Homecoming

A carriage rattled over the old stone bridge that spanned across a narrow river. The few villagers that were out and about barely gave it a second glance as they went about their afternoon business. It pulled into the courtyard of the inn, as close to the door as possible, and came to a halt, the two horses pulling it going absolutely still except for the swishing of their tails.

Inside the carriage were three figures: A woman with long brown hair plaited about her head, her deep blue eyes seemingly ageless and old at the same time; a young girl around the age of eight, her bright golden hair plaited neatly and hanging down her back, her pale blue eyes keen with interest; and an older gentleman, his greyed hair neatly trimmed, his eyes and face filled with exhaustion from the trip. As the carriage came to a halt, he leaned toward the woman. "You fully understand the responsibility laid upon your shoulders? Once you leave this carriage and enter the inn, you and your descendants will be completely bound to it, sworn to its protection." He gave a weary smile, leaning forward to pat her hand. "It is already known that the inn has accepted you, this is just a formalization."

The woman nodded, glancing down at the child nestled against her side. "Yes, I do understand the responsibility, although I do have to admit that it fair boggles my mind that there is the potential for portals to other worlds to appear here." The man nodded, shifting to reach over to open the carriage door. "It boggles my mind as well, yet the ancient manuscripts have been deemed accurate. The king is a scholar of such, and it is his determination that the inn is becoming more active, and it is inherent that we have someone with a strong magical background with no desire to use this power for themselves in charge here. The king trusts you, Lady Kaylina d'Hirassi. You showed such calm grace during all the troubles you went through in Sepvarta. He was much impressed." He looked at the young girl. "He was charmed by you as well, Lady Meryla. His daughters will miss your company and hope that you will be able to visit with them again in the future."

With that, he opened the carriage door and stepped out, turning to offer his hand to Lady Kaylina. "May I assist you out?" Meryla stepped out first, but instead of darting into the inn, she stopped just short of touching the door, turning to look toward Kaylina as she stepped from the carriage. Taking a deep breath, Kaylina took the needed steps toward the door, took Meryla's hand, then opened the inn door and stepped inside.

She didn't know what to expect, but her cheeks flushed as she felt a silent welcome press against her, then release her. "Mama! Look!" Meryla held up Kaylina's hand, staring at the signet ring on her middle finger. The small ruby stone set in the gold band pulsed with a soft glow for a minute, then quieted back down. "There, you have been accepted and bound to the inn." Kaylina turned to look at the Lord Ranolf. "Will you not stay the night? It is too late in the day to start your journey back to Sepvarta."

Alaran made his way on his path noting the different animals and plant life. He had always since he was a child loved the woods and animals, maybe mostly because his mother herself had been a druid and practiced the arts. Alaran was headed for an inn that was rumored to have portals to other worlds, intrigued by it when he had first heard of it months ago. He was now coming into view of the inn when a carriage pulled up to it and an older man opened the door, he helped a woman and a small child out and they made their way into the inn. Alaran walked a few minutes longer before reaching the inn, he gave a knock and awaited an answer.

Once Lord Ranulf had been set up in a room for the evening, Kaylina came back downstairs to find Cook waiting for her. In an uncharacteristic act, he swept her up into his large arms and hugged her tightly to welcome her back. "I knew the inn would be accepting you." He muttered as he released her, his face flushing from embarrassment. "Best see to dinner, it's almost ready. Been quiet around here, a few customers upstairs, no trouble from the faire-goers either." He rambled on, then turned and whisked his large frame back into the kitchen, still embarrassed over his show of relief to have Kaylina back.

Kaylina herself was stunned by his emotional display, for once caught completely tongue-tied as he rambled on for a moment before disappearing back into his domain. She blinked her eyes, slowly shook her head, then started chuckling quietly. "Dear Cook..." She murmured to herself. She started to follow him into the kitchen, but a knock at the door diverted her. Since there was no one else in the main room, and since locals usually just came in without knocking, Kaylina moved quickly to the door and opened it, a welcoming smile on her face. "Good evening, welcome to Crossroads Inn. How may I help you?"

