Happy Family Reunion

[Arette]

The little family of Iussi and Telcia had retreated to one of the spacious and fancy guest rooms of the manor to spare the children from the gorey sight of the dead bodies laying around. They also needed their time together after so long time. Of course they would be there for each others all the way to Ebou Dar, but they would be traveling and would have their own peace only at nights at inns. Well, there was of course the option of sea travel, but they were so close to Saldaea that had been invaded by the Seanchan that it would be risky. Seanchan had a strong navy and their damane might sense another female channeler on a boat and decide to attack. They would be helpless there. And Iussi would be damned if he let those foul people capture his wife. He had heard enough from Ragan who had saved his Aes Sedai Kit from their clutches. But here he was, worrying already about tomorrow when they had the wonderful present.

 

He had to admit that he was afraid: he didn't know how to be with his children. Jelene was blubbering happily, reminding him a bit of himself actually, so she might be willing to be held by her daddy soon. But Jamal was a sober little boy who was clinging to Telcia like he was never going to let go. He had obviously been traumatized more by the kidnap and being separated from his mother. At least they had had each others and obviously two puppies too. They had started immediately growling and barking at Telcia and tried to bite her, so they had been removed from their room. For some strange reason dogs disliked female channelers, so most likely they would be unable to take the furry things along.

 

Light, but he loved his children. Jelene was playing with a large wooden spoon and hitting all kinds of things with it, marveling the sounds she produced. She even hit herself on the head with the spoon and looked wonderfully astonished for a moment. Iussi was certain that she was going to start crying and almost reached out his arms at her, but then she laughed. It was the most delightful little chortle Iussi had ever heard and his happiness was complete when Jamal echoed it with a little chuckle. His heart swelled with pride: that was his girl with her unflappable good spirits. Even when she hit next hit him painfully on the knee with the spoon prompting a nerve reactiong and a kick, Iussi thought that he was million times rather here than digging the graves or investigating the house with Con, Arette and the Children of the Light.

 

And Telcia was positively glowing with happiness. All the tenseness and hopelessness were gone from her. He leaned forward to give her a proper little a kiss you could do in front of your own children when a horrible thought occurred him. How could they be making love anymore with these two around? He was quite willing to make sacrifices as a father, but this was maybe a bit too much asked. Maybe they could be taking the nurse along or something.

 

Iussi Dyfelle

Tower Guard

Gentled Male Channeler

Husband of Telcia Sedai

Father of Jelene and Jamal

[Telcia]

Telcia sat in a highbacked chair holding Jamal and playing with his tiny golden curls, twirling them around her fingers as always seemed to relax him. He'd not wanted to go too far from her since they had been reunited and she could hardly begrudge him the desire... she herself didn't want to let either of them go.

 

Sadly, Jelene had always been more independant than her brother and hadn't needed as much cuddling before she was ready to go off adventuring again. It was easy to see which of the twins was going to be the more dominant.

 

"Cookie?" Jelene had toddled up asking her. "Cookie Mama?" Telcia chuckled. She had not wanted to feed the children anything from the house for fear that it had all somehow been poisoned. She knew that was probably rediculous but she wasn't about to take that chance.

 

Leaning down towards her daughter she whispered conspiratorily to Jelene and half to Jamal. "Well, I don't have any cookies pumpkin... but I do have it on good account that you Daddy might have some sort of food in his sack. I bet if you go ask nice like Auntie Arette showed you how, he might be willing to share with you."

 

Jelene hardly hesitated to start running towards Iussi while Jamal looked at Telcia questioningly and refrained from moving a muscle. "It's okay. Momma will go with you." Taking his hand and putting him on the floor she let Jamal walk towards his father and sister, who was already bouncing on the balls of her feet with wide eyes calling out, "PEAS!" with her tiny hand extended expectantly.

 

Jamal stopped just behind Jelene and, instead of reaching for something from his father, he stuck his free hand into his mouth and simply stared at Iussi as if trying to puzzle him out.

[Arette]

Iussi smiled at Telcia surprised and pleased when she "tricked" the children to come to him. He was just happy to watch them, but it was nice to have them paying their full attention to him. His heart was a puddle of wax before Jelene when she looked at him pleadingly with wide blues eyes just like his mother's in the portrait of her as a girl.

