Dark news|Skyheort, Talen'sul

[Northen Light36]

A storm man battles his way through the lighting to knock on the door of Talon and Alethia's house. After taking a wary glance at the sky to judge if any lightning is about to come down on his head, he glances at the battered letter he's carrying. "All the way from Ilyamen, hmm?" he murmurs, wondering idly what the contents might be. Glancing at the sky and deciding he's not paid enough, he knocks on the door again.

[Kender Bard]

Talon opens the door, looking concerned. He had just been speaking with his wife about the troubles plaguing the city and his nerves were a little jumpy. "Oh my!" He opens the door wider. "Please, come in and take shelter with us, sir."

[Northen Light36]

"Thank you," the man replies, stepping inside. "Are you Talon Veatherfall? I have a letter for you here. Came all the way from Ilyamen."

[Kender Bard]

Talon perks up and nods. "Aye, wow!" he exclaims. "Yes, that's me. Alethia!" He glances towards the kitchen. Alethia looks out at him inquiringly. "Fix this nice messenger a warm drink."

Alethia smiled and nodded, going to get the man hot apple cider. Talon went to his chair and sat down to open the letter, curious who could have sent it. Spice laid on a soft rug in the middle of the floor, giggling contently.

[Northen Light36]

The man nods in thanks to Alethia. "Lovely home you've got here," he comments to Alethia. "My name's Zap by the way."

Amaro's letter is rambling and jumbled, clearly revealing how poor his state of mind was while writing it, and the ink has run in a couple of places where a tear had hit the parchment. Once it's been read a few times and the rambling has been sorted out, the story of the events leading up to Acqua's death and Amaro's 'plan' to find Etaf can be made out.

[Kender Bard]

Talon stares blankly at the paper, mind numb for the moment. Alethia smiles to Zap as she brings him a steaming cup of cider. "Careful, it's hot. What did the letter say, dear?"

Lifting his head, Talon stares at his wife, wondering how in the world he'd break the news to her. Sensing something wrong, she frowns and moves closer, hand reaching out to take the latter. He pulls it back from her. "Talon?"

Talon crumples the letter in his hand and turns his head, not able to look her in the eyes. "It's... Acqua."

Alethia pales. "Oh Forces," she whispers and forcefully grabs the parchment from Talon's hand, reading it. Pained, Talon stares at their fireplace. Alethia trembles and begins to cry silently. The room is quiet and tense, punctuated only by the blissfully ignorant cooings of their baby.

[Northen Light36]

Zap looks uncomfortable, not knowing what to say as he realises the letter brought bad news to the family. After a moment though, brotherly instints kick in and he moves over to gently and soothingly rub Alethia's back. "Who's Acqua?" he asks quietly.

[Kender Bard]

"My sister," she says, voice breaking as she dissolves into tears. Talon jumps up to comfort his wife, but Alethia pushes him away, much to his surprise.

"Alethia," he ventures cautiously. "What-"

"You kept me from her," Alethia cried. It was a wild and stupid accusation, but she wasn't thinking clearly. "Damn you! You drove her off!"

Hurt, Talon stands numbly and stares at his wife. Spice, picking up on the distress finally, begins to whimper and whine but Alethia doesn't go to him. Talon hesitates then goes to pick up his son, but when his back is turned, Alethia drops the parchment and runs outside. He gasps and starts to follow, Spice in his arms, hesitating though when lightning brightens the sky. He can't very well go after her with Spice or leave the baby alone.

[Northen Light36]

"I'll go," Zap offers. "I can handle the lighting and I have sisters of my own." Without waiting for Talon's reply, the Storm hurries outside and after Alethia.

[Kender Bard]

Alethia ran half-blindly, though in the general direction of south. She managed to get quite far before some electricity touched down disturbingly close to where she was, and her fright caused her to stand still, paralyzed.

[Northen Light36]

Zap hurries up and catches hold of her shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asks, trying to look her over for injury while also keeping and eye on the sky. "It's not safe out here," Zap adds. "If you don't want to go home, that's all right, but will you let me bring you some place safer then this?"

[Kender Bard]

Alethia stares at Zap a moment before nodding. She would be grateful to just stop thinking and be led around. She takes his hand into her own shaky one and lets him lead.

[Northen Light36]

Zap takes her hand and leads her carefully to the inn where he's staying at the moment and upstairs to his room. There he hesitates, not wanting to start rumors by closing the door but not wanting to deny Alethia some privacy. After a moment of debate, he closes the door halfway then goes to sit on the bed. "Older sister or younger?" he asks.

[Kender Bard]

"Younger," she answered dully, pacing around the room, unable to sit down for an instant. "Oh Etaf's curse, why?" She shook her head and rubbed her eyes fiercely. "It's my fault, not Talon's. I should have waited for her before moving back home. It's just.. The winds in Maelstrom.. Everyone was leaving.. It was so confusing.. Oh..." She balled up her fists. "Acqua..." She rambled on like that at length a bit longer, seeming to have forgotten Zap's presence until finally she talked herself out and stared at him again, remembering he was there. "I'm sorry."

[Northen Light36]

Zap shakes his head. "Don't be," he told her. "I have three sisters of my own, one of them younger. I'd be worse then you are if something happened to any of them." He doesn't bother with telling Alethia it's not her fault, right now he doubts she'd believe him. That can come later. "You must care about your sister a great deal. Would you tell me about her?"