Seeking Tall, Dark, and Grumpy

[Darastrix]

Cass pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders and folded her wings in closer to her body. The last few weeks had been a veritable nightmare: she'd left on business with William to Anarlina, found out that one of her guild kids had been murdered, rushed back, and it had just been one thing after another. To top that off, she hadn't had a chance to see Amaro, and he hadn't come to see her, either. She'd been by his home and found it shut up tight, so she guessed he might've gone off somewhere and they'd just missed each other between her coming and going. She was still a little miffed, though, truth be told.

She sighed and made her way to the Veatherfall residence, hoping Talon or Alethia might know where he'd gotten off to and if she could send a message to wherever that might be.

I'd like him to be the first to know, Cass thought to herself, sighing a bit as she knocked at the door.

[Kender Bard]

Muffled from the door, but still audible, come the twin voices of Talon and Spice, both shouting excitedly, "I got it, I got it!"

Talon opened the door with one hand, playfully holding his energetic son in a headlock with his other arm. "Cass!" he exclaims, laughing. "Come inside, before you catch a death of cold."

"Hi Aunt Cass!" Spice cries out, squealing with laughter as his father scoops him up and carries him upside down. "Wrong way, daddy!"

"Hello Cass!" Alethia calls out from the other room where she was cleaning up after her children. She comes out to see her friend as well, Crentha trailing behind her, clinging to her mother's skirt.

[Darastrix]

Cass laughs at Talon and Spice and steps into the house. "Hello, all," she says, shutting the door behind her. She fluffs out her slightly damp feathers and loosens her cloak.

"Where's Amaro gotten off to? I haven't seen him since I got back from Anarlina." She frowns slightly. "I know I've been crazy busy lately, but he could've at least sent a message or something."

[Kender Bard]

Alethia was a little surprised that he hadn't; but then, it was a long trip.

"Ah... Cass, Amaro took Acqua and went to Ilyamen," Talon explained, bouncing Spice before righting him on his feet. "It being winter, I imagine the going is slow. I'm sure he'll send a letter or something when he gets there. He wanted to go see the mercenary guild set up there."

[Darastrix]

"We might even have missed each other with me coming from Anarlina and him and Acqua leaving," she murmured. "Ah well. Did he say when he might be expected back?" Cass asked. "I have a bit of news, and I'd really rather tell him myself instead of writing a letter."

[Kender Bard]

"Probably in the spring," Alethia comments. "Incidentally, Talon and I will be taking the family on our own trip in Spring so we might miss Amaro coming back."

"What news?" Talon asks, ever-curious.

"Talon," Alethia scolds gently.

[Darastrix]

"It's all right," Cass assures Alethia. "If he doesn't get back until spring, you'll all find out before then even if I don't say anything." She smiles at the couple, a bit disappointed to not be telling Amaro first, but still glad she can share this with them.

"Amaro's going to be a father."

[Kender Bard]

For a moment there's nothing but dead silence.

Then everything erupts at once. Alethia rises with a little cry of delight, going to embrace Cass, while Talon gives a loud whoop of glee and delight, actually jumping in place and laughing. Spice, caught up by his father's enthusiasm begins to mimic him, cheering and hopping around. Crentha just grins and claps because everyone seems so happy.

[Darastrix]

Cass hugs Alethia back warmly, laughing herself. "I'd suspected for a while, but I didn't want to say anything to anyone until I was sure."

[Kender Bard]

"I'm so happy for you," Alethia gushes. "Etaf's stars, Amaro is going to be over the moon when he finds out."

"We need to tell him right away!" Talon adds eagerly.

"Not a letter," Alethia warned.

"No," Talon agreed, still grinning. "But for an occasion like this, I think I can pay a Mind to take Cass to Ilyamen so she can tell him herself. What do you say, Cass?"

[Darastrix]

"I don't think I'd have thought of that," Cass says. "But I like the idea," she adds with a grin. "Do you know of any Minds around, though? Off the top of my head, the only ones I can think of probably couldn't manage the trip."

[Kender Bard]

"There's Tavin," Talon suggested. "At the very least, it wouldn't hurt to ask them right?"

[Darastrix]

Cass nods. "Tavin was one of the Minds I was thinking of. Zira's the other, but he seems to spend half his time away in Anarlina nowadays, among other things." Despite her busy schedule, she's managed to keep up on the latest gossip, partly in thanks to Uriel.

"Well, let's go pay him a visit, then," she says with a smile.

[Northen Light36]

Tavin is, as usual, at home, bent over his desk and working on drawing a new map for a client. Farther down the hall, Aideen and Tavia are hard at work mixing cold medicenes, a messy and dull task. So Aideen's delighted to hear a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" she yells, taking flight down the hall.

"Aideen Eden Star! Not in the house!" Tavia shouts after her daughter, while Tavin just chuckles.

"Hello!" Aideen greets Talon, Alethia and Cass with a smile. She looks over Talon and adds, "Don't tell me you've gotten hurt again?" Aideen grins, knowing Talon's habit of being reckless at work all too well.

[Kender Bard]

"Not this time," Talon assures her.

"Hi!" the two children chorus together, beaming at Aideen; who more than once was asked to keep an eye on them.

"Is Tavin home?" Alethia inquired.