Arrival|Naurorod

[Northen Light36]

Shadow pulls Lightning to a stop as he and Lya arrive on the edges of the celebration and looks out over the crowd for anyone he knows. Spotting Tres and Thelon, he dismounts, seeming almost as excited by the celebrations as any child in the area.

"Come on dear, let's go say hello then see if we can find where Damien's hiding," he suggests, helpping Lya dismount and then shooing the horses into a make-shift corral where some of the Clan horses are already being kept.

Tres looks up from trying to convince Libra to go join the other Fira children in their game against the Char children as Shadow leads his wife over. "Shadow! I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it," she exclaims, giving him a friendly hug. "Damien and Ann would have been extremely disappointed with you."

"Now Tres, I made no promises about coming," Shadow laughs. "Tres, allow me to introduce my wife, Lya. Lya, this is the elder of Clan Fira, Tres." Introductions out of the way, Shadow smiles at Thelon. "Didn't expect to see you out here, Thelon."

[Kender Bard]

Libre looked up at the Queen and Luminous with a wide grin. "Hello Lya!"

Lya smiled at the child then curtseyed carefully while holding Luminous close. "Greetings, Elder Tres. Thelon, it is a pleasure to see you again."

Thelon smiled. "Aye, and you. Look, Lya, my daughter! Her name is Flames."

"Ooh, she's adorable," Lya cooed. Libre shuffled forward.

"M'lady?" he mumbled. Lya cocked her head. "C-can I play with Luminous?"

Lya raised her brow and glanced at Thelon. Thelon shrugged and smiled. "He's played with her before, during the war in Talensul."

Lya hands her daughter over, very carefully and not without some great trepidation. She figured Vortai would keep a close eye over them. Libre seemed to glow. Holding Luminous, to him, was like hugging a friend. It wasn't the same as with Flames. He took Luminous away a bit so he could sit and talk to her. He'd found her to be a very good confident.

[Northen Light36]

Shadow watches his daughter and Libre like a hawk, much to Tres' amusement. "He isn't going to eat her, Shadow." The King laughs and gives Tres a sheepish look.

"With every thing that's happened, can you blame me for being a little paranoid?"

"No, of course not," Tres replies. "Even if your daughter had spent her entire life in her room, you'd be paranoid. Damien's just as bad with Ann." Shadow chuckles.

"Forces help us if Lumi and Ann wind up getting into as much trouble as Damien and I," he remarks.

"Hopefully if we keep encouraging the children to play together, Libre's sense will restrain any influence you and Damien have had on the girls," Tres remarks with an eye roll.

"Where is Damien?" Shadow asks, looking around. Tres frowns.

"Good question... Thelon dear, can you call him?" she asks her husband.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon nodded, bringing his fingertips to one of his signs. "Certainly dear." Focusing he sent out a call. ~Damien, come here. Shadow and Lya have arrived.~ He kept his hand on his sign, keeping his mind alert to 'listen' for any reply.

[Northen Light36]

'Forces damn it, not now...' Damien thinks, oddly stressed/pained, accidently projecting his thoughts to Thelon. 'I'll be there in a few minutes, Thelon,' he deliberately thinks back at the Mind.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon looked worried. "He'll be here soon," he mumbled to the King and Queen, casting Tres a sideways glance. ~Something is wrong with Damien, Tres. He seems very... distracted. Upset maybe. Enough that he wasn't shielding his thoughts.~

[Northen Light36]

"Something the matter, Thelon?" Shadow askes, noticing the expression on the other leader's face.

Maybe it's nothing, Thelon, Tres thinks back to her husband. Maybe someone just decided to corner him with some complaint or he's in the middle of something. With a hint of mental amusement, she adds, Maybe Ann's gotten herself into trouble again.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon schooled his expression into a blankness, though inwardly he winced. "I don't know," he admitted truthfully.

Lya looked about thoughtfully. She was wilting under the sun a bit. "I wish I'd packed better."

[Northen Light36]

Greatful for the distraction, Tres smiles at Lya. "Yes, you do look a bit hot," she says sympathicly. "I'll tell you what, Lya, you're about the same build as my little sister, Tavia, and she always leaves some Fire style dresses with for when she visits. How about I lend you a couple of those before you bake? Thelon and Shadow can wait for Damien and watch the children."

"That sounds like a good idea," Shadow agrees, eying Thelon carefully but not questioning the other leader.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon smiles and just nods. "Of course dear. Lya would look lovely in a dress of this culture I'd wager. Even I admit, I like the outfits for myself as well."

Libre wandered back to the adults. Luminous shouted another resounding 'Hi!' to everyone.

"Doesn't she know any other words?" Libre asked with a sigh.

[adris]

Vortai had been following up until now, keeping his eye on the proceedings without trying to listen in on the conversation. He did perk up when he heard Luminous say hello again, and he sent a smile in her direction. He is much more prepared for this area this time around.

"She says enough, especially when nobody has been spending exhausting efforts teaching her I'd say she is learning pretty quick."

It might have been more along the lines that he wanted to be proud of his charge. He hoped she would see a lot of years on this world, and a good many of them would be happy. It was up to him to make sure that all works out for her.

[Northen Light36]

Tres smiles and quickly leads Lya away to change while Shadow gives Libra and Vortai an amused look. "Give her time, Libre," he laughs.

Damien choses now to appear, looking perfectly normal at first glance. A closer look though would reveal his hands are trembling just slightly and his hair's damp with sweat. A flicker of concern crosses Shadow's face before he glances at Thelon then schools himself back to a relaxed smile. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd show up Damien."

"The same could be said for you, Shadow," Damien replies lightly, then nods to Thelon. "Thank you for letting me know Shadow had arrived Thelon."

[Kender Bard]

"Of course," Thelon says. ~Is something wrong, Damien?~

Libre regards Luminous thoughtfully. "I could teach her," he offers. "Dad says I'm really smart."

"Very," Thelon corrects automatically.

"Very smart," Libre echoes, doing the same.

[Northen Light36]

No Thelon, nothing, Damien lies silently. Shadow smiles at Libre.

"If you want to, you're welcome to try," he tells the boy. "But don't be disappointed if you can't manage it. Lya, Lumi and I are only staying a few days." The King then looks over at Damien. "How have you been Damien?" he asks, the barest hint of concern in his tone and sincerely wishing Libre and Thelon were somewhere else.

"Well enough, Shadow," Damien replies, aware of the double meaning in Shadow's words. "No better or worse then usual."

[Kender Bard]

Thelon, feeling awkward with his wife gone, walks off with Libre and the princess to go help his son tutor the young Princess.