She looks up into Lord Tobyas' eyes for a moment studying his face with her sage green eyes.


She pauses for a moment and smiles warmly


"Nay My Lord, I just be use to needing to find other places. Many are not as tolerant as thee and thy Lord Crispian."


She smiles again " I thank thee for thy kindness."


Turns her attention to Lord Crispian


"as for my sister Arideregh she be the contrary one my lord. She is sweet indedd but carries with her quite a bite."


Stops for a moment to take a sip of warm honeyed mead.


"She like kyt be the beauties in the family my lord as will as anwyne."


Blushes softly "I take after my mother."

Blushes softly and sighs when she hears her sisters coment.


"Tis not a harem sweet sister." blushes brighter


"They be admirers for a short time tis all."


Carys smiles at Nerul and begins to bite her lower lip. 'What game we be playing?"

Tobyas thought for a moment. "A tale you wish...a tale. Let me see what I can recall..." He pursed his lips in thought a moment. "AH! Tis a merry tale of mirth this indeed, and true!


"Twas once a peasant lady, who grew old and most ill. The healer told her son she had not long to live, yes? He tells the son to daily put a small amount of brandy into the milk the mother is drinking, and make it a bit more, and a bit more.


"As time passed, the old lady she grew weaker and more with illness. The son, being dutifully and loving to his mother, daily brought her milk, and daily added a bit more brandy to it.


"As the end approached, it became more brandy with a touch of milk, to ease her pains. One eve, as the sun sank in the west, the mother knew her time was near. She calls her son to her.


Kneeling beside her bed, holding her hand for the last time, he looked into her eyes, the first eyes he had ever seen in life, and now he was seeing them into death, and he wept. "Ma," he sobbed, "what will do after yer gone for me life?" He was sore filled with grief, he was.


"And his mother, opened to her eyes, looked at him with great love, happy to have known this fine young man who was her son. She raised a trembling hand and touched his tear streaked face.


"My son, my son," she said quietly, "whatever you do, don't sell that cow!"


He smiled to the women and bowed.

Crispian favor Carys with a smile. "Tolerance must be given, I find, to be expected."


He listened to the story and applauded at the end, lifting his mug to Tobyas in salute.

 

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Carys laughs with glee and rocks in her chair.


"Tis TOO rich my Lord" she laughs and her face alights with a glow.


"I must remember to tell that tale." she turns to Tobyas

"may I have thy permission to repeat such a fun tale?"

Nerul Bursts into laughter raising is mug Tobyas.

Laughing merrily at the story, her hands swiftly dealing cards around the table to her friends, both old and new.


"Bravo! Please, someone tell another for I have none of my own to tell. I fear I lead quite the boring life for a mercenary."

Tobyas blushed deeply as he retrieved his mug from Crispian, his face spreading in a smile.


"The tale is not mine to keep. Of course, please, tell it on to your friends and companions." He drank deeply from the mug, recovering his composure quickly.

"well kyt I have one of Ari I think can be spoken in mixed company." carys steals a glance at tobyas.


"It be a tale that happened on a relic raid.


Would ye like to hear of it?"

"Aye Carys do tell. Stories about Ari are typically quite entertaining"