[Sahyber Cadence]

She had become a hermit there in her Pyra Metros home. Engaged in writing tales and reading to the point she became a bit eccentric. She would send someone into town for necessities, and she would avoid seeing anyone. She had been successful for yearly two years. Two years? How could it be? It had been so long she had long forgotten what had her retreat in such a fashion to begin with. So much she could muse over it and then again be lost in the consequences of memories. She refused them this day like urchin beggers asking for cookies.

A writer's desk is covered with a massive amount of writings and sketches. Through a window the sun casts its rays across the floor. She holds a petite hand into it and feelts the warmth. She paused to look at the painting over the fireplace for a long moment, then moved to the door and opened it. She looked outside. The seasons had changed and here she was yet again thinking "Maybe this would be the time to travel..." she gave off a sigh and shook her head as she closed the door. No. She wasn't ready yet.

[Brayan`Jepone]

Brayan walked the roads of Pyra Metros, his son clinging onto his neck and hanging down his back. His son (though lovely as he was) that he could not stand. Every day he felt anger inside of him rise to the point of boiling over. More than once he heard his mind speaking of the boys demise, though the boy was not even two years old yet.

It was just the fact that sometime throughout the day he would see Jakobey in there. It almost felt as if Jakobey was taunting him from Brayan's own son. How could this be? Sometimes, though walking with his son at that moment was not one of these times, he would look over and see Jakobey staring back at him, a nice little smirk showing no the face. Only after he blinked would his little boy, his sweet little boy return.

"Daddy!" the boy giggled when Brayan started skipping, trying to gallop as if he were a bull, tossing his son to and fro in the air. The boy kept on giggling even as Brayan calmed himself, kneeling to one knee to catch his breath. Little did he know he was right in front of Sahyber's door. It had been years since he'd seen her. They'd never really talked but he knew who she was. He knew Jakobey's feelings for her. He and Darcy had even contemplated getting back at Jakobey -through- Sahyber. But they never did.

They weren't evil. Brayan couldn't hurt an innocent person. Like his son.

[Sahyber Cadence]

Matilde opened the door abruptly and was so intent on sweeping the dirt from the house she did not look to see who was there. She was humming some tune from when she were a girl and imagining herself dancing. She made sure to get the dirt completely out of the house and then started with the stoop, and moved on to the porch and steps.

Finally, when she did pause she looked at the young man with the wee child and offered a slight smile. No one had tread this path in many a year. "G'day to ye, young sir." She called out and ambled to check what she had growing in the flower boxes. The one thing Miss Cadence did care about besides her books was the herbs she grew.

[Brayan`Jepone]

Brayan noticed the woman as she swept the front porch and steps but he didn't say anything, he just continued staring off into the distance, letting his mind and thoughts wonder to (not always good) things. When she spoke to him he was almost startled - he hadn't really spoken to anybody in a few days. Hearing another voice was surprising.

"Yes," he said, though his thoughts were more on the 'are you sure?' aspect of it being a good day. As of yet it was any normal day for him - a bad one. Any day when he thinks such horrible things about his son is a bad day.

He was going to continue on his way but he stopped after a few steps, turning to her as she came to the flower boxes. "Do you know of an inn? A place to stay for the night?" he asked. "And not the tavern in L'Ombre," he added. He was sick of the tavern. Such horrible, horrible memories.

Everything that went on in the tavern seemed to be either with him and Darcy or him and Jakobey. Nothing good ever came out of him and Jakobey and all of the good with him and Darcy were just memories of the past now, and though they were good times they were bad memories.

[Sahyber Cadence]

She had heard Matilde talking to someone. Perhaps it were someone bringing fruit. She had been wanting apples lately. Anything really to sate the sweet tooth she had.

She were barefooted, and moved silently over the cool floor. She wore some baggy, linen pants that were an offwhite. A long tunic top and a light robe. Moslty what she wore every day. Her hair in a loose braid swished as she moved.

She arrived at the door and hid and peered around to see who was there. The first thing that caught her eye was the little boy. She tried not to let the flood of memories engulf her thoughts about anything to do with children. He seemed happy. Healthy. Her keen eyes observed him and if he started to spot her from her hiding place, she would duck back.

[Brayan`Jepone]

Brayan continued the conversation with the maid, not paying any attention to Sahyber in hiding or (unfortunately) his son. Clash moved away from his father. He was able to walk but he crawled anyways, moving along the dirty ground and trying to catch small bugs that were too fast for their own good.

He giggled as he finally smashed his hand against one, bug guts splattering against the stone on the ground. "Ewwww.." he whispered, wiping his hand onto his pants and pushing himself to a stand, giggling again.

His eyes spotted movement nearby and, curious as a cat he was, he turned towards, his eyes briefly catching a glimpse of a woman inside.

[Sahyber Cadence]

As she moved to peek again, the child was creeping to where she was. Smart little devil, she thought. Either hand touching the door frame, she inched around further and watched him. Finally, she lowered into a crouch and smiled letting observing his progress to the steps. She wondered if he would attempt them and motioned to Matilde that it was ok.

Her startling eyes landed on the man who looked tired. A child took a lot of work, patience and time. She knew this. "You may be looking for the Obsidian Stone tavern." He had a familiarness about him she could not pin down as of yet. Her attentions were soon diverted to the little one you clambered up the steps giggling the entire time.

[Brayan`Jepone]

Sahyber may not have recognized him at once but he sure did recognize her. It took him a few seconds, during which he just mustered a stare and a dumb-founded look with his mouth hanging wide open. "Clash," he said to the boy to catch his attention.

