Spiritual Whispers|Sensatiamens, Sensatia

[Northen Light36]

Tres had always been strangely unsettled and somewhat clingy when Spirit Night rolled around, as though afraid of who she might see. Which is what had lead to her coming home to Sensatia tonight to be with Thelon and why she was currently sleeping in a chair in the study while Thelon worked. She groaned a little in her sleep and shivered as the temperture in the room suddenly dropped, but didn't wake up.

A vague, misty shape began to appear in the middle of the study, finally forming into a man who looked very like an older, blue-eyed version of Zap. He raised a finger to his lips and whispered, "Don't wake her." He glanced at the sleeping Tres with a mixture of pride, and regret.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon jerked at the voice. He'd begun to drowse in his own chair, was considering putting his work aside and taking Tres to their bedroom, when he'd been spoken to. He swallowed hard and looked at the apparition.

"Who are you...?" Thelon asked warily but with a slight tone of respect either. He didn't recognize the shade though the ghost recognized Tres. And since he'd taken pains to make sure Thelon didn't wake her, it wasn't likely a vengeful spirit haunting her. He relaxed a fraction.

[Northen Light36]

"Tanson Legend," the spirit replied with a smile and a bow. "Tressa's father." He looked over at his sleeping daughter and added in a sigh, "Though she'd not acknowledge the relationship if she were awake and I have no wish to cause her anymore distress. I merely wished to meet the man who's made my daughter so happy, and given me some charming grandchildren."

[Kender Bard]

Thelon gave a look of surprise at that and a small smile touched his mouth as he bowed back slightly from his seat. "The honor of having your daughter's hand is all mine," he admitted in a soft tone. "But why wouldn't Tres want to see you?"

[Northen Light36]

"Because not every man is as suited to being a father as you are, Thelon. And I am part of a past Tressa has done her best to leave behind."

Tanson looked sadly at Tres and smiled softly. "She's come so far from the little girl I knew, but the scars are still there. You've witnessed, I believe, the holes in her memory and the nightmares she has on occassion?"

[Kender Bard]

Thelon gave a slow and cautious nod at that. "Yes. I don't suppose you could help explain them...? Especially some of the nightmares. I've done the best I can to help her."

[Northen Light36]

Tanson nodded, but fell silent for a long moment as he regarded Tres. "I should have sent her to Naurorod early on. She was such a spirited, headstrong girl that she was almost certain to come in conflict with Maelstrom ideas of proper behaviour." Tanson sighed. "Things were fine until I started sending the triplets to the temple for schooling. Artica was such a quiet, easy-going child, she had no trouble. But Tressa was always restless and hated to be cooped up indoors. She'd be caught day dreaming, or drawing or whispering to Zappary. And when she'd get in trouble, she'd get angry and lose her control."

Tanson looked at her with regret. "The damaged Tressa caused was minor then, but she developed a reputation for being a trouble maker and I believe the priests set out to break my daughter into acceptable behaviour. And the harsher and crueller their punishments became, the more angry and resentful - and out of control - Tressa became. The constant flood of complaints and ill feeling I received about Tressa left me frustrated and unwilling to listen to her side of the story, so she could not come to me for help. And her mother's attention was taken up by teaching Artica the healer's arts and looking after Tavia."

Tanson half reached out to stroke his daughter's hair, then stopped himself. "Even when the punishments turned into what amounts to torture, her mother and I turned a blind eye to her suffering. Zappary and the Calder boys were the only people Tressa could turn to for help at all, and children can do little against adults." Tanson's eyes lingered on one of Tressa's signs. "Even now I don't know exactly what happened to trigger it, but when she was twelve, something happened to Tressa that triggered a complete loss of control. Of the eight children and three priests who were in the temple that day, only Tres, Artica and Zappary made it out alive. And even when they were well enough to question, Tres had no memory of even going to school that day and Artica and Zappary refused to speak."

Tanson shook his head. "For her own safety, given the rage of the village, I confined Tres to the house, then resumed my policy of ignoring her. In life, due to my willful blindness, I had no idea of the tortures she'd suffered and, like the rest of the village, I blamed and hated Tressa for the fire. I was just making up my mind to disown and abandon Tressa when the illness that eventually took my life struck me."

Tanson paused for a moment then continued, "The nightmare you saw is the final of Tressa's suspressed memories. One of the parents who'd lost a child decided that as I was too weak to get rid of my daughter, they would take matters into their own hands. They lay in wait until Tres finally ignored my order to stay indoors, kidnapped her and attempted to drown her in the pond. What happened next, I believe only Artica and a friend actually know. I have not been permitted the knowledge of what saved my daughter's life."

[Kender Bard]

Thelon grew very still during the telling.

What did one say to that? His wife had lived a hard and terrible life. He'd never be able to understand that kind of experience; he'd had a loving father and mother and never experienced anything so life threatening in his youth.

And though the man was regretful, it had been his duty to look after his children, and he was going to disown her.

"I think you should go," Thelon said in a light voice.

[Northen Light36]

Tenson smiled softly. "You are every bit the man I should have been in life and wasn't," he murmured. "Thank you." He glanced again at Tres and whispered, "I did love you, Tressa." As his last words lingered on the chilly air, he faded away.

Tres shivered and began to stir out of her sleep.

[Kender Bard]

I can't even tell her, Thelon thought with a sigh. Regretful or not, Tres probably wouldn't have forgiven the man. Thelon decided to remain silent on the event. "Let's go to bed, Tres," he told her. "I'm done here tonight."

[Northen Light36]

"All right," Tres replied, rising from her chair with a wince and a quiet groan. "Ugh. I'm getting too old to sleep anywhere but a comfortable bed," she remarked in resigned amusement. "Sometimes I envy your youth, love."

[Kender Bard]

"You're as beautiful as a blushing youth but far wiser," Thelon remarked, kissing her cheek. "And believe me when I say that is far more appealing to me." Smiling, he led them both to bed.