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Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 4th August 2011

Characters: Ioven, Parale, Syren, Venrys
Description: Yren gets a little clingy when Ioven comes home early,and Parale suspects why...
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 12, day 19 of Turn 5

Ioven had spent sevendays putting in long days in order to make up for
lost time. He had to collect all his notes from his trip to Garnet
Valley into a report for the Lord Holder, as well as materials that
would need to be used to train other crafters should they decide to
build the geothermal generator. But more than that, the extra expense
that bringing Parale back with them meant that the marks were a little
tighter than he had planned, and the expenses would only mount as they
added a few necessary furnishings to their new home and Parale acquired
a whole new wardrobe suitable to the climate. And he had to face facts,
either he and Parale would have to learn restraint in their marital
relations, something they had seemed to have very little of since coming
off the boat, or he would have to prepare himself for the possibility
that their family may increase sooner than he had expected.

All this meant that he would have to spend a lot more time catching up
and getting ahead. Thankfully, he didn't need to worry about the
children. He knew they were well cared for in his absence. But he
missed them terribly. For once, he wanted to be selfish and spend a
nice quiet evening at home. He would just start the day earlier
tomorrow.

As he opened the door, Syren's little face lit up immediately.
"Daddy!" she screamed, jumping off the sofa where her sister had been
reading to her. Her arms went round his neck as she ran straight into
his arms.

"Hello, baby girl," he grinned, lifting her up into a large hug. "How
was your day?"

"I drew a picture of the boat, and I ate my vegetables, and I played
with Nolina, and then I put my toys away and didn't make a mess..."

The stream of events continued to pour out of her as Ioven wrapped an
arm around his oldest daughter and kissed the top of her head. "Where's
Parale?"

"I'm in here," she called from the girls' room where she was hanging a
picture Venrys had done. She liked colors on the walls and it was an
easy way of getting them to make her artwork.

"I'm home early tonight. I brought cookies for dessert." He pointed to
the basket he had set next to the door when he saw Syren charging
towards him.

"From Panlan's oven?" Venrys asked excitedly, remembering the baker's
popular treats. They hadn't had those in so long! Excitedly she ran to
retrieve the basket.

Ioven tried to set Syren back on her feet, though the little girl seemed
to only cling tighter. "Carry me, Daddy," she pleaded. How could he
refuse such a sweet request? Her father carried her over to a chair by
the table and sat down with her.

"Do we have any milk?" he called back to his wife, the weight holding
him down in the chair.

"Aye, it's in the icebox. We're out of bread though. I'm supposed to get
some tomorrow for our allotment." She tried to make things last as much
as she could, but sometimes that meant substituting meat and vegetables
instead of bread and cheese.

"Venrys, fetch it please?" She finished hanging the picture and slowly
got down, careful not to fall.

The elder girl was already setting out glasses perfect for dipping the
tasty treat into. "Syren do you want to put the cookies on a plate for
us?" Ioven asked, beginning to pull back from his daughter.

"No," she protested, tightening her hold on him.

"You can't eat cookies sitting that way, you know," he laughed, trying
to crane his neck to see her.

"I don't want cookies," she mumbled, laying her head on his shoulder.

She was being rather moody, he thought. Had something happened? "What
do you want then?" His question was met with only a silent shake of her
head.

Parale entered the room. She took a cookie for herself and helped to
pour the milk into the glasses. When it was done, she put it back into
the cooler and took her seat.

Ioven tried again. "Syren, sit in your chair so you can have some
cookies."

"I want to sit with you," was her only reply.

She really was acting strange, her father thought. "Are you ok? You
feel all right?"

"Yes," she said simply, leaving Ioven to look at his wife helplessly.
Something was going on if his little Syren wasn't showing interest in
Panlan's cookies!

Parale had been half listening to the conversation, but when that came
about, she looked again at Syren, thinking slowly. "Renling, why won't
you sit with me? I'd love it so much.."

"I want to sit with Daddy," the little girl said, her arms tightening
again as if someone were threatening to peel her away.

Ioven shrugged, not sure what had gotten in his daughter's head, but
couldn't see any harm in it. "Well, if you can sit in my lap but turn
around at least, would you like some cookies?"

She thought about it a moment before nodding, finally releasing him but
only so he could help her shift so she could face the table.

"All right then," he said giving his wife an apologetic look. Ioven
hoped the little incident hadn't hurt her feelings. "Shall we pass out
the cookies now?"

Understanding now what was going on, or at least having some idea,
Parale nodded. As Venrys passed them out, she began to eat her own.
>From time to time she watched Syren, thinking it'd be better to wait
until later to share her thoughts.

After the cookies had been eaten and the dishes cleared away, Ioven
finally got a break from the weight around his neck while Venrys and
Syren got themselves ready for bed. "Shall we both tuck the girls in
tonight? Or do you want a break?" Ioven asked, stretching out his
muscles.

"I will but first..." She turned so she was facing him. "She's acting
like that because you've been working so much. You haven't been around
and she's worried you'll leave her like her mother."

"What?" He shook his head. "No, it's nothing like when we lost Narys.
That was completely different. She's just tired today is all."

"Are you sure? Because that, to me, is not tired. I've seen her tired
many times." Parental concern was etched across her face.

"Well, I don't know, maybe she missed me. Faranth knows I miss them."
It was hard being away from his girls so much during the day. He
shrugged, not thinking it needed to be made a big deal out of. "So, she
got time with me now. She should be fine."

"I hope so, but if it continues, maybe..I could earn for us some so you
could stay home a bit more." Parale had supplemented her income back
at Garnet Valley. Surely, she could do so here. Seahold women liked
brighter colors.

"I earn enough, I assure you," he said, his pride slightly wounded that
she would even suggest that he was putting in all the over work just
because he couldn't support them otherwise. Sure, he wanted to catch up
a bit, prepare for an addition to their family that he would be fool not
to expect to happen eventually. "Your job is taking care of my girls.
I promised I would provide and I will."

"I understand that, but they need you. And if I can help a little so
that you are here than I am willing to do that. This is my family too
and I want what is best for them." Parale frowned, hoping he realized she had more value.

Ioven did not see her words as an offer to help, but rather as a
criticism of his ability to take care of his family. "Look, I don't
need your help. I can handle it."

"Ioven, when I agreed to be your wife, I agreed to be your helpmate. So,
whether or not you need my help, I am going to give it. That's what I am
here for. We are in this together, and so we work together to accomplish
what we need." Parale frowned, wondering why he was being so stubborn.

"And you do help. You cook our meals, you take care of the children,
you do the washing and the mending. You wanted a home to run, and it is
yours. And I will continue to do my job and provide for your needs so
you can run it." That was what they had agreed to. He didn't
understand how he was failing to keep his half of the bargain.

"Right, but if I can do that and maybe dye a few clothes here and there
to make a bit, why not? Mother always said if you have a talent, you
should use it." In her mind, she could already envision how easy it would be. "And then the children could see you a bit more, which is a good thing."

"If you want a hobby in your spare time, then by all means. Do as you
like. But I told you when I proposed this arrangement that I would
provide for you and my children and any future children, and I am
keeping that promise." Why were they even arguing about this? "Look,
it was one night when Syren was a little off. I think you're getting
upset over nothing. Let's just get the girls tucked into bed, hmmm?"

Now he couldn't say she hadn't told him of her plans when she went
ahead and started to look for work. She had already shared her idea with
the Headwoman and apparently it was a useful skill. She just needed to
look around to make sure she could gather the things for the colors she
wanted. "Allright.." Following him, she prepared the girls for bed.

Last updated on the November 6th 2011

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