“I’m sure,” Ryon parroted.

“Ryon,” Isabella piped up, “care to watch the pot while I run upstairs?” Once her son had nodded and moved to where she was, Isabella dismissed herself and went out into the main hall, her slippered feet sounding up the stairs as she went. 

After a moment a second pair came as Aimee journeyed down. She appeared in the archway and then the kitchen draped in a darkly tuned [url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/54/ef/3e/54ef3e2e320027276afd85722a625d2f.jpg]dress[/url] shaded with purple. To her waist was a satchel of jingling gold tied and in her hand was a small sack. Her hair was up in a bun atop her head, though it was apparently still damp. She adjusted the large neckline that revealed her shoulders and clavicle and fiddled with the belt around her midsection. Much like the others, she found herself garnished in a few rings and a small necklace.

“I’m going to run to the tavern to give these candies to the girls,” she told those present, her eyes looking over Elann and then the napping Noah. Ryon had his back turned, stirring the stew, so he just brought the spoon up and waved without looking. “Is Josie working late tonight or is she coming?”

“She’ll be down there, why don’t you ask her?” Ryon returned, tapping the spoon on the edge of the pot.

“You’d think you’d treat me nicely after I was gone for so long. Didn’t you miss me?” Aimee asked, flashing Elann a smile even though she was talking to her brother.

“You weren’t gone long enough to be missed, my beloved sister.” He turned to face the kitchen, showing a cheeky smile to Aimee.

“I’ll remember that next time I decide to go out of town,” she replied dryly. “Right, I’ll be back in a few, don’t eat without me.”

“No promises.”

“Elann, make sure he doesn’t eat without me.” Aimee knew very well that if Ryon really set his mind to it he’d disregard any warning Elann would give, but this was all in play, which may not have been discernable to Elann because of the seemingly forceful way the Kelvics were talking in.

Aimee doubled checked herself, patting any pockets she had and making sure she had her coin purse and sack of goods in hand before turning, waving a goodbye to Elann in the process. Soon after she disappeared from the kitchen the front door opened and close, giving renewed quietness to the house interrupted by the flames under the oven crackling and the pot boiling. Eventually that too was disturbed entirely by the kettle whistling to announce boiling water.

The whistling made Ryon’s face wince since he was so close to it, making him hurriedly move to pull it out of the oven and set it on a cloth potholder so it wouldn’t scorch the countertop. He then moved to retrieve a collection of mugs out of the cupboard and then grabbing a few loose leaf tea holders.

“Did you say you wanted tea or did you want to wait for coffee?” he asked Elann, looking over his shoulder at her and waiting for confirmation before he started the rest of the preparations.