Reunion At Ygg

Jerod flips down the trump card and looks over at Corwin. "Now that Caine's gone, who else would be at his location?" he asks, putting Caine's card back and riffling through for another one.

"Someone, I hope. When they left it was Caine, Bleys, and Ben, with Fiona, Llewella, Lilly and Daeon. Oh, and Brennan. Of course, when they left, Daeon wasn't bleeding.

"I don't think Caine would have left if there was still a military threat. Who do you have trumps for? And which ones have you met?"

Jerod flicks through the deck, eliminating cards as unpalatable based on prior experience. "I assume Brennan is another of our hidden in the woodwork cousins." he says, stopping at one card. He reluctantly pulls Bleys' card out and looks at it for a moment. Then he begins concentrating.

Meanwhile Reid tries for Benedict.

Reid has a tantalizing sense of Benedict, but cannot close the contact; it slides off the edges of his mind. It seems to Reid that Benedict must be otherwise occupied, perhaps in another contact, or hellriding.

The main list joins this conversation already in progress, due to the trump from Ygg.

"Did he follow us?"

"Not that I can see, no. You never answered the other question, though-- what's his gripe?"

"He blames us for our mercy and his loss. He wants to go to a place that doesn't exist anymore. If his life were a novel, he would be the alienated everyman detached from his humanity by the dehumanizing nature of modern life.

"Plus he's a sore loser."

[Brennan]
"I don't think I can help him with the former, but I can provide lots of practice for him at the later-- he'll just have to get used to it if he wants to carry that kind of an attitude around." He sounds like he's still cleansing the taste of lemon out of his mouth.

Bleys reins in his horse and says "Who?" He sounds slightly suspicious.

Brennan's hand had been straying to the pack of Trumps at his side, but at Bleys' comment, he shifts so that he's reaching for a blade. He does not draw, but he is ready to do so if anything comes screebling out of what he presumes is a Trump contact.

"Jerod." he says simply. "I'm at Ygg with others. We're looking to bring the army through. What is your situation uncle?"

"Ah, Jerod, I've heard so much about you. We are scouting, nephew, finding trouble for the Army not to march into unaware. We're perhaps a day's ride from the army. We're probably close to your position, but the army isn't. Bring us through and we'll call Caine and get the troops moving."

"Caine has been sent on to Amber." Jerod answers. "One named Daeon had a grievious wound when I trumped him and we passed them both through. We will need another at Caine's location to bring the army forward."

Jerod offers his hand to Bleys. "Come through if you wish uncle." as way of notifying the others that Bleys may be arriving.

Reid watches, amused by the sheer volume of trump traffic Jerod is handling considering his dislike for them and his lack of experience.

Picking up on the half of the conversation he can hear, Brennan gets ready to make contact with Bleys as he goes through his Trump connection. He's relaxed, since it seems that for once, an unexpected meeting on the way back to Amber isn't going to break down into hostilities. His hand strays back to the Trumps.

At least not immediately, anyway.

Bleys dismounts and gathers his horse's reins and those of Brennan's mount as well. He also seems to be speaking to two audiences. "We will. We can work out details of moving the troops with Fiona once I'm with you. Brennan and I have horses. Brennan, you're about to meet the son of Eric, late King of Amber. Are you both ready?"

[Brennan]
"Let's rock."

"Guests incoming with horses." Jerod says, notifying the others at his site after adjusting to make sure there's room. And assuming there are no problems he brings Brennan through first, then Bleys. Once they are through, Jerod puts away the trump card, but does not dig out Fiona's card, at least, not at the moment. Whether he's had enough trump contact for the moment, or he's just waiting to see how things go...is up for interpretation. (he's in Court mode at the moment so figuring it out is going to take a really GOOD water score).

Failing contact [with Benedict], Reid shifts to the next elder in line that's in his personal deck. "Fiona, do you read me? It's Master Reid, your daughter's teacher. Your children would like me to bring you home."

