Jesmind set Jasana down, and the little girl padded over shyly to her grandparents and aunt, trying to hide behind Tarrin's leg. Tarrin reached down and scooted her in front of him, and she looked up at her father's parents, not exactly sure what to say. Elke Kael solved her problem by reaching down and picking her up boldly, nuzzling the little girl. "Well, it's good to finally see my granddaughter," she told her gently, in that nurturing manner that would set any child at ease. "I've waited a very long time to meet you, susa." Susa was an Ungardt term of affection used when addressing small children.
That seemed to put Jasana immediately at ease. She giggled and patted Elke on the shoulders, then held her arms out to Eron Kael as he took her from his wife. She giggled again when his father's beard tickled at her cheek as she hugged him. "Papa and mama talk about you all the time," she told them. "Papa loves you, and mama really thinks you two are good humans. She put all your stuff in the barn and keeps it clean for you when you come to get it."
"Yes, Triana told us that Jesmind moved into our house," Elke said, giving Jesmind a slightly flinty look.
Tarrin didn't see Jesmind's reaction, because Triana had reached him. He saw that he stood eye to eye with her now, and he embraced her warmly, greeting her with tremendous love and respect. Triana was his other mother, and he thought of her that way in his heart. "I see you finally made it, cub," she said, giving him an uncharacteristic smile. "Have any trouble?"
"Yes and no," he replied. "You look well. Soft living suits you."
"Bah," she snorted. "I'm going crazy in here." She looked towards Jesmind. "Well, don't just stand over there, cub, come here and give your mother a hug," she commanded. "And why are Kimmie and Thean standing way over there?" she said, looking where the two of them were talking to a Vendari. She hugged her daughter, then gave a shrill whistle that made every head in the entrance hall turn in her direction. Thean responded instantly to that whistle, breaking off from the Vendari and dragging Kimmie along with him.
"How did you get here so fast?" Eron asked curiously. "The last Kerri told us, you were in Torrian."
"We were," he replied. "I used a magical creature called an Elemental to get us here as quickly as possible."
"A what? Oh, teach me, teach me!" Jenna said excitedly.
"I will, I promise," he told her. "I'm going to teach you a whole lot of things while I'm here, Jenna. Now that we're finally together."
"I waited for you in the Heart day after day," she said accusingly, "but you never came!"
"I've been very busy, Jenna," he said defensively. "The Goddess should have told you that."
"She did, but it still doesn't excuse you," she said with a wicked little grin.
"Well then, I guess you don't need to learn anything from me," he said airily, waving a paw at her.
"Papa, that's mean," Jasana accused.
Kimmie and Thean joined them, and Tarrin waited while Triana gave Thean a hug and kiss that made it abundantly clear how she felt about him. It looked kind of strange to see a woman so much taller than her mate, but Thean didn't seem to mind all that much. "Kimmie, Thean, I'd like you to meet my family. This is Eron Kael, Elke Kael, and this is my sister, Jenna Kael."
"We've heard a great deal about you," Kimmie smiled, stepping up and taking Elke's hand. "From both Tarrin and Jesmind."
"Is that so?" Elke asked, looking at Jesmind directly as she did so.
Tarrin looked at Jula, who seemed to be completely lost and overwhelmed in the company surrounding him. She stood well at the edge of their group, and looked about ready to flee into the crowd at the first sign that anyone noticed her. Tarrin held out a single paw to her commandingly, and she bowed her head and obeyed him. He could literally smell Jesmind's sudden flash of jealousy as Jula put her paw in his obediently; she still remembered and considered him to be her bond-father, and her obedience to him was reflexive. "And this," he said, motioning towards Jula while looking at Kimmie and Thean, "is my bond-daughter, Jula."
"Well, it's nice to see that me and Tarrin aren't exactly unique," Kimmie said lightly, reaching out to the nervous Were-cat and taking her paw from Tarrin. "We have one more in our exclusive little club," she said with a wink. "I was turned too."
"Triana spoke about you alot," Jula said in a quiet voice, unable to look at Jesmind. Tarrin was certain that she could sense the hostility coming from his mate.
"Well now, you and I are going to have to talk," Thean told her gently. "It's almost impossible to get Tarrin to discuss Sorcery, and I've heard that you're quite an accomplished Sorcerer on your own. Maybe you can fill in the blanks that Tarrin left behind."
"I'd, I'd be happy to do that, Thean," she said quietly.
"Has she been much trouble, mother?" he asked.
"Not after I beat that rebellious streak out of her," Triana snorted. "She'll obey you immediately, but I had to teach her that I'm just as bad as you." Triana crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "But all in all, I'm pleased with her. She's come a long way, and I feel certain that Fae-da'Nar will accept her."
"That's all that matters," he nodded, putting his paw on Jula's shoulder. "Now that I'm back, I'll take her back from you. She's still my daughter."
"You don't exclusively own her anymore," Triana said with light eyes. "She's both yours and mine now. And if you ever need someone to babysit her while you're busy, don't hesitate to ask me. I've actually grown a bit fond of her."
"Triana!" Jula said indignantly. "I'm not a baby!"
"Yes, you are," Triana told her flatly. "Until Fae-da'Nar comes here and judges you, you are very much a child, and you'll be accompanied by an adult. You forget the grave risk you pose to Tarrin. Anything you do won't be held against you, it will be held against him ."
"Yes, Triana," Jula sighed. "I remember."
"Good," she snorted. "I'm glad you remember something."
"Triana!" Jula said plaintively.
"Alright then," he said, turning Jula so she had to look Jesmind face to face. "Jula, this is my mate, Jesmind, and over there being tickle-tortured by my father's beard is my daughter, Jasana. Jesmind, this is Jula."
"You forget, my mate, we've already met," Jesmind said with an edge in her voice, looking down at the smaller female.
"Not formally," Tarrin told her. "And you'd better get used to her, Jesmind. She's my daughter."
The way he said it seemed to smack the hostility out of her. She relaxed visibly, and then offered her paw to Jula. "I'm sorry," she said contritely. "But if you didn't notice, females get defensive about mates. Tarrin's the kind of male you don't let slip away."
"It's alright," Jula said, a bit more confidently. "Triana explained everything about that to me. I understand it."
"You should thank her, cub," Triana said. "She's the one that found the traitor, about a step ahead of that Demon."
"Really? Jula, that's great." Tarrin told her gently. "I'm proud of you for that."
"I'm sorry it took so long," she apologized.
"It's not how long it takes, it's whether you succeed," he told her. He looked up at Triana. "Who was it?"
"Some woman named Amelyn," Triana replied. "Right now, your Wikuni sister, the Keeper, and that Demon are down in the dungeons interrogating her with that icy-eyed redhead, Ahiriya."
Amelyn! Of course! She was the Mind Seat, and she was a member of the Council! They'd told him that it would have to be someone in power, or possible someone with formidable grasp of mind weaves. It only made sense that it was both. Tarrin had never liked Amelyn, she was arrogant and annoying, and in a way he was glad that it turned out to be someone he didn't like. Tarrin realized that Amelyn was going to be in for a very rough time of it. The entire Tower feared Ahiriya, and nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of one of her interrogations. And if she wasn't bad enough, Shiika was a Demoness, and was capable of all sorts of awful things. She was getting what she deserved, though.