Spring Leaves, City Lights

[Aendaciana Rilindisil]

Musical Inspiration: Våren flyktar hastigt [Translation from Swedish to English]
Attire: Pink Dress | Braided Hair
Location/Activity: City Shopping - Hjerte | Park Sitting - People Watching
Date: Spring, AW 104
Today was too lovely a day even to allow the usual flutter of whispered grief at the thought of her father to bring down her mood. With her handmade leather basket on one arm, Aendaciana readied herself with a book of poetry, two mystery/suspense, and one romance, not expecting to get through them all. Still, it was essentially what she was behind on for pleasurable reading.

The rare day off of studies, working with her Healer mother, and the tasks required for one of those options was an appreciated occurrence regardless of when it happened. Today, however, was one of those delightful spring-spring days. So spring-like in the air, that the warmth of the sun, the myriad scents of flowers, the sound of birds and the rushing of the river all came together in a special sort of music, and that even in the city. Hjerte was now where the Priestess Queen had spent perhaps a little less than half of her life, rather than the village she had been born in. While partly Aendaciana preferred village existence, she had learned to enjoy what at least this city had to offer and had visited a few others along En Stor Elv.

All of those things added to the sounds of common trade in Hjerte.

The pleasantries of Lykkelig Vidd still simmered a little in Aendaciana's memory, so she was already in a pleasant mood before finding out her mother hadn't needed her at all for the day. At ninety-four, Aendaciana was young enough still to be able to appreciate escaping a chore or two, even if she wasn't exactly giddy about the prospect as might have been the case a few decades ago. She'd spent the earliest part of the morning running in her other form, which only seemed to enhance the ferocity inherited from her father.

Two hours later and Aendaciana had left home for the second time. She'd visited the best mercer to acquire silk, linen, and strong broadcloth. The latter for plain skirts, trousers, and shirts to stitch and sew together herself. She hadn't been good at the skill initially, finding it exhausting to try to ensure the straightest, most careful stitches. At some point among the decades, as she matured, the satisfaction of finishing an item with her own hands gave immense satisfaction.

Eventually, she grew skilled enough to make pieces for her brothers, which some of her purchases were for. She could layer hints of her Queen's craft into the clothing; this was not permanent and needed a recharge eventually, but it was just one of those small details Aendaciana enjoyed about the work. Black, navy, white, tan, brown, and a pale sky blue were her fabric colours choices that she could carry with her in small, light bolts. The rest would be delivered home.

Partly, having sturdy pieces that could either withstand transformation or pieces that held enough Craft in them that one could change with, leaving the fabric returned to its shape in either form. All of this, and springtime as bright and warm as it was made for a beautiful day. A good day to find a peaceful spot along the river and start her next project. The other unfinished ones at home covering her desk like moss on tree bark did not particularly matter in this case, she'd convinced herself. The Priestess Queen found a spot in a pretty, well tree-lined park within a fifteen-minute walk to her favourite series of shops and close enough to the river to see the rushing of water. Aendaciana set down her basket and began to unroll two thick, sturdy blankets. While doing so, she settled mentally in for her fourth favourite activity; people watching.

[Koa Red-eye]

They were mostly self sufficient in their hamlet. But even with the trade wagons that rolled down their pitted path with semi-regularity, there were things that were harder to come by. Things that necessitated trips into the larger cities of Raej.

And letters that required a delicate hand in delivery. Or, at least, a trustworthy hand. Koa was well suited. The most unlikely to mention his mission to a stranger, or even a friend should he make one. He carried it in his cabinet with studious silence. Barely thought of it, except to remember where it needed taking.

He lent himself to other tasks first. Collecting those harder to acquire bits and pieces. Strange things needed by the priests and priestesses. Odd ends required by the black widows.

The weather was nice. The sun was warm on his face, but the air was cool. That sort of perfect middle ground that made a man pause and tip his face skyward. It drew Koa from his work and lead him down a winding path that followed the river. Many others walked with him. Lovers, friends, quiet solitary souls such as himself. They promenaded along the river bank, or spilled across the green slopes on blankets or cushions.

One such drew more attention than the rest. It was not just Koa's, either, but nearly all the man, and many of the women. Even if they did not approach, they looked, as Koa looked. It was impossible not to. Instinct directed his eye, and tugged at his feat. Queen, that dark maleness inside him whispered. Koa had very little experience with them, but enough to recognize that feeling.

