"When the family is ruined, the timeless laws of family duty perish;
and when duty is lost, Chaos overwhelms the family."
-Bhagavad-gita 1:40


A few days had passed since their return with Bella, much having transpired and come to light. Many things of course having no explanation or reason, but that was simply the way of it. Whatever way it was sliced, the Captaine loathed being in this city and preparations were being made for the return trip to Westmarche.

Quiet and about their business, the crew left aboard the Handmaiden took to their duties with little more promised then their pay and a place to rest their head, typically staying out of the way of Aullere, which included her son Devin. Not brooding nor stewing, the boil had released itself down to a low simmer and what she called life, continued forward as it always did.

The matter of the cottage taken care of with the Solicitor, the taxes had been paid and there was no longer a threat of the property being sold.

The Galleon was in need of several repairs that may as well be fixed while there was time in Rhydin, meaning only another day or three as the out fittings were replaced. The dry dock a constant bustle, many having heard the call for help as she was running on a ghost crew, coin tossed here and there, the hands were in place and the Harbormaster given a fair lot to let them be. Somethings never changed. There was always a price. Wasn't there.

"What do yew think she will do, Moc?" Rothchild inquired as he carried a pile of olive wood on his shoulder. A grunt being Moctez's only response, if he had answered it would have been something muttered and not the answer wanted.

Never one to miss an opportunity to prosper financially and business wise, several contacts had been made with local traders and a meeting scheduled for contract negotiations. Aullere was not leaving this port empty handed. It was simply unacceptable.

It also calmed that troubled mind of her's to keep busy. Inquiries of course had been made about Bella's well being, but the witch would never be shocked that Aullere all but up and vanished. A note here, a note there left, the witch knew she was on her mind....always.

By all outward appearances, it seemed as though while she knew Rique was alive, it was squashed down deep into her soul, much as it always had been. What else was there to do? Perhaps other women and men reacted to such things in different ways, she could only be who she was. Tormented. Beyond belief. Her love for that man went mind numbingly farther than the definition of such. As a matter of fact, the word love rarely came up between the two that were sealed together by fate, if not by sight.

From the first time they had met all of those years ago, somehow, someway they always seemed to have been in a state of unrest and turmoil. Her being the hard nosed, bitchy Captaine....hell bent on turning the tides with everything she touched. Unyielding and stubborn to an extreme fault, far from the type of woman that submitted to anything, much less a man. And this was perfect in the savage's mind. Rique being the insistent one, the one who never stopped pushing, his family his reason for the breath that expanded his lungs. Fate.

The desert man had taken to the challenge and never once backed down. If anything, his harshness and hardness vanished when the two were behind closed doors. A mutual understanding of who and what they were. Apart. Together. They always had each other. Their souls literally joined and flourished even when the destruction of just that was attempted....and it was....over and over. They had been through the hells of fire, always coming out on the other side, seeking each others gaze and knowing they were solid. That was not love. That was something that could have never been defined as that. That word almost an insult in their minds.

Rique was Aullere's, A Ghr? mo Chro?, her beloved soul.

Aullere was Rique's, M'hela, his heart.

Their children, Devin, Nereid, Lucas and Layla, bore witness to their parents devotion over the last twenty some odd years. It was unfaltering and unquestionable, even if a majority of the time they had been told he was dead. While Devin was not Rique's son by birth, he had always claimed him as his own and Devin claimed him as his father, his poppy. The Pirate Prince. With those thoughts, Aullere's features calmed....settled, the spray of the ocean invigorating.

"Cappy...." Came Henry's voice from behind her.

Aullere turned from the rail, shoulder's straightening. "Aye?"

"You are needed at the dry-dock." Came Henry's reply.

Only a nod given the crewman, Aullere was last seen walking down the pier and around the corner.

It mattered little that a makeshift roof and several walls had already been put up by the imposers at the property. A small amount of fuel and flame took care of that in not more than ten minutes. Merely a frame and that was it. Beyond the common inclination of madness, Aullere had transgressed far enough into that position that she was no longer stalking around, fury incarnate....she was calm, collected....which was worse.

The guard's all keeping their back's to the woman, they would not be intrusive.

The ground still smoldering, it wasn't far away that she slumped down and leaned on a willow tree, it's bark biting into her back going unnoticed.

A length of herb lit and dangled from her lips, the scroll was spotted once again and pulled free. Staring at it a long moment, the way the witch had dropped it onto the table without a word still lingering with Aullere. The seal being that of the familiar Romany a finger was traced across the edge and it broken to unfurl.

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.

"Father Franco...." A brow lifted, she remembered him vaguely. He had the oddest of white-blue eyes. He had never been blind but he was a former Banu He'lah. Something to do with the god of his clan or some such thing. It really should have meant more to her, but her recollections were often deceiving.

Gaze fluttering and skimming over the letter, only particular words leaping off of the parchment. "Rique" being the main one. "Returned by Horatio." Several more.

Another paragraph, looked like Gabriella's hand writing, she would know that script anywhere. "Eron....the veil set to task and burned." Everything ran together, line after line. "Desert...." Oh Christ.

And finally, a small blurb written by the witch about the cottage. Aullere muttered. "Well, dun taken care o' tha' you crazy bat..."

A glance up, the fire still smoldered and she growled. That property was sacred to Aullere. To Rique. And while the witch meant well, she felt violated....again. However this time, it wasn't Elex or Dante.

Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Dropping the letter onto her lap, slender arms curled about her ribcage and clung for dear life. The breeze was shifting as the sun began to dip, her mind swirling.

Any other person at the news their spouse was to be returned would possibly be jumping for joy. Happiness abounding. Aullere wished it could be that way.

Instead, there was the constant question and debilitating pain of why it had all happened in the first place. Why they could not ever have simply been one of those boring couples that worked their backsides into the ground and worried about their children, while spending every waking moment living for the greater good of all they were as a.....as a....Family.

Chin tipping upwards, the willow branches swayed, gaze locked....trained....the images unrelenting as they skittered through her mind like one of the new fangled picture shows some talked about.

Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

All of them had been deceived and betrayed countless times. Paralyzed by what was thought to be and what truly was. There was belief in his breathing of life, but the tale would not unfold until Rique was standing in front of her.

The words are like wild weather, wetting her appetite. Wandering into places she almost forgot were there. Watering her source. Prose puffs from the ancient pen and permeating the air around her, thick and heady smoke filled. Purple pansies and plump peonies play with all the light as the surreal slips back into place, the mind wandering to the colorful time where darkness was kept at bay.

Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

The crowd forms again, spidery veins pulsing at her temples, chaos commences. They cannot be contained. Vowels voice themselves and the energy starts to rise.

Her tears falling like rain.

News travelled fast after the new timbers were raised. Fire and madness spooked the men hired. At least she knew the first round was Aully?s win. She was waiting for the fucking celestial to burn from the sky, as of yet she had not seen him, but Camilla said she felt him close. The bastard was hiding and Antonio had his own mess to deal with. Plainly in the end, all of this burdened upon her shoulders.

Two days later she went to visit Enrique again. Their conversation brief, instructions given again and she set about the task. The last thing she said to the savage, ?You better make it soon, Rique, or I will drag your ass to see her. I mean it.?

Twice now he asked her to start rebuilding. He sent word to the Erabedlem and a small crew of workers were arriving at dusk. Hire men to move the wood, men to help with the small crew and to keep her mouth shut about the cabin. Rique asked her to hire them, ask her to claim task in rebuilding and asked her to keep quiet.

She needed Brantee?s help, it was too much and Drenska was busy tending to the watch fires. ?Mouse, I need you to get Devin. He?s a bad liar, but he might be able to give some help on how to keep his mother out of trouble.?

The mouse went about her business and would be seeking Devin. Little did she know, he was a few miles off sea, but soon she?d discover.

For now, the witch felt like she was drowning as a missive was sent to Rique letting him know of plans.

While word had gotten to Devin that the Mouse was looking for him, there was also something at the end of that message that would stretch time to the end. The Handmaiden's anchor would be pulled early the next morning and they would be heading back to Westmarche. As any young man would, Devin was enamoured by the fact that the young woman would be looking for him and set his sights on making it possible
to go ashore and track her down. With little time to spare, his presence would not be missed for the now and the longboat headed for shore.

Going against the direct order of the Captaine, to say his neck was on the line was a perverse understatement. The ways and makings of the fleet, any fleet were not understood by many, but they were strict and done with dire reason. There was nothing romantic about this way of life as so many believed. But, Devin was also very aware of his mother's tone to the crew when it was stated they were pulling anchor. There had also been no sign of Enrique, perhaps adding to her state of mind. Perhaps? Correction, it was everything. Glancing behind him, Devin tied off the longboat and a booted footfall led him in the direction of the Inn he knew Mouse to be staying.

After her conversation with the Captaine, she mulled over what was said and promised. She swore not to mention anything to Rique, but that did not mean she could not tell anyone else. All this set into motion a series of events that were meant to be. Each piece carefully moved to the exact time and place. She went to see Paddy about getting a long boat, maybe asking the Harbormaster where the Handmaiden had sailed, but no lucky. So she went toward the docks and accidentally heard the solicitor from the other week cursing about divorce and Moir. Paddy was on his way back to the Boar?s Nest and so was she. He was there drinking, and she begged him to take the letter she penned to Jon. ?Do it now, things cannot wait.? The Black Iron would take too long to get back to. So in the mean time, she left and went to the dock to think. Devin would have seen the dark haired woman standing there looking over the sea, for her it was all black. Though she did not believe as the others, not entirely, she kept all of them in her prayers. In the mean time, Paddy delivered her missive to Jon and he in turn rode like hell to find the Youngest.

Devin had only walked perhaps 200 yards, when he saw the young woman. Even at this early state of the morning, the dockside district was a bustle with scents and sound that permeated the fringes of every nostril and left a heady aroma of breads, pastries and fish. Some would find that absolutely disgusting, while others relished in it. A coin handed to one vendor, the old woman had been nice enough, giving the young man a nod for his politeness and the still warm pastry handed over.

Pressing away, Devin closed the distance to the Mouse, a long stride making it much easier to maneuver between this one and that. Not far away, he leaned over and around her shoulder, enough to see without touching her that she was feeling the lap of the tide as it came in and drinking in the salt air. "If y' listen very closely, y' do not ever have to see the water. There are many a tale to be told, without seeing the first wave..." Instead, Devin took the sweet and moved it back and forth under her nose, not ever touching it, just giving her a whiff of it. "Th' Captaine said you are looking for me, Brantee?" Already unwilling to call her Mouse by name, to do such a thing almost a belittlement of who she was, what she stood for and even though it was a nickname, maybe lovingly given.... he would not call her anything but her name.

Talking to herself. ?You promised not to tell Rique, you told Jon, actually you wrote Jon a note, so you did not break a promise.? This was all her fault, but not technically. ?How did things get so messy?? Looking heaven bound. Never expecting an answer, but she prayed. Her note simply explained what happened. Rique would have to act as he saw fit. She didn?t mind the scent of breads, fish and pastries. She was getting ready to turn around, but jumped at the sound of his voice. Wait, what was under her nose? Reaching up to touch his hand, and slowly fingers felt their way down and held for what seemed to be a very long time. ?I?ve heard of the sirens of the sea chanting and singing to sailors.? Since he was closer, she let the cane go and it fell against her chest. The right hand touched his face; she?d never seen what he looked like. Gently she took some time because it was going to be the last time she saw him, especially after what the Captaine said.

Then she embraced him in a hug and held on very tight. ?Dd-devin, I am so sorry, I think I did something wrong, I did not mean to. Your poppy asked for help so he could make it all right for your momma, and he asked Gabriella, me and.. and.. Jon for help to make her believe, I thought she knew, but she didn?t. I messed it up.? It wasn?t her fault, but she took blame. ?Then I heard tt-the sol?? Frantically trying to get her words out. ?solicitor about dd-div.. div?? The word made her sick. ?Papers to end marriage. I need your help please. Yy-your father wanted me to find you, he needed your help.? Cheek against his heart. ?I am sorry, we can?t let it happen.? In the mean time Jon reached the Youngest with the news.

A quizzical look would have been seen on the young man's features, as he did in fact hear her whispers. But it was dashed away when she turned to face him. She was quite the lovely lass. Her skin untouched by the elements, and for a moment, Devin wished to reach out and brush the errant tendril of hair from the line of her brow but resisted. It was just not proper for him to do so. Some had said that even though Devin was not biologically a Moir, that he was a carbon copy of Rique and Aullere within his features. A long jaw line, strong cheekbones, a thin lip setting and a startling set of powder blue eyes that if seen during the highest of sun, near danced in color and shimmer.

Instantly shushing Brantee, the pastries were dropped and tumbled into the water off the sea wall. His arms sliding around her, he listed carefully, his heart immediately speeding up for not only the news she was delivering but for the way she felt against his larger frame. He towered over her pettiness, literally. "Shhhsshhhhh...." Absorbing all of this, his gaze skittered out into the water and then closed so his chin could rest atop her head. Thinking. Mulling. She was frantic, this he knew. Another person, another entity drawn into this abyss that bore no stature of making. They had all been sucked in and another victim snagged....easily. The way his mother had been ranting since the day before, the word of the Solicitor did not shock him. But there was one thing that Devin knew for a fact....an absolute fact. "M' father will not allow a divorce. It is unheard of an' m' mother know's this." Muffled being his words against her hair, a breath was taken and held a brief moment. "Why would he seek me out via you, instead of himself?" Devin would help his father, but why had he not come himself.

