threw them at Elsa," Andre finishes. "She was quite battered."

"And mad," Zahn adds.

Morgan just shakes his head. "I'll never understand technology," he admits.

"Umm, you won't want me to try new kitchen devices like that, will you?" Amelia asks, and flicks her own tail back at Morgan under the table.

"Well, I bet I could make something that whips cream. Should be easy enough. I just need a whip," Zahnrad muses and rubs his chin. "That shouldn't too dangerous."

"It doesn't use an actual leather whip, Zahnrad. A spoon will do, but the whip we mean is a hollow jumble of wires attached to a stock," explains the witch. He takes a bite of pudding, goes 'mmm,' then takes a sip of wine.

"Well, that's rather boring," Zahnrad comments and finally takes a bite of the pudding.

Eating her own cake, Amy has a habit of licking the cream off of the fork after each bite and going 'mmmmm'.

Andre taps his chin as if remembering something. "Oh, yes, Amelia, we have some work for you if you're not too busy in the next few days," he says in between bites.

"What is it?" Amy asks cautiously, her fork still in her mouth.

"We would appreciate if you would work with Gunther to clear some slugs from the eastern gearing section of the dam," Andre says calmly as he starts doodling some sort of diagram in the whipped cream on his pudding. "It should take an hour or two at the most."

That statement generates a snort from Zahn and a rather wide-eyed look. "You're assigning her to work with Gunther?" he asks his father when he recovers. "Why not me?"

"Ehh, slugs?" Amelia says, looking as if she's suddenly lost her appetite. "Can I use salt?"

"I can provide salt," Morgan offers, trying to hide a shudder at the mention of slugs.

"We would prefer that you not. Salt and slug residue gums up the mechanism," Andre notes.

"And as for you, Zahn, Gunther is a better choice. You and her might get distracted," Andre adds.

"How about a flamethrower then?" Amelia asks.

Zahnrad glares just for a moment, then his ears perk as if something just came to him. Whistling quietly, he doodles in his whipped cream now. A moment later Amelia can feel him nudging her foot.

"That would destroy the mechanism," Andre points out.

Amy looks to what Zahn is doodling.

Roughly doodled in the cream is 'Test'. Zahn then goes back to eating his pudding.

Amelia hmms, and nibbles on her dessert while she thinks. Finally, she asks Andre, "Is it okay to come up with a way to permanently get rid of the slugs?"

"Perhaps if you left something out the slugs prefer, they'd gravitate to that," Morgan suggests. "You can catch more flies with honey."

"There are plants they don't like either, like mint," Amelia notes. "And there's plenty of that available near the dam."

"If you can, that would be excellent," Andre says approvingly.

Next to Andre, Granny Oggton gets ahold of the whipped cream and spoons it directly into her mouth.

"Miss Oggton," Zahnrad says, addressing the otter. "I was just thinking a bit about the swamp and dredging exercise. Do you have a boat you don't mind me modifying?"

"Manners, Granny Oggton," Morgan insists. Intercepting her undoubtedly heated response, he holds up a finger to stall her, and grins widely. "Just don't put it back in."

"Moddiwhat?" Granny asks, turning to look over at Zahn. She holds her spoon defiantly over the bowl, but doesn't dip it back in just yet.

"Modify. I was thinking about Erik's plans," Zahnrad says as his spoon swirls on top of his pudding. "And I realized I can combine efforts on both airships and this dredging work. I can use a boat to stress test the engine I've been working on. Safer than an airship; plus I've wondered how fast I could get one of the boats moving on the water anyway."

"Rrrr," Granny chuffs, and seems lost in thought for a moment – just enough time for Madge to scoot the bowl away from her without being noticed. "Fletch and Mizzry got the crane boat. Oughtter talk to them 'bout it," she decides.

Zahnrad blinks a few times as he parses the answer. "All right," he says slowly, "I'll do that." With a shrug, he resumes eating his pudding.

"Mind the bog faeries," Morgan notes out of the blue, before taking another bite of pudding.

"Bog faeries don't exist," Zahnrad notes and waves his spoon at the witch. "Even you know that."

"The otters claim to see them," Amy comments, but doesn't have much conviction in her voice. Otters will claim to see mermaids and dragons if there's fun to be had in doing so.

"I've used some of their moonshine in some tests. If I drunk that, I bet I would see them too. That stuff is caustic," Zahnrad says with a grin. "I bet it could even remove rust from old metal hinges."

"Well, of course, it's not as if I'm an expert of magical beings around Stonebarrow … " Morgan grins a little, then takes another bite. "This really is good plum pudding." Another bite, and he adds, "Or some sort of bog faerie king, or some-such. Certainly not."

"You should bring some to Roy then," Amy suggests, then gives Morgan an odd look at the mention of a bog faerie king.