"Reid?, I had no idea you had my Trump. Weren't you in Asgard? Where is Brita?"

She sounds pleased to hear from Reid.

"Her father told me to take care of her when things started falling apart. So I did." There's warmth in his voice. "She and Conner are in Arden setting up a place for your troops to stay. We've already passed a slew of wounded through. I'm at Ygg with Merlin, Martin, Corwin and a few others. Your new king thought I could be of assistance here. What's your situation and how can I help expedite the return of you and those you're with?" His pleasure, too, is genuine, if for no other reason than to fulfil the duty of reuniting his ward with her mother.

"I didn't know you'd met Conner. Our situation is as follows: Bleys is scouting our path, although he shouldn't have reached Ygg. Caine is in charge of the Army and Benedict is off looking for two of your younger cousins who have gone missing. I am the army's magical defense and my sister Llewella is here as well. Caine would be organizing the transfer of troops to Bleys, but you all will be a better destination. It will be good to get them away from Chaos.

"Caine came through in a hurry with another casualty. I got the impression it was family, but it was all a rush. So he's at Arden without troops. Actually, I believe Bleys just arrived too, so I have no idea who's minding the troops." Reid raises his eyes to see who around is paying attention and might care to answer that one. "I tried to raise Uncle Benedict but he seemed busy. I'm looking forward to seeing him again. It's been........ a while."

In the silence following Caine's whirlwind passage through the midpoint, you hear hooves. Slow, deliberate hoofbeats come towards you. Soon you see a great horse, large, grey and intelligent looking. It stops a fair distance away from you, waiting.

Corwin rises to his feet and stands, neither approaching nor backing away from the beast.

"Julian is coming here." he says. Merlin moves to stand behind his father.

Brennan turns out to be a man who looks strikingly like Bleys, in physical frame and even some facial features-- almost enough that you could mistake him for Bleys' son. Brennan is about six foot, maaaybe six-one if he stands particularly straight, and has the same athletic build as Bleys. He's also got the trademark Clarissi red hair, in this case worn long and bound back securely into a pony tail, as well as a short cropped beard over a chin stronger than Bleys'. If the hair is just a shade darker than Bleys', it might just be the contrast to his eyes, which are a sharp, bright green, brighter even than Brand's were.

He's in cavarly armor at the moment, with black and red clothing underneath. His shield, which looks spiffy and new, has a device on it-- the shield is a black background with a white tower aflame. The cause of the flame is a white lightning bolt streaking down from the upper right. In the upper right hangs a luminous full moon. He's got a blade at each side, the scabbard of one of which looks like it's seen absolute hell. His horse also has a horsebow attached to the saddle.

Brennan moves with a deceptively lazy grace-- the motions appear casual, but on watching him it's clear that he knows at all times where his hands and feet are, what his momentum is, and where his center and balance are. It doesn't look like he misses much, either.

"You must be Jerod. I'm Brennan. Brand's son." He will extend a handshake in greeting after all and sundry are moved through the Trump. It looks like Reid is busy, so that introduction will no doubt have to wait. (And I've frankly lost track of who else is still at the scene.)

Jerod, Reid, Cambina, Corwin, Merlin, Bleys, Brennan, Morgenstern, and four, no, wait, six normal horses. And one guy sleeping in a hollow of Ygg's roots, but we'll get to him in a moment.

[Oh, Merlin and Corwin are still there? He at least recognizes them, and will have nodded and waved at them. Cambina, he does not recognize, but looks up and down about as politely as that can be done, nods, and waits for the introductions.]

Jerod nods a polite greeting to Bleys after pulling him through, and deposits the card back into the trump deck. When Brennan introduces himself, Jerod pauses for a moment, though not necessarily because of Brennan's parentage, more perhaps because Jerod takes a moment to look him over. There is nothing calculating or sneaky in the look...rather Jerod appears to be taking the time to get a good first impression (what that impression might be is another matter).

Brennan takes the same opportunity to look Jerod (and Reid and any others) over. It's not a hostile look, unless someone is looking to take offense, but it is an appraising look. He expects one in return, though.

