Happy and At Peace With the World

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 9th March 2018

Characters: Corowal, Erassa, Corolia, Felcoron
Description: Corowal and Erassa enjoy the Gather with the children
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 8 of Turn 9

Corowal was taking his family around the Gather. His first interested
was the runner races, so the race track was where they headed first.
Emerald Falls had two runners competing. They had been sent to Amber
Hills months ago, since the travel took time and the beasts needed to
get used to new location.

"So, wanna bet for winner?" he asked the children when they reached
the stables. There was just warm ups and preliminary races today, the
main even was scheduled to later.

"Ladies don't bet," Corolia said with a prissy tone.

"Good policy, saves your marks," Corowal grinned.

"I'll bet our runners win everything!" Felcoron boasted.

"Would you bet your montly allowance for that?" Corowal asked. Then he
leaned and whispered to him. "Never, ever place a bet in to just one
target. Spread them around and you're more likely to win."

Erassa leaned down to whisper in his other ear. "And never bet your
whole monthly allowance. Save some for the food and craft stalls."

"Do you think they have bubblies here?" Felcoron asked hopefully.

"They have bubblies," Corowal replied. "Bubblies are available
everywhere. It wouldn't be a Gather without bubblies."

"More than just bubblies," Erassa assured him as she swung the hand
clasped in Corolia's. "There's meat on sticks, flat breads, roasted
corn on the cob..." That was her favorite. Especially with a bit of
butter.

"I miss Coral Bay's deep fried spiderclaws. Never seen them anywhere
else," Corowal chatted. He spotted a familiar runner. "Look, there's
Emerald Raider!"

"What a beauty, don't you think?" Erassa said to Corolia as she looked
up into a large deep brown eye with an admiring smile.

"It is," the little girl replied. "Why isn't Champion racing? I love
him," she asked.

"He's too old, he's retired from racing," Corowal replied.

"But don't worry. You can be sure he is enjoying his retirement," the
fostermother said, giving the Lord Holder a knowing smile.

Corowal replied with a slighty naughty grin of his own.

"Can we pet the runners?" Corolia asked.

"No, sweetheart, they are preparing for the races so better not disturb them."

They admired the beasts awhile and then Corowal led the back to the
Gather square to see the other sights.

"Oh, look!" Erassa cried, putting a hand on Corowal's arm to catch his
attention as she pointed towards a small crowd of people. "Jugglers!"

"Those are always fun," Corowal said. When they got closer, he picked
Felcoron up so he would see them better.

"It's scary when they juggle the knives," Erassa said, though she also
found it very thrilling and exciting. She pulled Corolia close to her
side and wrapped an arm around her back. Leaning down she whispered
to the young girl, "Isn't the one in green handsome?"

"I think so, but not as handsome as daddy," Corolia replied.

"Of course not," her fostermother agreed out of politeness, but it did
draw her eyes unintentionally to the man standing beside her with his
son happily perched on his shoulders. It brought a warm smile to her
face as she looked at the pair. Corowal was certainly at his most
appealing when he was just being the good father she knew he was.

Corowal glanced in their direction just in time to catch Erassa's
look. His expression didn't change but his eyes did soften a little.

For once Erassa didn't turn away. If anything her smile deepened as
their eyes locked, her happiness in that moment written across her
face. She didn't ever want to forget that image of him.

Corowal just looked at her, looking happy and at peace with the world,
a rare moment for a Lord Holder.
"Anybody want to grap a bite?" he asked.

"I want a bubbly!" Felcoron declared and slid back down to his own feet.

"You have to eat something less sweet first or you'll get sick," Corowal warned.

Erassa nodded her agreement. "I bet they have some really good local
food at some of the stalls. Why don't we try something new before we
get dessert?"

"That sounds good to me, come on kids," Corowal said. He was getting
quite aware how attractive she looked in that dress. It actually
matched his daughter's and both being blonds, she could be mistaken as
Corolia's mother.Felcoron took after Corowal, with brownish auburn
hair and brown eyes.

"Look, there's the roasted corn!" Erassa said, excitedly pointing the
stand and feeling just as she did when she was a child. "Butter, salt
and a little pepper, it should be perfect! Does anyone else want to
try some?"

"That sounds delicious," Corowal nodded.

"Me!" Felcoron shouted and Corolia nodded too.

There was a line, so they had to wait their turn. Not that Corowal
minded. He enjoyed listening the children's chatter.

Erassa was already looking around to see what else was on offer in the
food stall area. "I guess I'm getting my favorite gather food," she
said turning the Lord Holder while the children bantered back and
forth. "Your pick next? What's your favorite treat?"

"Last time I was here they had really good wher-meat on stick,"
Corowal replied. "They cut to squares and there's also some grilled
vegetables. The stick goes thru them all and you hold on to the stick
and eat it from that." The last explanation was meant for the
children.

"Now doesn't that sound delicious," Erassa said with an exaggerated
expression of excitement for the children as they stepped up to take
their turn at the corn stall.

"What can I get you folks?" the round faced man behind the table asked
with a cheerful smile.

"We'll take four of those roaster corns," Corowal replied with a cheerful tone.

"Alright, sir," the man said as he place four corns back over the fire
to warm them.

"I'd like butter, salt and pepper on mine," Erassa said as she leaned
over to smell the roasting kernels.

"Well, your wife certainly is a woman who knows what she wants," the
man said with wink to Corowal, not knowing he was talking to a Lord.

"She is that," Corowal agreed with a secret smirk at the seller's
supposition and looked at the children. "What do you want? All the
spices?" He got two nods and replied to the seller: "We all take the
butter, salt and pepper."

The man handed a corn to each child. As Corowal's hands were busy
fishing out marks to pay, he handed two to Erassa. "Here you
are, ma'am. You have a beautiful family."

She blushed, thinking that someone ought to correct him, but she just
didn't know what to say other than a simple, "Thank you."

Corowal found the situation too amusing to correct the man. He just
paid the man and thanked him.

"Alright, let's get some meat to go with these and then bubblies. We
also need to find Corofel, again," he said. The boy had reached the
age where he prefered to roam the Gather in a group of other boys of
his age instead of his family.

Erassa only nodded as she already going to work on her cob of corn.
**Someone might mistake me for his wife,** she thought as she licked
the butter from her lips, **But no one would ever mistake me for his
Lady!**

Last updated on the March 29th 2018

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Happy and At Peace With the World