Hello My Farflung Friends!|Aegestrom, Maelstrom

[Kender Bard]

Cascata shivered as she stepped out of the carriage she'd arrived in. She thanked the driver and waited for the two guards she'd brought with her from home to join her and her family. They'd been following on horseback. Steeds rented from the same Villarain stable as she'd hired the carriage.

I know I said only a little while, Cascata thought, glancing up and narrowing her eyes against the fat, lazy snowflakes that drifted down from the sky. But that trip was a great deal more difficult when we hit the border than I anticipated. Well, hopefully they'd be able to leave before the roads got any worse. Or else they'd make very slow progress back indeed.

"Remember to be on your very best behavior, son," Cascata reminded Lucid, stroking his hair softly. She slipped her other hand in Kalian's.

"Ready, Mother Cascata?" Duo, one of her two guards, asked. She smiled and nodded and he and Chatra proceeded them to the manor gates.

"Mother Cascata and retinue to see King and Queen Brightmore," Chatra announced to the guards on duty.

[Northen Light36]

The guard on gate duty consulted a scroll for a moment, then nodded. "Ah yes, you're expected. Please leave your carriage and all lugage here with us. Arrangements will be made to bring them to your rooms."

Flash came up to the gate just then, alerted to the arrival by a guard who'd seen the carriage drawing near. "Mother Cascata, welcome," he greeted her with a warm smile, despite the fact he was starting to shiver himself. "We were beginning to wonder if the weather had kept you away after all."

[Devon]

Lucid shivered slightly, but the cold didn't bother him, he was too excited to have arrived in a new place to worry about a silly thing like the weather. He looked anxiously at Flash as he came to the gate, he vaguely remembered seeing the man once before.

"Once Cascata has her mind made up I doubt even a Force could keep her away," Kalian added with a smile.

[Kender Bard]

"Isn't that the truth?" Cascata laughed. She let go of her family to step forward and embrace Flash tightly. "Flash! It feels like forever since I last saw you. I think I've introduced you to my family before, yes? If I haven't, I can do so inside. I don't know how you mountain folk live with cold this biting! Even Ronduin doesn't get this cold. Oh! And I hope Luminous will be free for today. Lucid's eager to say hello again to her. I don't think he's seen her since... Forces, since that wedding in Anarlina."

[Northen Light36]

"Yes, you've introduced me," Flash replied as he hurried Cascata and her family inside, where the lit fireplaces were keeping things somewhat more comfortable. "And don't ask me how we live with it. I can't stand the cold myself."

"Which is why he'd leap into a fireplace if we don't keep a close eye on him," Shadow laughed, entering the sitting room Cascata and her family were shown to. Dami was trotting along at his father's heels, nibbling a cookie and looking curiously at the guests. "It's good to see you all."

[Devon]

"Good to see you as well your majesty," Kalian said as he offered the king a bow. Tapping Lucid on the back, Kalian woke him up from his daze of being in a new place.

Bowing the boy said, "Thank you for letting us in your home King Shadow."

[Kender Bard]

Cascata smiled happily at Lucid before greeting Shadow with a hug. "And who do we have here!" she exclaimed, bending down to be on Dami's level. "Well if it isn't just a little bundle of cute! Hello there!"

"That's Dami," Lya told Cascata, joining her family. Luminous followed her mother, her two cats trailing behind her. "It's good to see you, old friend."

"And you too," Cascata agreed, hugging Lya as well. "And sweet little Luminous! You get bigger each time I see you. Just watch, the next time I visit, you'll be a blushing young woman."

Luminous smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, Mother Cascata." But her attention was caught mostly by Lucid. Her eyes lit up and she drew closer to him. "I remember you!"

[Northen Light36]

"You're always welcome to vist," Shadow told Lucid and gave Kalian a smile and a nod. "It's good to see you too."

"Up please?" Dami asked Cascata, after swallowing his last bite of cookie and deciding he liked this stranger. He held out crumb covered hands to her and smiled.

"You'll get Cascata's dress all dirty, Dami," Shadow laughed, picking up his son himself. "Forces, I think there's more of that cookie on your clothes then there is inside you." He glanced at Lumi and Lucid and smiled, glad it seemed there'd be no issues. "You made better time then I expected, Cascata. I rather thought Ann would arrive before you did. Is there anything I can get you? A drink perhaps?"

[Devon]

Lucid smiled to Luminous and nodded. "I remember you as well, we met at that wedding in Anarlina." he said. He bowed quickly to Luminous and said, "Nice to see you again Princess."

Kalian watched his son for a moment and then turned his attention to Shadow. "I'd love a drink if you don't mind your majesty."

[Kender Bard]

"Aye, me too," Cascata agreed. She reached out to ruffle Dami's hair. "So cute!"

"I'm glad you think so," Lya laughed, slipping her arm companionably in Cascata's. "Luminous, you'll keep Lucid entertained for me, right?"

"Yes, mother," Luminous agreed. "Do you want to see my room, Lucid? I've got a lot of things we can play with." She moved a little closer to the boy and added in a low voice, smiling, "You got me out of my lessons for the day so I'm even happier to see you."

Queen rubbed up against Lucid's leg, mewling at him.

[Northen Light36]

"He's cute now," Shadow laughed after sending a servant to get the adults all a drink. "Just wait until you see him in a bad mood. He has a temper like you wouldn't believe. Probably gets it from me, I'm sorry to say. His charming side is all Lya, of course."

[Devon]

"Sure!" Lucid exclaimed. "Being here got me out of lessons too," he told Luminous with a smile.

"Boys and their tempers are always a sight to see," Kalian said. "Even Lucid had his moments when he was younger."

[Kender Bard]

"Is he a Wind or a Storm?" Cascata asked.

"Both," Lya replied.

"Oh boy!" Cascata laughed. "How many windows have you had to replace yet?"

---

Luminous giggled and beckoned, leading Lucid to her room. "I didn't know you had to take special lessons too. Or do you go to a school? One of my tutors told me that Ronduin is a dem... demra... That people vote on who their ruler will be, now."

[Devon]

"Democracy," Lucid corrected. "Ronduin switched after I met my mom for the first time, she still won the election though. And I have special lessons too, mom says that I don't have to run for the position of leader if I don't want to, but she still wants me to learn a lot."

[Northen Light36]

"More then enough," Shadow replied with a rueful laugh as the servant returned with wine for the adults and fruit juice for Dami.

"I good," Dami protested seriously, before sipping his juice.

"You are when you want to be," Shadow told his son in amusement. He set the child down and asked, "So, how are things in Ronduin?"