Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros was glad. He didn't know exactly how it would go, but he was happy that this long and painful incident could be worked out in some capacity.

"I would be more than happy to join you, Ahna," Fendros said, rubbing her arm with the hand he had wrapped around her. After another moment, he shuffled to the edge of the bed again and looked to her with a reassured smile, "Would you like to get up now? It'll feel nice to stretch your legs."

Rhazii pulled away from Ahnasha slightly, turned his head away, and then sneezed. He was holding his head too close to the lilies that Ahnasha held.

Fendros added, "I might take the children to some other places in the city as well. We didn't get much time before."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It was not an easy question to answer immediately, but Fendros wanted to help Ahnasha. It hurt to see her in such a state.

It took a few moments again for Fendros to put the words together. "Ahna, you're not a monster. What you did was years ago. As for whether it would hurt them, well...that depends." Fendros shifted to that he was sitting next to Ahnasha rather than at an angle, then put his arm around her shoulders, "You know your family better than I do. All I can tell you for a fact is that they miss you. It will be a shock for them to see you again - they might not even believe it at first." Fendros leaned his head against Ahnasha's shoulder, "I heard your reasons, though. You do have regret. If you apologise and explain why you left all those years ago and how things are now, then I can see them understanding. It might help you as well, if only for the closure. I know it helped me with Llarasa and Monderyn, even if that didn't work out completely."

"You're not a monster, mama," Rhazii chimed in, even if he didn't understand the situation completely.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros reached his hand over to Ahnasha's shoulder as her emotions rose. He held off on repeating what he had said before going to meet them; it appeared that it was becoming apparent to Ahnasha anyway. For a while, he just stayed silently with her for her comfort.

After about a minute, Rhazii's eye and hand peeked around the doorframe of the cabin. His small voice asked, "Mama, are you okay?"

Looking around to him, Fendros smiled and beckoned for Rhazii to approach. "Come here," Fendros said in a low voice, "Give your mother a hug."

Rhazii complied, climbing up onto the bed and crawling over to Ahnasha to embrace her.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros approached and sat down on the bed next to Ahnasha. He placed the bouquet between them and exhaled while trying to find a place to start. After scratching at the back of his head, Fendros opted to just recount the situation. "The shop was still there, but it had a different name," Fendros wove his hands together and looked at the wall in front of him. He was solemn, "I walked in asked where the shop moved to, they said that it was the same shop. They changed the name to Tiger Lily Trader in honour of their lost daughter. They keep a tiger lily and a candle on the mantlepiece in her memory. It was her favourite colour. It has been a long time and they have since healed from their loss, but they still cherish her." Fendros blinked and looked at Ahnasha, "His son is opening a store of his own in a month. They still miss their Ahnasha, though." Fendros smiled, "Rhazii almost called you out, said you weren't dead. I had to explain that it was not the same person. I was informed that I was crossing the line when I asked how he would react if his daughter were still alive. I left after that, knowing that if she were still alive, it would be her choice whether to come back in the end."

Trying to be lighthearted, Fendros gestured to Ahnasha's arrowhead pendant from Vos. "And here I thought your favourite colour was amethyst." Fendros smiled at the wall, "Must be a different person after all. Regardless, Gwindir seems a kind and gentle person. I only wish I could have met his wife and son."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros nodded. He had taken a step too far. "Understood. My apologies," he said, "Until next time then. Thank you again for the lilies." With that, Fendros turned and lead the children out of the store.

"We're heading back to the ship. I need to talk with Ahnasha," Fendros said to Newt and Rhazii. While both the children felt withdrawn due to the incident out of nowhere, Fendros had to keep a stern face to hide just how stupid he felt. He should have just left it as saying it was coincidence. He never should have pushed it to the point of imposing. Still, he wanted to let Ahnasha know the situation. Whatever they wanted of Ahnasha before she ran off, they still loved her and missed her. That much was evident in their tributes to her memory. There were no more words from Fendros, save for 'no' whenever Rhazii or Newt asked to stop to look at something.

It wasn't long before Fendros boarded the ship again and went straight below deck, letting the children roam as usual. He knocked lightly on the cabin door that Ahnasha was in and carefully made his way inside, flowers first. "Ahna?" He said softly, "I met Gwindir."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It's no big deal. I have to get lunch anyway.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros averted his eyes apprehensively. Before, he was flustered and trying to cover everything up. Right now, though, he was considering whether to continue the lie. If he told the truth, he would not only be setting a double standard for Rhazii right then and there, but he would be breaking a promise to Ahnasha. She didn't want him mentioning her name at all.

"It is..." Fendros hesitated. His eyes caught the tiger lilies under his arm, "...They have the same name. It's Ahnasha. I do not doubt that it is coincidence."