 

"Peas?" he asked a bit flabbergasted. "Are peas your favourite food young lady? I'm afraid that I don't have any peas with me. Did you know that peas make you gaseous in your tummy?" He patted his belly. "And then you will be all...", he went on to make the most authentic fart noises he just could.

 

Jelene's face had gotten a bit dark, but his antics made her giggle. Jamal gave a searching look at his mother, took his hand off his mouth and imitated his father fairly decently. Iussi gave a hoot of laughter that startled Jamal and Jelene. He ran back to his mother, but Jelene clapped her hands and danced a bit chanting "Happy happy happy."

 

Then she remembered her earlier request and moved in front of Iussi her tiny hands on her hips. She looked like a miniature version of her mother and Iussi's lips twitched. "COOKIE Daddy", she said emphasizing the first word as speaking to a child.

 

Iussi felt his eyes mist and he blinked a few times. "Did you hear that, Telc? She called me a daddy. How did she know?"

 

Jelene didn't let him ignore her that easily. She tugged his sleeve. "Cookie daddy cookie. 'Lene wants cookie"

 

Iussi dug the sack for a moment and produced a lump of something brown. He blessed Telcia's sweet tooth that never left them resourceless in this department. "Oh, I misunderstood you earlier, princess. How stupid was I. There are no cookies, princess, but I have something even better. Chocolate." He broke off a little piece and brought it to Jelene's mouth that opened wide enough to make her resemble a little bird. She closed her eyes in a bliss and munched happily before she climbed to Iussi's lap. "More." She looked slyly at her mother before proceeding to wrap her father even further around her tiny finger.

 

Iussi

An enamored daddy

[Telcia]

Telcia wrinkled her nose at Iussi's fart sound, and even more so when her children went wild at the sound of it. She sighed but it was a contented noise and not one of utter exasperation. She just couldn't be let down today, not after having nearly everything in her world returned to her.

 

Still, the small glass container rest in her pocket, a heavy reminder of the terrible possibilities that yet exist. More than ever she wished she had tried to learn the truth of the Black Ajah while she'd been at the Tower rather than running about with Sira discovering the secret of the Arches or the Red Ajah's origins.

 

Silently she watched as Jelene crawled into Iussi's lap and Jamal mustered his courage as best he could and stepped forward with a determinedly stiff lip. He looked back to her once more, she gave him a reassuring nod, and he held out his hand to Iussi.

 

Jelene was happily nibbling on one piece of chocolate and reaching for more as Iussi seemed to take note of his son.

 

"Cookie... Daddy?" Jamal seemed to be uncertain about the word, glancing back at Telcia for confirmation.

 

She smiled and nodded again then walked back over to her chair to sit and watch Iussi with the children. Putting her hand in her pouch she fingered the smooth glass and the etched Flame of Tar Valon on it's bottom. Would anywhere in the world be safe for them now? Why... she'd need an army of channelers to keep them safe if it was Muirenn. The woman had hundreds of years worth of eyes and ears all over the known world and that's to say nothing of ... Light, what might she be able to do with access to the Dark One's growing might?

 

No. It just couldn't be her.

 

"Iussi," She said after Jamal had taken his first bit of chocolate. "I think we should leave tomorrow. First thing." she said in a calm voice not wanting to alarm the children to anything odd.

 

"I'm afraid there was a letter that I recieved at the White Tower, addressed to you, that I didn't mention previously. Livia sent it." She knew the name would get his attention in full even in his most happy state. She hated to trouble him but he had to see urgency even if she couldn't vocalize the fears she had about the Black Ajah.

 

"Your father's health hasn't been the best. It seems Livia thought it best you come home as soon as you were able. I think now qualifies as that. We'll all rest up tonight and then we can be on our way at first light. What do you say?"

[Arette]

Focusing entirely on Jelane who purred like a little cat on his lap, Iussi felt bad as he realized he had noticed Jamal only when he asked for a cookie too. Careful to not scare the kid like his laughter had before, he moved his hand in front of him steadily as if a bird flying before he gave him the first piece. Jamal tasted it carefully, but his small face broke into a pleased grin.

 

Telcia called to him then and he could see from the tenseness of her shoulders that she had an unpleasent topic in mind. Iussi tensed when he heard Livia's name. Was she alright? Light but she had to be, they were just on their way to her and she had to meet Jelene and Jamal. And nothing could happen to her, she was his nanny and had been his mother's nanny too. A woman like her was just enduring like a stone.

