One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

The World outside the Grey Tower is a vast place.
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Bella
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One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Bella » October 23rd, 2018, 11:50 pm

The Darrow Household was at the babbling stage.

One would assume this meant Iain, and one would be right, but that would only be part of the story. The fact was that his babbling often lured his parents in to doing the same, not that either of them would admit it in public naturally. But when you became a parent, you learned that you would do anything to make your little one smile.

Even occasionally act like a fool.

Today, however, there was something else entirely going on. Something that was causing no small amount of stress, of course, because doing pretty much anything with a toddler was stressful. Journeying across the nations, even when most of it was eaten up by use of a Gateway, was even more so.

"Are you ready to go meet some of the family?" Miahala asked Iain as she fastened the fabric around her torso that would hold him to her chest while she rode the horse. (He was obviously too young to ride a horse of his own and she was the best one for him to ride with, practically having grown up on horseback.)

Iain just flailed his chubby little arms and bounced until his red curls bounced with him. "Calm, my little love, calm," his mother said with a laugh in her voice and in her eyes. "Want to go find where Papa is?"

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Craig
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Re: One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Craig » October 25th, 2018, 12:02 am

Ravak
Papa was preparing all of the things that were required when going anywhere with a young child. If he was just getting things packed for himself and his wife, he could have slapped two saddles on the horses and left it at that. It was just a short trip, right? Aside from his cloak and swords, he didn't need anything else. The worst case scenario was that it rained, and if it did, he would get wet.

But with a child, you needed everything. You couldn't just let it rain on a toddler; you had to have the appropriate clothing and protection. And not just for rain, but for snow, or if it got too hot, or if something happened to what he was currently wearing and needed to be changed. Five sets of clothes just for one day. I'd get through a ten-day in only five different shirts if Mia would let me. Iain also needed other things should accidents happen. He didn't think any further on that; the imagery wasn't appealing, and the reality of an accident would happen sooner than he liked.

What else was there? Food, of course, because Iain wouldn't just smile and make do with whatever was placed in front of him. And entertainment, be that a stuffy animal or a picture book or a bauble that made noise. Rummaging through the saddlebags, Rav considered whether to remove that noisy toy. Singing Trollocs were more tolerable than five minutes of shake-shake-shake over and over again.

Closing the clasp on the last bag, Rav hoisted his saddlebags over one shoulder, and Mia's over the other. Speak of the Dark One, Rav mused as Mia entered their family room with Iain.

"If I haven't packed it, we don't need it," Papa grunted as he straightened. Stepping towards his family, he touched Iain on the nose. "You are a right hassle, you are. Lucky for you that you're adorable."

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Bella
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Re: One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Bella » October 25th, 2018, 11:22 pm

Miahala could feel Ravak's agitation and affection in equal measures, and it amused her to absolutely no end. After all, Iain was her sixth child, so there was really very little she hadn't already experienced more than once. She knew that Ravak had been through this once before himself, although he'd been on his own. It was different alone.

"I tell him that often," she said teasingly, bouncing Iain a bit on her hip where the wrap held him snug to her. "It's that way with all children all the time. It's how the human race survives."

She twisted her body so she could lean toward her husband without the child between them, sliding between the saddlebags to give him a quick kiss. She appreciated the trouble he was willing to endure to take a trip to Saldaea to see some of her family. It had been a long while and she was due. She could've gone alone, but she enjoyed her husband and child being with her.

The trio made their way out of their quarters and onward to the stables. "On the upside, Iain will have some relatives his age that he can play with while we're there. May keep him out of our hair a bit."

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Re: One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Craig » October 29th, 2018, 8:57 pm

Ravak
Ravak made a noise in his throat that was half-agreement and half-amusement. Even when Iain was being 'hosted' by someone else, it would take less than a second for disaster to strike, forcing him to rush to the rescue. Parenting was a full-time occupation. Fortunately, the payoff was worth it.

"Don't mention hair," Rav grumbled softly. Miahala had so lovingly pointed out that his fiery mane of red hair had begun to welcome visitors. Ravak firstly denied it, then upon his wife's insistence, he went to look in the mirror. "Well, it's finally happened," he growled as he plucked a grey hair from his beard. "I'm getting old."

Rolling his eyes at the thought, he shifted his focus to the path ahead. He was about to meet Miahala's family... extended family... a part thereof. It was a bit like saying "Oh no, you don't have to meet everyone in the village. Just the Achesones and the Nivens and the Vilars and the Pandevs." Would a village every fit all of Miahala's family? Did they need a town? The Township of Sha'hal?