It would have been without good conscience to be completely truthful to Gwindir. Fendros desperately wanted to meet Ahnasha's mother and brother to gauge their attitudes towards her, but he felt that was inappropriate now. Still, he wanted to see if he could get away with one last question.

"Gwindir," Fendros stepped forward and breathed in nervously, "This is going to sound strange, and I only ask that you indulge me for a moment," Fendros punctuated with a diplomatic gesture with one hand. "I can tell that you cherished your daughter, I don't doubt that you wanted the best for your children. However, I'm quite curious. If you were to see your daughter Ahnasha again, find that she was alive, but...also find that she had made a new life for herself, would you respect that life she chose if she wanted to continue it?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Right, yes, thank you," Fendros fished out the required septims and placed them on the table. He didn't mind that the price was rather steep, given the situation.

"Dada! The man said Ahnasha! Ahnasha isn't dead! Mama is back on the ship!" Rhazii's eyes were welling up now. He was about as confused as the shopkeeper was.

Fendros simply took the flowers in one hand, Rhazii's ear in the other, and turned to the exit. "Newt, come along," Fendros said over Rhazii's cry of pain and surprise. They all walked to the door, Rhazii stumbling to keep up. Fendros didn't so much as look at Gwindir on the way out.

Once the door closed behind them all, Fendros found that a number of heads had turned to look at Rhazii crying. It was no matter. He knelt down and released Rhazii's ear, instead holding him by the upper arms and keeping him in place. Rhazii's tears were flowing now. "Dada, why did you hurt me?" Rhazii asked while rubbing his now sore ear.

Fendros gave a sympathetic look and explained straight to Rhazii. He knew than that he should have done so in the first place. "Rhazii, son, I need you to listen to me. That man in there is mama's father. Mama ran away from her family a long time ago, and mama does not want them to know that she is not dead."

"But, why?" Rhazii asked through a sob, "She isn't dead..."

"Alright," Fendros sighed. "You remember when I told you not to talk about the clan or transforming when we're in cities? You mustn't talk about mama in front of that man, either."

Still pouting, Rhazii put his head down, "Okay."

Fendros managed a smile. "Very good. I am sorry for pulling your ear, little one. You didn't know any better. Now, we're going to go back into that shop. I need you to say sorry to the man - and no more mention of mama, okay?"

Rhazii guiltily nodded and rubbed the tears from his eyes.

"Come along, now," Fendros stood up and took Rhazii's hand. "I haven't forgotten about you, Newt. Stay close now." The three of them entered the store again.

"Gwindir, my son has something to say to you," Fendros said with politeness.

"I'm sorry, mister Gwindir," Rhazii mumbled at the lowest volume he could get away with. He wasn't looking at anyone for the shame he felt.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Rhazii stopped making faces at the plates and looked at Gwindir when he mentioned his mother's name.

"A fiery spirit, yes," Fendros grinned, then glanced to Gwindir and realised his mistake. Fendros cleared his throat and carefully lowered Newt onto the floor to allow him to join in Rhazii's fun. "My wife is similar," Fendros tried to clear up the awkwardness.

The children weren't touching the plates, so Fendros figured it would do no harm. He hadn't noticed Rhazii's recognition. For now, he could continue the conversation, "I think I know what I would purchase. Do you sell bouquets of flowers here? I would have six tiger lilies in a ribbon, if you please."

"Dada," Rhazii waddled up to the counter when there was a pause in the conversation, "why does the shopkeeper have a candle there for mama? She can't see it."

Fendros immediately tensed his posture. Rhazii had caught him completely off-guard. "Er...it's not..." Fendros fumbled for some kind of explanation. He couldn't quite come up with something sufficient in his fluster. "Rhazii, you shouldn't say such things about the dead, it's disrespectful," Fendros said quickly, before turning to Gwindir again, "sorry again, he doesn't understand."

"Mama isn't dead!" Rhazii said, verging on upset that his father would even suggest it.

"I'll talk to him outside," Fendros said with a sigh, reaching for his coin, "I'll have those lilies now."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros made a mental note to bring up Ahnasha's brother again. He wanted to meet him as well.

"I'll be sure to let him know, thank you." Fendros' smile widened and he stepped forward with an outstretched hand, "My name is Fendros, by the way. I didn't catch yours..."

After finishing introductions, Fendros looked to the mantlepiece again. His eyes lingered on the flower. "I don't want to be rude," Fendros started slowly, "I think I may have heard about what happened in your family, your daughter. What exactly transpired, if you don't mind saying? Tell me about her."

Having thoroughly inspected every facet of the sword he could see, Rhazii decided to look around elsewhere in the shop. After seeing some polished metal plates that distorted his reflection, he began to make faces and giggle.