For a moment, no one moved. Even the girls, who had been shoved behind their mother at the first sign of trouble, were still. Mae could just barely see a glimpse of their wide silver eyes against the pale lavender of their skin. Kalibose's brother's wife, for that was surely who it was, stared at the mage with narrowed, distrustful eyes, and inwardly Mae groaned. She did not figure that the meeting between Kalibose and his family would be sunshine and roses- in fact, from the way he had described the events of the trial, he was pretty sure his sister would reject him straight off. But Mae had had a feeling as soon as she picked up the discarded wedding flyer-they were meant to be here today. Just as she had been sure that she was meant to stumble into that cave in Dustwallow to escape torrential rain, and just as she knew she was meant to eventually travel with Kalibose to Stormwind after he was released from Stardust Spire. These events were being rolled forward by something greater than either of them, and whether today ended in gladness or sorrow, they were meant to play out these events to the finish.

The short night elf that wore a dress that closely resembled a purple cloud broke the silence first. She strode forward with purpose to her younger brother, her mouth set in a line and her eyes blazing golden. In spite of the bravado that he had shown moments before, Mae felt Kalibose tense beside her. He opened his mouth, then promptly closed it. As the other night elf got close enough that Mae could sense the anger roiling off of her in waves and smell the scent of ale surrounding her, Kalibose took a step back.

"Now, Lorel-" he started, but was interrupted by the petite druid pulling back and without hesitation, punching him straight in the face. Without even thinking about it, Mae bristled and grabbed her staff off her back. Kalibose reeled back, holding his jaw, as she started screeching at him.

"Where the HELL have you been, Kalibose Woodstalker?!"

Mae gripped her staff tightly, preparing to come to his defense, but she got a good look at the tears in the other girl's eyes and cautiously took a step back instead. This was not disgust—this was emotional. Kalibose's sister continued to berate him, stabbing one finger into his chest.

"We thought you were dead! We have been in mourning! Talrend named-" here she choked up, pressing a hand to her mouth and tears running down her face. Mae saw the most interesting change come over Kalibose's face: his expression had been fearful, but as his sister spoke, there was an unmistakeable wave of intense relief, followed by something that was so unlike him she thought she was mistaken at first. Kalibose actually looked contrite. His sister seemed to get ahold of herself and continued.

"And here you've been the entire time, playing around with magic, gallivanting off Elune knows where while we all just assumed our baby brother was dead, without a letter, without a fucking word to let us know you were okay-"

"Lorel." Kalibose's voice startled Mae. It was quiet, but so full of raw emotion that she nearly didn't recognize it. He seemed to be struggling for words and Mae felt such sympathy for him at that moment that she forgot to be on guard and just watched the scene play out.

"I didn't-I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me at all, especially after the trial—"

Lorel launched herself at Kalibose again, but although he flinched worse than before, this time she wrapped her arms around his neck tight enough that she brought him down to her height and his eyes bugged.

"You huge fucking idiot," came her voice, muffled by his robe. For a moment, Kalibose looked like he was going to pull away, then quickly, as if he was trying to convince himself that it was the proper response, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. To her surprise Mae found tears starting to sting her eyes, and she took a step away from Kalibose and his sister to give them a moment of privacy.

She instead turned to observe Kalibose's older brother and his family. Some of the distrust was gone from the wife's eyes, but her face was so hard to read-Mae couldn't tell if she worked hard to keep up a neutral facade, or if that really was her default expression. The younger girl behind her, who was topped with an unruly amount of short blue hair, had already lost interest in the commotion and was tugging at her mother's shirt to go play. She bent down and absently picked her up, almost immediately passing the child off to her father. Kalibose's brother still had this horrified look on his face that the spectacle in front of him was actually a ghost. He took his daughter without protest, which seemed to break him out of his reverie. He leaned over to speak to his wife privately as Mae tuned back into Kalibose and Lorel talking.

"-can't tell, we aren't exactly under Mom and Dad's thumb anymore. Tal—sorry, Elforen, I am never going to remember that, never went back after he left, and after all the shit that went down with you, I was gone as soon as my trials were over."

Kalibose held a hand up to stop her. "Wait, who?"

Lorel pointed her thumb back over shoulder just as Mae saw a shadow pass into the edge of her vision. She turned sharply to see Kalibose's older brother walking toward him cautiously. He clung to his daughter like she was a life preserver as he met up with his brother. Mae noted with curiosity that Kalibose was taller than his older brother, and it seemed to strike the other night elf, as well: it did not look natural at all for him to crane his neck to see his brother's face. His voice was deeper than Kalibose's and sounded just as rough as he spoke.

"How did you do it? You were fifteen, Kalibose, and not exactly a fighter. How did you survive out on your own?"