 

He was relieved when Telcia continued that it was his father instead. He was a little guilty about it, but it was his father who had wanted to have no contact with him. He had accused Iussi of killing his mother and wished that he was dead instead of her. Iussi had tried and been rebuffed and the next step had to come from him. But since Livia had sent the message, obviously it hadn't come from him. The old coot wouldn't reconcile even in his death bed.

 

But they would go and see Livia at least and if she thought that he must go and see his father, he would please her. He would do anything for her. But he wouldn't let him to ruin their wonderful night together. Although it probably was the bed time soon for the kids. He didn't know much about them, but he had heard that they could get overwrought and overexcited if they stayed up too late.

 

"It's alright, Telc. We will go where ever YOU say, I remember my oath." Iussi grinned at her if a bit weakly. "It's pretty telling that Livia sent it, not him. He might not want to see me, not even now." Why was he so disappointed then?

 

He consoled himself by giving Jelene and Jamal another piece of chocolate. It pleased him that Jamal was standing so close to him already. Telcia still seemed worried and he was fairly certain that it wasn't just about him. Distraction might work.

 

"So, you never told me how the kids knew what to call me..."

[Telcia]

Jelene leapt off of her father's lap and dashed unsteadily towards Telcia. "STORY!" She squeeled with joy, the sugary choclate working much too quickly Telcia noted.

 

"Story?" Jamal looked back as well, a bit of chocolate smeared around his lips as he perked up.

 

"Oh but the two of you are a mess! And the story is only for bedtime..."

 

"PEAS!" "PEAS!" They both begged and Jamal toddled over towards her. "Pleas Momma." Jamal insisted. Telcia looked at his eyes and could hardly think to deny his pouty face.

 

"Alright, but first we wash up and then we're going to settle in for the night. I won't have you looking like grubby little worms when Auntie Arette peeks in later. She'll think I'm raising animals instead of children." She shook her head playfully and made her way over to the wash basin, taking a wet cloth out, and knealt down to each to wipe their hands and faces.

 

"There, come on now, into the bed with you both." Each in turn she carefully set into the bed, and as she'd done a hundred times before, she embraced the source. A comfort both of the action of tucking her children in and embracing the source, washed over her and she relaxed.

 

"We've had a tradition," Telcia began to Iussi as she patted the bed where he might sit on the other side of the children. "Each night we eat dinner, wash up, say a prayer and then I tell a story."

 

"Ships..." Jamal added.

 

"Yes, sometimes I sing to them about the ships if they are particularly insistant but tonight... after such a long day, I suspect the story will be more than enough." Already, despite the sugar rush, Jelene was stiffling a yawn and Jamal's eyes were looking a bit heavy.

 

"Tonight we'll have Daddy join us for storytime and maybe tomorrow night he'll tell us a different story." Tucking each child in tightly she helped them put their hands together and then each closed their eyes as if they'd done all their lives then she looks to Iussi and indicates he do the same.

 

"Now we lay ourselves down to sleep... we pray to the Creator our souls He'll keep. Should we return to the wheel before we wake, we pray that our souls the Light shall take. The Light bless and keep Daddy, Mommy, Auntie Arette, Uncle Con, Uncle Skechid, the good Sisters of the Tower, the peaceful Tinkers, the Dragon and his good men..." Telcia hesitates but the she adds begrudgingly, "and the good people in the Children of the Light for ever and ever may it always be until the end of time."

 

Jamal and Jelene tried their best to repeat their mother's words and then their eyes popped open wide waiting for the story to begin.

[Arette]

Iussi watched curiously the strong reaction the mention of the story elicited from the kids. He was amused by Telcia sounding the perfect scolding mother, it could have been as easily Livia there. He went to the washbasin to watch his chocolatey hand, but not until he had waved them at Telcia and asked whether she wanted to make sure that no chocolate went to waste. He chuckled at her predicted response, no one could arch her eyebrow as disapprovingly as her.

