Byrin
***
<<after school>>

Byrin headed into the Smithy after school. Baylor waved at him as the lad
headed to where Toral was hard at work.

The skinny lad caught Toral's eye and he turned a grin at him, "What are
you doing here, Byrin."

The boy shrugged, "Just stopping in."

Toral studied him, and could easily tell there was something else on his
mind. "What is it? I can see something's bothering you. Is it your mom?"

Byrin shook his head, "No, she's fine."

"Let me finish up here and you can tell me about it."

Byrin nodded and headed to a back room where a table and chairs were set
up. He did have something he wanted to discuss .. and Toral seemed the best
person to talk to. He hadn't been able to discuss it with his mother yet.
He didn't want to upset her.

It was only a few moment before Toral walked in wiping at his hand with a
soft cloth, "So what's up?"

Byrin looked up at the dark-headed man and began to tell him about his
recent discovery. Beginning with the strange questions Elissa Durrall had
been asking him.

"Well when she came up missing, I just had a bad feeling. So I offered to
take her homework to her." He shrugged, "Just to be sure everything was all
right."

Toral nodded, his face remaining blank as Byrin told him about what
Elissa's father had yelled at her mother.

"Are you sure that's what he said?" the smith asked.

Byrin nodded, "Yep, he said it as plain as day, 'Now you've done it, Bess!
Not just missing sons.. now you've got barmaid's having your
grandchildren!' And then he gave me an evil look and threw me out."

"That's odd .."

Byrin nodded, "I agree. And I've been mulling it over and over in my head,
Toral. All I know about my Saul's family is that his father is dead. He
never wanted to talk about his mother. From what I gathered they never got
along. What if Mrs. Durrall is his mother? Or what if it's just my
imagination running wild.."

Byrin sighed, "In either case, I can't talk to mom about it. She's not fond
of talking about my father as it is."

Merybelle
***
<<Later that evening .. before dinner>>

"Byrin did you find that shirt?" Mery called from the doorway of the Rest's
kitchen where she'd just seen her son rush down the hallway toward her
office.

"Not yet .." he called back, pushing through the door.

"Byrin! You've only got a short time until they'll be here." She said, an
edginess to her voice.

"I know," the lad said coming back out a pouch of coins in his hand.
"Fernalo is here with the linen's. I told Issic I'd take care of it for
him."

Mery sighed, "All right, but you should be next door getting ready, not
hanging out here."

"I will, mom. But I know where everything is. It'll only take me a minute
to change.

"Do it now please. I don't want anything to go wrong."

Her handsome son grinned, his deep blue eyes sparkling, "I'll be ready I
promise."

Mery rolled her eyes, "You'd better be. I've spent all afternoon planning
this .."

"Toral said it would be casual .." the boy called as he headed to the back
of the rest where deliveries were made.

Yes, he had said to be casual .. but how did one meet one's in-laws to be
casually? She'd never had to do this before. Gorge had lost his parents
before she'd met him. Course she'd meet Toral's parents before. She'd done
business with his father and his uncle on many occasions .. however, this
was very different.

Mery headed back into the kitchen and began stirring the gently simmering
soup. "Speaking of getting ready, dear," Bette's rough voice came from
behind her. "Why don't you let me finish the cooking here. You go get ready
for your fellow and his family."

"Thank you, Bette. I do appreciate you doing this on top of everything else .."

"Oh, no bother. I'm glad to see you no longer alone. It's worth it."

Mery chuckled, "All the same, I owe you." She spun on her heels and headed
to the adjacent building which housed the living space for herself and her
son.

A quick glance at the table in the dining room proved that Byrin had
completed that task for her. And it didn't look like he'd done to bad of a
job.  She smiled approvingly at it as she spun on the stair railing and
hurried to the upstairs bedrooms.

It wasn't a large home, being far smaller then the Rest itself. But it had
sufficed for the three of them when Gorge was alive and then for she and
Byrin since his death.

Now as Mery gazed into her closet, she couldn't help but think that she
should have paid more attention to her wardrobe. There were plenty of every
day skirts and blouses .. but those just wouldn't do. Her eyes fell over a
maroon dress with lovely silk ribbons .. but quickly rejected it. Maroon
was just to close to scarlet for her taste right now.

Breathing a heavy sigh she pulled out a gold-brown dress. She looked at it
critically, a few ruffles and gathers.. but not too much. She held it up to
herself in front of the mirror. It made her eyes look more brown .. almost
drab. She quickly hung it back in her closet.

"This could take longer then I thought," she said aloud, frowning at her
closet.

***

In the end Mery came down the stairs in a much more casual green dress. She
had accented it with an emerald brooch. One of the few heirlooms she'd
received when her grandmother had died several years ago.

"You look great, Mom!" Byrin said as she approached him.

She smiled with pleasure. "I'm glad you think so." She raised an eye brow
at the lopsided collar on Byrin's shirt and  moved to fix it. Her son was
washed and combed and looking completely presentable, if not a little
stiff. "Now who's nervous?"

"I'm not nervous, but I can't get comfortable  in these clothes."

Mery sighed, "I'm sorry, Byrin. But it's not like you need to dress like
this often. Just tonight.. and maybe for the wedding."

There was a knock at the interior door which went between their home and
the Rest. "Come in." She called and grinned to see Bette poke her head in.

"You're dinner's ready .. and Issic told me to tell  you he saw the Smith's
heading around back .." Her words were cut off by a knock at the Garden
door.

Mery nodded at the Cook, "Thank you so much, Bette." The woman grinned and
stepped back into the Rest, shutting the door behind her.

Mery headed to the door to let Toral and his parents in.

Regards,
Merybelle and Byrin
***
NRPG:  Alton, I figured I'd let you write Toral's parents :) Have fun with
Byrin and his dilemma, too!

Kris






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       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Darlea & Makayla, Keldarra Warren, Courier
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                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Telnor Warren, Dragonrider
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