Seeing Reid with a trump of Fiona, Brennan will begin fishing out one of Llewella.

Assuming Brennan has ever seen Eric, Jerod looks nothing like him physically. He is tall but lean, lacking his father's muscular frame. His hair is long, reaching the shoulder but secured with a silver ring into a ponytail. His expression is neutral but the sense is there is great energy beneath the surface, precisely the kind of drive and passion that makes a good leader (or King). The return pressure from his sword calloused grip is steady and measured as he takes Brennan's outstretched hand.

Likewise Brennan's. It's not a contest of Manly-Manliness, but those swords aren't decorative.

"Welcome to Ygg. It would appear you've been here before." Jerod says. "We can make introductions once others have arrived."

He nods, likely to both comments. "Are we making bivouac here, or taking a direct shuttle right into Amber?" he asks. It's a question more of Bleys than anyone else, but he'll listen to answers from all.

His speech is unhurried. The best description for it is probably a bit of a drawl, if the term can be divorced from the concept of a United States Southern accent.

He waits for the answer before pressing the connection with Llewella.

"This is an excellent intermediate staging point," says Bleys, having noted the presence of his brother's horse. "I suspect we'll take time to plan before we initiate further transfers."

"As I expected. Given everything, we really ought to consider a permanent base here. Or near here, at any rate," he adds, glancing over at Yg.

Once Brennan starts fishing out the trump deck, Jerod moves off to one side, collecting a cup of coffee from a woman near the fire, reaching for it as he turns to view Morgenstern, the woman completing the hand-off without seeming to break stride with what either of them are doing. Though not physically alike, it is clear they are related. Looking momentarily at Morgenstern, Jerod turns back to her, saying something only to her before looking back at the group.

The woman is tall and thin, but not so tall as Jerod, with hair cropped boy-short. She is dressed all in black: a blouse and what an old-fashioned woman might call split skirts and a modern woman might call heavy palazzo pants. She looks at Brennan and Bleys with some interest, then her eyes come to rest on the figure of the young man sleeping in Ygg's roots, whose shoulder is now being shaken by Merlin.

Brennan is about to start the Trump contact [with Llewella], but....

The youth sits up suddenly and not quite violently, in a way that suggests that had he been in danger, he would have reacted appropriately to whatever had awakened him. He rolls to his feet in a single motion. He's dressed in rumpled jeans and a T-shirt with an unbuttoned, untucked flannel shirt over it, and looks like he's ridden a long way in a very short time before indulging himself in that nap. He needs a shave.

His resemblance to the King is strong in both physique and gesture. He pushes his blond bangs out of his face as he stands, catching sight of Bleys and the others.

"Christ," he says to Merlin, who's standing up as he speaks, "Looks like a Shriners' convention around here. Are we ready to move the army through yet?"

He even sounds like his father.

Bleys releases the reins of the horses and says to the young man, "Nephew. Or, I should say, Your Highness."

Martin strides past the Trumpsters, the coffee drinkers, and the horse-eyeballers, Merlin about a half-step behind him and to the right, almost in a paxman's place. Corwin starts to say something, but doesn't get it out before Martin gives Bleys a relatively friendly clasp and says, "Bleys. Good to see you made it. Paige will be thrilled to see you." He gives Brennan an appraising look and offers his hand. "She didn't mention she had a brother at home."

Bleys smiles, a little wickedly. Over Martin's shoulder, Brennan sees Merlin's look of alarm as Bleys says, "She doesn't. Your Highness, this is Brennan, my brother Brand's son. Brennan, this is your cousin, Prince Martin, King Random's son."

Brennan had been watching Martin like a hawk since the first move he made. It would not be inaccurate to say he was staring. Intently, even. Rudely, possibly, but this is the last thing on Brennan's mind at the moment.

"Martin." Full stop. "Had I known I had cousins, you would have been warned." He widens his gaze to include Jerod and Cambina and Reid-- "All of you would have been warned." before narrowing it back to Martin.

