The Shards of a Broken Heart

[»Míríel«]

Tarian was slightly shocked by the reaction Damion was giving, but he didn't let it surface on his serene face. It was obvious Damion was trying to control himself, so Tarian thought he would let the man simmer down a bit. He would have to be tactful in saying what he was about to. The last thing any of them needed was a fight. Tarian followed Damion's eyes to the sky, wondering what he was looking for. Then shrugging he took a sip of tea and leaned against the wall of the house. "She lost a lot of blood I'm afraid. She was in a small pool of it when I found her. Luckily when we got back Neron was able to help and he stopped the blood."

Cecily, who had been coming to the door to see what was going on outside poked her head out of the doorway and heard what Damion had asked. "She avoided the shock but she hasn't fully woken up. When she has she has been severely disoriented." Her eyes fell to Damion's hand. "A waste of my tea. There is more inside, though if you keep freezing it to death I will have to ban you from it." Then without another word or waiting she popped her head back in and went back to the fire. The rabbit smelled just about ready.

Tarian smiled slightly at Cecily's sudden appearance and then looked to Damion. "I don't know how she enters into the conversation so perfectly and knows what to say and what we were talking about but she does have an odd habit of doing so." He shrugged. " don't worry about the questions. She's your friend, you have a right to be upset." Tarian smiled slightly at Damion's frustration. "She has flown the nest hasn't she? I would say don't worry about her but it seems this isn't the right setting to do so. I'm sure soon you will have your own children to worry about. Enjoy the break in between."

"If you were to take my advice, which you don't have to. I would say don't bother Neron. The worst thing that could happen is for him to get angry and leave. What ever happened try and forget about it or ask him about it later. Right now isn't the right time. Jaedon needs him."

[saerwen]

Damion looked at Tarian with a small smile on his face, " I suppose that means I have you to thank for bringing her here." Damion had always liked Tarian. There had been a time when he had been worried that the man might steal Miriel away, but he had soon come to realize that was far from Tarian's intentions. He was glad that there was another guy around with a seemingly level head aside from him.

When Cecily poked her head out and answered his questions Damion simply raised an eyebrow at the strange girl and then looked down at his cup and smiled. When she had left Damion looked up at Tarian with a smile on his face. "I love the tea, but I hate the heat." He soon got rid of the ice, being careful to not water the tea down too much. "She should know that every thing that I put in my mouth enters half frozen already."

When Tarian spoke of him having his own children to worry about Damion nearly spit out the tea that he had just put in his mouth. Barely managing to swallow, he gave Tarian a terrified look and then said in a gasp, "What break? Are you kidding me? If I'm not worried about those two," he jerked his head towards the house where Neron and Jaedon were, "then I am worried about Miriel." He then paused after the initial shock and calmed down enough to add, "Not that I don't want kids. I am just looking forward to all of the joy and dreading all of the heartbreak that comes with them."

Damion listened to Tarian and nodded, "Yeah, I know you're right. And right now I would say that when this whole thing is over with I am going to take out all of the pent up rage on him, but I know that by that time, there won't be any rage left. It is funny what a few days or even hours can do to change your thinking." He looked at the sky and noted that a bit of time had passed. He would need to get home soon before Miriel showed up and found him gone. He looked at Tarian with a smile, "I am afraid that I have to get home now. But, would you do me a favor and let me know if she wakes up before I come back? Just so that I know she is okay." He popped into the house long enough to set the cup down, fully drained of its contents and tell Cecily a quick thank you for the tea. He then turned around and looked at Tarian with grateful eyes, "Thanks for taking care of them. I am glad to know I can depend on more than just me to help them. I owe you one." Damion then start to walk back home. He had been telling the truth when he had told Tarian that. Now that he was married, he realized that his number one concern was Miriel, and that left him less time to be worrying about Jaedon or Neron for that matter. He was glad that someone else with a kind heart was looking out for them, but he would also never give up his post completely.

[»Míríel«]

Tarian shook his head. " Not a problem. I would want someone to do the same for me." He chuckled as Damion talked of Cecily. "Do not worry about her, she is mostly bark and no bite. Though I would warn, once she does, one does not forget it." Cecily, when riled up could be a brutal adversary, though it took a lot to get her to finally fight back physically. Then again, one could never tell with Cecily, she had been known to suddenly flip emotions before. Everyone who knew her for even a short time knew that.

"I wouldn't worry to much, it will be sending yourself off to an early death. That would be the worse thing for your friends to handle."

"You can count on me." He would have refused Damion's suggestion that he owed Tarian anything. But Tarian had a feeling that saying such wouldn't make Damion move at all. It was better to not ask for anything than to argue. Instead he just nodded with a smile and let the man get on his way. Just as he crossed the floor and handed Cecily the mug, Neron ended the song. It didn't seem that Neron's music was working to wake her up, but it did seem to sooth the girl. Perhaps that is what needed to happen. It was dinner time and the three gathered around and took their portions. This had already been a long wait and it might prove to be a longer one. till everyone took it with stride. Cecily and Tarian gave Neron space and let him have at least some time alone with Jaedon, even though Cecily was always present she distanced herself to the back of the room. Jaedon's condition was neither good, nor bad. All they could do was wait.

The End"