Triumphant Return?|Second Hope, Firegem Isles

[Kender Bard]

Teneth was more careful with his money than he had ever been his entire life. He made sure to stop at the markets first, where he haggled over every single gem shard. Before long, he was pleased to have gotten a good supply of food (many of which would last and last during anymore lean stretches) which he took home and put away first. He still had a comfortable amount of money left. Pleased, he made his way to the temple first, where the children, shocked and astounded, greeted him with open arms.

Except Sunder.

Sunder had, over the period of Teneth's absence, decided that it was time he assisted his family in whatever way he could. With free time and being on the mainland, he had the opportunity. So the young Storm began to do whatever work he could get, hoarding the money he was given. And it was during this time that he began to both appreciate the work that Scarlet and Teneth had put into the care of his family, and resent Teneth for running from that responsibility.

So when Teneth returned, Sunder was lukewarm with him. Teneth wondered at this but decided not to press the boy over the matter yet. Instead he got the children to lead him to Scarlet's home. Eager, Straton ran ahead of them all.

"Teneth's home!" Straton shouted upon immediate arrival of the home. All the other children stopped what they were doing and stared.

[Darastrix]

Scarlet was in back of her house, hanging some wash out to dry, when she heard Straton's call. She let out a breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Teneth.... Thank Efil he's all right. She'd been so worried about him. And how dare he make her worry like that! She opened her eyes and scowled. Just up and deciding to leave, without a word to her, dumping the kids at the temple, not even asking her to watch them....

That idiot...I'm going to kill him.

With that thought in mind, she stalked out to meet him.

[Kender Bard]

Teneth smiled happily as all the little children rushed out to greet him. He tried to hug them all at once, wrapping her arms around the group. "Hey," he crooned. "I missed all of you so much."

"Teneth!" Victoria cried and ran to hug him as well. Teneth squeezed her gently into the hug as well. He listened as their babbled questions fell like rain; mostly asking where he was, if he was staying for good, and the like.

"I just went to make a little money," he told them all. "And I did, so don't worry about a thing. I've got it all in hand."

He glanced up when Scarlet appeared. "Scarlet... I missed you."

[Darastrix]

Scarlet crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at Teneth. "What do you mean by taking off like that?" she demanded. "Dumping the kids at the temple, leaving me a damn note, letting everyone worry for weeks.... Do you think so little of me? Did you think I wouldn't help? That I wouldn't want to? What the hell were you thinking, Teneth?"

[Kender Bard]

Teneth blinked, surprised, and fell back a step under her angry questions. "I... I was just doing what I could." He decided to tackle the questions one by one. "I- I think the world of you Scarlet, but I couldn't ask you to take them all. I mean, you've done so much, but... How can I keep asking for more? It wasn't going to be long. I'd go for a little while and come back with enough money to see the family comfortably through."

[Darastrix]

Scarlet balled her hands into fists. "Get it through your thick skull, Teneth! I'm here, I'm involved--you don't even have to ask now! If you had just come to me before you went off on some harebrained money-making scheme, I'd have told you that I'd been doing some more work to earn some extra shards since those damn pirates robbed us! But no, you just decided you were going to go off on your own to do Forces only know to get some gems, to take from me--"

She cut herself off with an angry jerk of her head and stomped up to Teneth. Scarlet stood there for a moment, trembling with anger, and then struck at Teneth's face with an open palm.

[Kender Bard]

Teneth cringed, turned his face away from her, and held his hand against his stinging face.

What did I... why...?

"Scarlet," he whispered with fear, sorrow, and other mixed emotions. "I-I'm sorry... I just... I thought..." He trailed off, unable to find a good way to apologize. He wasn't entirely sure why he was attempting it.

The children stood very still and stared at the two adults with wide eyes and silence.

"I tried to talk to you first," he told her, taking his hand away from his stinging face. "You weren't there. And I had to go. I didn't know, Scarlet. I didn't know. If I had, I wouldn't have left. All I knew was that my family was starving and I would do anything to fix that, including leaving when I really didn't want to. Please, please, Scarlet, don't be angry."

[Darastrix]

Scarlet crossed her arms and looked away, trying to ignore a sharp stab of guilt. Did she really just slap him?

"You could have waited," she said quietly. "I came home that night. Do you have any idea what it was like, week after week? Saying you'll do something or die trying is nice and poetic on paper, but in the real world, it just leaves people worried sick."

[Kender Bard]

Teneth shook his head a little. "I'm sorry," he said again. It didn't seem like it was enough, though. "I..." He backed away a few steps, wondering what to do. "I think I'll take the kids home now."

"No!" Beatrice protested and ran over to Scarlet, clinging to her. "I want to stay."

Teneth stared at the little girl in surprise, and was even more startled to see Copper and Primrose moving to join their sister.

[Darastrix]

Scarlet looked no less surprised than Teneth, and couldn't help feeling a bit smug that the little ones were picking her. And why shouldn't they? She'd done everything for them and the rest of the kids since Teneth had left. But still....

"Bea, Rose, Copper...don't you want to be with the rest of your brothers and sisters? We've been trying to keep from splitting you all up."

[Kender Bard]

"Stay with us," Copper urged his siblings.

The older children glanced at one another, clearly upset with how things were turning out. Victoria swallowed and, not looking at Teneth, walked over to stand with the little ones. Straton and Katty didn't hesitate to follow her.

They all stared at Sunder, who looked almost ill with heartbreak. He gave a small shake of his head and took Teneth's hand.

Teneth looked at Sunder, then the other children. "Go," he said, his voice rough. He reached around and took off his money pouch, pressing it into Sunder's hand.

Sunder blinked and peeked inside, his eyes widening by what he saw in there. It was more money at once than he'd ever seen before, even though Teneth understood it wasn't a huge amount.

"The house is stocked full of food," Teneth added.

"T-teneth," Sunder murmured and looked at the other man. Teneth looked away, feeling ashamed. "But... We-" He glanced at his siblings. "I love you."

Teneth closed his eyes tight, turned, and ran off.

[Darastrix]

Scarlet stared after Teneth, trying to process what had just happened. He'd just...left. Left the kids, left her.

How does he think I can care for them all by myself? She'd managed for the past months because the temple was taking care of some of them. She didn't have the space or the money....

"Teneth, you idiot!" she growled, stepping around the children before bolting out the door to take chase.

"Teneth, get back here RIGHT NOW!"

[Kender Bard]

The children watched Scarlet running off and then at each other. The older children looked somewhat ashamed, the younger ones merely confused.

"Let's go inside," Victoria murmured and ushered the children back into the house. Sunder stayed outside and tried to watch as much as he could.



"Leave me alone!" Teneth called back at Scarlet. He darted into a busy area, leaping over crates, ducking sudden obstructions, weaving around people. "Just leave me alone!!"

[Darastrix]

Scarlet wished she had her bolas with her. Of course, with the way Teneth was dodging around, she wasn't sure she'd even have a good shot if she did.

"Teneth, wait! The kids don't understand! I can't--" She cut off abruptly as she cut around a crate too closely and caught the corner with her foot, sending her sprawling.

[Kender Bard]

Run, he told himself, skidding to a stop and glancing back when Scarlet fell. Run. Run! Run you Force-damned idiot.

He walked over, breathing hard from his run, and tried to help her up. "Scarlet, are you okay?"