The door opened and Alaran was greeted by a young woman. "Hello there I heard of this place and it struck my interest is it really a portal between worlds?" the dark elf said intrigued. "May I come in my lady?" he asked the young woman.

Kaylina stared at Alaran for a minute, then started chuckling softly. "Standing on formality Alaran? Or pretending that you don't remember me? You saw me less than a week ago!" She stepped out of the way, waving him in. "Come on in, Cook is whipping up a feast to welcome us all home." Her smile faded some. "Well, those of us that decided to return here." She still didn't know why half of the party decided to move on elsewhere, but, since she herself had spent many years roaming the world alone, she couldn't blame them. "Morianna should be arriving in the next day or two, she just has to finish a few things with the Mage Guild first."

Craimar blinked once, twice and then again at a voice he heard off in the distance. It was one of the most welcome sounds he had heard all day. He was weary, and close to dropping-and only the prospect of perhaps meeting an old friend in the inn he knew had to be somewhere kept him going-and he had been flying for nigh on half a day. Thank gods for Kae's energy rations, otherwise he'd've been done in long before now. Said brother-love of his wasn't far behind him-or so Craimar hoped-and he would need to thank him properly later.

Just now, he inched toward the sound of a voice-and hoped his ears weren't deceiving him. He saw the door, and just before it closed, he managed to pull out a set of his pipes, and blew asimple phrase: 'you were born in the City, you were born to the streets...'

Perhaps someone inside would remember the piper...he hoped he had come to the right place. He put just a touch of a breeze beneath the phrase to help it carry just a bit further than it would naturally, while still having it remain as a distant, almost taunting thingg-a teas to the ears.

Alaran's mind was foggy but cleared in a moment recognizing who was standing before him. "Ahh sorry about that my minds been foggy everynow and then lately, had an encounter with a dangerous sorcerer hit me with some purple blue blast and my minds been jumbled a bit. Was hoping later you might be able to look into it and see if you can find out whats wrong." Alaran explained. "Ahh yes I missed his cooking always such a delight." He said with a warm smile stepping inside. "Care to sit with me for a moment? I have some stories of adventure I would like to share with you." Alaran took a seat at one of the tables.

Kaylina gave Alaran a piercing look, worry written all over her face. "A run-in with a sorceror? I'll give you a look-over first thing in the morning. I don't like messing with minds when my own isn't fully rested." She gives him a reassuring smile and then points to a table. "Go on and have a seat, I'll be with you in a bit. I think we're about to have another companion rejoin us." She had caught the faint strains of a song on the wind, and so she stepped outside, a broad smile lighting up her face. She sang a few more lines of the song back, then sang out, "Welcome back Craimar! Meryla will be delighted to see you again!"

Craimar grinned back-he'd managed to catch her singing more of the song, and was glad for it-as he wound his way through the trees to Kaylina. "Was hopin' me ears weren't lyin'." His voice was husky with emotion, "Be missin' ye, lady healer, an yer little'un. Be glad to be seein' her too." He favored her with a rare, genuine smile-that even managed to touch his shadowed eyes. "Anyone else come this way-I'd be recognizin'?"

Kaylina could probably see the tired lines around his eyes-and the wear in his feathers from his long flight-even if he did try to hide it by standing a little straighter and pulling his wings in a little to hide the feathertips. His pipes had long since been stowed away-safe from wind and weather, as usual. Kaylina would probably remember the maticulousness with which Craimar cared for his instruments-and his weapons, as well.

He came to stand beside her, and resisted peaking in at the door...

