A Difficult Goodbye (Talon & family)

[Northen Light36]

In smaller groups the family began to gather at the feast. Robin and Letha arrived quickly, smiling despite Letha's expression looking a touch forced. Then Bas and Pas appeared with Aries and their mind cats at their heels. Pixie arrived alone, batting at Smudge's tail as she passed then curling up in a warm spot.

Amaro arrived with Cass and Aria, giving Talon a small smile as Mat and Acqua re-joined the family shortly after.

"This looks nice," Mat commented, glancing over the feast. "Nice idea, Talon."

Finally Lillian ran in, a little out of breath and flushed. Judging by the grass stains on her dress, she hadn't been in the tree house and had needed to run back when summoned to join the family.

[Kender Bard]

"Pie!" Loki exclaimed with a slight grin.

"After the actual dinner," Crentha told him firmly, making Loki pout.

"Thanks," Talon told Mat. He was feeling more at ease as he threw himself into the preparations and now, surrounded by family, how could he do anything except smile? He took a seat, Spice hastily slipping into the chair next to his. Loki took a spot next to his big brother and Crentha settled herself at Loki's side, like usual.

One of Etaf's angels joined the party, carrying a gorgeous looking lyre. She smiled at the assembled and took a stool in the corner as she plucked at a couple strings. "I heard that there was a grand dinner in need of a little music. I hope you don't mind my presence."

[Northen Light36]

"We don't mind," Acqua murmured, taking a seat next to Talon and subtly reaching out to give her brother's hand a comforting squeeze. She hoped the gesture would reassure him that she wasn't angry. Upset with the situation in general, yes, but not with him. Or even with Etaf really.

It was just another reason to hate the demons.

[Kender Bard]

Evidently it did what she wanted because he managed a real, true smile for her and squeezed her hand back tightly. Through that connection, Etaf sent a small tendril of herself through him and into Acqua, to brush fondly against the girl, pulling back when Talon withdrew his own hand.

There were all kinds of food, mostly things Talon had picked out so a great deal of Sulan fare with a few favored dishes picked up from his travels. There were also things that he knew well that Amaro and Acqua favored, and his children as well. It was an impressive spread.

Soahc will have more, though, Etaf remarked, amused. As we speak, he is putting on a great affair of overindulgence. I only hope some of the Chosen are wise enough not to get TOO drunk tonight.

I wouldn't be able to blame them, Talon thought. The idea was tempting, but he was never one to drown his sorrows, really. Get happily drunk, well, that was another story. But he hadn't done that in quite some time.

Still, there was a generous amount of wines, liquors, and fruity drinks. Talon had helped himself to a very fragrant goblet of wine. He grabbed it and lifted it. "How about a toast? To family. And to Love." Forces, it felt strange to address the foreign Force, but one thing today proved beyond a doubt was that the Anarlinans were right. Love existed. "May she conquer our foes."

[Northen Light36]

The family echoed the toast after they'd taken drinks for themselves. Bas, Pas and, after a wary glance at their mother, the little twins all took some of the wine, as did Mat and Amaro.

"One glass only," Acqua warned the younger set of twins as she gave Lillian and herself one of the fruity drinks. As tempting as getting seriously drunk was, tomorrow would only be worse with a hangover on top of everything. But she'd indulge her older children tonight. She fully intended to make sure Amaro stuck to one glass as well.

Her stomach twisted into painful knots when she looked over the food though and, despite the fact her eyes lingered on some of her favourite foods, she couldn't bring herself to select and eat anything.

[Kender Bard]

Spice and Loki hadn't really picked up on the point of mentioning Love in a toast--they thought he meant the emotion in general. But Crentha was giving her father a shrew look. "Is it just me or did you mean more than just familial love?"

"The Force exists," he told his daughter. "If you like, you can meet with some of her Chosen later. They're hard to miss." He grinned suddenly, highly amused. "They glow like fireflies!"

[Northen Light36]

Acqua couldn't help snickering, despite her nerves and gloom.

"Really?" Bas gave her uncle a highly skeptical look. "This isn't just another of your exaggerations, is it Uncle Talon?"

Amaro joined Acqua's snickering at that comment. "Get the feeling they don't entirely trust your stories anymore, Talon?"

[Kender Bard]

Talon smiled even broader. "I swear on my honor it's true. After the dinner's done, go look. They definitely are glowing."

"Why?" Crentha asked.

"They're glowing with Love," he explained. "It's really quite pretty."

"Is anyone else glowing?" Loki asked, squirming in his seat.

"Your aunt is, in her loveliness," Talon said with a wink.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua blushed brightly, though she rolled her eyes at Talon.

"Well, now she's glowing," chuckled Mat. "Though I have to agree with you, Talon." He leaned over to kiss Acqua's check, and to place a little food on her plate. "Though really, the same applies to all the ladies here."