Zahnrad gives Morgan an odd look too. "I think you have been drinking some of that stuff, then," he finally says, then shrugs. To Amelia, he says, "I ought to just give it to Deirdre to take to him. She might get mad if I went."

"Why would she get mad?" Amy asks. "Because she'd want to bring it to him instead?"

"Something like that. She's competitive about a lot of things," Zahn notes between bites. "She wouldn't like me taking up his time."

Morgan just shrugs, smiling. He takes another bite, then sips at his wine.

"Father," Zahn says to Andre, "You're the expert on hydraulics. Do you have enough time to do some calculations on what will be needed?"

"Hm?" Andre looks up. Apparently he was lost in thought. Also apparently he's good at sculpting pudding; it now looks like a miniature waterwheel. "Oh, yes, right. I'll do some rough calculations in the next few days on what we'll need. I can manage the time."

"It's a wonder you two aren't malnourished," Amelia notes. "You're supposed to eat your food you know."

Morgan just shakes his head. "I always urge them to eat more, and do they listen? No, of course not," he sighs.

Zahn grins sheepishly. "This is why we save work discussions for after dinner and dessert back home. Otherwise we get … distracted," he notes.

"Right, pudding," Andre says, and proceeds to eat his pudding-wheel, one paddle at a time.

"I'm distracted on a great many things," Zahn also admits with a sigh. Shaking his head briefly, he finally eats his pudding.

"I'll have to make sure you don't get distracted during other activities then," Amelia notes.

"Other activities? There's more to do?" Zahn asks as he sets down his spoon.

"Not right now, but… eventually," Amelia says cryptically.

"Uh-oh," Morgan remarks.

Zahn peers at Amelia, then to Morgan. "She's plotting something, isn't she?" he asks him.

Morgan looks between Zahnrad, then Amelia, then back again. Stuffing a spoonful of pudding in his mouth, he gives a noncommittal – and non-comprehensible – answer, then shrugs.

Zahnrad can't help but glance to his own father, then to Achilles, looking for some vague glimmer of a hint.

Andre is just happily finishing up the pudding finally. "It's a pity you can't make grease taste like whipped cream. It would make holding tools between your teeth more pleasant," he comments.

Achilles is talking to Erik about something in hushed tones, and not paying any attention at all to the other side of the table.

"Hmm, apparently no one is on my side tonight," Zahnrad mutters to himself. He then glances towards Jonas to see if he's listening in to the conversation.

The Lapi may well be listening in on every conversation, since his ears seem to pan around the table even while he chats with the mayor.

"So, is there anything else we're going to discuss tonight?" Zahn asks the others as he tidies up around his seating area out of habit.

Morgan follows Zahnrad's gaze to Jonas, whom he stares at thoughtfully a moment, before frowning. When he looks down in to his pudding, his inner ears seem redder.

"I don't think so," Amy says. "It's usually brandy and smoking after dessert. Old-man sort of stuff."

"Hmm. I'm not old," Zahnrad admits quietly, "I'm not sure what to do. I feel like I ought to help clean or be fixing something. Is anything broken?"

Amelia shakes her head. "You don't have to stay though if you're bored."

"I'll remain to clean up the desert – why don't you two take a walk, Zahnrad, Amelia?" Morgan offers.

"I'm staying with you," Zahnrad says quietly, "You went to a lot of trouble tonight. It would be rude if I just left. I just wish we could more freely talk. Your father made sure we couldn't be heard when we were talking."

"Well, we can go for a walk," Amy suggests.

"Well, if only for a few minutes, at least," Zahnrad says as he stands, then offers his arm to Amelia.

Amy rise up and takes Zahn's arm, then excuses herself and Zahn as they leave for the entryway. "Did you want to go down to the ground, or just out to the porch?" she asks.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," the witch advises. Then he leans back, cradles his wine, and smiles contentedly.

"Why don't we go down to the ground? I haven't gotten to see much of your home, really," Zahnrad says. Then with a glance to Morgan, Zahn says one word, "Liliana."

Morgan swirls his wine. "Don't do anything Liliana wouldn't do, either," he adds, grinning.

"We'll be back in a few minutes. Both of us could use a bit of leg stretching," Zahn tells the others. "If anyone leaves before we get back do have a great evening."

At the bottom of the stairs, Amy leans her head against Zahn's shoulder and asks him, "So what would you like to see?"

"Well, is there any places you used to like to play when you were younger? Places where you had fond memories?" Zahnrad asks as he lightly puts his arm around Amelia. "I can tell you about what your father and I talked about while we walk."

"There's the goat pond," Amy says, and leads Zahn along a path through the orchard.

