Return Home

Micah laughed at the swat he received for his cheeky remark. His mother's discomfort with that topic was always a source for amusement. Connor used to do the very same thing, and occasionally they would team up and discuss women amongst each other - but just loud enough to be overheard by their mother. Those were the days. It saddened Micah that those days could no longer be. But, perhaps when Elias came of age to take a wife... maybe; if all of this lordship business left Elias's sense of fun relatively unspoiled.

"All joking aside, what task would either of you have me do first?" he asked, glancing between his brother and mother.

Joanna tried to refrain from huffing at her son's amusement to her reaction, thinking it would only amuse them more. She wasn't sure what it was about hearing her sons talk about young women that made her flustered. Perhaps it was hearing them sound like typical men in her eyes.

As they moved back to business how ever she straightened herself out and looked to Elias, "Perhaps we should retire for tonight. You and the Maester can catch Micah up on what has been happening around the manor. We can decide on assignments come morning?" she suggested. She was sure it had been a long trip for Micah and he would need to learn everything that was going on anyway..

Elias looked to the Maester and nodded to his mother "Thank you Mother, alright then we will adjourn.. I believe I will need to present the Sentinel Band to my brother next meeting anyway.. to make it official" he stated to those present. He wanted to talk to the Maester about the murder that occurred anyway. He wondered if his brother may be any help in knowing what to do about it, leading a murder investigation.. he didn't really know what to do..

Then he got the sudden sense that were being watched and tilted his head to the side a moment.. "Well don't just stand there Liz.. Might as well come in" he said knowing his sister had likely been spying on them till now and was eager to see Micah again now that the meeting was over for the night.

Elizabeth stepped into the touch light of the hall and grinned at her brothers "Hello Micah.. long time no see" she said innocently with a smirk and her hand clasped in front of her. Elizabeth had grown much since Micah had left she now looked alot like her sister Anna and was taller then Elias by at least a centimeter. Her brother sometimes joked with her in private the she could be head of the house cause she was a minute born before him technically and she was taller then him.

Micah's eyebrows bounced at the thought of bringing the officialdom to an end. Though the trip was eventful and tiring, the man doubted he would be completely 'retiring' after Elias accepted or denied the motion. For one thing, he had more siblings to visit. Torin and Rachel barely got a chance to get to know him - and vice versa - before he was exiled. And Elizabeth... he had to see her before he gave in to sleep, too.

Iestyn gave a subtle nod when Elias looked at him. It seemed the best option, given how far Zinat was from their kingdom, let alone Riverstone itself. Micah would have a lot of information to take in, and Iestyn vividly recalled how well the man paid attention to history lessons as a boy... which was to say Micah did not pay attention for very long with such a topic at all.

It seemed as though the moment Micah thought about his immediately younger sister, Elias was calling her out for spying on them. Micah laughed into his goblet of wine and prepared to take a gulp... though almost immediately spat it out at the sight of his sister. She had grown considerably in the six years he had been away: he almost would have mistaken her for Anna, save for a few key differences that still remained. Micah forced the wine down with an audible swallow that often happened when drink was consumed with an equal volume of air. "In-deed..." he replied, trying to stifle the drinking mishap's weakening of his voice.

Michal cleared his throat, and wandered over to Elizabeth. "Kept everyone on their toes while I was away, I hope?" He punctuated that question with a cheeky wink not unlike the ones he'd give just before starting one of his infamously massive food fights at the dinner table.

Elias snickered at his brothers reaction to Elizabeth and leaned back in his chair to watch them, it felt good to let his lordly stiffness down.. it felt even better to see his sibling together again and see Elizabeth happy.. ever since their father and Connor died.. Elizabeth had been... angry much more often..

Elizabeth smirked at Micha and nodded her head " Of course, someone has to do it since you left, wasted a few good pies according to Mother.." She said sheepishly and stepped forward and hugged her brother. She had missed him greatly. What hadn't said was she had also taken to agitating her father in Micah's absents.. But since he died she felt that much worse for fighting with him about everything.. "Missed you.." she said as she hugged him.

Joanna retreated form the Hall to tend to her younger children and allow her older children time to catch up on there own.. Gods new it might help all of them.

Micah grinned at Elizabeth's comment about the pies, and returned her hug - tight, but gentle, if such a combination made sense. "Missed you, too..."

Eventually, after several moments, Micah pulled away from the hug. He looked around and found that their mother was nowhere to be seen. The Maester was still present, and Micah had all he could do from rolling his eyes at the old man. Instead he looked at his brother, then back to their sister. "C'mon... let's get out of this stuffy old Hall and go to The Grove. Race the two of ya there..." Micah winked, still grinning. If anything, his first duty regardless of rank or title, but as a brother, was to make this dark situation at least a little lighter... even if such lightness would only last a short while.

Elizabeth returned the hug in the same way and recalled her brother Conner had hugged her like that before he left for the battle.

She smirked at Micah's proposal to a race, she and Elias both knew the manor short cuts like the back of their hands she sent a wink to Elias, "Let us see of our dear Old Micah remembers the way brother?" she asked mischievously looking ready to bolt when her brothers were ready.

Elias laughed and quirked an eye brow to Micah, "Good luck brother" he said jokingly as he joined his sister making small guestures with his hand letting her know what route he was taking and she replied in the same way with a snicker.

The twins turned to their older brother and both said in union "Ready Brother?"

It was only after the mischievous smirk from Elizabeth that Micah realized he had to think about how to get to The Grove. He hadn’t had a chance to walk through the manor to remember all of the old short cuts and secret pathways. Micah had barely done more than walk through the door. The man shrugged off the thought within a breath of thinking it; regardless of whether he won or lost, it would provide a moment’s distraction for all of them.

“Hey – I’m not that old,” he laughed and nudged Elizabeth, once more mindful to keep his touch gentle so as not to accidentally shove her.

Micah glanced between the twins, knowing that somehow they were communicating amongst themselves. If they hadn’t grown up with him, he wouldn’t have known the difference. Micah’s only regret is he did not fully see and could not comprehend the method in which the pair exchanged thoughts. He absently scratched his head, perhaps hoping that doing so would help enlighten him to what his siblings were up to.

Before Micah knew it, the twins had finished relaying whatever silent conversation they had been having and turned to face him. He grinned at the question that was spoken by both in perfect harmony. The first time Micah heard them do this, it had scared him a little... but now it was a welcome shard of normalcy from six long years ago. “I was born ready,” Micah grinned.

“Either of ya wanna do the count? Or should I?”