The night elf's eyes held much more caution than Mae was comfortable with. This was, however, his home: they were the strangers invading their privacy. For the first time, Mae felt a twinge of regret for showing up to their house unannounced. Kalibose's expression looked equally guarded as he made a noncommittal gesture.

"You know me, Brother, I'm very stubborn."

The elder Woodstalker brother took a step backward and his mouth twisted slightly.

"Actually, I don't think I know you very well at all."

Mae saw Kalibose's shoulders stiffen up at his brother's words. Mae couldn't keep the cringe out of her posture. She was certain that he would open his mouth and say something terrible, and there would be a huge fight, and then she would have to physically force Kalibose to apologize, and she was so sure of this that it took her by surprise to see the other night elf break the tension first. He sighed, rubbed a hand across his eyes, and when he lifted his head his face was more patient than before.

"I'm sorry. This has just been a shock. I am not sure how to take this."

He made a vague gesture between the two of them. Mae saw, to her disappointment, that Kalibose's posture had not relaxed at all with the confession: in fact, he seemed to be trying to silently shore himself up against any kind of emotion and Mae wanted to kick him for it. The elder Woodstalker settled back on his back leg and continued speaking.

"It's a long story, but I don't go by Talrend or Woodstalker anymore. It's Elforen, and as of today, Silverleaf. I'll be happy to talk further and hear an explanation from you, as well, but not in front of everyone here. Stay, if you are able, until everything is over and the rest of the guests are gone. We have much to talk about, I think."

Mae saw the indecision flicker over Kalibose's face and before he could answer, she stepped in front of him.

"We'd be honored to stay, if it won't be any trouble." Mae put on her best humble smile and bowed before Elforen and his wife. The gesture softened his expression and he inclined his head back at her.

"You are welcome here, Miss-"

"This is Mae." Kalibose's voice sounded sulky and it nearly drove the smile from her face. "She and I have been traveling together."

Elforen shifted his daughter to his other hip and shook Mae's hand. "This rapscallion is Genne. This is my wife Zarabethe, and our other daughter, Brekke."

The violet-haired woman nodded to her once, stiffly. The older girl tried to step even further behind her mother at the mention of her name. Mae put on her gentlest smile and knelt down on one knee.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Brekke." She gestured to the cottage that was almost hidden behind the throng of guests and tables. "Is that your house?"

The other girl, Genne, struggled in her father's arms and he put her down reluctantly. She immediately ran up and grabbed her by the arm. Mae was briefly overwhelmed by several flashes in her mind: hair cut to the scalp by a pair of dirty shears in the back of an alley, strips of cloth bound over her chest as tight as possible, leaving welts in her skin, and the most disturbing, notches cut into her arm, keeping track of something she couldn't see. It was very clear for a random flash from a stranger, and Mae nearly pulled back from her in shock. The girl wasn't bothered by her visions though; she was just a child, rough and tumble, and pulling her by the arm towards the house.

"Come see MY room!"

Brekke stepped out from behind her mother. "It's my room too," she added unhappily. She trudged along behind them as Genne led the way through the crowd. Mae glanced behind her; both Kalibose and his older brother wore matching looks of panic as their safety nets walked away from them. Man stifled a giggle as she let herself be pulled away. Maybe it was good to give them some space for a bit.

Kalibose gripped his staff tight enough that he felt his fingers start to go numb. Of course she would find a reason to wander off, after putting him in the most awkward situation possible. He funneled all his irritation to Mae; if he was aggravated at her, then he wouldn't have to look his brother, his childhood idol, in the eye and see mistrust . Talrend in turn didn't look entirely comfortable either; he avoided direct eye contact as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"So are you traveling, or..." he let the question wander off and Kalibose fought the urge to curse out loud. In the hurry and confusion of trying to find the secluded house in the heart of Elwynn Forest, he had completely forgotten about the artifacts stowed away in their bags. The specialty shop would have to wait for now; he had no idea when they would be leaving his brothers house. Probably well after it closed.

"Traveling for now. We, um, acquired a bunch of draconic artifacts and we're looking to have them appraised in town." The pack on his back suddenly felt ten times heavier than it did a few moments ago and he longed to put it down. He shifted his staff to the other hand and tried to ease the pull of the straps against his shoulder. "Neither of us really have a home base yet, if that is what you were asking."

"How long have you two been together ?" Lorel seemed to have decided that the occasion was best digested over ale and returned from her brief foray with a mug that looked ridiculous compared to the size of her hands. Kalibose took a moment to just look at his sister. She was, to put it mildly, completely different than he had expected. He had known her wild side before , of course, but it had been hidden under layers of decorum and false obedience. As he watched his sister perch indelicately on top of a table and kick back half of the mug's contents at once, he had to shake his head in wonder. Twenty years might be small in the life of a night elf, but for Kalibose, it had changed so much. He had come into this meeting with all the trepidation that he thought possible for one person to hold. For the first time, though, he found that there was hope glimmering on the edges of that anxiety. All of them had changed irreparably in two decades. Perhaps there was still the possibility that there was a place among them, however small.