And so little of it to let his baser nature, or perhaps, his more noble nature, take him to the outskirts of her blanket. He hovered, his manner too placid to be awkward. He didn't have temper in need of soothing. His was a mostly settled soul. But he liked that feeling. That strange sort of feeling he could not name, but which could only be provided by the loftiest of castes.

"Lady." He greeted, because to stand in utter silence would be rude. But he did not stare. Eyes on the water running beyond the walkers. Staring would be all the ruder. She was unaccompanied. Koa took it as invitation to linger all the longer. As escort. Koa dipped a look from the corner of his eyes. The letter would keep for an afternoon. "How may I serve?" He offered, smoothing the corner of a blanket with the worn toe of his boot.

[Aendaciana Rilindisil]

Musical Inspiration: Våren flyktar hastigt [Translation from Swedish to English]
Attire: Pink Dress | Braided Hair
Location/Activity: City Shopping - Hjerte | Park Sitting - People Watching
Date: Spring, AW 104
Aendaciana would have understood being self-sufficient if the idea was presented to her, as it was how she'd lived as a youth in a Raejan village rather than the city. Otherwise, she thought of the matter as ordinary. The Priestess Queen did not often consider people who lived in even smaller, more remote ways, where one might have to travel rather lengthy distances to achieve vastly needed materials. However, she had never set aside or forgot what it was like compared to what was readily available in the cities, especially the larger ones.

A few times while she was arranging her space, she turned to look, almost as if to see if the winding way of stores and shops and more were still there. As Queen and Priestess, she often needed very specific accoutrements for different rituals or Craft. The gift of Queen's Blood to the land required a particular set of items, and the quality mattered. A Priestess' altar needed precisely attended components. Aendaciana continued to enjoy the warm, beautiful day and the people taking in every facet. As such, the Priestess Queen was rather absentminded and had not noticed exactly how much she was being observed, simply placing this fact as another portion of the beautiful day. People present were akin to warm, extra sunlight that wasn't too hot and didn't burn.

Then suddenly, a pleasant voice reminded of safety, heavy tree boughs, and the dark shade under her favourite trees roused the Priestess Queen from relatively idle musings. She tilted back her head and smiled, realising that in a technical sense, she was without Escort, and indeed anyone could approach and choose to fill that role. To serve with the lightest touch of honour. Her brothers would have been amused at her choice to go without one of them, only to be expected to not be unattended by someone. The idea of a Queen left to her own devices was probably the beginning of a joke somewhere.

"Oh. Why, hello," Aendaciana said while turning slightly to face the speaker. What she found was a beautiful deep brown-skinned man, enough that the Priestess Queen couldn't help the smile that bloomed upon her face and lifted a pearlescent pale hand to wave gracefully. She wanted dearly to see his eyes closer but didn't know why this mattered so much at the moment.

"Serve? I--ah. I did not think it through, simply deciding to sit near the riverside on my own, without anyone else near. I do apologise. You might certainly join me unless you're concerned for my safety. It is usually safe here, and there's plenty of blanket space, which is for sitting on the ground." The way he looked at her, carefully, politely, and remained off of her blanket made her immediately worry for him and wonder if there was something he needed. Sharp blue eyes bright with delight took in how this man seemed to stand as if he were taller than she could see. Not looming exactly, but there was something. Confidence, perhaps, Aendaciana decided.

"I thought it would be lovely to sit and work on a little sewing, and today is the day of no lessons," she explained with lifting a precise index finger. She chattered as though he was a neighbour, then paused, aware that some preferred more formality. A pink and deeper rose blush spread over her cheeks as she tilted her head toward her lap, fingers suddenly plucking gently at the layers of her pink gown.

"Oh, Night. Here I am, talking to you without giving a name or anything! Please forgive me. I am Lady Aendaciana Rilindisil-Tobiassen, which is quite a lot of name, so you may certainly call me anything among all those sounds that suits you. Daci, Daciana." Her eyes danced, and dimples flashed in her cheeks. "My brothers sigh quite a lot in pairing with my name." Aendaciana tilted her head from side to side as if thinking. "What should I call you, my Lord?" She imagined he was a Warlord, as he did not have the manner of a Warlord Prince at all, or not really a Prince unless they were a lighter Jewelled one. Of course, she could have been wrong, simply because Aendaciana was still learning.