Devin was an adult, a man that spoke and thought for himself, but this mess was not Brantee's, nor Devin's to clean up. In many ways, it was not even his God-Mother's mess to tidy. This was something that was between the two that had walked the path....together and apart....but always together somehow, bound by the soul. "Shhh.....it will b' alright, y' have my word..." Holding her closer, shielding her from all that was.

The comfort of his arms relished, rarely did anyone touch her, or embrace her. It was preferred that way, she?d been scarred and abused by those before. Kept as a beauty, treated as a beast. ?I did not know there would be no .. div..? Still the word was poison to her tongue. ?Gabriella asked me via Rique to come get you, she said he needed your help.? It took a few minutes in his arms to actually calm and settle her. ?I sent a letter to tell your father. All I know is he wanted to make it better for her and wanted your help. I talked to your mother and she was angry. I missed your company.? Strange that she thought about him way too much and missed the back and forth banter and the moment they shared. Yeah, she has a crush, it was probably way too apparent.

Though, she would not be so bold in thinking that he would ever be more than a friend. What man in their right mind would stay with a blind woman? "I was trying to help, everything is mm-messed up." She hardly stuttered around him, and she always stuttered around those she barely knew. Looking up and then she nestled back against him for a little bit and said nothing. "How are you?" Only imagining what it would be like to be sort of in the middle.

The solicitor reached Rique before Jon did, and it was probably in the better interests of the man that he came to Rique before filing anything. Over the past few years, the Moir name had a reputation of vile retribution to anyone betraying him. Most of reputation was Dante?s fault, but he would have killed the man if he filed the decree. Enrique Moir, would never divorce Aullere Moir, she?d have to kill him first. Rique went back to town, determined to find Brantee and get the story from her mouth, not from a letter. The first place he looked was the Nest. Paddy directed him toward the docks. Low and behold among the salt and sea water, stood the son of a Banu He?lah. He?d know his son anywhere, but what was this? Was the Mouse in his arms?

His son, now a grown man ? he choked back the tears and waited back a ways to watch. This was not the way he wanted to re-connect with his son. He wanted it to be at the cottage, he wanted to show him everything he?d accomplished in the four days returned to town. Rique wanted his son to know, to really understand everything that happened. Though, no one really ever knew. He thought he could wait, but he couldn?t. Both Devin and Brantee were embraced in his arms. He kissed his son on the top of his head. Seeing Devin broke him, literally broke him.

Devin did not know this word, crush. If it had been spoken, he would have been absolutely confused. But the feeling of her in his arms, seemed so very natural. The way it was supposed to be. The heart of a lion, the son was one that had transgressed through many forms of life...beliefs and while he had been deemed a half breed....he was not in so many ways. Perhaps he as well had this -crush-, or perhaps it was something more than that. He would not admit, that he thought about her constantly. However, if time passed, Brantee would certainly be told with mirth by Moctez, how Devin had been so lost in thought during the re-rigging of the ship at the dry dock that he had been knocked from the platform by a pole mast and brought back to his senses very swiftly. For him to admit that he had missed her, would be taking a liberty that had been smacked into him time and time again.

There was respect for a Lady, and she was a Lady to him. The doxies that were so very common for a sailor were many, so very many. It was there life to be the center of attention, to gain that attention with feminine wiles and the scent of euphoria. This....this was something altogether different.

He yearned so very hard to tell her. But did not. He continued to comfort her and attempted to keep his line of thought in check but was failing miserably. But, he did manage to tip his head back and even though she could not see him, see the pain so very prominent in his eyes. His words such a whisper. "Y' did what you could, from your heart, Brantee....with no reservations, with no hesitation. Y' did not do this thing, mess
up. It's all so very confusing, even for those that have been in the middle for so many years. Y' did what your heart told you and that is everything..." Devin could not have stressed that more. His gaze searching her unseeing eyes, so alive....so vibrant and so open....maybe to only him.

Her question deeming a small tug of his lips. "I am fine, now...and so are you..." Her worry hit Devin like a freight train, he could feel it pulsing through her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. The admission made, there could perhaps be a backlash from his words later on, but that was a chance he took...willingly. Off in their own little world, somehow, someway....the scent of his father was present before the Youngest had ever reached them.

Instantly, and without thought, why would there be a thought about it, Devin's arm came around Rique....and as if a thousand years (it had felt as much), had passed and a million miles away closed, the emotion flew from the young man much like it did when he was a toddler and he watched his poppy walk away for the last time. For so long, he had been strong, for his mother, his siblings and his poppy, the flood gate opened and all that was left was the sobs that ripped from the line of his chest and exploded ten fold. Never once however, did he release Brantee. Not once. There was absolutely no question who this man was, Devin knew his Poppy. He always had. Even when Dante and Elex reared their heads....he knew who they were. It was ingrained in the very core of all that Devin was from the time he could sit up on his own. This was his Father.

Devin ? a man with a boy?s face, his boy! Brantee was in the middle of the men, and would remain until either broke the embrace. He held his son and this woman, and consoled Devin. ?Shhh son, poppy is here.? The richness of his voice the same, when he would tell tales and sit with Devin for hours in the tree house. ?Never again.? Rique?s word was not broken, and it would not be. Kissing the top of his head several times. A rough hand touched his son?s cheek and brought up a tear stained face for a good look. ?You?re a Moir, through and through.? Dark hair, blue eyes, strong face. ?My son, my son!? He screamed out and crushed them in his arms.

The mouse could do little except stay between son and father. The moment was so touching, she cried when Devin did. Her arms tightened around his waist and the comfort she offered was much like he gave her.

The reunion was more than he expected, because Rique didn?t know what to expect. Rejection was possible, and that scared the hell out of him. Devin?s acceptance crushed the doubt in an instance. ?So handsome.? Not a lick of shame telling his son how handsome he was. ?My son.? Equally he loved all of his children, but the oldest, the first always had an extra special place in his heart. ?Banu He?lah, Captain and man.? Breaking the embrace only after he was sure Devin was okay. He had to look at his son and give the woman with him a chance to breathe. Nodding to her. ?Brantee.?

"Where is Devin?!" Came the bark of Aullere as she rounded the corner of the Galley. For a room full of eating men, things went instantly silent, several looked down to their plates while others mouths hung open mid chew. On the other hand, a few skittish glances reach Moctez and the island man remained leaned against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest. "Reggie b' lookin' for him, where is he?" It came for the second time, patience was not Aullere's forte today.

Reggie was the Handmaiden's wheel master and Devin was serving his final apprenticeship with him for the trip back to Westmarche. "Cappy, we are set for anchor in about's two hour's...he will be aboard by then..." Came Moctez's drawl, no one ever said he was the sharpest tool in the shed. "Wha' are y' talkin' 'bouts!? Aboard b' then?! He's ashore?!" Arm jutted, she was pointing towards Rhydin and all at once, Aullere roared. "Y' let him go ashore t' meet up with tha' lass?!!! Have y' lost what's left o' your mind?!!!!!" The tone, the anger, had several forks hitting the metal plates and in the matter of a blink, Aullere had scurried above deck and was cross the rail, cutting the ropes and dropping into the water below without another crewman there to row her to shore. Hell no, she was going to do it herself and even when the others including Moctez were hanging over yelling at her to WAIT!, she continued rowing. They could all drown as far as she was concerned.

Dragging a hand over his bald head, Moctez lowered another long boat, took several crew with him and was about ten minutes behind Aullere as she rounded the cove into open water. In the meantime, on the dock,

Devin released Brantee finally, but not entirely. His hand still prominent but at least she could move some. The son stood there, overcome by so many different things and for a moment he thought he was asleep and dreaming. He had dreamt of this moment so many times. A lot of the time, Rique was met with emotional anger and maybe even a sliver of hatred. But one could not feel such things, unless the love for the person was bigger than anything anyone could possibly know. Reaching out, so very hesitant....a child's inclination as his fingertips met Rique's jaw and lingered there. "Y' are here....before me..." Softly whispered, there was no shame in the salty tears that continued to fall. They needed to fall finally, for all of them. "M' poppy...I have dreamt of y', nightly..." Whatever anger within the young man that had been so locked away, seemed to no longer matter....it just wasn't there, for there is only one thing that can squash that away and he had that.

How could any one of the fathom what happened, what transpired over the years. His beloved brothers betrayed him, took his family and they paid the price for the well being of the Erabedlem. Sacrifice, they all bled for the people and love, most of all love. ?I am here son. Your poppy is not going any where, even when your mother wants it.? The situation was dire to anyone looking on, but the fact that Aullere even thought he would sign divorce papers, that?s funny. A quick glance between Brantee and Devin, he had no idea, but his son had the look on his face when he first met his mother, but didn?t know it. Though, it might be puppy love, it may be more. It took time to take a hold and make the heart burn. Rique scratched his chest, his heart was burning. Maybe because it was her rage that amused him, well rage enough to attempt divorce. ?You?re a boy in a man?s body son, I want to pick you up and toss you over my shoulder.? Which he might do.

Brantee?s hand squeezed Devin?s and she stepped out of the way to the side so they could be closer, father and son. Not a word said, not one single word. It was so touching that they were together again.

?Son, I didn?t want it to be this way. I wanted it to be more, I wanted the walls of the cottage done so I could bring you and show you.. I thought you could convince your mother to believe I was alive. Everyone told me she didn?t believe it.? He had to laugh now, because if she didn?t believe he was alive, why did she want to serve him with papers? ?She served me papers for a divorce.? He laughed and pulled his son against his chest. ?Devin, you have no idea how much I missed you, Nereid, Lucas and Layla? and your mother.?

Shifting position and his arm went across Devin?s shoulders. ?I asked Gabby to send for you, I wanted your help to get your mother to the cottage so I could ask her to marry me again. Will you help me??
Brantee looked up at Devin and Rique and gasped. ?How romantic.? But since she is a mouse, the words were squeaked out. "I asked Gabby to send for you, I wanted your help so I could get your mother to the cottage and ask her to marry me again. Will you help me??

"She has changed Poppy, so verra much so. Th' life in her, gone..." Again whispered, painfully so. "She does what is required, for all o' us....but alone mostly.." There was no touching his mother. Rique of all people knew the life that seeped from Aullere at one time. Larger than life. She had taken the final crush and while still walked and breathed....she was hollow. Listening to his words, Devin shook his head. "I told
Brantee th' same thing, ending your marriage in divorce is nae an option. Every couple o' years, she brought us back here, she would pay th' taxes on th' property where the cottage stood and she would just stay there. I think she was hopin' y' would come walking out of the woods and it all would be done, it would all have been something her imagination had come up with an' nae real." His words trailing off with one final thing. "She never truly believed y' were dead, she thought y' just didn't come back t' us.."

Which in many cases, was much worse than death itself. A hand assuring at Brantees back, assuring she didn't fall into the harbor, it was there but untouching. Instinctive. "I will help y', Poppy..." Not even bothering to tie off the long boat, Aullere's stride was one of haste, fists clenched, jaw set as she moved between the crowds of people doing their morning shopping. It was not the Mouse that Aullere was angry at. It was all of it, and at the center, a brotherhood of three that spared no expense at destruction. And yes, she included her husband in that because she could. Brantee was simply in the middle of this, a messenger of sorts, an innocent by all accounts but one that had a sharp mind which was keenly necessary. It may have seemed that she was furious with the young woman, it may have even looked like exactly that, but was not the case.

Devin being taller than most, gave Aullere an advantage as she could spot him rather easily and there he was. And there was Brantee. And there was....oh dear god. Footfalls ceased instantly to the point that someone walking behind her, smashed right into her nearly knocking her off her already wayward feet. Catching herself, in the same breath she had been pushed off to the side and up against a nearby wall. Grateful for the briefest of moments, Aullere convinced herself she was seeing things but when she looked back, there they all were still. Gaze raking over Rique, one particular spot honed in on and that was his neck, right below his right earlobe....the small birthmark there and a deep breath held. As if being lead by some invisible force, her footsteps carried her closer and closer yet. Close enough for the anger filled voice to be heard. "How nice o' y' to visit y' son, Enrique...y' should be commended..." Sarcasm dripping fluently, she just stood there, as if she was a looming mountain and not someone or something of average height. Deadset in her stare of him, the line of her chest rising and falling quickly, gaze never once landing on her son or the Mouse. A tight rope balance between fury and something else, something long since locked away in pandoras box, safe from prying eyes.

Brantee smelled Aullere in the crowd, way before she arrived. It was odd, the Captaine smelled like pure, maybe that was it or she imagined it. Gently pulling Devin back, getting him out of the way. This moment may not turn out like the rest. She could not interrupt with words, but swift to action with clarity and urgency.

Rique waited until his son was finished. ?I?m counting on that raging fire, son.? Mussing Devin?s hair up and he stared at his son, such a man with a woman in his arms. ?Now, we?re in agreement and I have your help. I do not want you to leave port, I need you here with me.? Not a command, but a request from his poppy. He needed to get to know his son again and being away at sea would not work. This part of the conversation over much before Aullere showed herself.

Rique started to say something else when he saw his M?hela approaching. Everything else around him stopped, Devin was there, but his wife was first. Did he detect anger in her voice? Wait, there?s sarcasm too. Before she could say another word, he backed her against a wall and trapped her against it. Shouldering one arm and grabbing the other hand, to some it may have looked like he was trying to hurt her, but that was far from the truth. He knew the way she liked to be handled, this was far from a delicate matter, she was on fire so he used it to his advantage. His hand touched the side of her face and moved hair out of her face with a single touch of an overly calloused finger. His thumb traced along the side of her jaw. ?M?hela.? His mouth covered hers, and his tongue pushed through her teeth. All that had been stolen produced in that kiss, that one moment. He might come out of it without the end of his tongue, but he couldn?t stop himself.