It's not an apology, as such, but he reaches out and shakes Martin's hand and keeps eye-contact, until the lad shows some reaction. Hopefully it isn't to reach for his knife.

Reid looks up from Fiona's trump long enough to acknowledge the newcomers before returning his attention to the card.

Jerod is also watching, though which of the two is not as yet certain. It is clear that Jerod is wondering as to the outcome of this meeting...it is also clear that he is ready for any move from either of the pair, though he does not believe anything (physical) will happen. Martin's safety would appear to be more than just a token concern on Jerod's part.

Merlin has not moved since Bleys started speaking, but the perceptive among the group have the sense that he stands ready to support his friend -- or defend him -- although from whom is not clear.

Martin starts to speak, pauses, and orders his thoughts. He's hard to get a read on, even with the eye contact. The fact that he doesn't seem to have settled on a reaction may hinder Brennan from knowing what it is.

What he says, after the noticeable pause is, "It's not your fault."

"No," he says quietly, and meant for Martin alone, "Not really."

And, then, clearly as much for the hearing of the others as for Brennan, Martin continues, "We can hardly blame a man for the deeds of his father." And Martin smiles -- at Bleys. "Or his mother."

"Bravo," says Bleys, quietly enough that only Martin and Brennan and perhaps Merlin can hear him.

The handshake is firm, and Martin is yet another fellow who has more than passing acquaintance with a blade based on the callus patterns.

At this sign, Jerod relaxes...a little...:)

Brennan bears stress well, under almost all circumstances. That his shoulders are noticeably less stiff, even to the small degree that they are is a good indicator for those who know him that he didn't know how that was going to go. In this crowd, though, that's only Bleys.

Louder, "I think we have an army to transport."

"If we can figure out who's left in charge of it," Martin says, totting up the number of uncles currently present.

[Reid's trump conversation with Fiona continues]
"I'm pleased, Master Reid, that you've connected with Random's forces. I admit you had me fooled in Asgard. We will have to talk Genealogy. Soon."

"Face to face, this time. It's always much more personal, don't you think? In the meanwhile, would you and your sister like to come through? Are there any others in need of a short hop?" He stops to think. "Though if I keep pulling family through and they don't bring troops with them, it could get sticky finding ways back to lead them home." Again he looks to the crowd around him.

[Reid had been so caught up in the trump contact, he uncharacteristically seemed to have overlooked the fact that Bleys and Brennan arrived on horseback instead of via trump... Either that or his player did. Your call.]

[Acksherly, we did both-- we brought our horses through the Trump contact with us.]

Brennan looks up from his confrontation/meeting with Martin and says, "They've been a long time in very unfamiliar surrounding-- we need to get the men out of the Chaos end of things soon." Having heard that at least some of the famiy have moved through the transfer point, he asks, "How many of us are left there?"

Of course, Reid has no idea how many are left, since he doesn't even know how many there were to start with. "You tell me, Brennan. You're the one who's got the army. We've moved maybe a dozen wounded and that's about it. I'm guessing the army was larger than that."

Fiona says "I can see that you're busy. I need to find out what's happening here. Call me back in an hour or so."

[Brennan]
"Quite a bit, but I meant family members with playing cards," he brushes his fingers against the case he's just put away. "When I left, Benedict, Fiona, Llewella and Caine were all there. But it sounds like we've been overcome by events."

Cambina looks up from the campfire, staring into the middle distance. "That's not a flock of birds. I better make more coffee."

Jerod looks up after a few moments, knowing his sister would see things long before he would. Once the formation is visible, he watches it for a few seconds. "I'll give you a hand." he says.

Soon the great dragons are flying, 30 strong, over the no-man's land at the edge of Chaos and Order. They flirt with a fog and are in a new place, closer to Amber, they fly over a mountain range and see a high plateau, it tapers to a coast with bright, low clouds and they are closer still.

