Fendros couldn't keep himself still in his seat. As soon as his leg stopped fidgeting, his eyes started darting around the ceiling. When that stopped, he kept shifting how he leaned his head on his hand. He ate his lunch too quickly, though it was a brief break from his movements. Now that they were waiting again, he drummed his fingers on the table under the sound of the inn's other patrons.

Rhazii was the opposite. He kept quietly to himself, not only because his parent's anxiety was feeding his, but because his instilled 'city behaviour' from his childhood often boiled down to not drawing attention to himself.

"It's been nice to spend a little time, yes," Fendros said. "If only we could be so relaxed." He gave a tight smile. "At least the only possible way a similarly impactful thing could happen to the last time you let yourself go would be between...my sister and Ahnasha's brother, but even [i]if[/i] Vasiq was not already married, I think we are far too sober to let that impossibility exist."

Fendros bit his lip. His attempt at levity came off awkwardly upon speaking it out loud.

Rhazii spoke up. "It's strange seeing you this relaxed, Meesei," Rhazii said. "Everything's flipped."

A barman stopped by to pick up a pair of Meesei's empty ale mugs. As if only just realising, Rhazii tilted his head at them. "How many have you had now?" he asked.

While Rhazii tried to regain count of Meesei's beverages, Fendros stood up. Looking around from just having walked through the front door was Llarasa and Monderyn. Fendros caught Monderyn's eye first, causing the pair to exchange a smile. Llarasa followed shortly after with a bright grin and the siblings closed to the table in short order.

"Fendros, it's so good to see you!" Llarasa caught Fendros in a strong embrace. She quickly moved onto Ahnasha. "You too, my favourite sister-in-law!" When she pulled away her eyes lingered on Ahnasha's face for a moment. "By the eight, Ahnasha, you must allow me to purchase from Sabine whatever is keeping you looking so good." she commented.

Neither Llarasa nor Monderyn had aged at the pace Rhazii or Meesei had, as was normal for elves. Ahnasha's personal treatment let her keep up with them whether they knew or not.

Monderyn moved the other way around the table, extending a hand to Meesei. "Welcome back to Cheydinhal, Meesei."

[hr]
"You were a lot less of a braying ass the last time I saw you," Harriet said. "You talk a lot a' guff for someone who hasn't been here. Still...maybe you gettin' old's given you a good point. Shut up for a second -- hey pup!" Harriet all but shouted the last two words. She turned her head to the cabin. "Come out here."

Emerging carefully from the cabin was a sinewy orc girl dressed in a light long-sleeved shirt and trousers. Her hair was deep black and short, as if cut with large shears just a few days earlier. She looked no older than fourteen.

"You remember Lorag, don't you Narsi?" Harriet said.

Narsi only glanced at her mother, keeping her glaring eyes otherwise squarely on Lorag. "Mhm," she hummed.

"Think you got a handle on your beast? You won't go making any messes no more?"

Narsi nodded.

"Good, you don't need to stay in the cabin no more," Harriet declared. "Pack your things. Lorag's goin' to take you to see what a clan is like."

Narsi's anger fell into surprise and confusion. "What!?" she blurted out. "I ain't going with him! I want to stay with you!"