Brantee heard what was going on, but she couldn't see a thing. "Devin, what is happening?" Cheek against his arm.

Devin has just been about to respond to his father's words when his mother's voice came forward and he stepped back, alongside of Brantee and well out of reach. Only time would tell where Devin would be. He had his loyalty and commitment to the fleet, he was expected to not falter in his duties for any reason and now he was on the dirty side of his mother which was not good for anyone. Time would tell. Only time. His eyes going wide, everything moved so fast and right in front of them. Arm coming back around Brantee and turning her, as if she could see what was going on, away from the scene unfolding. "Everything, Brantee.."

Aullere's growl prominent. "Y' sonofabitch!" The words coming against his mouth, and then his tongue bitten into, hard. There was no pull of it, only the bite. Fingers so deep in his hair, yanking, twining, drowning in his taste, the only taste that had ever truly intoxicated her beyond measure, only to buck against him, Aullere's mouth ripping away from his, words hissed. Far enough apart, in that small space for a calloused hand to slap him hard against the cheek, not once, not twice, three times and it fell. "I hate you..." Tussling with him, much like her son, Rique towered over Aullere....in a very large way.

Not far away, Moctez and the other crewmen came through the crowd and spotted the display. A large arm coming out, Moctez stopped several of the men, that had no idea who this was having their Captaine pinned. "Dun...stay put..." But one, known as Scotty had gotten free and being the young and foolish lad he was, all of 16 years old, rushed Rique from behind. "Let her go, now!" Moctez made no move to pry Scotty from the Youngest's back, there was a history between the carribbean and Enrique....it would be dealt with he was certain and they would probably be down one deckhand by the end of it. *

Rique accepted the bite, the slap, the hatred. Rique felt a mosquito on his back, that's what Scotty felt like to him. He wasn't moving and he wasn't letting Aullere get away either. ?I like loyal.? Meaning Scotty, but it would take more than a love bite and slap from his wife to take him down.

The Mouse heard Devin?s answer. ?Are you all right Devin? Is there anything you need??

Putting his face closer to Aullere and that probably put Scotty closer. ?Would you like to tell this boy who I am?? Make her confess it, then she had to believe it, right?

Devin glanced across a shoulder and while anyone else looking on held an expression of confusion, perhaps even fear, the corners of Devin's lips tugged into something akin of a smile and he gave Brantee a squeeze. "Aye, I am fine...nae worry...." He hoped.

Moctez ordered the other men back to the longboat to wait and watched Scotty dangling there like an ape, not really sure what he was supposed to be doing when he had no help from anyone else. Gaze locked with Rique, it was smoldering beyond measure and she reached around to thwack Scotty in the head. "Get off him, NOW! This is m' pet mate tha' appears every ten years or so, if anyone is gonna beat him t' death it'll b' ME!" Her words for Scotty but they were in Rique's face, mixed breath and all. "Now....put....m'....down..." That for Rique, she waited. Scotty fell to the ground below, received a slap in the back of the head from Moctez and scurried off towards the other's making their way back. "Put m' down..." No longer struggling, her hands were up, her legs unwrapped from his. "now..."

"That's it, M'hela." He wanted her to get angry at him. He chuckled as Scotty landed on the ground, but paid little attention to the lad. Instead of letting go, he scooped her up in his arms. There was no way in hell she was getting away from him. "No. I know you love me, I know you do not hate me and you do not want me to let you go. It's happened too many times, I am not letting you go." At least not right now. With Aullere in his hands, he grinned at his son. "I told Devin I want him to stay. I want you to stay. I need you to stay with me M'hela." Whispered at the edge of her ear. "Before you refuse me, you need to see something."

Brantee turned into Devin, there was an odd calm about him. "Do you need to go with the others?" Assuming that there were others because of the rumblings she heard in the crowd.

While his words spoke truth, she could never stop loving him, but she could also no longer do this. She was broken. The one that swore never could be, had been by this man, by the circumstances and by the powers that had abandoned them all. "Devin is a grown man, he can do as he pleases...." That hushed in the ramblings of her. One side of her screamed to cling to him, hold on for dear life and put them both out of their misery. There was the power to do that, right in the side of her boot. While the otherside of her fought so very hard, to remain just as hard. The trust long since broken, while she knew this was him....Enrique Moir, her love, her passion, the very entity that gave her life, she waited for the familiar smile of another to laugh directly in her face, shattering the illusion of what was holding her. "Y' dinnae understand...I've seen t' much..." That between them and them alone. "Put m' down..."

Devin glanced to Moctez who had heard Brantee and gave Devin a shrug and held up two fingers, signifying two hours. "Nae....I can stay for now, I ain't gonna leave y' Brantee, nae after all this...he has m' mother."Devin stayed
put with Brantee, he knew they were not invited to go along with Aullere and Rique. This was not something that needed an audience. "Will y' walk with m', Brantee?" The crowd went back to what it had been doing, things back to as much normalcy as was possible in the dock district. Brantee kept hold of Devin?s hand and gladly decided it would be good to walk, just walk. ?Yes, please. I will take you to Anya?s, she has some sweets, the best in town.? And they were swallowed in the crowd.

"I understand it, I lost as much as you have, seen as much as you have. I understand M'hela. I understand." Rique carried Aullere to his horse and easily mounted with her in front of him. ?You are going to see something and if after you see what I offer and want to leave, I will let you leave. ? Pulling the reins. ?Know this M?hela, I will never divorce you. My oath was until my death. I am not dead, neither is my oath. I pledged to you through times of joy and times of sorrow that I would be at your side.? The horse trotted through town as he spoke in her ear. "I pledged to you my heart, M'hela will never die." His love for her, his loyalty to her, his fervor or his want.

Aullere assumed he had been given the divorce papers or was at least aware of them. There was very little kept secret especially when it came to so many, so well known. The history of the Moir's as well the history of Aullere were huge in Rhydin, there was no secrecy. Word got around. "Jus' sign th' bloody papers, Rique...y' can start over, brand new.....y' can find y'self a woman tha' is bendable an' willin' t' go through this for another twenty years." It hit Aullere at that moment, twenty years. She could still see his face, the first time they had met. Such a tenacious evening that had been, they had never been separated at the heart since that moment. Nor could they ever, which left the matter of the divorce papers something of a mystery. Even to her. She wanted to talk to him, to go over the last years, day by day, not missing a thing. But all she could manage to do was bark when she was placed in atop the horse. "Y' pledged t' m' your heart, I pledged th' same...but it was nae I that failed y'.....y' failed m', Rique....y'." As harsh as that was, it came and it was meant. "We were nae ever more important than th' Erabedlem....we were just part o' th' game....th' bounty." She didn't understand why time and time again, they did what was wanted, what was needed only for the house of cards to constantly fall at their feet. "Y' may nae be dead, but how many
times can those that love y', be convinced that y' have an' continue t' go back...." It required no answer, it simply hovered there.

Rique let her get it all out. ?I have a woman that is bendable, I have you M?hela. I do not want another woman.? He didn?t know why, they were both put in this position. ?I did not let you down, I lost as much as you did M?hela. I cannot change yesterday, but at this moment you are in my arms. I have no answers for all of this my love. If I had answers, I would make it right.? He would have killed anyone alive that was involved. It happened. He took his time getting back to the cottage in the woods. At least she stopped fighting him and stayed. Relaxing his hold slightly, only so she could breath better. "I have this moment, M'hela and if this is my last with you my dove and the seas take you away, then it will be." And he would hunt her, but if things really changed so much and there was nothing left of her heart, she would still carry his name until her last breath or his. Approaching the woods, Aullere might smell fresh cut timbers along with fire. Strewn through the dense limbs several lanterns lighting darker places. The lights twinkled like stars in heaven as they were smattered along the path. "You do not understand what I had to do. They told me faith died and I had to figure out how to ignite an ember I know did not die."

The cottage walls were up and the beginning of a roof. A small crew of dark skinned men were at the crest nailing shingles. He pulled back on the reins so she could see it. "Do you remember when I built it by my hands? I could not do it alone, I wanted you to see our home." The old tree house was still up, and the swing put back up. The far corner a hammock where they would lay in each others arms on a cool evening. Sliding from the horse and pulling her with him, he let go of her hand. If she wanted to go, he would let her. Though before she could get any where, he humbled himself before and took a knee. "Since the day I saw you, I knew you would always be M'hela to me, always and all ways." Kissing her hand and he squeezed it. "I cannot walk this life alone knowing you are alive and away from me. I thought you were dead, all of you.. Devin, Nereid, and the twins, all of you. It wasn't even a half life for me. When I found out you were alive and here, I had to make it right. I wanted to make it right for you. Aullere you are my M'hela, my life, my soul, my breath and everything I am not. Will you make a new vow with me? Be my bride again? Will you marry me?"

Aullere fell silent, with her back to his chest, he couldn't see the tears that had pooled a hundred times over sending a rush down her cheeks to stretch from the line of her jaw and fall in puddles. Her mind a muddled mess, she had dreamt of him the night before, much like every other night, however there was a difference this time....she had smelled him. His skin crushed to her own, melded and sweaty. She could taste him still on the
tip of her tongue. She may have lost her mind, but she hadn't lost that fact. The path familiar, she knew where they were going. It was where they had always ended up. Always. It didn't matter what part of the world they were, they always returned to this one place. Both hands a trembling mess, a length of herb was lit and deeply inhaled. Obviously not Opium, he had known that smell all too well many years ago. Struggling to get a hold of herself, her mouth was so very dry but that one word Faith, coming to her time and time again. "Faith did nae die, Rique....the shell that kept it safe did..." He would understand what that meant. Her faith today was as strong as it had been all those years ago. Bittersweet to an extreme.

Staring, in Aullere's mind, she could see the children playing, the sound of their laughter echoing through the woods they all loved so much and over in the corner of the property, that hammock. Their barefeet entwined, just enjoying each other which was a far between luxury for them and the nuttiness of their offspring as they had been convinced they were tree sprites. She was amazed, there was not one charred remnant to be seen. The smell of burning wood was gone. Standing there, and not moving, she glanced up to him finally allowing him to see the raw emotion that had invaded her features, so very painful. Her words choked and stuttered. Lazy brogue vanishing as it did at times.

"The Solicitor hates me, cursed me for keeping this property. I came here, to pay the taxes and wouldn't let it go. It was the only place that was entirely Us. All of Us. I stopped allowing the children to come with me, they always harped on about rebuilding the cottage. I kept telling them it would never rebuilt unless it was by their poppy's hands...." Looking up at him, positively bewildered. Dead? Them? The herb falling from her lips and to the ground. "You believed us dead? Rique, we buried you at sea. Off the Handmaiden. Your body was brought to us. Each one of the children kissed you goodbye." Reaching up, she touched the birthmark. "It was you, but it was not Rique. All mourned, grieved, all of them, the children, the crew, the entire fleet....all of them but me. I could not believe no matter how I tried, that you were dead. You were not gone from me...." Taking his hand, she pressed it to the middle of her chest. "You....were not....gone. I made Dante livid, because I would not believe..."

Her words choked, so very strained. "He convinced everyone I had lost my mind, because I would not let it go. He tried to take the children, twice. I took them back to Westmarche, back to the last place you and I saw each other, but finally I hid the twins. Do you remember, at the Tavern? That was the last time I saw you....you....and I would not leave that city, but only to come here now and then..." All of it welling up again, she threw her hands up and screamed, a loud and mournful cry. "NOONE WOULD LISTEN TO ME!" A few steps away, she whirled on him. So tall and handsome he was, even older, he was still breathtaking. A near apparition amongst the scars and pain in his eyes. "What would have made it all right..." Her hand motioning behind her in reference to their haven. "would have been if you had made the pain stop....and whispered in my ear like you did so many times....that it would be alright, that we are one....we are all that was needed...." Snot running down her face, she gave none of it a thought, she could only frame him out and focus on that, only that. She did hear his question, she heard it all too well. She stood there for only a moment later, before she fell to her knees and finally sobbed, right in front of him....no longer hidden, no longer kept to the shadows of an induced haze. "Rique, make it stop...."

Using his shirt to wipe away the snot on her face, to help clear the tears from her eyes. When her knees hit the ground, he cushioned her fall and pulled her close. Maybe it was his faith that was gone until he returned and heard it from the Alda. ?I hear you, m?hela.? Kissing the shell of her ear. ?I?m here now, alive and holding you. I believe you, I hear you. You and the children are all I need.? Holding her like he held Devin, close to his chest. ?Shh. M?hela.? Rocking her. "Let it go, let it out." He had a few days to deal with some of his pain, but he was always a man to put his feelings aside for his family, but most of all his wife.

"Stay here with me, let me help it go away. We'll have a small ceremony under the willow tree. You'll be barefoot with blue bells in your hair." Blue was his favorite color on her. "Nereid and Layla will walk with you and Lukas and Devin will stand aside me. The alda will bless us, and then we'll dance like the tree sprites and call the faes. We can roast a pig and chase the moon shadows. We will sleep on the floor and wake in the sun's light tangled in each others arms." He knew she remembered all of it. "Be my wife, again." Kissing her chin, cheek and nose.