//Hoshith says J'lin says 'land near that Tree.' I see people under it.//

//That must be the relay point where we Trumped the casualties through from that hill, then. Brace yourself for a dangerous time, Canareth, we're going to meet more relatives.//

//Oh...and tell Maranth I know what he's thinking and he may not perch in that tree.//

Jovian guides Canareth down, spiraling in to land about a dragonlength and a half from the base of the great Tree, just yards from the edge of its shadow but far enough that the dust cloud raised by backwinging will swirl and dissipate before it reaches any of the people waiting below. He slides with the grace of uncountable repetition from astride the neck of the titanic bronze, catching a step off the crook of his foreleg and nimbly to the ground. He waits a few strides away from the dragon for the others to land and their riders to assemble.

Which they do.

The scene is as described in the other threads: men and a woman, horses and Morgenstern (no Epona), Trump contacts and other confrontations. And, now, dragons and riders.

"That would be our cousin Jovian," Brennan says to the assembling mass. Then he squints and adds, "And apparently, Julian."

Then, louder, loud enough to be heard, "Jovian! Welcome the Shadowflyer!" Since it appears there will be a few moments before the activity of bringing the troops through, he shuffles Llewella's card back to the top of the deck, and approaches Jovian to greet him.

Jovian breaks away from his group of riders to meet Brennan, perhaps slightly less than halfway since the latter worthy started first. "Well met, the Lord of the Little Furry Guys!" (His voice carries quite well.) He clasps Brennan's hand and throws his other arm around Brennan's shoulder, thumping his back. "Glad to see you made it to the party too. Safely and without undue delay, I hope?"

The high water people in the crowd will realize that Brennan isn't a real huggily-wuggily, back-thumping kinda guy by nature, but he bears Jovian's greeting with good nature and good grace, clasping his hand and putting a hand on his shoulder. He is pleased to see his cousin.

Being at close range and a non-turnip, Jovian opens up personal space to Brennan's comfort level comfortably soon, but not quickly enough to startle.

...And Brennan is pleased. Doesn't say anything about it, but he's pleased.

"Nothing we couldn't handle, anyway," he says with his trademark half-smile. "I'll tell you about it some time."

Jovian nods encouragingly. "We'll swap stories round the fire when we're all home."

"Deal."

[Jovian]
"Is this where the Trump transfers have been coming through?"

[Brennan]
"I gather. It's where the next batch are going to come, anyway, and I think we're going to spend a little time here, too."

Four riders approach ahead of the rest, three men and a woman. "These are my wingleaders. L'tarn, V'laren, M'hall," he indicates the men in turn, "and senior queen rider Kourin," with a final flourish toward the (very pretty) young woman.

These he greets in turn, with respect.

"Brennan is my cousin," Jovian fills in the riders. "He was commanding ground forces while we were in flight - and doing one fine job of it, from all reports."

"What's this?" he asks, with a light-hearted sarcasm. "Respect for a groundpounder coming from a flyer? Brave new cosmos, indeed. Ask me about twelve foot tall traditional demons, some time, and I'll ask you about big ugly amalgamating wyverns."

"So who else has gotten here so far, Brennan?"

"I can't honestly say, as we've only been here fifteen minutes or so. I was trying to sort that out myself."

For those of you seeing him for the first time: Jovian is just barely taller than Julian, smoothly athletic of build. At a cursory glance he does not resemble his father much at all; only at a second look do Julian's cheekbones and chin emerge from Jovian's boyish face. The ginger-brown hair, cropped and spiky, and green eyes that are not Brennan's argon lasers but could fairly be called 'snapping,' are evidently his mother's influence. He is sharply alert, but his is plainly a face that smiles more than it scowls. He carries himself like someone who, given a chance, plays as hard as he works... and works damn hard. He is clad in honey-brown leather riding pants and matching jacket with several buckles, now unbraced, over a wine red shirt and matching scarf with gold stripes at the ends. Sharp eyes may note the braided cord of burgundy, gold and bronze at his shoulder has a rather large and elaborate knot, perhaps meant as a sign of rank.