"What I say here please do not repeat to him. I do not know if he wants you to know. Your father had a hard time raising you," Zahn says as the two walk. "He told me that … when he saw you, he always saw your mother. I think losing her was very hard on him. And that he's glad someone can give you something he wasn't able to. I think he meant he's glad I make you happy."

Amy stays quiet through this, but finally nods. "The pond is over here," she says, turning off the path. After a short walk, they reach the muddy bank of a dark pond, maybe sixty feet across at most. Clumps of swamp reeds dot the edges, and there doesn't seem to be much else growing in or around it.

"He also asked if we had been sleeping together," Zahnrad comments as they reach the pond. The Kadie kneels down and sniffs a bit to see if the water has an odd smell to it.

The water smells no different from the swamp, for the most part.

"I told him the truth; that we have shared a bed, but not each other," Zahnrad says next.

"Well, that's good," Amelia says, looking out over the water. "Was he surprised?"

"I think he was, actually. That's when he wanted to know what my intentions were toward you," Zahnrad says as he stands back up. "I told him the truth. I just wanted you happy, even if it meant it wouldn't be with me. If I knew how to fix it so you could be a witch, I would, you know."

"I don't know if I'd be a good witch anymore," Amelia admits, then reaches down to pick up a pebble and toss it into the center of the pond. After the ripples settle, a pair of armored eyestalks poke up out of the water briefly.

"Why not?" Zahn asks as he eyes the eyestalks, wondering what the heck that is.

"I've done as much as I could to put it behind me is all," Amelia says, and tosses another pebble to get the eyes to reappear. "It looks like somebody is still feeding the goat here at least. It's been ages since I've come here."

"The what?" Zahn has to ask, "The weird thing with the dangly eyeballs?"

"It's a mud goat; a big bottom-feeding fish from the swamp," Amy says. "They eat anything. Good for garbage disposal. Not very smart or fast, but I never dared wade out into the pond as a kid."

"Oh, yeah, it might try to eat you," Zahn says with a short nod. Pausing for a moment, he then says, "Your father does care about you. A lot. He couldn't give you everything you needed, but he gave you what he could; he taught you to protect yourself. He wants you to be safe."

"I know," Amelia says. "I'm glad that he seems to like you," she adds, sounding a bit more happy.

"He never explicitly said he liked me. At one point he said he wasn't sure what you saw in me other than I was clever and strong. I wasn't sure how to take that, but with everything else he said and glad I could make you happy, I think he liked me. He wants to see what kind of mother you'll make," Zahnrad says.

Amy smiles at that, and looks sidelong at Zahn. "What about you?"

"Oh, I like me a lot. Been around myself my whole life," Zahnrad says and smiles. But before he can get hit, he quickly adds, "But of you as a mother, actually I do. I've actually been thinking about it a bit."

This last part surprises Amelia, and she actually blushes. "Your mom says she isn't ready to be a grandmother yet."

"She doesn't want to think of herself as old, that's all," Zahnrad notes with a shrug. Glancing to Amelia, he asks, "Which side of the family would you think they would take after?"

"Hmmm, both of course," Amelia says, grinning. "Ready to head back? I want to be able to go back to the dam with you and your father. I'll need your help to get out of this dress later."

"Hey Amelia, can I go look through your clothes?" the familiar voice of Morgan calls out, from somewhere inside.

"Nothing I have will fit you, Morgan, you know that!" Amy calls back.

"That's a scary thought," Zahn says, then has to add quickly, "About the sides, not about getting you out of your dress!" The Kadie then covers his face with his hands, muttering, "And I don't mean it to sound like that either!"

"And yet you still borrow my clothes," Morgan retorts from inside.

"Oh, and uh, I have a question," Zahn says slowly, trying to not look directly at Amelia, "Is it a good sign that when I decide I should marry you that I will need to ask your father for permission? Does that mean he's open to the idea, or not?"

"Come on," Amy says, tugging on Zahn's ear. "Maybe you could use a shot of brandy after all." She starts to reply to Morgan, then gets derailed by Zahn's question. "Well… he has to be open to it, whether he likes it or not!" she claims.

"Ow, hey," Zahnrad says as he's pulled along by his ear, "You're going to make me look like a Lapi if you keep doing that!" Still, the Kadie is grinning a bit. "This has been an odd night, and I have a lot of work to do soon. Erik has no idea how much work his plans may take," he comments.

"Erik has no idea about a lot of things," Amelia notes. "But he doesn't let that stop him, you have to give him that much credit."

"In that we are similar," Zahnrad quips as the two walk. "We'll see how his project goes. And if I haven't said it in the past hour or so, you look beautiful." He peers at the compound ahead, then adds, "And we had better make sure Morgan hasn't gone through your things anyway, then claim he was just exorcising bog fairies or something. What is he thinking? Bog faeries?"