"Did you not feel me?" Rearing back to search his face. "Could you not feel me, trying to find you....trying to make some sense of it all? I searched and searched. What happened? Where were you? Why...dear god, why did it take you so long?!" Her hand pounding on his chest, she was trying to catch her breath, the words unstopping. "What did they do to you?! Something called to me, I thought it was you when I came back a couple of weeks ago to Rhydin.....Bella was in trouble, taken and held....I thought we would find you with her, but you were not to be seen. The nun, she told me you were alive....but your faith was truly gone....my mind left me, Rique....left me..." Frantic, their words overran each other....everything he said, every memory, every nuance. Sublime. Surreal. Then she stopped. As if all time stopped, gingerly at first....her palms capturing his face, her own head tilting. The question presenting again. She would give anything to leap into his arms and scream to the heavens, YES! But she did not. She searched his face, looked at his hands as if inspecting them and finally trained back on his eyes. "Look at me, tell me who you are...." She had to hear it. First hand. She knew Enrique Moir well enough to know, if he was someone else, he could never look into HER eyes and lie to her. He had tried before. It had never worked. He always looked away. "Tell me who you are....and I will never cease being your wife, your M'hela....tell me please.." She was desperate, more desperate than she had ever been. One word would shatter it all to a point of no turning or coming back.

"I thought I felt you m'hela, but I was at the Tarsos, their magic kept me." He started to explain, but as soon as she asked who he was, his world stopped. "Enrique Moir. You are Aullere Moir, my M'hela, we have four children, Devin Moir, Nereid Moir, Lucas Moir and Layla Moir." His hands cupping her face. "I am Enrique Moir, youngest of three. I am from Elpeth and you are my wife. You are my m'hela." He didn't mean to shake her, but he did. "Do you understand this?" He'd teared up, cried in fact when she sobbed. "Mine, you are my M'hela. The heart of my heart, the breath and life of this shell." All the rest could wait.

She knew it was him, from the moment she laid eyes on him on the docks, but there was always a doubt that was never caused by either one of them. Ever. When he spoke, she held onto his every word, a crumble of sorts forging its way through her from the very most deepest recesses. But it was not until he said, "The heart of my heart...", that it all shattered into a million shards, blinding time and space to infinity and it's farthest reaches. Words having been spoken to her one night, many many years ago... amongst tangled sheets and whispered endearments. Those words having stuck with her all of that time. As if her breath had been held for eons, it ripped free on the fringes of another painful sob and her arms were thrown around his neck. Their cries mingling as one, as it should be, as it should have been. "I am yours, Enrique Moir....I always have been..."

"I know m'hela." He pulled her close and let her sob, weep, cry or scream, whatever she needed. For a few hours he would hold her there and be still with her in his arms.

(Taken from live play between Rique Moir, Devin Moir, Aullere and Brantee)

A return from the city, Aullere was cutting through an alley in lazy fashion. A rat scurrying over her feet got narry a glance from the wench, but the woman leaned over a trashcan did. Getting a better look as she moved by, it was only Heddy. "Evenin' maam..." A coin fished from a pocket, it was forced into her palm and she kept walking. "Thank yew, Captaine..."

He smelled like he'd been in the trenches all day. They managed to get a good deal of work done at the cottage and he started a small cottage for Devin some way back on the property. He wanted to see his wife and get a bath. While she passed, he stalked after her as silent as a desert snake. Coming up from behind, he grabbed her and kissed the hell out of her. Heddy even had an extra coin to keep her trap shut. Once his wife was properly kissed, he let her go. "Why don't you have an escort?" He was only half serious.

Aullere's heart leapt from her chest and she all but turned on him with that dirk. "DAMMIT!" He did scare the hell out her, seriously. Turning to him, she shook her head. "Because I've been busy all day away from th' docks..." Smacking at him, she glared at Heddy and kept walking.

He stood there and waited for her to stop. It was a nice night, he was in no hurry and he could admire her ass. Growling as she walked, yes, a fine woman he's got there.

Booted steps coming to a halt when she realized he wasn't behind her and turned. "Are y' comin', Savage Beast o' mine?"

"In a moment, I was watching your ass." Flashing Heddy a smile and then his feet finally moved to come beside her. Taking her hand. "You forget how to let me be your husband when you are in Captaine mode." Breathing in the sea air, it was about then he sensed something was wrong with his wife. ?What?s wrong??

Heddy watched the two a moment and wandered off snorting to herself. Yes, there was something wrong, there were a few things wrong and she was doing her best to not handle it in the way she was before he had returned to her...to them. Crouching down against the wall, her head went back against it several times, not hard, just in frustration and something itching in her veins. "I'm sorrah for snappin' at y'." She wanted to be out at the cottage with him, working on the rebuild, she wanted to be there holding Devin's hand through all this other, she wanted to be in 40 different places at one time and simply could not, because of everything else. When she finally spoke, she looked up to him, bright green not so bright. "I am thankful for returnin' back to this city for one reason an' tha' reason is y'....now it is time t' go...I cannae b' here any longer, Rique....I simply can't."

Crouching down and taking her hand in his. "M'hela, if you do not tell me what's wrong, I cannot make it better. You are keeping things locked away, I know why." He suspected it would take her a little time to let things go and allow him completely back inside. "I don't care about the snapping, I want to know what is bothering you. We are leaving soon, but something seems wrong." If she said nothing, he would believe her, but he felt it. He knew it was time to go, soon. There were a few loose ends he had to finish and they would be gone. He ended up meeting with the witch after all, so he could go in peace.

The pack slid from her shoulder and dropped onto the cobbles below, his large hand within hers, it nearly swallowed it, she wished it could..at that exact moment. Leaning down, she kissed one of his knuckles and replaced her lips with her forehead, holding it there for a short while as her mind began to slowly untangle. His presence allowing that, she licked her lips and looked back up to him, unsure of where to even begin or where it would end. Reaching down with the opposite hand, from the top of the pack, she pulled out the small triangle shaped box he would recognize. It was the same one that was a puzzle to unlock. There had only been one other person who had been able to do so besides her and that was him. The box was not heavy, but there was obviously something in it because it had weight. There was one thing and one thing alone that had ever been carried in that box, and it was nothing good. Handing it to him, her gaze searched his own for the disappointment or anger she knew would unleash upon her. "Rid o' it for me, please?" Her voice that of a whisper.

Not pushing her to untangle whatever demons were eating at her. A few people mentioned to him Aullere had been on pure, but that wasn't his concern at the moment. What concerned him was she kept things from him, so he started the only way he knew how, he asked and gave her time to decide what she wanted to do. He took the box and stared for a long time. There was no anger, but he opened it up to see what she was keeping inside. Carefully he unlocked it. Opening it up to see what was the no good inside. He suspected and would get rid of anything she asked him to. However, they needed to have an understanding, whatever this was, it would be the end of it.

It was after he opened it, she spoke again. "I had business in T'sel....it didn't go well...it is where I was two nights ago..." Perhaps there was no reason to elaborate, that generally meant one thing. "Also, there was an accident this morning, down on th' dry dock....Scotty fell from the riggin' hoists..." That angered her to the point she had seen nothing but red the entire day. "Rique I tied it off myself....he knew how t' climb, how t' hold himself steady..." What was in the box would look different than the pure of yester, it was dark, almost black and stunk of pure vinegar. It was cooked Opium.

Two things he had to deal with, three now. "T'sel." Confirming the contents was worse than he thought, he stared at her. "Are you done with this M'hela?" First part of business. He was sad and sick about Scotty, his wife would be cared for. One question at a time, he would ask in a moment if she suspected foul play with Scotty.

"I just wanted th' dreams to stop, Rique....it would nae stop. Day after day, knowing y' were somewhere when I was told somethin' else, Elex constantly in my head, Dante....all o' it....it just would not stop...I'm still waitin' to wake up an' all o' this be my imagination...." Reaching to his face, she tilted her head into him, nose to nose. "I just wanted it to stop. Aye....it's clouding me too much, I can't think....I am questionin' myself about the rigging hoists...I tied them but I don't remember doing it...but I know I did..." She was blaming herself. "I am done with it....if I crawl out o' my skin, I won't touch it again....just....jesus..." *

Not hushing her, because he understood the horror more than she would ever know. He kept his horror to himself, kept the torture, pain and endless darkness to himself. Placing two fingers under her chin. "Anyone been up there since the accident?"

He was the only person that her weakenesses and her absolute raw emotion could be shown to. As soon as she lifted her head, her jaw was trembling violently and her eyes pooled over. "No....I forbid any o' them from goin up..." *

"M'hela, I will get rid of this." First. "The dreams may not go away, but I am here and I am real. Right now, you make me a promise, never turn to anything like this again. You go to prayer, you go to the Alda, go to another's man bed if I am not here, but never this." He was mildly upset that she turned to this, but he didn't judge her. "I will check the rigging." Wiping away her tears. "His wife will be taken care of, she will want for nothing." Pulling her into his arms and holding her.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she basically curled into his lap and clung to him tightly. "Rique, I could nae crawl into another man's bed if I was paid to do so, it was tried....by several...." Not sure why she was telling him that in the moment, but for some reason, she did. "I just need t' leave this place....nae th' cottage, this city....I just need t' go....If y' are nae ready, I will go pick up the bairns an' come back t' get y' and Devin an' Brantee....or we go together. Rique, th' Watch may come lookin' for me again...." Things needed to settle down. On all fronts. *
Chances were they would not, but she was paranoid. *

"You'll stay with me." Insisting. "What do you mean may come looking for you again? If they do, they will have to come through me first."

"I'm nae sure if they will, 'Elan is pretty good at cleanin' up a mess....I just dun want to take any chances. I...just want to go....I need to go out to th' cottage, I haven't been out there in two days. Bella was teasin' m' about burnin' it down again. Did y' meet with her?" Her brain was quantum leaping from subject to subject.

"What does 'Elan have to do with this? I met with her." He would have to meet with her again tonight after Aullere was asleep and get her something for withdraw. "You will stay with me, things will be fine M'hela."

Pulling her head back, Aullere met his gaze. "Kristof, his son was convicted o' treason....in T'sel....he escaped before his hanging....we ran routes through their last year and knew where he was....'Elan asked me to rid them o' the problem..." The rest went without saying. *

Slowly nodding. "M'hela. I have never told you how to run your routes or your ships. Our children are growing now and we need no more problems. If it is not done, I expect it to be done." That's all he said. "That goes for the witch too, I will keep my family in order." He said that respectfully to his wife. "Things are different now.


That hit Aullere all wrong, 100% and she came from his lap to find her feet. The look on her face one of pure unadulterated anger. "You never thought about order, or right from wrong when YOUR family was bein' ripped from stem to stern, your wife raped by y' own brother....y' never thought about walking about from ALL of for YOUR family from th' beginning. So don't preach to me about it being done.....I raised your children, they are educated, well groomed, well mannered and smarter than whips not to mention well adjusted. What I did an' do outside o' there line of sight is noone's business, Rique Moir..." She couldn't believe he had just said to her what he did. Dictate to her? No. "I am going home...our home..." *

He let get it out and then he pinned her against the wall and stared at her. "M'hela, are you done? I know you are withdrawing from that #$%^&* mind sucking drug." She wasn't going anywhere yet. What she said burned him and cut him to the core. He had nothing to do with it. "It is my business, because you are my business, but it is done.?

?Do not ever preach to me about anything tha' has gone on in your absence. You had the ability to change it all and y' did not. I told you it was done but you had to stake your claim, piss on my shoe and make yourself known. Do not forget, it was me who has waited for you as if you were still with me and OUR children all of these years. Do YOU hear me?" *

"Aullere." Rarely did he use her name. "I was not preaching, I said if it is not done, it will be done." He let her go and shook his head. "Go to the cottage. I need some air." One of the M'hajid would walk her.

She didn't say another word to him, but he was not going to tell her where she was going and it would not be the cottage. Storming away from him, enraged to an extreme and walked in the opposite direction. *

She blamed him for things that weren't his fault. Now, he other business.

And he blamed her for trying to survive.

He didn?t blame her for trying to survive. He told her it would be done, whatever she had to do to survive was over now, but apparently she couldn?t hear or chose not to hear what he was saying. He had little experience with drug withdrawal and what happened to people.

Aullere wasn?t the only one hurting, the only one that needed to heal. Instead of lashing out at her with words, he walked away. Maybe it wasn?t the best thing he could have done, but he didn?t want to hurt her either.

He went straight for the Handmaiden to check the rigging himself. What he found was that it wasn?t tied off like it should have been. Aullere was responsible for the death of that young boy who tried to save her life.

While he was up there, he properly tied things off and climbed down. This was not his ship, not his crew and knew their loyalty lied with his wife, his M?hela. That?s the way things should be, except he knew this would take away a little more of the life that she seemed to have sparked by his return.

Storming off the Handmaiden, he commanded the M?hajid to follow.

The first place he went was to see the witch. She cancelled their meeting, but whether she wanted to meet or not, they were going to!

Gabriella sat quietly at the Black Iron trying to finalize the plans she had for this damn Fleshwalker and exactly what it would do to Antonio.

Rique stormed through the door and screamed at witch. ?What the hell is going on? You were supposed to protect her. Aullere is on black opium.? Slamming the box down on her table.

She blinked and stared at the box, but turning her head to the horrid smell. One wave of her hand and the box went sailing across the room. Standing up she stared at the Youngest. ?Do not come in to my house demanding anything Savage.?

His fist slammed into the table. ?You were supposed to protect her, protect us.?

?I am not perfect Enrique, I am not blood born to the desert. I did what I could do with a half of a mind I had. Blame your brothers, not me. I had nothing to do with this, not beyond what I was told to do or see. At least you are alive, you could have been dead.?

Lowering his head. ?Alda.? Collapsing on the chair. ?What can I do to help her? The drugs hang on to her and she.? The witch had only seen him tear up a few times, so when he looked at her, anger and tears burned his eyes. ?I need to help her, what can you give me to make it less painful for her??

