Maltavro using Selo's Song of Travel easily makes his way back to Kelethin before anyone else. Daleth could no longer make the journey at such quick
speeds, for they disoriented the old man too badly. Alondar, Maru and Ruhan will travel with him through the Greater Faydark later when the party's start
time nears.
With so much time spare, instead of heading to the Heartwood Tavern immediately, Maltavro stops by his home. He finds his wife in their room kneeling at the shrine to Tunare she had built there. Nowhere near as devote as his wife, the bard still feels a bit uncomfortable about such religion items in their room, but he holds his tongue. Even though he had only recently married a year ago, the bard had soon learned the value of compromise and choosing battles wisely.
He stands patiently in the doorway waiting for Ciragale to finish her prayers, knowing her keen hearing had alerted her to his presence. Once done Ciragale rises to her feet, her long black hair flowing down her chest and back and a radiant smile that never fails to make him catch his breath.
"Tavro, I'm so glad you stopped by before the party." She flings her arms around him in a warm embrace. His arms fold around her and he tilts her chin with his fingers and brings his lips to hers. After a long kiss his blue eyes sparkle gazing lovingly into her dark eyes.
"You know, they don't really need me there at this party..." He grins at her devilishly, and she laughs but shakes her head.
"Oh no, I won't be responsible for ruining Ruhan's party."
"Bah, you give me too much credit my love. It'd go on fine without me."
"Nonsense!" Ciragale scoffs and shakes her head. "What's a good party without a bard?
"A unlikely occurrence, that's true!" He laughs boisterously. "But I wouldn't be the only bard there this time."
"Oh, who else will be there?"
"Keats Lovesonnet, he's--"
Her face darkens so quickly from her cheerful countenance that it startles Maltavro. "I know who he is: A lecherous bard who abandoned your poor niece and their daughter when she was just a baby, and now even though he's returned, he refuses to do the proper thing and commit to marrying her."
He sighs slumping to the foot of the bed and groans. "Not you too, Ciragale. Maybe I should send Alondar over here and the two of you can--I don't know--burn an effigy of him as you both bask in your moral superiority."
She puts her hands on her hips and glares. "You do not create a family and then just leave without taking any responsibility for it. Any society that tolerates such behavior will someday find itself with so many broken families that soon that society will unravel into disrepair and chaos."
"I'm not going to defend Keats's actions, but for Tunare's sake Ciragale, he's back and is now a loving and committed father as far as I can tell. Starlene seems happy, so who are we to question their relationship, and how they proceed with it? Let's just leave the past in the past."
"I suppose you're right, it just rankles me that..." Ciragale closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. "My father left my mother and sister when we were little girls. You know that Tavro. It hurt so much. At least when Keats left the first time, Starlene's daughter was young enough not to remember him much, unlike me when my father left. I just don't want to see that sweet little grandniece of yours hurt like I was if he decides once again that this fatherhood business is too much trouble."
Maltavro motions for his wife to join him sitting atop the foot of their bed. He puts an arm around her and draws her close. "I know that's Alon's fear too. He loves Starlene, and who cannot love Starlet? What I try to explain to him over and over though is if we're not welcoming to Keats, if we don't forgive him and try to make him feel apart of this family, we'll only make things more difficult Starlene and Starlet, and what good will serve?"
Ciragale sighs. "You're right."
Relieved by her concession, the bard continues, "Now, Ciragale, I'm not religious like you are; you know that. However, doesn't Tunare and her teachings speak of forgiveness?"
She smiles a little. "Forgiveness is good because it saves you from being torn and destroyed with hate festering your soul. However, while the Mother is able to forgive, that doesn't mean you shouldn't get off with no punishment either."
Suddenly, Maltavro feels uncomfortable. "You feel Keats deserves to be punished in some way?"
"He will be if he hasn't been already." She predicts gravely. "My father traveled around the world surviving on his charms and goodwill of others. One day he went to bed and was found with his throat slashed from ear to ear."
Maltavro shudders. "You never told me that. Did they find out who did it?"
"No, but the point is that this wouldn't have happened to him had he stayed true to his promises and duty to his family."
"Yet good people, devoted husbands and wives who never strayed from each other, who love and cherish their children, they die too sometimes in tragic circumstances. How do you explain that?"
"Tunare loves her children, but she cannot protect them all the time, or she would be suffocating us. She cries whenever we meet a tragic end, but that's the risk you take when you let your children go out and make their own decisions in the world."
"I suppose." Maltavro suddenly feel a bit envious of his wife and her strong, unwavering beliefs that seem to give her so much peace and certainity. "Anyway, you seemed so happy to see me a few minutes ago. Did you have something to tell me?"
"Oh." Ciragale looks slightly abashed, the last vestiges of outrage vanish from her face as she smiles softly. "No, nothing specific. I was just hoping we might have some time to spend together before the party. Our schedules are so busy these days; it feels as though we don't have enough time for each other."
He draws her closer together, brushing his face gently against the back of her head, feeling her soft, thick hair against his face and breathing in her lightly scented perfume. "I agree; this is an unacceptable state, and I'll see what I can to reduce my workload at Songweavers. Meanwhile, I don't actually have to be at Heartwood's for another hour or so to make sure everything's being properly put together."
"Hmm...I think I can find a way to keep you preoccupied for an hour." She stands up and closes the door to their room.