[Brennan]
Walking back toward the assembly of family members, "Bleys and I haven't even been here long enough for proper introductions ourselves-- it seems we have quite the extended family back in Amber, too.

"But I'm met Prince Martin, just now, Random's son," he nods at Martin, "And Jerod, Eric's son. Bleys, Merlin and Corwin, of course you already know. These other worthies," he nods at Cambina and Reid "haven't been formally introduced, but they must be cousins as well."

Turning to the knot of family, he introduces Jovian. "This is Sir Jovian, Julian's son, and the commander of the Royal Air Force."

Jovian chuckles at this, and offers each relative in turn a firm hand, a steady eye and a broad smile. To Martin he adds, "Congratulations on your confirmation, m'lord, and your father's. I think there's a fine leader in him."

"Thanks, on both our behalf." He has a firm handshake and an infectious grin that clearly owes a lot to his paternal heritage.

Brennan is going to take a stab, here, that Martin's temperament is not entirely unlike his father's-- and Brennan got a healthy dose of exposure to that during th Knighting ritual.

And so, with a sincere and deadpan drawl honed razor sharp by centuries of experience, he stage-muses so Martin can hear, "Wouldn't two behalfs make a bewhole?"

Martin cracks a half-grin and looks sidewise at Brennan, commenting at about the same volume, "You have been hanging around with my dad."

"It's been my experience that anyone who works on two or more behalfs is usually an a-hole, actually." Reid sees your sarcasm and raises.

Brennan's hoping for the completion of introductions, perhaps from Jerod.

If no one steps into the breach, Jovian will extend a hand to the nearer of Reid and Cambina anyway, with a smiling, prompting sort of look.

Jerod finishes helping his sister, knowing the insanity of greetings back and forth will fade slowly and preferring the confusion to pass before stepping up. By the time Brennan has finished walking back with Jovian, Jerod and Cambina should have arranged for more drinks and the like, though if anyone else shows up they're going to run out of supplies in short order.

(Note to Cambina - when she speaks to Brita again, have her pass through some supplies).

Having done that, Jerod waits at the edge of the "circle" of people and moves forward once Jovian and company have approached.

He nods accordingly to the various new arrivals (Jovian's wingleaders and queen rider to start). His expression is one of Court politeness but mixed with a "wait and see" attitude - one would get the impression that Jerod tends to defer his first impressions of others if he can, and periodically revises them based on another's behaviour. But his attention is focussed more on family than anything else at the moment.

Notwithstanding, Jovian notes the courtesy paid to his subcommnanders. While he is also one to reserve judgment, he seems at least outwardly (and publicly) inclined to give the benefit of the doubt. The most sensitive among you might have noticed just a touch more confidence in Martin than in the other new acquaintances. With Jerod, perhaps there is a hint of acknowledgment that was not there with the others.

While Jerod's water score is legendary even among the Chaossiders (through various OOC comments, and the like) I'll note some of the obvious differences between Brennan and Jovian:

Where Jovian's face is lined by smiles, Brennan's looks like he's filtered a lot of his life through a scowl or a grimace. He's not scowling or grimacing right now, but he was scowling at something when he first came through on Jerod's Trump... and that's just the way the lines of his face run. When he's reserving his opinion to himself (which is often) whether it's good or bad, he falls back into that expression.

One gets the impression that Brennan finds room for improvement in many things that he sees on a day to day basis.

And like Jerod, Brennan appears to reserve judgement on many things-- or at least to keep his own counsel on issues.

Brennan greets Cambina as he has all his relatives, so far-- with a hand extended for a handshake. Likewise with Reid, but with the added benefit of eyebrows raised at his heritage. Not a half-raised eyebrow, or a slightly raised, but both of them in evident surprise. He has more than enough family history to be surprised at that.

(However, if Reid is still in Trump contact with Fiona and doesn't want to include Brennan by taking the handshake right exactly now, Brennan's body language makes it clear he understands that.)

