Dead brown leaves crunch underfoot as Tric, Heppa, Butterbell, and Mate return to Estbryn Forest under a colorful autumnal canopy. Although they have many important matters to discuss with their elders, reuniting with family comes first. For Tric, that means his first stop is the house he shares with his dad Nasir. To open the conversation, Tric asks if the first freeze has happened yet, but of course it has not. “Oh that’s right, we’re further south than the Heart Mountains and not as high,” he observes, using this to introduce some tales of his travels there. Then he segues to his visit to Wesmere, telling Nasir how he met with his grandparents, Cleomithir and Quaemilya. “They had something for you,” Tric says, pulling out a velvety pouch. Seated across from Nasir, he empties the shiny contents onto the table between them. “They said these used to belong to Anador. I thought you would like them. Were these really his?” he asks, closely watching his dad’s reaction to the jewelry.
Nasir picks pieces up, one after another, looking at them pensively. He holds up one bangle, and its amethyst catches the light coming in through the window. “Yes, my boy, these were Anador’s.”
Tric lets him quietly enjoy whatever memories are running through his head for a moment. Then, seeking confirmation of what Thrandolil sent Kachen to recover, Tric carefully prods. “This, uh, this doesn’t look like a full set…. Are there any other pieces?”
“Anador’s lordly circlet matched this jewelry,” Nasir comments. He sifts through the pile a bit more. “And this isn’t every earring he ever owned. He was quite stylish.”
“Yes, I imagine he had a wide variety and changed his styles with the seasons,” Tric agrees. That fits the restless nature he has heard about from others who knew Anador.
“He was particularly partial to pieces that he said brought out the color of his eyes,” Nasir adds, glancing up at the child who inherited them.
While Nasir continues to look through the jewelry, Tric shares more of his travels, including that he saw his half-sister Terwaen, Mhaev’s younger daughter. “We had a good visit. She’s exceedingly honorable and dedicated to her profession. You would like her. And it turns out I have a half-brother as well. I don’t know if you ever met Ash, son of Essa and Anador from a hundred-ish years ago. He’s also very diligent and dedicated to his craft, an avenger of the elves of Wesmere. He helped us get through the Heart Mountains. And this cowl was actually a gift from him.”
Tric gestures at what he wears around his shoulders, which draws Nasir’s eyes to his neck. Tric pulls the cowl off to show it to his dad, revealing a better view of the tree tattoo there as well as the new scar beneath it. He shares that his half-brother did the artwork. As for the injury… “Have you ever been hit by lightning?” he asks. But of course Nasir has not; he is too cautious and too good a water dowser to ever be caught exposed during a major storm. “It wasn’t raining,” Tric clarifies. “There were these fellows called shadow mages…” Nasir’s eyes get wider and wider as Tric relates his dealings with the necromancers who do not admit they are necromancers. Tric is passionate as he describes the events; he takes his commission from the woses seriously. This all reminds him that he and Heppa need to meet with Volas to deliver the letter from the Ka’lian and get approval for an Estbryn sentry to help protect the Grey Woods.
Nasir takes it all in, then stands. “Well, my boy, sounds like you’ve gotten around quite a bit.” He wraps Tric in a big hug. “I’m glad you came back home.”
“Of course!” Tric says, returning the embrace. They make plans to go fishing before the rivers freeze and perhaps even afterwards, as Tric would like to try ice fishing. Nasir is excited by that idea since it will require finding where liquid water is beneath the frozen. Although Tric has just triggered a water dowsing lecture, he is still glad to be back home, and he humors his dad by at least pretending to listen.
* * *
The first family member Heppa encounters is her sister Quaemilya, who she was supposed to acquire an artistic human container. Heppa excitedly produces both her purchases of that nature. Rambling about horsefolk—Or is it horse lords? She can never keep them straight.— she presents a pot made by Terwaen’s aunt Midge. It is of spun clay glazed bronze with stylized blue horses painted on. Rather than talk about that, though, she recounts the excitement of meeting and talking with a paladin. She hands the first gift off to Lala and then pulls out the second pot, this a dried gourd with the interior carved out. It is decorated with a smiling face on one side and a frowning face on the other, the product of a human at the After Harvest Festival. Heppa derails herself with talk of all the activities and people at that faire. She never actually addresses her sister’s questions about the artisans. She may not even have heard them.
When Lala shoos Heppa away, she goes up to her father’s library, eager to avoid her mother. There she gives him a big hug and excitedly announces, “We saw Grandmother and Grandfather!” She shows off her new wand as evidence. Thrandolil recognizes the thin, thorny branch and remarks that his mother never let him try to use it when he was young. Heppa breaks out into a big grin. She had just thought Grandmother was giving her a wand, not her own wand. “Oh, and they sent a letter!” she says, handing it to him.
Thrandolil breaks the seal and skims through the message from his parents while nodding along to his younger daughter’s tales of adventure. When he reaches the end, he is excited to read that his parents will be coming for a visit. “Oh! Just wait until I tell your mother about this!” he says cheerfully.
Heppa is relieved. There is nothing in her father’s demeanor to indicate that this news is bad. She was fairly confident he would receive it in a stable fashion, particularly since Kachen’s news indicated that Thrandolill has been thinking about his brother. Still, it is always good to see a theory proved right. For now, though, Heppa gives her father a big hug and then takes her leave, citing urgent business with the high lord. No way does she want to be around when her mother finds out. Penna will likely be furious.
“Very good. Off with you then. But bring your cousin by when you have time. I’m eager to hear about your findings,” her father tells her as she departs.