Ravak sidled out of his thoughts and back to the present. "You don't have any... weird traditions, do you?" He glanced at Mia. "I'm not going to have to go out hunting to prove I'm worthy of the family, or have to have my family tree charted back umpteen generations, am I?"

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Re: One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Bella » October 31st, 2018, 6:13 pm

Miahala laughed with no small amount of amusement, Iain joining in with her despite having no idea what had made his mother laugh. He just knew that she was happy, so he was happy too.

"Don't be silly, Ravak," she said. "Even if the family did have some sort of weird tradition, do you really think any of them would apply to me and one that I brought?" She flashed him a smile that bordered on downright wicked. "Your worth is proven simply by the fact that I bonded you, married you, and then brought a child into the world with you."

After all, for an Aes Sedai...who was at least six or seven million years old...the head of a family that covered half a country...who had truly died and come back... Well, who really was going to try to tell her what to do?

She shifted a little so she could bump him gently with her unencumbered hip. "You needn't worry about my family. They are pretty nice and very informal. You will be welcomed and then fed."

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Re: One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Craig » October 31st, 2018, 6:58 pm

Ravak
Ravak smiled at his wife and son. "Ah, so I will be fed," he jested. "How fortuitous. There was no room for trail rations what with Mister Laughter over here." Rav lightly ruffled Iain's hair, which only added to the laughing.

The stable was in sight now. Ravak shifted the position of the saddlebags over his shoulder. They weren't all that heavy, but he was still looking forward to unburdening himself of their weight. It was a trifle offputting that his arms weren't more free to move about. Although the Grey Tower was about the safest place in the world, he didn't carry the swords on his belt lightly. Even with family about, he still wanted those blades close to hand.

Once inside the stables, Ravak didn't waste any time when a Soldier offered to take the saddlebags. There was a slight burning pain as blood was allowed to flow freely again. Lightly touching the pommels of his swords, Rav shifted his attention back to Mia and Iain.

"Now call me anxious, but is there anything I need to know? I mean, even if I'm 'the one you brought', do I...?" The Shienaran shrugged a bit apologetically as words failed him. "I just don't want to be, you know, awkward somehow."

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Bella
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Re: One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Bella » November 2nd, 2018, 1:18 am

What with Iain on her hip, she was going to have to rely on Ravak and the stable-hands to tack up Seren. That always irked her. Not because of them, but just because it was almost instinct now to manage her own steed. Still, she could not do so with a child of Iain's side strapped to her like he was...

"There isn't anything in particular, no," she said with an indulgent smile. "We will be staying with my great-great-great-granddaughter Seffora and her husband Vishal. They have only recently moved into their own home with their little girl, so they are still doing some setting up house but are happy to have us.

"Truth is, Seffora is more likely to be awkward around us. I got the impression from her letter that she's a little insecure about being the mistress of her own home, even though she's been married for three years and has a child just slightly older than Iain."

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Re: One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Craig » November 11th, 2018, 9:55 pm

Ravak
Oh, just the three greats. That's great. Whilst Ravak had grasped the theory behind Miahala's age, the practical outcomes weren't quite so numerous at the Tower. But a great-great-great-granddaughter, in the flesh. That was like trying to imagine Kaira's granddaughter's granddaughter. His head didn't hurt from the notion, but it did cause a moment's distraction.

"Well, she shouldn't be," the Shienaran added once he got over the shock. "I mean, if you've got a husband and a kid, you should be settled." Family was paramount in Ravak's estimation of priorities. Of course, not everyone hailed from Shienar. That gave him a thought. "You don't think it's Vishal, do you?" He squinted. "We're not going to check Vishal out, are we?" It was a ludicrous notion, and he would have realised (what with the bond) whether that was the case before now. Yet still, he asked. Seffora was family after all, and if she needed help...
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Bella
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Re: One of the Thinner Branches [Attn: Craig]

Post by Bella » November 17th, 2018, 7:36 pm

Mia laughed softly, shaking her head with an indulgent smile. "No, we're not going to 'check out' Vishal. He is a perfectly lovely young man, and I know that Dominik and Katka--" Who Bella quickly inserts are Seffora's mother and father. "--are happy with him as her husband. It is simply that they have been living with her parents so long, she is a little uncertain about managing the household alone."

She bounced Iain a few times as he began to babble and reach for one of her loose strands of hair, hoping to yank on it and stuff it into his mouth...you know, like usual. Keeping him busy while Ravak finished tacking the horses up. Mounting with the child was always an experience, but she knew herself capable.

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