 

He sat on the other side of the bed of the children where Telcia had pointed him to. The tradition certainly sounded interesting and quite sweet. Poor children, for months they hadn't had anyone to tell them the bed time story unless the nanny had. But her stories could hardly compare to those of their mother. He blinked a few times when Telcia suggested that he told a story the next night, but then he shrugged and smiled. He could do it, he was a good improviser.

 

He was also good at obeying... sometimes when the orders were pleasent such as this one. Iussi crossed his hands and closed his eyes. He knew the prayer since Livia had made him repeat it too as a child. She had always included his father, but Iussi had refused to say his name anymore after he turned eight. The last people Telcia added surprised him, the Children of the Light with them were good men, but there was a lot of bad blood between them and the Tower. She had actually had Sisters she had known and liked killed by them.

 

Oh, and then it was a story time. Iussi was at least as eager to hear it as the kids.

[Telcia]

"Long ago, when some people's grandparents were not even born yet, there lived a young girl in a palace of roses. She was to marry a merchant prince of a very important house, the house we are in right now, but she did not love the Prince."

 

In the air appeared apparitions, illusions of the people and places that she spoke of... the rose covered Alainin Manse, Her Mother, and her Father.

 

"She loved Lord Smeshid." Jelene giggled in a tired voice.

 

As Jelene spoke an image of a Lord in Cairhien garb appeared and smiled at the children, embraced Telcia's Mother in a way she'd never seen them in life, and then faded away in a shower of twinkling lights.

 

"Yes, she did... very much. But she & Lord Skechid lived VERY far from each other and so they could not be married."

 

A map of the world seemed to flicker above them for a moment with a glowing spot above Cairhien and one above Arad Doman.

 

"Still, their love was so deep and true that from their love came a Baby Princess. Since the young woman was so very sad with her Lord when she carried the baby in her tummy,"

 

An image of her pregnant mother appeared for a moment, the woman was crying over a letter and hugging her very full stomach as she did.

 

"& because she had to keep her secret forever... her sadness was shared in the life of her daugther who was to marry a powerful King."

 

A picture of Telcia at the age of no more than 7, dressed in silk and pearls appeared. She was standing with her mother and grandmother having her hand kissed by an already old man with a crown on his head... the King of Arad Doman.

 

"He ing of Air Do-mand" Yawned Jamal.

 

"Yes," Telcia chuckled. "The King of Arad Doman."

 

The picture faded and suddenly another image of Telcia at no more than 14 appeared. She was running across a field at sunset, tears flying from her eyes as she ran.

 

"But the Princess, like her mother before her, did not love the man she was suppose to marry. But she could not be with him and as sad as that made her, it was a truth neither she nor the sweet boy she cared for, could escape."

 

The image of Telcia stopped as it came to stand in the presence of a boy of, perhaps, 18 in the garb of a soilder. The boy took her into his arms and comforted her, kissing her, and the two looked at each other with the eyes of truest loves... as only pure and innocent love can see another person.

 

"However, the Creator, in it's infinate wisdom, saw the unhappy princess and decided to save her from a life of sadness like her mother before her and with a kiss upon her brow he gave to her the spark of life... the breath of Saidar, The One Power which ebbs and flows in all living things like the waters of the sea."

 

Telcia stands now in a dark forrest of the borderlands... alone Iussi will note, glowing bright white as sisters see each other while embracing the source. Telcia seems afraid in the 'image' but the storyteller continues.

 

"And so she went on to the Great White Tower."

 

An image of the White Tower, as glorious as it must seem to anyone seeing it for the first time, appears where Telcia's image had been.

 

"And there she studied very hard and learned many, many things about the world and herself."

 

The image goes through various places in the tower showing her reading, writing, channeling... each shows her working hard at her given task.

 

"She made friends in the Tower," Telcia began to smile anticipating her daughter's squeal.

 

"LENE!" An image of a girl in novice white appeared then, dark hair and eyes... a child full of life who Iussi once sat near the grave of. A grave Telcia might never see again.

 

"Yes, Jelene... your namesake. A wise girl who sought to heal the world of all it's pains. Melanie," This time a girl in Accepted's stripes appeared and smiled at the kids giving a conspiritorial wink to them both.

 

"Arette, Sirayn, Perine, Mellyn Kit, Arie, Con... and so many others."

 

"MUR-EN" Jamal protested.

 

Telcia went white and silent.