[Koa Red-eye]

He worried he had startled her. Not for the fright he might have given, for she did not seem afraid even in the slightest. But just that she had not noticed him at all. It was vanity either, Koa quite liked being overlooked, but it meant she wasn't paying attention. Maybe it was a security present in her caste that he was not aware of. His thumb traced a seam in the hem of his coat, almost too warm for the weather.

Better to worry it than her. "Hello." He replied, mouth following hers from greeting to smile. Why would she smile at him that way? He would never complain of it, just wonder. The same way a man might marvel at how the sun rose every day. Impossibly bright. But he didn't move from his spot, feet refusing to be beckoned by a smile. They required an invitation.

An invitation he got. Smile shrinking as she admitted to having not thought. That seemed to be the way of things, especially among witch and small children. Never thinking ahead. Koa bowed politely, the corners of his eyes fluttering with amused frustration. She was not his to tuck away or scold. And scolding so rarely worked. At least not with small children. Koa had never dared scold a witch of any caste.

"The weather is especially fine." He agreed, peaceably. "I am not disturbing you?" If she wished to sit alone, Koa would simply stand near by. Or perhaps even sit, the grass here was plush enough that no blanket was needed. He smoothed his pockets, feeling paper crinkle beneath his hands. She was very friendly, but perhaps a friendly lady of such a lofty caste needed time to sit alone, away from everyone else.

Yet she did not protest his presence, speaking to him freely as if they had known each other quite a long time. Koa continued to hover at the corner of her blanket. The fine fabric a barrier his dusty boots couldn't bear to cross just yet. He nodded along with her words, which flowed like a burbling brook, almost a backdrop. "Ah-aha." He almost laughed, cheeks darkening and eyes crinkling. "No forgiveness necessary."

"I am Koa Red-Eye, lady." She was very forthcoming and upfront. She spoke an obvious truth with very little care or shame. No apology, but no mockery either, of her name. It was, certainly, more than he was used to fitting his mouth around. "Your name is lovely, I assure you." Eyes flitting from the tilt of her head to the ruffles of her dress, Koa slowly eased himself down. Perching at the corner of her blanket, legs sprawled before him.

"Do you have many brothers?" He did not continue his question beyond that. It was not his place to inquire as to their whereabouts. They were not here, which was all that mattered in the end. But no harm had come to her, and now Koa was here to see it continued so.

[Aendaciana Rilindisil]

Musical Inspiration: Våren flyktar hastigt [Translation from Swedish to English]
Attire: Pink Dress | Braided Hair
Location/Activity: City Shopping - Hjerte | Park Sitting - People Watching
Date: Spring, AW 104
Aendaciana made a plan for her day, and this was certainly outside of that plan in the best possible way. So the Priestess Queen tried to think of something else that could be equally lovely as meeting someone new to her and resulted in metaphorically empty hands. She had been intensely focused on her task and was young enough not to have developed the wariness or canny sense of a person that had experienced direct danger or violence. Aendaciana's attention settled keenly where the man's thumb traced a seam upon his coat, which was a warm, sturdy fabric.

She blinked, briefly thinking she wanted to be the coat—such usefulness and dependability, but maybe not better than the blessing that she had. Then, lightly, Aendaciana shook her head.

"Oh, certainly not. A new person is never a disturbance but a path to new knowledge, loveliness, wisdom, and adventure!" A peal eased from the youngish Priestess Queen, and her smile flowered again with delighted ease. The subtle crinkle of his eyes lifted her pulse for a moment. Was it almost a moment he might laugh with her? She filed the warming thought away to examine later.

A slow nod followed as he remarked that she didn't require to be forgiven, and any tension she might have gained flowed out of her as quickly as the En Stor Elv often went on its way. Swish, swish, swish. "Lord Red-Eye, it is indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she placed a hand near to her heart and bowed, smoothing the opposite along the pink frothing fabric of her dress as if to imitate rising and offering a curtsey.

"How kind, thank you. I wished to wear something that reflected my mood today." Her almost colourless blue eyes brightened with happiness as Lord Koa sat down to join her. Now, she was almost sure he was a Warlord.