Reid waves at Jovian in acknowledgment but not full attention. It seems he may still be in trump contact with Fiona...

"Air Force Commander?" Jerod asks, offering his hand to Jovian. "We wouldn't be bringing back a mechanized infantry division any time soon? Pity we didn't have you at Kolvir...would've come in handy."

Assuming Jovian accepts the hand, Jerod continues. "I'm Jerod. My sister Cambina." he says, motioning to the woman a short distance away dressed all in black (Jerod is dressed in a black court style military uniform, marked with gold trim). "Our cousin Reid, who's father was Osric."

(The same information that Brennan got as far as perceptions of Jerod would apply to Jovian so we won't repeat them).

"I got word about what happened at Kolvir," Jovian acknowledges gravely. "That's why we brought dragons to Chaos. My condolences for your loss."

"Your condolences are accepted." Jerod says, with sincerity. "But the dead of Kolvir have had five years to be mourned. I would suggest perhaps those recently lost are more deserving of your attention now. I suspect there are far too many needing that attention, for anyone's taste."

The lines in Jovian's face deepen, but not in his usual good humor. "Kolvir was less than a week ago for us, Jerod. But you need not worry that we neglect our own for your sake." His tone is controlled, but there is nothing harsh behind it...plainly there is pain that he is not finished dealing with. One might think he hasn't had the time recently.

"Good." Jerod says. There's a tone in his voice that says he's heard something that he might have been looking for. What that might be is anyone's guess (Bleys might figure it out but Fiona isn't here so it's doubtful anyone's picking up what it might be). But Jerod notices that Julian has arrived and nods to the new arrivals before moving off.

It's a pretty good morning for eye-brow raising comments, but Reid's lineage rated higher than this one, at least for Brennan. It wasn't entirely unexpected that there'd be a bit of Fae Kingdom Syndrome associated with waltzing off all the way to the Courts of Chaos. Then, too, it hardly matters to Brennan if it's been five days or five centuries-- he still doesn't know anyone in Amber.

And that's part of what's kept him quiet during the exchange of condolences. He keeps silent, looks respectful, and nods along with Jovian as Jovian offers condolences, but a reasonable Water score tells people that Brennan just isn't comfortable expressing condolences for someone he'd never met to someone he's never met. He just doesn't know how to do it without sounding fake. A really high water score might figure out that he's hoping no one offers him condolences.

To Martin's and Reid's wisecracks and acknowledgements, he breaks the deadpan into a half-grin and lets it pass. Probably an extended bad joke contest that near to Jovian's condolences to Jerod could be considered poor taste.

Martin's acknowledgement is the end of his participation in the bad joke contest.

The dragonrider turns to Cambina, bows over her hand if she offers it. "I'm honored," he says with a serious tone and a gentle expression.

Cambina offers her hand to be shaken; although she's clearly used to the formal courtesy, she's not entirely comfortable with it. She responds to his bow with one of her own, from the neck, and smiles.

She strikes Jovian as very serious -- not an ounce of slack in her -- and yet very spirited. A good candidate to put on the sands, perhaps, if she were of the right age.

Jovian holds her hand, and her eyes, a little longer than necessary - perhaps a little longer than he intended, though only Cambina is likely to notice that aspect of it. He catches himself before it can become truly awkward, however, his smile meeting hers as he releases her hand.

To Reid, engrossed in his Trump contact, [Jovian offers] a half-salute in answer to his wave and a thoroughly bemused expression as he, only slightly more slowly, gets where Brennan was going in review of family history.

Corwin extinguishes his cigarette, more at ease since his brother arrived took control of Morgenstern.

(When Julian arrived, he gave a wave by way of acknowledgement and greeting to the gathered family, and walked over to Morgenstern to inspect him. He has remained preoccupied with his horse through the family introductions.)