 

"Yes," She said regretfully. "and Muirenn." But the woman in the red shawl never appeared as the others had when she said their names. "and while some of them returned to the wheel..." Melanie and Jelene faded from the picture of the people gathered and named.

 

"...and others had to leave to go far away..." Arie, Mellyn, & Perine faded. "They have never been forgotten."

 

"Still, the life of the princess of the White Tower never seemed quite the same without her friends. She grew sad and angry and wished for many dark things. The Creator saw this and he was very upset. He'd tried so very hard to help the Princess not be sad and so he tried again."

 

"DADDY!" "DADDY!" The children screamed and clapped like audience members for a gleeman's hero. The image of Iussi was positively dashing... his mischievous grin, his playful eyes, his colorful clothing and the terrible mustasche he'd grown for her... a sword on his hip and producing a bright flower in a florish out of nowhere for them to see and applaud louder for.

 

"Yes, yes..." She laughed and chided. "Be still now. Your father was created by the Creator's hand and sent to the great White Tower to rescue the Princess from a life of utter despair."

 

Images of Iussi dancing with Telcia appear, of the two of them on walks in Tar Valon... of them standing on board the ship they were married on, appear and fade in turn.

 

"And so they ran away from the White Tower together and were married on a great vessel headed for his Palace by the Sea. But then... trouble happened..."

 

The image of smoke on the horizon appeared and very cartoonish looking trollocs appeared. Comical as they were the children mocked at fear very well and hid under the covers, peaking out to see when the trolloc had gone.

 

"Monsters wanted to destroy the great White Tower and like a hero that he is, your Father turned the ship around and sailed straight back to save them all." Images of Iussi on the rigging of the ship with a sword drawn appear. The ship sails up to the Tower and both Iussi and Telcia fight off a dark shadow, not monsters, from the Tower and are welcomed back with applause from sisters and warders alike.

 

"They'd saved the Tower by returning to fight the monsters but at a great cost... The Creator, seeing what he could not stop in fairness, reached down once more to touch the Princess and this time he gifted her with two precious lights... so perfect that nothing in all of Creation would ever measure to them in her eyes."

 

Two tiny babies appeared, clearly Jelene and Jamal and Telcia could be seen holding them in her arms with tears of joy on her face and beside her... a lie... Iussi sat hold her and kissing each of them too.

 

She kissed each child in turn. "Your Father stayed at the White Tower to take care of the problem," Iussi stands valiant, dressed in shinning armor at the gates to the White Tower... as if on guard, waving to Telcia as she leaves with the babies held tight in her arms.

 

"...even though it was VERY scarey to be apart, both promised each other they would be brave forever... and your Father made your mother promise to take good care of you until he could come home to us at long last and take us away again to his Kingdom by the Sea where we will live happily ever after."

 

She sighs, looking at the children nodding off at last. Looking up at Iussi she mutters, "The End."

[Arette]

When Telcia created the first of the images with deft and controlled waves of her hands, Iussi could do nothing but stare slack-jawed in awe. He had never seen anything like this done with the One Power before, it was truly wondrous. He was completely immersed in the story, imitating the reactions of the children. Telcia had of course told him the story, but it was something totally else to see it played before your very eyes. He did catch up the omission of Muirenn and how sad Telcia seemed. What was` going on there? Had the two of them quarreled over her leaving the Tower? He would have to pry carefully later. But now it was story time.

 

Iussi grinned madly pleased at his entry at the story. He looked quite dashing, he had to say. Was that the way Telcia saw him? He liked the way she had portrayed him to their children even if it wasn't entirely truthful. He wondered how she had explained his absence. The childrens' excited reactions made him blink again. He wasn't ashamed of tears, they were a natural part of the emotional cycle that he fully embraced with Spring, but this wasn't the appropriate moment. He would thank Telcia later.

 

Telcia's exaggeration of his bravery made him bite his lip with mirth and a little bit of worry. Light, if she was setting this high expectations of him to their children, they were bound to be disappointed one day. And a palace in Ebou Dar... his father's house was wealthy, but hardly a palace. But it was when compared to the farm house, if not to Nalemar manor. If they would be even living there.

 

Hmm... so his children believed that they had gotten started by the Creator touching their mother. They might have some explaining to do about bees and flowers when Jelene and Jamal came to the right age.

