Letting go is hard to do

[Northen Light36]

Tres is having a pleasent day. Libre's playing happily with the other Fira children, Flame is sleeping peacefully and Ann has stopped by for a chat, as is becoming something of a habit for the pair of them.

The habit probably had a lot to do with Ann's longing to know more about the parents she couldn't remember and Tres' need to at least talk a little about the friends she'd now lost to someone she could afford to risk crying in front of.

"Maybe I should pay Shadow a visit," she thinks idly, just as Thelon teleports into the clan.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon looks about until spotting Tres and then smiles and walks over to greet her with a kiss. "Hello darling," he says with a smile. "May we talk?"

[Northen Light36]

"Of course," Tres says after returning the kiss. Ann smiles, nods a greeting to Thelon then slips off to find someone else to talk to. "What's the matter?"

[Kender Bard]

"Nothing as such," Thelon assures Tres. "Gemma approached me with a request that I find quite reasonable but I would not give her permission until I spoke with you. She wishes to spend the winter with her Uncle - not of great worry. She'd probably stay entirely in Ilyamen, reminding me that winter is a time of idleness for mercenaries."

[Northen Light36]

Tres frowns slightly, considering. "I don't know, Thelon," she remarks. "I've never known Zap to be idle. He likes to travel and visit Artica, Tavia and me in winter... Which isn't a problem, i guess..." Tres frowns. "I just don't want him encouraging Gemma's foolish ideas of being a mercenary. I don't want our daughter living that lifestyle, Thelon. It's bad enough that my brother does."

[Kender Bard]

"I think he can respect our wishes," Thelon said carefully, choosing his words as tactfully as possible. "I see no reason to let her spend time with her Uncle, even moreso if it allows her to see the rest of her family."

[Northen Light36]

Tres sighes, looking out over the clan. For a long moment, she seems to be waring with herself, then she sinks into a seat and stares down at her hands. "She's 21, Thelon... This isn't some stage she's going to grow out of, is it?" Tres asks softly, a flicker of defeat in her tone.

[Kender Bard]

"No dear," Thelon agrees as he puts an arm around her gently. "By her age, my father had me neck deep in the politics of the communities. In truth, he threw me into the deep part of the lake. Looking back, I'm glad he did. I would have been chafing too. And, like with my father did with me, we will allow her to spread her wings a little but still be there in case she falls."

[Northen Light36]

"I've tried getting her involved with the clan, she's old enough to be an Elder now, but she refuses to do more then work as a scout..." Tres sighes. "I was fifteen when I left home, over the screams of my siblings... But I knew what I wanted and I couldn't be happier..." Tres closes her eyes tightly, then looks at Thelon and says softly, "I think I need to have a talk with my brother."

[Kender Bard]

"I can take you," Thelon offered with a smile. "And we can get Gemma and take her as well unless you'd rather it be a private conversation."

[Northen Light36]

Tres shakes her head. "No, I'd rather it was private for now," she says quietly, going to pick up Flame. "Libre... I need to find someone to watch Libre..." Hurrying to the door, Tres manages to catch one of the other mothers and get her argeement to babysit Libre. "all right, let's go," she says to Thelon when she's finished.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon gives his son a mental parting before resting a hand on Tres's shoulder and teleporting to Ilyamen to see Zap.