Walking away from the table to go and smell the box. Instead of giving it back, she tossed it in the fire so it would burn. ?Anything I make will only mask her pain. I will give you nothing Rique, for her, for you.. you need to face your demons without the magic, without science. You must to do this on your own.?

?You want me to watch her suffer as her body sweats this out? I can?t.? Not after what she said to him. ?She blames me for everything. God damn it..? Knocking the table over. ?She blames me for things I did not do. How do I let her suffer? How do I make her understand I had nothing to do with it? She told me I never thought about order, I never thought about right or wrong, or how Dante raped her or walking away from them from the beginning. ? He was so angry.

Ella stood there watching him, until she finally could form a sentence that made any sense. ?I know you wanted to walk away, I know it took you eight years to break the ties, I know why Dante took the extreme measures that he did. He knew you were walking away with your family, but you had to protect them. Do I know how to tell her that? No. She has her own perception, Rique. Must like I see things different than Antonio. You have to make her see it or give her time. All I can give you is a woman?s point of view. I know she loves you and we?ve all suffered because of what happened.?

Cutting her off. ?Enough, Gabriella. I know all of this. A young man lost his life because of what the drugs were doing to her. I need to make it right, but if you can?t help me, then I will figure it out on my own.? Right or wrong.

?I have nothing to give you Rique, she has to ride this out.? And she was also breaking her ties as close as they were with the Moirs. She would always be there for them, but it was their business, not hers.

?Will you do something for me?? He asked.

Nodding. ?I will try.? Gabriella watched him and wondered what he wanted.

?Ask Brantee to get Devin, tell her what I told you about the pure, about his mother and have her to ask Devin to get his mother, sail to Westmarche for the children, and meet me in the Erabedlem. Can you do this Gabriella??

She shook her head. ?Rique, you should go with her.?

He growled. ?I can?t, not right now. I have to make things right, I have to show her.? Aullere had planned on sailing to Westmarche without if need by anyway. ?Tell her, witch, you owe me that much.?

Slowly nodding. ?I will tell her Rique.?

He left the Black Iron and went to talk to his brother and Heratio and getting the Desert Sands back to the Erabedlem post haste. He sent a missive to his son and to his wife.

The first missive would be delivered to Devin.

Son,

I need you to sail with your mother to the Erabedlem. My plans have changed, I cannot explain, except that I need your help and ask for your trust. Your bride knows more details, she will explain what I could not in person.

I will see you in a few days.

Always my love,
Poppy


The second missive delivered by a M?hajid the next morning to his wife.

M?hela,

I?ve asked Devin to sail on with you to Erabedlem. Plans have changed, please sail to Westmarche, get the children and come to the Erabedlem.

One thing you must never forget is my love for you. I am real and I have not abandoned you. Our conversation has left me with many things to think upon and I cannot do that with you so close to me. I know experience has been a harsh reality. Our love has endured many things and it will endure this.

I want to make things better, but I do not know how to make the better for you. I need to clear my head, I need to remember how to be a husband and you, I hope will give some thought on how you can be a wife. Think about what you want from me, think about how you see us and what you want us to be.

I love you. Please catch the winds, I will see you in three days.

Always my love,
Rique


His plans to remarry his wife had not changed, he was preparing a ceremony at the cottage, but with Devin?s wedding being moved to the Erabedlem, it dawned on him that they could renew their vows together. It was a start, one thing that dawned on him, it was one thing he could do.

By morning?s end he was on the Desert Sands heading for the Erabedlem. When his family returned, they would get a proper home coming and hopefully the best surprise in the world.

He trusted Devin would bring his mother and siblings home.

Aullere had walked that entire night till dawn. The M'hajid following her every step of the way. At one point, she ended up out at the cottage, it was empty but almost rebuilt. She sat in the center of the main room for hours, simply staring at the ceiling and reliving the previous 20 years as she did so many times. She could not remember a time when she had been so hateful to Rique, because she never had been. It never came to that and if she could have bitten off her tongue, she would have at
that moment. This had done so much harm to her mind, she was somewhat aware of the damage and was terrified that it would not stop. She thought back to when it had started, the cold room, the cement walls, the voices, the touch....the touch she knew so well....only to find it was not the touch she knew at all. She didn't blame anyone other than herself, she had failed her husband on countless levels.

Aimlessly wandering.

By the time the sun came up, she had returned to the city, and for some reason the Inn. Which proved a disaster. She had seen the witch, but nothing was spoken between them. She tried to maintain a calm demeanor when speaking to Kruger, even business like and she failed. She was in so much pain, she had gone out the back door, hoping to regain her senses but at that very moment, her mind was spinning and she was up. Over and over again, this is what the day consisted of. All of it was spiraling out of control and the fight with Rique only intensified it dramatically, leaving her feeling hollow.

She had not seen him that entire day but by the time she made it back to the ship, another M'jahid was waiting for her at the dry docks and handed her a letter. Dismissing them both, she was in no need of them. And although she had sent them on their way, one had remained in the shadows of the woods, watching.

Reading it there on the end of the pier, silent tears streamed down her face and it was anyone's guess how long she stood there, looking out at the horizon. He was gone. Again. Looking back down to it, she more than understood why. She didn't blame him for doing so actually. She would have perhaps done the same thing, with the same intentions. Even through the pain, the haze, she knew she had to get to him. Or die trying. Finally pulling herself together, she turned there on the pier to head towards the ship as it would be lowered back into the water before nightfall.

The conversation with Rique was enlightening and horrific at the same time. She understood what he was going through, what Aullere had been through, having walked through it herself. Jon returned to the Black Iron and said that he saw Brantee crying and Devin was looking for the poor woman. Feeling some what responsible, she decided to go find the Mouse and return her to the ship. On her search, Aullere was the last person she expected to see. Now, the witch had a few things to say and maybe Aullere didn't want to hear it. Stopping, and staring for a second, it was the letter in her hand and it made sense. Instead of engaging Aullere, she waited.

Clutching the letter, a quick step took her back down the pier in a route for the otherside. As she came down the steps two at a time, she was not real shocked to see Bella there. "If y' here t' see me, just come with me, Bella..." And kept walking. Spotting several of the crew playing cards along a group of barrels, she flat out barked at them. "Get back t' the ship, now!"

"I was looking for the Mouse, she has a letter to deliver to your son." Follow her? No, she was not following. "I am not one of your crew to bark orders at Aullere." Was she pissed off? A little. She was the one who burned the box and cleaned the hearth of the opium. "Send them along, anything you want to say can be said here." Looking around, she could easily clear any space needed. There was a small matter of trust right now, all of this caution had a little to do with Aullere, but mostly herself.

Aullere whirled on Bella, brows raised. "Who pissed on y' paintings?" At that moment, Devin could be seen running down the path.

"No one pissed on my paintings. You need to go to the Erabedlem and deal with your business." Matter of factly. Turning to see Devin running their way. He didn't have to worry, she wasn't saying a thing about what happened to Scotty.

"I'm already on my way, now if tha's all you wanted to say, you said it...and y' are wasting my time..." Turning, she headed towards the shipright, now she was pissed. Stopping at Bella, Devin had heard the interaction and was a bit stunned. "I just left Brantee, she is getting the rest of her belongings an' I am going back to get her shortly." He was now confused.

"Oh, I have more to say and you know why. I hope you plan on getting your business in order, because you are blaming your husband for something he did not do." Turning on Devin. "Get your mother out of here before I have no more patience." Knowing he knew. Kissing his cheek and she started. "I have a few things for your M'hela, I'll make sure she is ready." When was Aully not pissed off as late?

Wiping the tear streaks from her face, it would be clearly obvious she had been crying if not. It was as if someone had lit a fire under her ass. Walking directly up onto Keifer as he spoke to another. "I want this dam' ship in the water, we are leavin' tonight..." Keifer whirled on Aullere, giving a nod to Bella and shook his head "It need's t' sit in th' water for twenty four hours or so, Cappy....y' know this....th' planks need t' swell into place.."

Aullere wasn't hearing any of it. "Ther' is plenty o' time for that or we will sink. Y' best hope y' men th' job correctly..."

At that moment, she heard Bella and turned to walk back to her. "Devin, make sure Moctez is aware we are leaving..." Devin nodded and brushed around them both to head off into that direction, he would speak to his mother later.

Everyone else was gone, it was just her and the witch. All dialect falling. "First, do not order my son around for you bidding. Second, my business is just that, it is you that continues to roll your nose in it when you have enough issues of your own to deal with, or was that not me in the Inn yesterday, you drunk and talking about Fleshwalkers again. I want no argument with you, Bella, but I do not buty my nose into your issues with your husband, show me the same respect. I may not be perfect, but I have done my best all of these years and if that is not good enough for you, so be it. I don't blame, Rique....I blame myself. Now let me get on with this...."

At least she had a fire lit under her ass to get to the Erabedlem. Hearing Keifer, she stopped. Giving the wench a moment to speak. "First, let me tell you.. Devin is my god son, you saw to that so I will bid him as I please. Second, your business was made mine when your husband came crying to me because of your habit." Harsh? It was, someone was that way with her, and she needed to make sure that it was done. "Don't tell me anything about my husband, when Rique stops coming to me then the business will be done. Truth be told, if you didn't believe he as guilty of something you would have never said it. Your mouth will always say what your heart believes.. I know, it happened to me. No one blames you for doing your best, so get over yourself. Everyone knows .. because everyone did what they were able to do. You did, I did and so did Rique. There are things you have no idea about Aullere. I spared you from those details."

Bella didn't want a battle either, but she was speaking as freely as it was given. "I am Alda.. I am the one person they could come to and confess their soul to, one that would not judge.. one that pray with and counsel. So yes, this is my business, it will always be my business to some degree. I told Rique I would not give you anything for your pain and withdraw. You two will need to work out whatever demons and devils remain." Knowing they would. "You should blame yourself for taking that rot. I blame myself for losing my children because of it, so I have no pity on you right now Aullere. Be done with it and get back to your husband."

"Then talk to my husband about my habit, and not me, the same habit you had...and for your information, it is NO longer a habit..." And she could have cared less who knew about it. "Then perhaps he is married to the wrong person...and a godmother's rights only go into effect if the parents are dead, and not as you please. I didn't realize my husband needed your mothering, or is that a misconception as well. Then keep your details to yourself, witch...I dun want to hear them. I am
I have enough details to last me a lifetime, Bella. I never asked for your pity, nor have I ever asked one thing from you, not one. So keep your insults and inuendos to yourself. Furthermore, it is being dealt with. Every time I'm puking all over the place and seeing things that arent there. Stop casting stones at me, I've been hit with enough...Goodbye, Bella...." She was done with the conversation, and started walking back towards the drydocks.

"You've heard it." Please with that and no stone was cast. A prayer whispered and they would be on their way. Turning to go and find the Mouse, knowing it would be a while before she returned.

What was so hard about this, was the simple fact of how much Aullere loved Bella. That night those weeks ago, she would have died right there for her. Glancing over a shoulder, she vanished a moment later around the edge of the berth.

For everything there was a purpose, and her love was not waivering a bit. There had to be no way that Aullere would stay here, none at all. Had she not loved her with all her heart, she would have told her about Scotty, but that secret would never leave her lips. Ever. Once she was sure that Aullere was aboard, she nodded to the shadows. "It is done." Another conversation with one of the M'hajid.

The night would consist of a rush, Devin and Aullere talking, him learning of things he was never aware of, and a promise that they would all be together again,. They must get Brantee aboard and settled. For the first time, her son would let it out, all of it. It would not be the prettiest of things, but needed to be done. The anchor would be lifted, and they would be on their way to Westmarche within hour's.

The purpose apparent, it would not falter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-fWDrZSiZs

I know you think that I shouldn't still love you
Or tell you that
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
Where's the sense in that?

I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were

But I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I know I left too much mess and destruction
To come back again
And I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again

And if you live by the rules of it's over
Then I'm sure that that makes sense

But I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

And when we meet, which I'm sure we will
All that was there will be there still
I'll let it pass and hold my tongue
And you will think that I've moved on

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

After arriving in the Erabedlem, Rique summoned several of Elpeth?s leaders in a meeting. They were further informed on the impact Dante had on the Outlanders, what they did to the Alda and how the Banu He?lah had suffered. The good news he also delivered is the Phoenix was alive and is now protecting the Alda. With this news, the Elders were most pleased.

Rique then went to the Tarsos to make arrangements for his own family reunion. Several from Elpeth decided to make a pilgrimage to the holy temple and assist Rique with his task.

Once the Handmaiden arrived, it would a welcome like none they?ve ever seen. He figured there would be a skeleton crew and his children would be the first to see him.

By all accounts, when the Handmaiden arrived in Tarsos, nothing had changed. The long dock extended from the rock crags, they would need to climb the stairs leading up to the mountain monastery and pass through the massive iron and wood gates.

Though beyond the gates, a wonderland awaited.

?The Handmaiden! The Handmaiden!? From one of the high towers, the docking ship was seen. Word reached Rique fast and he went to the gates to wait. Three of the monks in dark blue robes descended the stairs and were the only ones to welcome the Handmaiden and her crew.

Everyone else was inside.

Water's deep enough to accomodate such a vessel, the preparations for disembarking would of course go on for a little while before the plank was lowered. The crew instructed to stay aboard until they had all gone, there would only be several stationed in watch at all times.

"Brantee, it's time...!" Called out as Devin rushed by the quarter's, he looked in on his mother and she was already gone. Assuming she had finished getting the twins ready, Nereid was of course waiting in the galley, her nose stuck between the bindings of the familiar.