 

The part close to the ending made him sad. It was so unfair that she had to tell fabricate stories to their children. But they were too young to understand the truth yet, another illusion they would have to disperse one day. He prayed that the children wouldn't be ashamed of him or angry at him. He sure sometimes was himself. The eyes of Jelene and Jamal were opening less and less as the story came to its end and they were breathing heavily and steadily. Iussi and Telcia shared a long look over them and he leaned on to kiss her.

 

"Not the end, Telc, but the beginning", he whispered. "That was a beautiful story. Thank you so much. But what now? Do you want to go to sleep already or talk about something? You can tell me anything, love, remember that."

 

Iussi

"He is like a puppy dog, adorable but not entirely house-broken."

[Telcia]

Telcia lay there, silent for a long while deciding what she'd say to her husband and what she'd hold back before finally she whispered, "I am a Servant of All Iussi... but..." unwanted tears rose in her eyes as she continued in a choked and strained voice.

 

"I don't think I'll see the White Tower ever again." Knowing her husband would begin to console her she rolled gently away from him and the children and pulled from her pouch the small glass container that had been fed to the children.

 

Glancing at it she hesitated only a moment to hand it to Iussi, base first, so that he could see the tiny flame of Tar Valon that she had discovered earlier.

 

She spoke quickly knowing her husband's temper might be lost before he could hear the whole truth. "There are lots of reasons it could be here Iussi... but not all of them are as likely as some. We can't tell Brandeis but I think I have to tell Con. He needs to know that his family could be in danger too. But then again... I just don't know. I know Con will think I'm manipulating the situation to get him to go with Arette when he really wants to return to Amadecia."

 

She shakes her head and continues in her soft whisper, "Iussi..." She wanted to say everything she feared but she couldn't make herself say the words let alone hardly think them.

 

"...I'm scared." she finished with the best truth she could come up with hoping Iussi wouldn't realize that something was being held back.

[Arette]

Telcia was obviously gathering her thoughts and Iussi gave her the time she needed. When she got started, she was so distressed that Iussi was about to get up and go to her to comfort her. But obviously she didn't want to be held right then since she moved away from him. It puzzled and disturbed him why she thougth that she wouldn't see the White Tower again. Maybe they would move to Altara or where ever, but she could still return when ever she liked.

 

Iussi gasped when Telcia showed him the bottom of the poison vial and he spotted the symbol there. Tar Valon... Blood and bloody ashes, had the Black Ajah had a hand in this? But why? His family could be in grave danger and it was something he really couldn't defend them against. There had been a channeler today too, but Telcia had taken care of him and that Saidin wreck would never bother anyone again. She would never let their children be taken again. And nor would he.

 

Telcia continued hastily as if afraid that he would throw a fit and scare the kids and Iussi tried to listen depite the anger welling inside him. He and Telcia had served the Tower always loyally. Maybe he hadn't been the incarnation of a perfect Tower Guard and his luckily short career as a male channeler hadn't given the Browns much new information, but it would be a huge blow to him if they really found some proof that Aes Sedai had been behind this. They might serve the Dark One, but it was hard to accept that they would really go this far and betray everything they had once believed in.

 

Iussi made a derisive sound when Telcia feared that Con might suspect her of pulling his strings. He was a fool if he would think anything of the kind: he and Telcia had been friends for a long time and she only wanted his best. And unlike Arette, Telcia didn't think she knew what was the right thing for everyone else. She should tell him and Iussi trusted that Con would be greatful of the warning. It might make his choice even harder, but Con would find some way to fulfill his both duties.

 

His heart went out when she confessed how scared he was. He had never seen his brave Telcia like this, almost admitting defeat. He wanted to assure that everything would be alright and that he would protect her, but those would be useless lies and they both knew it. They could well end up being paranoid and fearing their shadows before this all was over, when ever and how ever that would be. Their minds could craft up far graver dangers and wilder schemes than even the Black Sisters could.

 

Still he extended his hand to her over their children and covered her palm with his. "I fear for us too, Telcia", he whispered hoarsely. "Now I really know what I could lose." His grip tightened. "But we will be careful and do our best to guard ourselves against them. You handled that bastard well today. You can take care of anything that channels. I will do my best to watch your back and pray that it is enough."

 

"But why us? We are no threat to anyone. If only we would know the motive... none this makes any sense."