Maltavro pulls her back onto the bed. "I was hoping that would be the case." Then he kisses her intensely.
With so much time spare, instead of heading to the Heartwood Tavern immediately, Maltavro stops by his home. He finds his wife in their room kneeling at the shrine to Tunare she had built there. Nowhere near as devote as his wife, the bard still feels a bit uncomfortable about such religion items in their room, but he holds his tongue. Even though he had only recently married a year ago, the bard had soon learned the value of compromise and choosing battles wisely.
He stands patiently in the doorway waiting for Ciragale to finish her prayers, knowing her keen hearing had alerted her to his presence. Once done Ciragale rises to her feet, her long black hair flowing down her chest and back and a radiant smile that never fails to make him catch his breath.
"Tavro, I'm so glad you stopped by before the party." She flings her arms around him in a warm embrace. His arms fold around her and he tilts her chin with his fingers and brings his lips to hers. After a long kiss his blue eyes sparkle gazing lovingly into her dark eyes.
"You know, they don't really need me there at this party..." He grins at her devilishly, and she laughs but shakes her head.
"Oh no, I won't be responsible for ruining Ruhan's party."
"Bah, you give me too much credit my love. It'd go on fine without me."
"Nonsense!" Ciragale scoffs and shakes her head. "What's a good party without a bard?
"A unlikely occurrence, that's true!" He laughs boisterously. "But I wouldn't be the only bard there this time."
"Oh, who else will be there?"
"Keats Lovesonnet, he's--"
Her face darkens so quickly from her cheerful countenance that it startles Maltavro. "I know who he is: A lecherous bard who abandoned your poor niece and their daughter when she was just a baby, and now even though he's returned, he refuses to do the proper thing and commit to marrying her."
He sighs slumping to the foot of the bed and groans. "Not you too, Ciragale. Maybe I should send Alondar over here and the two of you can--I don't know--burn an effigy of him as you both bask in your moral superiority."
She puts her hands on her hips and glares. "You do not create a family and then just leave without taking any responsibility for it. Any society that tolerates such behavior will someday find itself with so many broken families that soon that society will unravel into disrepair and chaos."
"I'm not going to defend Keats's actions, but for Tunare's sake Ciragale, he's back and is now a loving and committed father as far as I can tell. Starlene seems happy, so who are we to question their relationship, and how they proceed with it? Let's just leave the past in the past."
"I suppose you're right, it just rankles me that..." Ciragale closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. "My father left my mother and sister when we were little girls. You know that Tavro. It hurt so much. At least when Keats left the first time, Starlene's daughter was young enough not to remember him much, unlike me when my father left. I just don't want to see that sweet little grandniece of yours hurt like I was if he decides once again that this fatherhood business is too much trouble."
Maltavro motions for his wife to join him sitting atop the foot of their bed. He puts an arm around her and draws her close. "I know that's Alon's fear too. He loves Starlene, and who cannot love Starlet? What I try to explain to him over and over though is if we're not welcoming to Keats, if we don't forgive him and try to make him feel apart of this family, we'll only make things more difficult Starlene and Starlet, and what good will serve?"
Ciragale sighs. "You're right."
Relieved by her concession, the bard continues, "Now, Ciragale, I'm not religious like you are; you know that. However, doesn't Tunare and her teachings speak of forgiveness?"
She smiles a little. "Forgiveness is good because it saves you from being torn and destroyed with hate festering your soul. However, while the Mother is able to forgive, that doesn't mean you shouldn't get off with no punishment either."
Suddenly, Maltavro feels uncomfortable. "You feel Keats deserves to be punished in some way?"
"He will be if he hasn't been already." She predicts gravely. "My father traveled around the world surviving on his charms and goodwill of others. One day he went to bed and was found with his throat slashed from ear to ear."
Maltavro shudders. "You never told me that. Did they find out who did it?"
"No, but the point is that this wouldn't have happened to him had he stayed true to his promises and duty to his family."
"Yet good people, devoted husbands and wives who never strayed from each other, who love and cherish their children, they die too sometimes in tragic circumstances. How do you explain that?"
"Tunare loves her children, but she cannot protect them all the time, or she would be suffocating us. She cries whenever we meet a tragic end, but that's the risk you take when you let your children go out and make their own decisions in the world."
"I suppose." Maltavro suddenly feel a bit envious of his wife and her strong, unwavering beliefs that seem to give her so much peace and certainity. "Anyway, you seemed so happy to see me a few minutes ago. Did you have something to tell me?"
"Oh." Ciragale looks slightly abashed, the last vestiges of outrage vanish from her face as she smiles softly. "No, nothing specific. I was just hoping we might have some time to spend together before the party. Our schedules are so busy these days; it feels as though we don't have enough time for each other."
He draws her closer together, brushing his face gently against the back of her head, feeling her soft, thick hair against his face and breathing in her lightly scented perfume. "I agree; this is an unacceptable state, and I'll see what I can to reduce my workload at Songweavers. Meanwhile, I don't actually have to be at Heartwood's for another hour or so to make sure everything's being properly put together."
"Hmm...I think I can find a way to keep you preoccupied for an hour." She stands up and closes the door to their room.
Maltavro pulls her back onto the bed. "I was hoping that would be the case." Then he kisses her intensely.