Many were struck by the quiet one, on sight of course but also once conversing with her. Intelligent to an extreme, Nereid was very contemplative and absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Nereid, the epitome of beauty in such a wild and untamed way, her behavior however the complete opposite. Thick hair reaching to her waist, it was always kept up in a braid and neat. Skin the color of cocoa, and eyes of the same hue, she was a sight to behold. Forever quiet, she was a watcher and took more pleasure in her tombs than she did in conversing with other's. That was not to say her humor was not thick and rich, for it was on every level.

The twins already leaning across the railing, they had been told to wait a mere few minutes until Aullere could get her final bearings and join them. Excited and so full of life were Lucas and Layla. They resembled mini apparations of Rique and Aullere. Lucas of course with the inky black curls, Layla with the same curl, but her hair was lighter, that of a setting sun on the horizon. Both tall for their age, their skin dark and deep, eyes the mix of deep brown and green, slivers of gold the draw.

"Nereid, come alon'....y' poppy awaits..." Spoken as Aullere made her way above, Nereid smiled and nodded quickly and was on her mother's heels post haste.

Once above deck, Aullere looked out over the desert spanse and drew in a deep breath. The air was so clean. Several of the crew already standing at the end of the plank, they remained quietly respectful to the monks.

Running ahead, the twins came to a skidding halt before the Monks and looked up to them before a glance back to their mother who was coming down with Nereid. Finding it not unusual to be greeted in such a way, Aullere bowed her head to the three and the children lined up next to her, all except for Devin who was still aboard. Not a word spoken, the familiar stairs glanced for, half expecting to see Rique standing there, but something told her, he was just beyond the gate.

Brantee heard the call. She?d been sitting on the end of the bed with the wolves. While it was meant to be, she was still extremely nervous. So far she enjoyed the safety of the ships and kept busy in the hull gardening and getting ready for her new life. It was hard to keep herself from withdrawing, but a new life and family. The odd thing about family, is she could not remember having anyone close to her so young. Nereid was close in age to her and the quite young woman reminded her of the witch. They called her a young Alda, Brantee knew the responsibility this carried. ?Coming Devin.? Standing up and taking her cane.

Two of the monks would remain nameless and for all accounts even faceless as the hoods covered them up. Hemish pushed his hood back and smiled to the Moir family. ?Greetings, we welcome you to the Tarsos.? Hemish was just a boy the last time Aullere was here. Now, he was a grown man, tall and dangerously handsome for a holy man.

?You must be Lucas and Layla.? He offered each one of them a green carved stone about the size of a water bottle. ?These are keys to a hidden treasure, the Tarsos is your to explore, however, know that behind every door there may be another and a surprise waiting.?

Now he moved to Nereid, the beautiful sea nymph. The young alda was heralded as such. A woman who was born of the sea and sand, a formidable shaman and healer, Hemish could not keep his eyes off of her. ?Alda, we welcome you to the Tarsos, anything you need, please tell me and I will be your personal slave.? He placed a wreath of flowers around her neck to show her value and worth, a prize among the desert women.

After Hemish was done fawning over Nereid, he stood up and looked at Aullere. ?It is the blessing of our King.? Bowing to her as well. He stood straight and she too was blessed with a wreath of flowers around her neck, small white roses with red and pink. She was also handed a small scroll. ?It is the desire of our King you open this now if it pleases you??

They were waiting for Devin and Brantee.

She took Devin?s arm as he lead her toward the others. ?Devin, are you scared?? Leaning into him. She was terrified, but in a good way. She wanted to be his wife, wanted to share everything with him and now they were this much closer to the dream. The wolves ran down the dock and up the stairs, they would be waiting at the gate, it was probably the smell of food they wanted.

"Are you excited to see your father and what he has planned for your mother?" The wedding. She knew Aullere knew nothing about it at all.

Meeting Brantee in the hallway, the wolves brushed around them both making figure 8's between there legs and Devin smiled as he cupped her cheeks. "Y' slept very little last night, M'hela....you tossed and turned. Take a deep breath, we are here an' all is well." He would stand there all afternoon with her if need be, as well into the night. They would only venture when she was ready.

"Nae scared....this is home for m', an' I only hope it becomes your's as well.." Curling an arm around her then, Devin breathed in her scent and his gaze danced over the dunes not so far away. "The sands are nae like y' can ever imagine, so colorful, each rise and fall blending into th' colors o' the sun, reds and yellows, browns an' purples. It goes on for thousands o' miles, M'hela..."

The twins each canted their heads, listening to the monk speak to them and after a nod from Aullere, they each took their stones and were instantly heads together whispering of what they would discover first with their keys. But they did not forget..."Thank you, Sir..." Said in almost unison. Layla stopped however, and looked at Hemish. "Where is my Poppy? I wish to see him..."

Nereid tipped her head to accept the wreath, a smile for Hemish, she reached to run a touch over the petals and would never dare to hold his gaze for too very long, although it shimmered there in the afternoon light. It was simply not proper. "Thank you..."

Aullere stared for a very long time at Hemish, when suddenly it dawned on her byway of his voice. "I remember y', Hemish...it is wonderful to see you..." Amazed by how much time had passed, it had definitely not stood still. The scroll taken, another glance was given towards the stairs and she began to unroll it. Could this perhaps be from Rique, asking her to leave the children and go on her way? It was possible. Anything was. She wouldn't have blamed him for it either. The familiar feeling creeping, she took a long inhale.

(cont)

Hemish watched the young twins, but his eyes were trained on the young Alda, the one who would, some day be part in part of their people. He soon joined Nereid and stared at her. ?Do you know it is said every generation an Alda will come from the sea and stay behind to be Alda.?

He didn?t say for how long, but only that one would stay. ?The Monks think it is you who have returned to take Gabriella?s place as sacred.? No pressure at all upon Nereid, but Hemish would like her to stay, who wouldn?t, she?s a beautiful young woman.

As Aullere pushed on, the Tarsos gates were closed, however there were two elderly monks waiting. Behind them all in the distance the horns started blowing. A herald .. and proclaimation honored guests have arrived. Upon Aullere?s arrival, one of the elder monks bowed to her and kissed her head for a blessing. It was common for some of them take a vow of silence, as was with Claph and Menoch. Each showed the M?hela the respect she is deserved.

Hemish waited for Brantee and Devin to join them. ?Please come with me.?

H?lidi emerged from the gate and grinned to Claph and Menoch. ?It is nice to see you beloved wife and mother. I am H?lidi, please call me Lidi, Aullere. I have been instructed to see to your every need for the next hour.? Sensing the urgent nature of Aullere?s heart, she touched to softly and wiped away her tears where they were. ?Be patient my sweet of hearts, I swear to you everything in good time. Your husband will meet you upon the hour, until then, you will come with me and we will prepare.? Offering her arm. ?He has given strict orders to be followed.? Hopefully Aullere will understand.

Moving with Devin to where the twins and Nereid was standing. The air smelled different, she could smell flowers, jasmine and roses.. the odor was faint and most probably would not even know. She started to say something, but Hemish spoke up again. ?M?lady Cardam, you and Nereid will be escorted with Amara. M?lady Layla, you will please follow and meet Lidi at the gates, you will be with your mother. Gentlemen, please come with me, there is much to prepare.

Brantee tensed up and turned to Hemish. ?Ww-where are you taking us??

Hemish smiled as Amara approached. ?We are taking you some where wonderful m?ladies. Please come with me.? Amara smiled to Devin and took Brantee?s hand. ?Everything has been prepared.?

Devin wrapped his arm around Brantee, holding her close to his side. The blade meaning the world to him for many reasons, but the one sticking out in his mind is while it was from his parent's as two, he took it as the first gift his Poppy had given to him as a man. A kiss to the top of her head, he held there a moment.

The twins were content in their play and had begun to swinging on the rails of the plank as they always did. A constant giggle illuminating as they busied themselves in wait of their father. They so very much wanted to see him. But with their manners well in check, they were patient.

Nereid regarded Hemish, her finger a motion across the lace of her sleeve. Her voice soft, almost a song in itself. The girl so very much at peace, she took things as they came, always know it was with purpose and meaning. Dark eyes upon him, they were warm and beckoned something which blended from sea to desert, her between both. "If it is to be, it shall." She knew of what was passed from generation to generation. Her place long since known, even considered a half breed, the embrace solid.

As the horn's sounded, the clouds swirled high above them. A fandango of sight and sound, it was nothing sort of sublime.

The letter gripped in her hand, Aullere's gaze landed on the monks, something so rich brewing within her. So aware, by something not laden any longer chemically, she was itching....but for all of the right reasons and not the wrong. Knowing there was a propriety, she was uncertain however if she could wait much longer. She had to see him. She had to talk to him. She had to tell him that in which she should have weeks ago.

The pale tressed Captaine bowed her Lidi, she heard her words and the lazy brogue dropped fully to the more formal dialect she held. "We will prepare?" Gently spoken. She did understand, but what were they preparing for?

Devin gave Brantee a light squeeze, it would be fine. Nereid came to Brantee's side, taking her hand, relieving Devin. "I am here, Brantee...no worry, no fret." Assured of this, Devin kissed Nereid's cheek and went as was instructed.

Bouncing, Layla was at the one's side quickly. "We go now?"

?You will see, you will see.?

Each member of the family was taken to their place to ready. Aullere would discover without so many words what exactly was happening. None of them were able to see the Tarsos? main grounds, not yet.

When all was said and done, Devin and Lukas was taken to a grooms room within the inner city walls, but they were not allowed through the gates. Nereid and Brantee were also escorted to a place under the Tarsos to prepare. Nereid was given her own room, a place where she had access to the old tomes. A woman to help her bathe, dress and prepare for the ceremony. Rique trusted his daughter to know what vows to say for each couple.

Brantee was taken and prepared for the wedding. Layla went with Aullere who was also given a woman to help her bathe, braid her hair and prepare. Rique took time to make sure each woman in his family had the most beautiful dress for their frame.

Rique's bride would wear a dark burgundy with lace and silk, an open back and low waist. Nerid would wear a dark burgundy like her mother, with green, blue and yellow accents. She was also given several pieces of jewelry. Layla was allowed to wear the black and gold silk woven by his mother and worn when she her age. For his son?s bride, she would wear bright pink sheer silk with silver trim.

Devin and Lucas were instructed to wear dark trousers and a white shirt, each given a flower to wear on the pocket. Rique would also wear the same.

Realizing what was going on, the normally loud and obnoxious one was subdued and quiet. But, she held a smile along her lips and did so during all of the preparations. The dress fitting perfectly, it came as no surprise, as he knew every inch of her. Hair pulled up atop her head, it was almost stunning in the elegant nature of it but flattered her well. Much like the first time they wed, the butterflies in her stomach had grown in dynamic proportion to flutter.

Each child readied in their own time and not more than an hour, they certainly cleaned up well. Nereid was also quiet, thinking of so much to say, that needed to be said, but this was a joining of 4 and not a bonding ceremony of 2. Devin was crouched, helping Lucas ready, the little boy was bouncing on his feet, wanting to escape from the abuse of actually being dressed in something other than what he normally did. The flower smelled nice however. Wishing for a brick to put ontop of his head, Devin called out. "Aye, poppy, maybe you can do something with Lucas."

Before going in Artulo went in the groom?s room and took Lukas away for a few moments, because Rique wanted to spend time with each of them alone. Once Lukas was gone, he stepped inside.

?You look handsome son, are you ready for this? I prepared everything, I think you will find everything to your liking.? Referring to his bride?s dress. ?Tell me are your nervous??

"No, poppy..." Then Devin chuckled and nodded. "Aye, much so. I didn't realize we would be marrying as soon as we got here. What if she changes her mind?" Yanking on the collar of his shirt.

"If she changes her mind, we will have a party and make sure she is happy." He grinned. "And you will wish her well. Why would she change her mind? You are Moir, you my son, she will be blessed to be part of your life and join our family. Tell me, do you know what really brings the most pleasure to a woman's heart son?" Devin might think this was a bee-bird talk.

Knowing his father was right, he still needed to hear it and there wa truly no reason why Brantee wouldn't marry him, was there...? No. His question bringing a grin, Devin wasn't that worldly, he didn't know. "What's that poppy?" Thinking this was going to be something taudry.

Rique laughed. "Tend to her needs son, in all ways, make them more important than your own. Truly when a man cares for his woman better than he would himself, she is held in a higher position. She is cherished and it is their nature to follow the lead of a husband. If she can trust you.. she will follow you to the ends of the earth. You and I both leading does not mean suffocating. Your mother is a good example of that son, she is of the sea.. a woman who wants to frolic her way, but the thing she desires most is a stable place where she can rest, I am that for her. I doubt your Brantee is a rover like your mother upon the sea, she seems more of a quiet woman, but if she needs to follow her dreams, make sure you make the way for you and when you provide that, you provide for your family. You make a way for them.. this is what makes me proud and gives me purpose." Kissing is his son' cheek. "Now, to what brings her body pleasure, always take what you want from her. A woman needs to be wanted, they need to know security.. they need to know you want them and only them."

Devin knew how much his parents were unashamed of their physical relationship. "You mother has played coy before, until I trapped her and showed her exactly what I wanted and she begged me for more. Do not be afraid to take what is yours, all ways and all ways. If she truly means no, you will know it, you will hear it and see it."

(tbc)

Family Wedding Part 3


The dagger taken into his careful hands, even though he was very young, Lucas had learned a deep respect for such and handled it carefully. Pulling it out from it's sheath, he was careful that Unter didn't hit his hand or anything and slid it back within. Standing then, he glanced down to his pants and stood between Rique's legs. The boy seeing echo of himself in his father's eyes. His head darting in, he kissed him on the lips and looked back down to the pup as well the dagger, then to him again. "Aye poppy, I will.." Then he wrinkled up his nose. "Why marry again, you are already to mum."