It surprised that Lord Koa--which she would think of him and hail him unless he corrected her--asked if she had any brothers. Rather than asking where her brothers were and if she had an Escort. It made her feel a little more independent, confident perhaps.

"I do. I have two brothers. My twin brother is a Prince named Adrian, and my maternal brother is a Warlord, and his name is Larsek. No sisters though, there is only me. Is your family close, or do you live in a village, my Lord? You seem like the small quiet spaces are your dearest friends." Aendaciana was quiet a little, not wanting to overwhelm Lord Red-Eye with her busy chatter, even as bright questions shimmered in her expression. The Priestess Queen drew in a slow breath and waited patiently.

[Koa Red-eye]

Her words flowed like the river, but Koa did not feel as though they would rise over his head and wash him away. He was a stone in them, and they parted gently around him. Was this a gift of queens? To surround without overwhelming? Priestesses he was familiar with. Beating you about the shoulders with wisdom and idiom.

This was not that. Or maybe a little of that.

"I see." He smiled, unable to voice more than that. She would make him think, as priests often wished you to think. He had never heard the meeting of strangers labeled in such a manner. But her joy was too bright for him to be cast in the shadow of confusion. She laughed even. Was a it a joke? Koa could not say, so he smiled.

Not a jest. Certainly not mockery. Maybe she just viewed the world this way. So happy to make his acquaintance. Koa decided it was something more than just a queen-thing. It had to a particular to this woman thing. No other queen would greet him so, he was sure. Face ducking away at her extravagance. And he with barely an appropriate bow to pay her back with.

"You have done a most fine job." She and her dress certainly resembled each other. Head down and smile on, Koa listened. Lazy probes eeking out into the surrounding area. Eyes hard to take away from the lady would talked to him. But he sensed no danger, just passing interest and curiosity. Similar to what had brought him close. But his presence kept others away.

"A twin. How interesting." How similar were they, Koa wondered of this prince twin and his sister. A warlord brother he could more easily imagine. Though where were they? Still he did not ask. Now the focus of her attention in a manner that asked questions. "You read me very well, Lady Aendaciana. I am from a village near the border" The quiet places and large wilds suited him very well.

And his bear. "It is like having a very large family. Full, mostly, of nosy aunts and bossy uncles." It was not his description, but one he had heard applied to their community by one of the others. Koa had no memory of aunts and uncles to compare it to. The family that had birthed him mostly forgotten. Mostly on purpose. "I am here on village business. The bumpkin visiting the city." He grinned, stealing another phrase, this one he'd had hurled at him as an insult before.

[Aendaciana Rilindisil]

Musical Inspiration: Våren flyktar hastigt [Translation from Swedish to English]
Attire: Pink Dress | Braided Hair
Location/Activity: City Shopping - Hjerte | Park Sitting - People Watching
Date: Spring, AW 104
Lord Koa seemed such a taciturn man, speaking when he had something to respond directly to, or Aendaciana imagined when he had some particular wisdom to impart. She had thought this before seeing how the man moved but was more convinced as the minutes passed. As a Queen, she could sense him, even some tiny hint of how he felt by intently watching social cues and being aware of emotions that did not belong to her.

As a Priestess, she was better with Communion and assisting a person while easing through the Darkness. Once more, she had the impression he had seen so much more than she had. Anxiety chewed at Aendaciana's senses a little, and she shoved it off. A smile did not mean a person had an interest beyond the conversation of the moment. But goodness, it was pleasant, especially when he did it again.

The Priestess Queen could tell just enough that he was paying attention to their surroundings, rather in the way she ought to have. However, too much of her attending attention was on Lord Koa or the surrounding land.

"I do try," she said reflectively while also definitely not staring. Instead, Aendaciana started to sort through the fabrics in her basket, each of which was carefully folded. Beneath the fabrics were her sewing kit, but first, she would have to prepare the fabric. Gently, the Priestess Queen touched each one, deciding upon the warm and sturdy blue cotton. A section at a time, she pressed her hands into the cloth, testing to see where she could place Craft and how deep into the 'bones' of the fabric her calming could go. "You keep people away, rather like my brothers do when they are present, but you are more subtle than my twin," she said with sparkling eyes.

"A village near the border. Very lovely. I miss the trees. I should not, but," Aendaciana dropped her gaze toward the fabric, resuming checking the threads very carefully. "Sometimes, I run in the forest. I do not go far from here, but I wish I could. It is better to be wise than not, and I try to remember this too. What is it like to go where ever you wish?"