The idea made the center of his chest hurt.

Lorel finished her drink, belched loudly, to the eye-roll of Talrend, and leaned back on the table. "She's pretty cute though, good job Brother. You haven't done all bad since you've been gone."

Kalibose blinked at her, confused, then realized that both of her statements were intended to be together. He drew himself up taller, coughing and clearing his throat.

"We are not together together. We met up about six months ago in Dustwallow while I was hunting my amplifier. She helped with my quest, I helped with hers. She's useful, that's all." He was slightly horrified to realize that his ears were burning.

"Useful. Uh huh." Lorel winked at him, and his ears burned hotter. He turned to Talrend, who was giving their sister an exasperated look over his wife's shoulder.

"Is she always like this?"

For the first time a ghost of a smile threatened to overcome his brother's expression. "Usually." He met his wife's eyes briefly, then seemed to come to a decision. He stepped forward and Kalibose tensed without meaning to. This would be it. This would be when he was kicked out.

"I'll show you where you can store your things. We need to get back to our wedding guests, but there will be a meal served later and I'd like if it you could stay. At least until the evening and we get things sorted."

Kalibose tried to swallow around his dry throat and didn't quite manage. He nodded, and Talrend led the way down the short path to their house. He felt his brother's wife's eyes on him as he went, but he held his back as straight as possible as he followed behind.

There, that wasn't as bad as it could it have been.

"Shut the fuck up," he muttered as quietly as possible. K'vaat in return made a tinkling sound in his head that sounded distinctively like laughter.

He hung back as they made their way to the house. The going was actually slow, as several of the wedding guests had realized that the couple was missing from the revelry and accosted his brother to congratulate him or just to chat. He responded to each interruption with grace and a good nature, and it gave Kalibose a moment to watch him. He tried in vain to remember how Talrend used to act around other people and generally failed. The memories of a nine year old tended to only center around himself. He only remembered how he had been with his siblings and family: kind and protective to the former, and preferring avoidance to the latter. Although Talrend had never failed to be polite to his extended family, his good manners were usually met with disdain or sharp jabs. His behavior today, however, reflected a different attitude. This was a man that had the respect of many. This was a man that got on well with all different races and walks of life, if the diversity of his guests was any indication. He met people with sincerity, he looked them in the eye and joked around with them and made them feel at home. Kalibose was at the same time impressed and highly intimidated. Talrend seemed to have gotten his life together in 20 years, in fact was doing really well for himself. How could there possibly be any room for his Outcast little brother?

His mood had tanked even lower by the time he ducked his head and stepped into the small cottage. He was already planning an exit strategy: leave quietly before the dinner so he wouldn't disrupt his brother's life anymore. No one should have to be associated with him if they didn't choose to. This entire idea was folly. He was a criminal. The only place in the world for him were back alleys and deserted towns. Not a self-insertion into real life that he could never hope to live up to. He had nearly berated himself into tears before he heard the sound of laughter reaching his ears. There was a high-pitched shriek, giggling, and then he heard something he had quite honestly forgotten about in the past few minutes: the voice of Mae.

"And with a puff of smoke, the druid disappeared. Poof!"

His brother stepped through the kitchen and peered around the corner with a frown on his face. It quickly smoothed into a smile. Kalibose caught up as he addressed the room.

"I see they have coerced you to read to them."

Mae was sitting cross legged on the floor in the middle of a child's bedroom. She had a book laying in front of her but both of the girls were sitting on her lap and watching with rapt attention. Even the older girl, who had appeared to not even remember how, was smiling. Mae glanced up at his brother's voice and smiled so big Kalibose thought that she might outshine the sun's rays coming in through the window.

"There was no coercion to be had! I love to tell stories. Especially to such an attentive audience." She hugged both girls in her lap, and Kalibose felt something in his stomach twist. The older girl turned to her father.

"Mae can stay for dinner, right, Daddy? Please? I want to hear more stories." She lowered her voice to a faux whisper. "She said that she has seen dragons. She and Uncle Kalibose. Please can they stay?"

Even his brother seemed a little taken aback by his daughter's plea, but he took it in stride. "They are welcome to stay for dinner if they want to."

Both girls cheered and Kalibose couldn't even figure out what his feelings were doing. He had been upset, hadn't he? There was a reason for his throat to be tight, surely?

Mae gave both girls another hug and then shooed them out of her lap. "That's enough for now, ladies, I have to go help your uncle."