Messing Lucas' hair up. "Because men make their M'hela's happy and this will make your mother happy. So will staying clean, you hear me son?" Said firmly, but respect for him since he was still bend down to his level. "A man keeps his word and I gave my heart to your mother, and she's not been herself, so this is a new beginning for all of us. My vow is not only to your mum, Lucas.. but I am marrying you too."

Standing up. "Teach Unter a new trick, I am going to tell your sissy Unter is yours." He had another surprise for Layla. "Aye, poppy, I will. I keep my word!" Called after him, Lucas watched a moment and ran down the hallway, Unter chasing after him, to change his pants. Now he would be creeping around, trying to avoid being the dirt magnet he was without trying to be.

And off Rique went. He was instructed that she was sitting with some of the other women waiting for Aullere to get ready, so he was careful not to be seen. He tossed a small coin and it rolled to her feet. When she looked around he waved her over in secret.

Sitting prim and proper, Layla's little ankles were crossed and she was frowning deeply, pouting in fact. Noone could console her. She couldn't even run behind her mother's coat tails, it wasn't fair. Pudgy hands held, she was playing with her fingers when the coin rolled and she jumped from the bench to pick it up, just knowing she was going to be scolded. But alas, perhaps reprieve. That little girl saw her father and pouty lips became thin and not so very plump. A scuff of her mary janes and she was soon closing the distance to Rique with a tiny trip. She instantly knew who he was, he was HER's. All HER's. And she was HIS. His wee one. Once in the shadows, Layla didn't say anything, she held onto the coin and wrapped her tiny arms about his legs and began to cry.

Rique took her from the room, it's not that Aullere wouldn't miss her, but they were getting ready. His wee one was all wrapped up in his arms and he consoled her until she stopped crying. "Come now, none of that my girl. Today is a happy day, no room for tears." Kissing her head and he offered her a small box for the key. He sat down on a tree stump out in a private garden the old monks keep. They would not be bothered for a bit here. "You look beautiful, I hope you like your dress?" It was a little fashion forward, but he wanted her to fit in with the older women. "Your grandmother wore part of this surre." Putting a finger under her chin. "Now, will you open the box and see what's inside for me?"

"It itches..." Hiccuping by that point, Layla was snuffling and wiping her nose on his shirt. A hand coming to his cheek, she rubbed there and his nose, finally his forehead and eyes. Trying so hard to be mad, but she was failing horribly. Breath catching and letting go, her eyes so bright and fathomless green her tears aiding in this as they finally began to stop and she curled against him fully, entirely. Her key and the coin held tightly in her opposite fist, her being the highly emotional of the twins,
for sometime to come, Rique would not be able to be out of her sight. Kinda nodding, her arms went back around his neck again and she settled once more. He was there, she needed nothing else.

Inside the small box was another whistle if she twisted the key. Of course Layla would have her very own mastiff, but this one was black, not gray. Too many wrinkles for anyone to love, but her.

This puppy was younger, not so much trained like Unter. "Your brother has one, his name is Unter, he told me to tell you it is his, now.. something you must understand my darling. This young one is not trained, but I thought you could teach her all the tricks she will learn. She's very smart, but was the smallest of the mastiffs, no one wanted her, but when I saw her, she told me to take her to you." Was he teasing? Probably not, because her poppy could weave a great tale.

On her collar, Layla would see a silver pendant hanging with small silver hoops looped through. The pendant was a heart with her birthstone and engraved on the back Rique showed it to her. "I married you this day, love always forever, poppy. I said this so you do not forget, it is not only your mother I marry today. Today we are united as a family, so you will not forget, ever." He kissed her several times. "When are settled, every week we will have poppy and Layla dates." A promise to her. "I named her Draga, this means love. If you want to change her name, you can.. but she reminded me of you my little darling."

He took as much time as she needed, knowing that girls were different, they needed to cry, needed to get it all out.

Her face down, while her hair had been done and the pale tendrils put into place, several curls danced out to lick at her cheeks as the silence of new tears began to fall. "Will you help me train her, poppy?" Asked of him, she had yet to touch the puppy even though every part of her wanted to roll around the floor with her. All but one part, the part that told her if she blinked, her poppy may be gone. Reaching forward, her finger touch the pendant and Draga licked her on the nose, pulling a bit of a giggle from her. And with the attention span of any little girl, she looked up to Rique choking. "I missed you, Poppy. After we are married, we won't be apart." Almost a question, but not quite. Demanding little thing.

She was old enough to wear jewelry now. He expected her to be girly more like Nereid, maybe he was wrong, but he gifted her these things he thought a little girl would want. "Yes, I will help you darling. Now, do not worry, I am not going any where for a long time. I missed you too and we will not be apart, you and Lucas will come with mum and me, Devin and Brantee will have their own family and Nereid, I am not sure of Nereid yet, she may come with us or she may stay here in the Erabedlem."

Touching her nose. "Poppy is here my little love, trust me. Now, I would like you to be a big girl for me and show Draga some love, but do not tell your mum you saw me okay? It'll be our secret." Before he left, he left, he took her right and and slipped a ring on her finger, a gold band with an emerald. "When you see this ring, it's my promise to you." Her promise ring. "I have to see Nereid before your mother finds me here, so help me little love." He stood up and put her on the ground, but not without several more hugs and kisses. Draga sat with her head down and too many wrinkles. With her agreeing, he ran out of the garden since someone was calling after Layla. He made it out just in time.

The pendant taken from Draga, she would hold tight until he could put it around her neck and the ring but moreso his words bringing the smile to cross her features. Relishing in his kisses and hugs, she sniffed her tears all up and wiped her face. Watching him go, knowing she was being called, she crouched down however and nuzzled Draga. "My Draga..." The moment the pup looked at her, Layla fell in love, topsy turvy and shared a human kiss with her, wet nose and all. "Coming..." His secret safe with her, the sound of her laughter reaching as she rose and patted her leg. "Draga come..." Patiently waiting for the pup, she leaned down at the door and picked her up instead, needing her as much as Draga needed her human.

One final stop before the wedding, Rique wandered to the opposite side of the garden and quietly opened the room door. He watched Nereid a good ten minutes reading before he said a word to her. She'd see a dumb, goofy smile on his face. "You remind me so much of your mother and god mother." He meant a compliment for both. "A young Alda .. who would have thought it in my own family?" Closing in on her and meeting her about the time she stood up and stared at him like he was a ghost.

Wrapping her in his arms and he didn't want to let her go. "I should have known better than to let you wear this.. Nereid my sweet girl, you look ravishing. I heard Heshi was staring at you." Standing back to get a good look at her. "You will not marry until at least your are thirty, maybe I will call you to a convent." He was kind of serious.

Cupping her cheeks in his palms. "You carry much upon your shoulders, but I know today you will bind your brother and his wife as they should properly bound. When they are done, I wish you to bless again the union of our family, you will do this for me my sweet love, won't you? Will you bless your mother and I and then our family?" He sat in the chair and pulled his beautiful daughter in his lap and held her like he did when she was smaller.

(tbc)

Family Wedding Part 5

Hemi lead her to the altar. "Your father did this." Still unable to look at her, so he stared at her feet, a sign of respect. Devin was also told where to join and Rique finally went to where Aullere was. Still watching Hemi, Nereid nodded and wondered on him. She had her place and it would be kept. All of her young years, shrouded and kept from the common behaviors of most, it was from the point it had been realized her gift. Her placement in their world. But, she still watched him and beneath the dress she wore, a blush threatened to rise up her neck.

Most of the helpers left Aullere with time alone and Rique was able to stand in a secret place and watch her. He watched the way she moved, saw how nervous she looked .. like they day they were married. Every day his love bloomed more, how could he have been so lucky?

"M'hela." Calling her name, when she turned around after adjusting her hair in the mirror he was standing there. "You look beautiful." Aullere still no idea they were renewing their vows too. "There is much to talk about, but our son and his bride is getting married, we must go." Offering his hand to her.

"Come my heart." He was putting Devin first, this was his day.. and saving the best for last, his wife. He could see the words upon her lips, the things she might need to say, but instead of letting her say anything, he hushed her with a passionate kiss. Tongue pushing passed her lips and he even turned her and put her against the wall. He chose that dress because he could get access to every part of her body. She'd feel how much he wanted to take her there, but that kiss would have to do.. but after the kiss, he trailed down her neckline and pushed away her silk binding's.

Growling and a desperate need to take her, if it weren't for this one special occasion, he would have and said the hell with all of them while he made love to his wife. When he was done taking what he wanted, he looked into her eyes and fixed the silk. "Soon, I will have you all ways. Now, we must go." They were already late.

Busying herself, still Aullere had been so very quiet. Her hands shook in nervousness, much like the first time she had ever rested her sight on her husband.

Yes, there was a lot to say, so very much, but when Aullere saw him there in the mirror, her mouth went positively dry. Unable to swallow, she turned and walked to him. If the dress hadn't hugged her so much, she would have probably run to him but couldn't. "Rique, we must speak...aye...yes...I..."

It all washing to wherever it goes in a time like that. Unwilling to simply settle for that hunger filled kiss, she was ready to say the hell with the wedding of the children and urge him to leave with her and not
return until they were sated for more than ten minutes.

"They can wait a moment....they aren't going anywhere.." Hands roaming, pouring herself into him, time and time again, she deepened the joining and urged him further. But somewhere in the mix of chaotic dealings, her head came back, breath was hot and labored. "This is hopefully a short wedding...for if not, I am going to take you in the middle of it..."

She had no idea how funny that was and how true, in the middle of the ceremony, they would have each other. "That is up to our daughter, she is blessing the ceremony." Escorting his bride up to the gardens so she can see what awaited her.

In the mean time Devin was with Nereid and someone escorted Brantee where she was close. All of this wonderfully strange, but she was scared. Why were they being married so soon after arriving? What would happen after this? What did she look like? Would Devin be happy?

Rique waited and grinned at the children and sat Aullere next to him. He stood up and was given the signal Brantee was ready. "Family and friends, we are here to celebrate my eldest son and his new m'hela. We welcome her with open arms to our culture, to our family and most of all into our hearts. Over the last few years we have all been to dark places, but we do not celebrate the shadows, we celebrate love, hope and faith. The very foundation of the Tarsos and the beliefs we share among our people.. from the beginning the three holy tribes were at war with another, until they were gone. When the phoenix rose again, this is our promise.. to build all upon faith, to see the impossible done. This is why we celebrate at the Tarsos, the beginning of all beginnings .. we rise from the ashes of sorrow and stand upon the rock of our faiths, all of our faiths."

He looked at Aullere and smiled. "I am evidence that faith wins and so is my son. His mother, brother, sisters and I give him away to his bride. And I give you Brantee Moir." Soon to be.

The elder monk hooked her hand and nudged her to go. Rique knew she would be lovely in the pink, but even his breath was taken. Nothing like when he saw his wife, but he was so proud of his son. The music started to play and Brantee was walked down the isle toward Devin.

Devin was kinda nervous earlier, now he was so nervous he was sweating bullets and kept pulling at the collar of his shirt. Hanging onto each one of his father's words, he was soon looking to the start of the aisle and his heart stopped beating.

Noting this, Nereid nudged her brother to breathe and grinned widely, a rarely seen thing indeed. Lucas and Layla turned, everyone rose and Aullere rose beside her husband and took his hand, a squeeze given.

Both pups laying at the twins feet, drooling on their shoes but that was okay. Gaze on Brantee, Aullere smiled as she was absolutely breathtaking by all accounts.

Then a glance to Devin, and to think it was just yesterday he wasn't any taller than Aullere's knees. Time was flying, at a rapid pace and that wasn't accepted very well. Leaning up, she kissed Rique on the cheek, him saying everything their hearts thundered for.

(tbc)

Family Wedding Part 7

Rique held Aullere's hand and whispered again. "She is so shy, unlike you M'hela." He may have even said a few dirty things to her hoping she would blush. Moving his arm around her shoulder to bring her in closer. He was so very proud.

The monks stood and witnessed their next Alda. Hemi finally looked at Nereid, he was falling fast for this woman.

Perhaps Brantee would hear the emotion in her voice as Nereid spoke, for a few tears were hanging from her eye lashes to drip across her cheeks.

Aullere just looked at Rique and was rather perverse in what she whispered back as it had to do with a certain stone statue in one of the gardens.

"You are right, M'hela..." Came Devin's whisper to Brantee and perhaps in an unorthodox motion, he put his arm to her waist and held her there. Attention then on Nereid, in the Tarsos it was not believed of the traditional ways as most would imagine, but the desert and it's ways. Anything else was unacceptable.

"Brantee, you and Devin were born together within the same soul stream and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together until the white wings of eternity scatter your days. You shall be together even in the silent memory of all that is holy and the winds of heaven dance at your coming. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your love and marriage deserves. When frustration, difficulties and fear assail your relationship, focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives...remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."

Brantee felt these words were so true and on this note a new life would begin. Turning her face to Devin and for a moment, for one blurry moment she saw a light near his face, she actually saw his face. He'd see the look on her face, it looked something like horror and shock. Maybe she was changing her mind? Not at all.. but she almost fell back. Grabbing his hands, Devin would feel her shaking. The light was only for a moment, but then it was dark again. How did she see his face? How? Closing her eyes, she tried her best to recall what it was, how he looked, and .. he was so beautiful.

"Shhh....wait, Nereid....wait..." Devin's tone dead serious, he grabbed Brantee and both arms came around her. "M'hela....what is it? Are you alright? Brantee? Talk to me..."