Kaylina opened her arms slightly, inviting Craimar to step into a hug if he desired, concern once again on her face for his tired condition. ((If he does step into the hug, she'll hum softly, giving him a small boost of energy.)) "Alaran just arrived a few minutes ago, he's inside getting dinner. Morianna should be here within the next day or so, she had a few things to wrap up with the Mage Guild, and I'm not sure about Hwesta. I think she'll come here, but she's taking it rather hard that several of our companions decided to part ways. It was hard enough on her being thrust out for everyone to stare at and talk about. So even if she does show back up here, I don't think she'll let very many people see her."

If he allowed the hug, she released him and gestured to one of the tables by the fire. "Let's go join Alaran, and both of you can tell me what you've gotten up to in the past week." She smiles warmly at him, ignoring her own tiredness. "I've been accepted as the inn's protector, sanctioned by the King as Baroness. It's what took me so long to come back home. I had to wait until Lord Ranolf was able to accompany me to the inn, to witness whether or not I was fully accepted. Only a small handful of people know the full details about this place, and I'm responsible for finding trustworthy people to help me defend it should the need arise." A shadow passed over her face as she thought once again of her former companions. She had thought that they'd stay, but they had decided to leave the area completely. "But, come...let us get something to eat. Meryla went to change, but she should be back out soon."

Craimar stared at Kaylina for a long moment-then steppped hesitantly into the hug, awkwardly wraping his arms aound her-he wasn't used to this sort of thing outside his lovers, and it warmed him a bit that she should think much of him this way. He binked at the way some of his weariness seemed to leave him, but he said nothing for it-he knew healers and their ways, and Kaylina was definitely one of the best he'd known of so far.

"Ah yes-Allaran." He remembered the dark elf-remembered him as someone he kept an eye on. Craimar wondered as he istened to Kaylina's words, if Allaran had changed any. He blinked when he reaized that Kaylinawas now much like his Sharia-accepted by the inn as keeper. He reached in and pressed his fingers lightly against one ofthe inn's walls-whispering his name mentally for it to hear. He wondred-not for the first time-how alive it really was. His XScarlet phoenix was...well, you could actually (*feel* her around you, and she could speak to-in limited fashions-and she was a snarker. But then again, this in felt...younger somehow, than his own-and more naive, if that could be said for a building, in a lot of ways.

He slowly walked to the table the baroness indicated, and found a stool to sit on-and a sadness crossed his face. He would miss many of those who had come with the Lady Kaylina-Froelic among them-and hoped Huesta would come and at least let him see her; she was one of those he had sort of admired from afar, and would've liked to have known better-as was Mori. He cosed his eyes for a brief moment, and hoped to all the gods Kae wasn't far away. He could use his Brown-winged falcon-minded brother's presence just now. That calm, seemingly unphased exterior... And that voice-his brother could sing nearly as well as Craimar could, and his healing was in that-as was his harming, but no one needed to know that.

Alaran watched the reunion and realized that there were few faces he recognized here. He wondered where did most of the groups allies depart to? He was eager to share his stories, especially the one about the powerful sorcerer who had vexed him so. He waved a hello to craimar and awaited for everyone to gather at the table.

It wasn't long after Craimar sat down at the table, and requested some food when he heard something...odd off in the distance. It almost sounded like an anguished bird...wait-no, there was a tambor to that bird cry that shouldn't be!

~Kae?~ The hesitant mind question lept through the air like a flame, ~Kaelaren...Brown One. I...in here, me brother.~

The joy rolled back through the connection-and soon everyone could see a brown-no, almost chestnut-falcon flying, perhaps slower than would be normal for him-toward the inn.

It took effort, but Kae managed to land near Craimar who immediately reached to gather the falcon close. "Ye made it, Brother, rest now." Craimar was immediately filled with concern-kae looked more worn out than he was, and it looked as if he had sustained injuries as well. Ones that looked as if they had been already tended, but injuries none the less.

Craimar gently stroked Kae's feathers and made soothing noises until the latter finally relaxed-into some semblance of sleep. Even if it was half-hearted at best. Just being near Craimar, though...just being with him again made the other feel much, much better, and much less...alone.