After a few suitable moments where the family has begun re- directing introductions towards Martin (and Corwin makes his comment to Brennan), Jerod moves off, heading to Julian. Assuming nothing intervenes (like Julian approaches beforehand), he'll make his way over to Julian and Morgenstern.

"Hello again Uncle." Jerod says, offering his hand. "It's good to see you again. It's been awhile."

Julian finishes his examination of Morgenstern, taking exactly as long as is needed, before accepting Jerod's clasp. It's by no means long enough to be insulting, but it's long enough that Jerod knows Julian isn't jumping to attention for him.

And Julian jumps to attention for anyone?...:) Jerod would be amazed if he didn't focus on his horse first...

"You seem well," says Julian, and he appears (for Julian, anyway) pleased. "How fares Amber? And Arden?"

"They're both still there, though with a few changes. Nothing too extreme though." Jerod replies. "The remaining Rangers have been taking on some increased duties since you've been gone. Uncle Gerard needed them a bit since the regular navy troops and such were missing. But they've done well, though no surprise there. Robin also showed up, so we had her help too. We also lost all our trade paths - that was fun trying to re-lay those. That required some re-adjustment." and Jerod smiles a little. "You seem to have kept a couple of secrets."

Jovian's ears almost visibly grow points at this, and as if he had a tropism for mention of his sister's name, he moves toward the conversation without thinking about it. He seems about to speak when his father does so instead.

"Indeed," says Julian. "How is Robin? She was absent from Arden when I left to meet Benedict."

Jovian holds a just-barely-polite distance, paying close attention to Jerod's answer.

A question to be asked is whether Jovian can hear that far...my understanding is that Julian is off some distance tending to Morgenstern, who did not approach the group.

He was close enough to make Corwin nervous, so I'm not sure of that. But if the consensus is that they were out of earshot, so be it. Ginger?

[Again the Players consult the Magic 8 ball! Again it complains about Microsoft's mail client! But eventually, it proclaims that Jovian is with Cambina, Coffee, and Martin and not with Jerod, Jovian and the biggest gray horse ever.]

"She is well, though busy in Arden the last time I saw her. She returned from Shadow while Solange and I was away navigating the shadow routes, or trying to lay one more precisely. Brita, one of Fiona's children, was handling the Rangers for a time until Robin arrived. Gerard was glad for her assistance." Jerod says. "She appeared anxious to see you again after Random had returned with news of the victory."

"I also look forward to seeing her, and to meeting this daughter of Fiona's who has held Arden in my absence. What kind of woman is Brita, and how has she led the Rangers?"

"She believes she is descended from the gods. Or rather from the gods of the Shadow she occupied." Jerod says, moving to look at Morgenstern while continuing the conversation with Julian. Unlike others perhaps, Jerod has respect for Morgenstern but no fear of the great animal. If anything, he appears to admire it.

"She's a good fighter. Perhaps even as good as me." and he smiles a little. "She's simple. Not stupid or anything, just direct. No masks. I suspect that deception on her part is limited to little white lies - the Court would be an alien place to her. The Rangers accepted her readily, and though some might not have agreed with her on occasion, she appears to have gained their respect. She leads by example and persuasion. And an occasional whack in the head for the recalcitrant ones."

Jerod pauses a moment, looking back at the others as they talk and plan. "Uncle? What was it like? I mean, what was Chaos like?" he asks. "I remember...travelling, following the Black Road, shortly after it appeared. Dad forbade me doing it but I did anyway. It got insane after awhile. Was it like that?" His expression is that of a person who seeks an answer, but is not eager to hear it.

Julian starts to speak, then says, "Excuse me."

A pause. "Caine? What is it?"

Another pause. "I see. I am at Ygg, with Morgenstern. Let me tell my companions, and I will come through."

He turns to Jerod. "We will have to continue our conversation later. It appears my son Daeon has been wounded and taken through to the field hospital. Will you give my farewell to Jovian, and tell him I shall expect him in Arden?"

"Of course. I'll catch up with you." Jerod says, reining himself in for the moment. "Let us hope he recovers quickly."