Nereid didn't move, unsure if Brantee needed room to breathe or not and didn't want to crowd her. But that didn't stop Lucas and Layla from doing that with the pups lumbering to follow them.

Seeing all of this, Aullere rose. "Layla, Lucas...sit down, right now..." A stern whisper, the twins ran back to their chairs. Maybe all of this was too much for Brantee, brows furrowing as she looked at Rique. "Do you think she is overwhelmed?" Another whisper.

(tbc)

Family Wedding Part 9


Hemi watched her kneel and he called one of the old women over. He'd heard of this practice before, but had not experienced it. The old woman brought a pot of water and a vessel for him to place his feet in. Before any of this could be done, she must do this for Devin. Once hugging his knees, she sat up and reached for the water container and filled the vessel near his feet. Touching his leg, she gently started to remove his shoe.

Rique looked at Brantee like she lost her mind for a moment, until realizing what she was doing for his son. He turned to Aullere and choked up, but he smiled. The others might have watched with wonder. Hemi turned to Nereid to explain quietly the customs of her people. "Before the promise is given, a woman must wash the feet of her beloved, to show her heart is surrendered, is the most humbling position of a wife.

"Brantee heard him and Devin would not know until this very moment. Once his shoe was off, she lifted his foot and placed it in the water, there she took her time to wash his first foot. From the top he may have felt her tears. Rique returned to Aullere and kissed her passionately. His son had found a joy that he knew with his wife, what father wouldn't be happy about that? Pulling Aullere in his lap, he could not wait to give her his surprise.

Hearing his father, Devin took a step back and just stared at him. Devin knew there was a curse, he had been told of this already and it had been dealt with accordingly, the confidence and security in their relationship willing this to continue.

Waving all of them off.."Let her be.." His tone gruffer than normally was heard, something had told him this was going to be way too much for Brantee, he should have listened to his gut. His mind solely on his M'hela, he leaned down and was about to scoop her up into his arms, when the vessel was put down and she proceeded to do what she did.

This was all very confusing, nor did he understand how she would have ever known to do such a thing in the first place. This was of course, the first experience she had ever had in these lands, with this type of ceremony correct?

Foregoing it, he was too concerned about her well being and did in fact scoop Brantee up to walk off to the side with her where they could speak quietly to one another without the constant entourage hovering. "M'hela....I saw the sun the moment I laid eyes on you. The moment you spoke, was as if the tides had turned in my direction and exploded. If this is all too much, I will take you from this place and we will wed in the quiet of the sunset." Blaming himself for the overwhelming nature of it all, Devin knew it could be that and so much more.

Not far away, Nereid nodded to Hemi and remained exactly where she was. Giving the twins the evil eye now and again, Aullere continued to watch them as they had begun to fidget but jumped into place every time they felt their mother or father's sight on them. Ragamuffins they both were, delightfully so.

Strangely enough, Aullere had kept most quiet during all of this. Allowing the pieces to fall where they may, she knew wherever that may be would be the right place. However, there was some concern over Devin and Brantee, and when she slid across Rique's lap, her lips met the shell of his ear in a whisper between them. "I do not envy the path they will walk for a short time, my love....we both know that path is not an easy one....it was not for us..." Lips seeking his own, she kissed him tenderly and it was now them being stared at by the twins.

After the first foot was washed, she repeated the action. Both dried and water set aside. Careful to dump it away and reaching up for his hand, and he pulled her aside to talk. It was the first of any ceremony of the kind, and she wanted to walk with him as herself. Taking his hands.

"Nn-no, I .. find strength with you. I .. did not kk-know if I could do as my people.. as the woman of my clan have done. I .. wash your feet.. " Inhaling again. "Please, I want to return." To the ceremony. Devin didn't know it, but what was happening to her was a small miracle, she was actually wanting to be there.

(tbc)

Family Wedding Part 11

Rique is a big softy when it comes to his family and their love. "Mostly you m'hela, mostly you.. but when .." Burying his face in her neck and pulling her close. He needed to know this, he needed to know that his children and their children would thrive and make lives.. and he had witness it would be. He's going to be a mess soon enough.

Wrapping her arms tightly around Rique, she buried her face alongside of his, so softly the words were spoken. "You were with me the entire time, Rique. You guided me and kept my soul alive, for without that, I would have failed miserably and they would have all suffered. Shhhh..."

Stroking at his hair, she could taste his tears, which only brought the sobs to ache from her chest. "I am so sorry....for everything...but without all of it, we would not be where we are now..." And she truly believed this.

Leaning down to her, Devin kissed away several of her tears and took them as his own. He would spend his life, loving her and proving to her how very worthy she was to any and all happiness they would share as one. Before Nereid could offer him his vows, Devin spoke his own directly to Brantee as he held her closer and stroked at her face.

"I will spend my days, making you forget any thought you have ever had about not being deserving, as you do in every way. You are a light that has made my soul expand and so very bright, Brantee. I will love you, honor you and protect you, each and everyday. I pledge to you my undying commitment and loyalty, as you have trusted me with your emotions and your love. I will never fail you, not now, not ever. You are my destiny, you are my perfection, you are my M'hela....that will always be."

?Shh..? He had no regrets, he could not have them, because he believed that with all his heart that with one turn undone they would not be where they were at this moment in time. Arms completely around her, she?s not going any where soon. Nereid knew when the ceremony was over, then Rique would have a surprise for her mother, Devin knew as well. He didn't want to over shadow his son?s union, but it was a day they would share in all the glory and Devin would tell his sons and they theirs.

When Devin shared his oath with her, the tears only kept coming. How could they not? It was hard for her to speak. ?I am yours.? Three simple words twice. ?I love you.? Squeezing his hands and turning to Nereid. This was forever for her, no doubt in the words, only doubt in herself that she would not disappoint Devin.

Rique finally pulled his head away from Aullere's neck, if he didn't stop he might have to take her right there. Damn her for being so beautiful and his very own. He patiently waited for the ceremony, but he was getting restless. Pure grace under pressure, and so he concentrated on the ceremony.

Somewhere in the middle of all of this, Lucas and Layla had come to either side of their parents to lean against them and listen intently on the sound of Nereid's words, also Brantee and Devin's. They may have been very young, but they were solid creatures of what was true to their hearts.

A smile then lit up Nereid's features, as it wasn't very often she showed the jubilation running through her. "It is with love and light, that by the powers that be, both here and within the heavens, I pronounce you husband and wife." From a ribbon there nestled in the binding of the leather bound, two rings were dangled and untied.

Each handed to one of the monks, he moved to them both, Nereid's words continuing. "Blessed be these rings, may they ever inspire your love, passion and dedication to one another. May you wear them gladly to represent your promises and vows to one another, and may the union that they exemplify always yield the ultimate in joy, serenity, love and passion." The monk blessing each of them, awaited their left hands to be extended.

By the heavens and the gods, she no longer belonged to herself, but to another as well. Devin the same, he belonged to her and now, all that they were would be weighted upon her heart to take all decisions as what would be for the better of both, not a single heart, for two hearts beat close.

Not knowing she should have a ring for Devin, she looked mortified. However, Hemi stepped forward, a gift from Rique to Brantee. He forged a gold band for Brantee for Devin. Hemi whispered to her. ?Your father has seen a circle complete.? Soon, she would thank Rique for everything.

Her left hand went out and waited. When they were alone, she would explain to Devin what happened. Until then, she's over the moon with joy. Rique grinned because soon, so very soon.

(tbc)

Family Wedding Part 13


Some of the elder women waited with a wreath of flowers for her head and a small bouquet of her favorite flowers to hold. He held the ring out to her upon one knee. Brantee couldn't see with her eyes, but she felt with her heart.Turning to Devin and whispered. "I believe she will say yes."

For the briefest of moments, a quizzical look rushed over Aullere's features and only Rique would be able to hear the intake of breath that she took. A bit of a smile as he admitted not being able to remember the day that they had gotten married. In truth, nor could she, because in her mind, the moment he slipped into her dreams, they were bonded. And that was a day she would never forget.

Unable to speak immediately, the silence of her tears were speaking volumes and for this moment, she was taken back all of those years ago, when it had been so new and so real.

Each and everyday since that point, it had remained real and new, for with them, there was never a prerequisite to their being. They just were. Through all of the harshest of darkness, he was still her light and without that light, she was nothing but a withering entity. She would walk through all of it a million times with him if she had to, that hopefully he knew.

Reaching down, Aullere stroked his cheek, gazes melded. Forcing her jaw to stop trembling, her voice quaking as she spoke. "I will, yes, each and everyday. I will stand with you and bask in this life that I would not change, for you would not have whispered to me that night if it was different....you would not have wrapped yourself into my knowing and splintered into my heart, my very breath. I have blessed that night, and each one since then. I am more in love with you now, than twenty years ago, I love you, Rique..."

Still the grin remained on Nereid's face, she knew what her mother would say.

Lucas and Layla were giddy, understanding some of what was being said and each went to Devin and Brantee, where their hands twisted at the garments they could reach. Devin's hold on Brantee went tighter and he knew that would be them twenty some odd years from that day. Gaze finally shifting to the ring Rique held, Aullere smiled softly. "It is exquisite...just like you my heart..."

Such a cheeky savage, he looked up with a grin. "Good, because you are stuck with me M'hela." A peacock's pride, he stood up and put the ring on her finger. She had his ring from when they first married, and it would stay upon her hand. The new ring placed on her right, so there's no doubt whatever she looked, to the right or left, he was there. Taking her by the hand and leading her to Nereid.

Rique kissed Nereid on the forehead and grinned. "Poppy wants to marry your mum again, because we have things to do." Winking at his daughter and smiling at his wife. Dirty old man, he's much better this way. He'd left Devin be the dirty young man.

"Well aye, if not...you hunt me down like a piece of raw meat..." That whispered for him alone, Aullere chuckled and was thankful for his cheekiness....entirely so.

Devin was behind them, laughing as he heard his father. But said nothing, however many that were watching this were highly amused by Rique's banter. Slipping her arm around Rique's waist, the curve of her cheek rested at his shoulder and she quipped. "Aye, and if it's not done swiftly, he will fall asleep before dusk..."

(tbc)

Family Wedding Part 15


Her words cut off by that kiss she was desperately needing, there was nothing hidden as it was returned ten fold and her fingers twining into his hair. This fucking love fest was about to become something none of them expected if he continued.

Nipping at his lower lip, that familiar gleam in her gaze was aiming itself at him, but an added twitter of lips as she continued. "heart for another, do not ever forget his heart in the process. His needs, his wants and his dreams. Do not ever let his dreams die, for he will as well. Realize that while you may not always agree with him, there is always a reason for his behavior and his stubbornness. He may change as swiftly as the tides themselves about some matters, but know in your heart, where are concerned, he will never change. Allow him to know, that no matter what, you love him."

Brows furrowing into a marring pinch, her amusement fell away. "And never be afraid to admit at some point you may have failed him." Touch reaching Rique's jaw, she swallowed softly the pit that was growing in her throat. "The word love fails in comparison to what I feel for you, Rique....I cannot be without you..."

By this point, all of them were crying and Nereid wiped at her eyes with the handkerchief Hemi handed her. Clearing her throat, she did her best. "I once again pronounce you Husband, Wife, Mum and Poppy..."

There was really no reason for the I Do parts was there? Tired of standing, Lucas and Layla sat down at their feet. Hand firmly planted on his backside, Aullere mused aloud. "As if there was any doubt the chain had broken from the ball."

Rique scooped her up and kissed the hell out of his wife. "Thank you Nereid." Putting her back down, then he looked around. "We would normally have a celebration after the wedding, but my family has been at sea for several days and I will allow them time to rest and spend with each other."

Their guests understood. "We will have a celebration tomorrow, but for tonight we will say good night to you." He took Aullere's hand. "Nereid, will you and Hemi keep the twins busy while I spend the evening with your mother?"

He looked over at Devin and Brantee whispering. "Make sure they are not disturbed." He said to Hemi. "I will, it is already done." Hemi nodded and three men surrounded Devin and Brantee. "Please come.." Rique grinned at his son. "We will see you on the third night to celebrate." They were whisked away to a private cottage on the other side of the Tarsos.

Rique wanted to talk to Aullere, so he pulled her along to the garden. "Were you surprised M'hela?" Everything else faded to black, he'd spend time with Aullere.

Once the children were all tended for and arrangements made, she kissed Devin, Brantee, Nereid, Lucas and Layla, before heading off with Rique. Knowing in nine months to the day, they would possibly be grandparents, they were too young for all of that. Nereid watched them go and took the twins by their hands, to wait for Hemi.

Did her father just give her permission to spend time with him, under the ruse of babysitting the twins? Hmmm, possibly yes.

Once they were alone, the scents of the gardens were not even remotely noticed right now, it was impossible as her attention was on Rique. Wrapping her arms around his neck, and almost nose to nose, she nodded.

Aullere's roughness fading to wherever it went when they were together, for the most part. "I was, I am...not for the reasons that you perhaps think. How you did all of this, I will never know. But you did so seamless, my love...thank you." Meaning all of it, every last bit of it. "But now I wonder, have you truly lost your mind....to wish us rewed?" The slow grin returning for a moment. "Rique, this is our new beginning...our's."

Damn, he did without realizing it. Hemi was beyond excited, even if there were others involved. "I'm a man with a mission, M'hela, you know that I will stop at nothing when I determined." He was satisfied she was happy and surprised. They would spent the next few hours doing what they do.

"Of course, I want to honeymoon you until you walk with a limp." And he had every intention of doing so.

End