Letha and Lillian giggled happily at that.

[Kender Bard]

Crentha smiled shyly at the compliment.

"Too true," Talon replied merrily. By then his children were anxious to eat and began devouring the feast laid out with aplomb. He resisted the urge to chuckle. "You'll give yourselves belly aches if you don't pace yourselves."

And he hoped they stuffed themselves enough to fall asleep soon after. For that reason, he allowed his children a glass of wine as well--although Spice was grown enough he could have all he wanted.

The angel smiled to herself and plucked out a bright and cheery tune.

[Northen Light36]

The rest of the family started serving themselves as well. The children, Mat and Amaro ate well, while Acqua merely picked at her food. However, Mat and Pixie seemed to have their own method of making sure she ate enough. Every so often, Acqua would look to Pixie, distracted by a conversation with her companion, and Mat would sneak a little more food onto her plate.

"Uncle Talon?" Lillian piped up as she ate. "Can you tell us a story? About your adventures with Muma and Uncle Amaro? Maybe one when Muma was little?" She liked her uncle's stories and would miss them greatly when he was gone. One of the many things she'd miss.

But she was a guild child, and guild children grew up with the possibly of the loss of those they loved always in the background.

[Kender Bard]

Talon had finished stuffing himself and leaned back in his chair, balancing it precariously on its back legs but never managing to tip over completely. "Sure! Hmm, have I ever told you all the story of the time Amaro and I had dreadful colds so Alethia and Acqua had to cook for us? And bear in mind, this wasn't long after we met them. They'd never cooked a thing in their life yet."

[Northen Light36]

"Oh Forces..." Acqua and Amaro both groaned out the words, remembering that event clearly. Their reaction drew the interest of all the Sanderson children.

"No," giggled Lillian, her eyes bright with interest. "Tell us! Tell us!"

"Must you?" asked Acqua, but she was smiling and clearly not seriously objecting to the story.

[Kender Bard]

Eyes sparkling, Talon leaned back forward as he launched into the tale. "There we were, out on the road, and Amaro and I could barely move out of our bedrolls. At first the girls thought we were dying! But I told them, 'No, no, we're just sick.' And it was a nasty one. No fevers, but we were both aching from head to toe. Felt like we had gotten completely trounced in a fight."

"So of course neither of us were going anywhere. We could hardly sit up! The girls were completely fine, of course. Hardy little things. But they were hungry and I hadn't made anything to eat. Acqua comes over and shakes me. 'Talon,' she said, 'we're hungry! Can you make us breakfast?'"

Talon flung an arm over his eyes, mimicking his past self, and groaned. "'Nooo,' I said. And then Alethia came over, all timid. 'But Talon, what will we eat?' she asked. 'Make some breakfast yourselves,' I told them and went back to sleep. Now the rest of the story I didn't see myself but I did see the aftermath and Alethia told me things from her perspective. The girls had no idea what to do. They tried to think of what the easiest thing to make would be. Toasted bread and oat porridge seemed the best bet. Alethia said she'd take care of the porridge and Acqua could do the bread."

"First they had to start a fire and let's just say that I am very thankful they managed that without burning the camp down. It wasn't a very good fire, though. Barely a few flames, but they thought it'd get the job done. Alethia gets one of my pots and fills it with water, then a few handful of oats and put it on the fire. Then Acqua cut up some bread and put it right into the flames. Boy wasn't that easy? The girls then decided they'd make a very generous gesture and went to find dead wood to bring back so we wouldn't need to chop anything. They got distracted and didn't come back until much later."

Barely able to repress a chuckle, Talon said, "You should have seen it. Amaro and I had woke up from our own hungry bellies and found the bread was nothing more than hard, black bits of char and the 'porridge' was completely burnt on the bottom and a cold, soupy mess on top."

[Northen Light36]

Amaro grimaced. "I could have killed them both," he muttered as the rest of family roared with laughter. Even Acqua was giggling at her past self's actions.

"Was there ever a day back then when you didn't want to kill us?" she remarked dryly. "Besides, it wasn't our fault you two didn't teach us anything useful. And, as I remember, a few days later one of you passed that blasted illness onto me. Alethia was the only one who never got it." She pulled a face.

Pas grinned at his mother and uncles. "How did you manage to keep Muma and Uncle Amaro from strangling each other, Uncle Talon?" he asked, clearly hoping for another story. These amusing little tales were comforting for those who knew what was coming and distracting those who didn't from picking up on any moments of sadness.

"Go on Talon," Mat grined. "Give the kids another story, then I've probably got one or two about your sister's time in the guild that you won't have heard."

Acqua really groaned at that and buried her face in her hands.