A brighter smile was the Priestess Queen's response to a large family, especially uncles and aunts. "I have never known more of my father's family, but my mother has many sisters and a few brothers that survived, she often has explained. I have met a few, and they are very busy." Aendaciana glanced upward at Lord Koa but did not say the precise words she intended, meaning they survived Witch in some fashion. When he referred to himself as a bumpkin, it took the lady a moment to understand, and she frowned gently in thought. After another few minutes of silence, she gasped softly.

"No, you are not--" Aendaciana began and looked upward. Lord Koa was grinning. She reddened in the cheeks, grinning back for a time. "Ah! You do not mean seriously; this is a joke, or at least, I do hope you are teasing me."

Aenadaciana observed Lord Koa from the peripheral vision for a moment as she turned back toward her light work. "You are not my bonded, clearly, but I do not see you this way, as a bumpkin. You seem more like a storm in waiting." For a moment she was, careworn. There was a hint of the heartbroken about her like old and middling grief mingled. "If I may say so to someone I have only just met, of course." The Priestess Queen's sunny disposition dimmed only a little as her attention lingered on Koa a little more than her busy-work task designed to keep Aendaciana's hands less idle.

[Koa Red-eye]

Koa's lips pursed, eyes roaming the green and the people spreading across it. Some picnicked, others lounged. A few clustered together in intense discourse. More still milled, traveling down the paths that cut along the river and across the grass. He knew there was a little footpath that meandered into a copse of trees, artfully placed.

He saw no one waiting. "It was not my intention." He apologized, unsure if she was awaiting someone he was keeping away with his very presence. Koa checked himself, like a man searching his pockets, curious if he did something without realizing. But he felt like himself, inside and out. A little unsettled by playing attendance on a queen, but otherwise him, with pockets full of maps.

Koa was torn between watching her sort her fabrics, choosing a color only to count the threads and stitches with her fingers, and imagining her running through forests in her fluffy gown. The two acts seemed so completely opposite, and her appearance at odds with being free in nature. "I would think trees are a natural thing, for queens." They were the caretakers of the land, the heart of Blood. Every male bent to service to protect more than just a witch, but a realm.

It seemed more natural to him, than all of this.

"Wisdom is a true gift." Koa's head bobbed. She should take one of these brothers with her when she went running about like a wild thing. Truly he could not picture her running at all. Caught off guard by her question, he turned inward, chewing at himself as he tried to put words into what his life was. It was not something he thought much about it. "True say, its not wherever I want, but wherever I'm needed." There was, he decided, a difference.

She liked families, he saw by her smile. Why then was she out here without her own? Koa put full blame on the males, and left the queen clean of misconduct. And maybe a little lacking in wisdom, but he did not scold. "Most people are." He had not met many idle ones. At least none of good character he would wish to recall. There was a silence after his little joke. Koa was used to the silences. His was not the gift of social graces. He spoke too slowly and thought slower still.

"It is a joke." He agreed with a duck of his head in apology. Maybe not an incorrect joke, but she did not seem to like it, so koa let it float away. "A storm?" His thumb nail stroked a bristle of hair beneath his chin. He had missed a place when shaving. Head canting, he examined the queen, who was, he thought, examining him back. Her hands idle among her fabrics. "I would imagine you could say whatever you please." A storm. Koa's hand strayed beneath his arm, fingers lightly where claws marked his skin.

"I have never sprung rain before, so you should be quite safe." He promised her, in case she worried. "Your dress too." He gestured to her sewing basket. "What are you making?" He asked, trying to take her mind away from whatever was bothering her.

[Aendaciana Rilindisil]

Musical Inspiration: Våren flyktar hastigt [Translation from Swedish to English]
Attire: Pink Dress | Braided Hair
Location/Activity: City Shopping - Hjerte | Park Sitting - People Watching
Date: Spring, AW 104
Aendaciana found herself drawn to observe Lord Koa's face and how elegant and wild she found him to appear simultaneously. The people walking as well were a draw, but much less so than her present company. Very much in Nissi form, she wanted to know as much as possible about him, though the caution from her father's culture kept her from asking too many questions all at once. When he apologised, she blinked in surprise but was no less curious and relatively enthralled. "Oh! Please, no apology. It was meant to be a compliment," Aendaciana said gently.