The boy kept moving towards Sahyber, smiling. "Clash Jepone come here this instant!" the boys eyes turned towards his father and he immediately started crying.

Brayan didn't want to be here anymore. He had to go. It had been quite a long time but it was still too soon. He quickly walked to where the boy stood and picked him up, patting his back. "I'm sorry, Clash," he said into the boys ear. "Daddy's sorry." He just hoped the woman didn't recognize him.

"Thanks for the advice, " he said, taking a step back. He feigned a smile.

[Sahyber Cadence]

She'd avoided the sun for a long time. She retained the handsomeness of her younth, and yet something different flickered in her stare. Names. Names she had not heard in too long. She pulled her robe about her and inched further out of the house.

"I know you." she stated simply. Plainly. "I ...remember you...your...cousin...." She looked at the baby again and longed. Silently. He was retreating and she inched back to the door, nodding. Not forcing this issue.

He acted pointedly. It seemed all of the Jepones were like that. Well, except for Jakobey.

[Brayan`Jepone]

'Shit,' he thought, though he didn't say it out loud. She recognized him. He knew she wasn't a horrible person - not like Jakobey was. What he didn't know was why she was friends with him, why she seemed to at one time have feelings for him.

"Uh..." he said, still patting the boys back. He sighed, looking towards the ground. "Yes." She'd never finished her sentence, though he didn't need her to. He knew what she wanted to say just as he knew that no matter what he said she would still know that he was Jakobey's cousin. Cousin Brayan - the one that was in L'Ombre for a long time yet nobody noticed him until AFTER Jakobey was dead.

Jakobeys death had disrupted the lands, he thought at the time. Everybody seemed to either be happy that he was dead or sad that he was dead - it didn't seem that anybody was impartial to the fact. If Brayan died, there wouldn't be a soul who cared. Yet for Jakobey, everybody cared.

Yet he didn't see Sahyber at Jakobey's funeral. And why was that? He would use this information, store it in his head to use against her should she ever try anything on him. "Yes, I am."

[Sahyber Cadence]

She retreated back into the house, muttering. Not wanting to deal with the memories of it all.

Matilde worried and put the broom down giving one last look to the young man and the child. She went into the house quickly behind her lady and shut the door. It would be a bad night. When she remembered the history, the past - it fused into something too vivid and too horrible to deal with.

The drabbles of memory were fine. But when they came together and fused into coherance - not good.

Drabbles and Fusions.

[Brayan`Jepone]

Brayan watched her retreat inside. She hadn't said another word to him. "Wait," he said softly, putting his boy on the ground and holding his hand. He took a few steps towards the house just as the maid closed the door. "Wait!" he shouted, suddenly feeling himself getting angry. For no reason.

"Sa... Sah..." He had forgotten her name over the past year or so that he hadn't seen her. "Ma'am!" He stood in front of the door now. He knocked softly on the door. He needed a friend.

Whether he liked it or not - she was the closest thing he had to a friend now. And while he didn't want to associate himself with anything that had been close to Jakobey, he couldn't help but be pulled into the Sahyber. He wanted to be around her. He wanted to be friends with her.

The thoughts and emotions confused him, much as the ones regarding his son did, but he knocked again - a little harder this time.

[Sahyber Cadence]

She felt weak and tired. She reached the entrance of her bedroom and held to the frame "Someone is knocking, Matilde. I will be fine. Please see who it is." Her mind was whirling. She had not seen anyone in so long, and now a knock at the door?

She watched the woman that had been with her through so much go to the door. She noticed how Matilde looked old all of a sudden.

When the door opened, Sahyber could see who it was and she bade them "Will you have dinner with us?" she offered a weak smile. She was, if nothing else, hospitable. She noted Matilde's face light up as she loved to have others to cook for and fuss over. She knew too, she needed a nap. She knew they would be taken care of.

[Brayan`Jepone]

Brayan hadn't had a home-cooked meal in a long time. It was always either fast tavern food or something he'd caught in the forest and cooked over a flame he'd had to light. He looked down at his son and smiled a little at the boys eager head shaking.

"Yes," he said softly. "If it's not a burden to you." He gave a slight bow to Matilde as she opened the door to let them in. Another glance between Matilde and Sahyber and he could tell Sahyber was tired - she looked as if she was worn out after a hard days work.

He let Matilde close the door and he just stood there in the silence. It was kind of awkward, even if only for a few seconds, as his eyes darted from Matilde to his boy (who was staring at Sahyber with dedication) to Sahyber. They would linger on her for a short second before beginning the cycle again.

[Sahyber Cadence]

She could not help it. She smiled at the child. Something about him. His innocence and wonder at her many bookshelves. His curious glances to everything around him. Things she had collected over the years. Possessions. The world was new and untainted for him. She envied him that. She knew better. She knew so much better about it all. "You have a beautiful son." She said as she looked at the man. She moved back into the room and said softly, "Come you look like you could use a drink and to sit down. Matilde will look after the baby." She would indicate the direction to a small library and a small table with a decanter. "Please help yourself. You would be welcome to stay here ...if you chose. A tavern is no place for a child...your choice though, my offer." She gave an embarassed glance at the disarray on her writing table. Dreams. Writings. Poems. Silly of her. She still held onto hope that one day she would find happiness again.

Matilde would know what to do. She would find Annenen's old clothes, kept in a chest and bathe and feed and dress the child.

She herself moved to sit in one of the large chairs that framed the window and she offered her guest the same. She had not seen him in so long, and only briefly. She marveled that she remembered him, let alone he remembered her.