She brightened immensely when Lord Koa said that trees were natural for Queens, as while she knew this was true, it sometimes ended up lost in translation from the heart to the head. Aendaciana's fingers returned to straightening the blue cloth, particularly aware she had started staring at Lord Koa just a little. Though, the Priestess Queen enjoyed the feeling of the weft and weave pattern. With Craft, she marked out where the pattern would settle, leaving a very subtle impression behind, along with the subtle layers of Queen's soothing craft. Then, Aendaciana flipped over the fabric and attended to the reverse side in the same careful manner. "Yes, they are. Thank you. I should remember that, first, before all else. Adjusting to life in a larger city was harder for me than my family, but rewarding all the same."

Aendaciana paused her work with a tiny smile and tender mirth in her expression while once more looking at the man at her side. "Of course, I wouldn't dress like this on a forest run." The truth was, she didn't wear clothes at all, given that she didn't keep two-legger form and a hint of something more wild in the Priestess Queen's expression as she remembered running held for a moment before the lady shook her head. She was not sure that was something to tell this man, though, and for the moment, all trace of her horn and even her pointed ears were covered, though when Aendaciana smiled wide enough, there was a flash of upper and lower canines which were rather sharp in appearance.

"Wisdom is. I try to keep that in mind too." She tilted her head, thinking about Lord Koa's next words. "Wherever you are needed," Aendaciana mused in echoed words and nodded. He seemed very much a mystery and not one at the same time. When he confirmed he had been joking, Aendaciana smiled again, but more brightly. "I am sometimes slow to understand humour." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Forgive me for that. It was a good joke." Once more, she had halted working, most of her focus again on Lord Koa, pulse thumping slightly faster when his hand moved over his face. She, of course, had no idea he was checking for shaving remnants and found the motion intriguing.

She gestured to herself. "I could say ...whatever I liked?" Aendaciana tilted her head to the left, several of her pale braids shifting with the head motion. The tone of voice was really as if she had not considered the idea more than rare moments. "I do not often, but I am fairly young," she said gently.

"People's hearts and feelings are important. I try to remember this." She laughed when he said he had never caused rain, or rather, none had come from him. "Well, I hope not literally. Then your warm coat would be all wet. But, ooh, clever. But perhaps you are more like the end of the storm, the quiet, intense part," Aendaciana said, still smiling, having forgotten her grief for now.

"A shirt, I make them for my brothers, and sometimes I give them away. I lace soothing Craft into them, so at least for a little while, it is almost like having a Queen nearby or an echo of one." Aendaciana was silent for a few moments before speaking again. "Thank you for keeping me company. You are very nice."

[Koa Red-eye]

"Who would challenge you?" Koa asked in earnest. "You would need wisdom for your words," he cautioned, "but I think a queen is in even a better position than a priestess to say what is needed." Koa could not know any of it for sure. His life was mostly run by an old Priest and an older Widow. Neither cared much for what or how they said anything to him.

Or maybe he was leading her completely astray with his assumptions.

He let the matter go with a little shrug, dismissing her worries about age as well. "As we all start old." He could not imagine the leaders back home being young, their youth had been so long before his time. Besides, even children had their own sort of wisdom.

Koa thought he might have blushed at being called clever. He never had been before. His thumb dug harder at the unshaven patch beneath his chin. She was smiling at him, as if he were clever indeed, and that the end of a storm was a good thing. Quiet and intense. Even he could recognize himself in that.  Sucking his teeth, he nodded.

Leaning forward slightly, Koa looked what would be a shirt over. He thought, if he opened his barriers and pried a little, squinting his eyes and looking just so, he could see, or sense, a little of her craft work being done to it. "That is clever." Koa was very hardly clever, but making comforting pieces of queen to take with you was much.

Back away again, he looked askance at her, confusion and surprise drifting across his face. "You are most welcome, lady." Who would come upon her and be any else? Who could? Or was this a dismissal? Koa had never played attendant before and did not know the subtleties. He was much used to being summoned and dismissed clearly. And abruptly.

He did have tasks to complete, though he had forgotten what ones. His gaze searched the people around them again. Had whoever she'd been waiting for arrived? He was still concerned about the lack of brothers. "Should I go now?" he asked her plainly.