Both of them made noises of disappointment, and it was only after she promised to sit with them at dinner was she permitted to leave. Kalibose found he didn't have much to stay after that: he let her lead as they followed his brother to the storage closet in the back of their house. They stashed their things, locked the closet, and there Talrend paused. He didn't seem completely comfortable with leaving them to their own devices in his house without supervision, a fact that was not lost on Mae. She grabbed his arm and declared how thirsty she was, and they both left the house in search of the refreshment outside. Kalibose helped himself to a glass of wine and they both found a somewhat secluded table to sit at and watch the action. Mae caught his eye as he drank the wine down, hoping to take advantage of its effects as quickly as possible.

"How are you doing?"

He shook his head and instead watched his sister where she was arm wrestling with a worgen at least twice her size. There was a crowd of people lined up behind him, either waiting to take their turn or cheering him on, he couldn't tell. She won the game easily, slamming the worgen down on the table hard enough that he could hear the thump from here. The small crowd around her erupted, and someone handed her a shot, which she kicked back in triumph.

"Terrible. How did I let you talk me into this?"

"Kal. Stop it."

He turned toward her in surprise. She had never called him that before: in fact, not only did she always use his full name, she usually tacked on the last name as well, like it held power over him. The soft epithet broke down his defenses more effectively than any kind of insult would, and he bowed his head in defeat as he listened to her. She reached forward and took his hand, which he hadn't realized was flickering a flame on and off.

"They want you to stay. Give this a chance, okay?"

He stopped casting, and she kept her hand on his. He was so keyed up he didn't even bother to take his hand back from her. His reply was almost a whisper.

"They look so happy. I don't want to ruin that."

"That is extremely defeatist, Kalibose Woodstalker." Her face matched the disapproval in her voice and he couldn't help but feel relieved at the use of his full name. She poked a finger at his face. "You aren't ruining anything. You saw how worried they had been about you. No matter what path you had pursued, they still care about you."

She dropped the volume of her voice and leaned across the table to him. Strands of her silver hair fell out of her loose ponytail and she blew it out of her eyes before she spoke.

"I know this is hard on you, Kalibose. I'm just asking you to try. If it goes badly, we will walk away and I will not ask you again. Either way, you know how they think."

Kalibose started tapping on the table, resisting the need to cast. "You will be the death of me."

She grinned at him and leaned back in her chair. "You wouldn't know what to do without me."

No, I wouldn't, he thought. Instead he emptied his wine glass and got up to get another.

Dinner was much less traumatizing than he had anticipating. His brother's daughters had drug Mae over to the smaller table and he managed it find a place at the corner away from everyone. He couldn't be sure what was served or how much he ate: he spent the entire time trying to keep his anxiety off his face and out of his hands. He only managed to set his napkin on fire once, which he quickly slapped out, and he thought that wasn't too bad. Too soon guests were gathering their things to leave and both his sister and his brother's wife came to collect the girls to put them to bed. Mae stood and helped gather plates, and he took several steps backward under the shade of a tree, drawing his hood down to cover his face and holding onto his staff like a life raft. He still wasn't sure how this night was going to end. Every time he started to postulate a conversation with either of his estranged siblings, his mind descended into chaos and he couldn't focus on any of it all. he was in that place now, whirling things around his head, when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. To his embarrassment he flinched terribly until he saw it was his brother. Talrend's face was unreadable, but he looked him in the eye as he spoke.

"Help me move the tables? Terrence will pick them up in the morning and take them back to the inn."

"Sure." It came out with a squeak, but both brothers ignored it as they walked to the now clean tables. Kalibose started to panic as he placed his hands on the solid oak plank that was the top. They were heavy, and he was still somewhat worn out from the week long trip on the boat. For a moment he considered casting a levitating spell, then he made the mistake of looking up. His brother was watching him. Really watching him, without malice or judgment. Gritting his teeth, Kalibose set his feet and attempted to lift the table without magical assistance. He just barely made it a few inches off the ground, grunting and sweating and nearly stumbling, but he did make it the several yards to the side of the house. Talrend took the majority of the weight without complaint. Kalibose dropped his side ungracefully, blowing air out of his mouth loudly. He leaned against the table for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He caught a glimpse of his brother watching him with a bemused expression on his face, and against his better judgment, his mouth opened.

"It's a hell of a lot easier to use a levitation spell."

Talrend's half-smile froze, but only for a moment. Kalibose slammed his mouth shut and tried not to look as panicked as he felt. After what felt like an eternity, Talrend gestured to the table nonchalantly.

"Well? Go ahead."

"I'm sorry, what?" It all came out in a rush and Kalibose wished his mouth to disappear into the Abyss where it obviously came from. Talred again gestured to the table.

"Use your levitation spell. Put the table against the house. Let's just say," and here his voice had an edge to it that Kalibose could not quite place, "I'm curious."

Kalibose willed his hands not to shake as he called to mind the spell. It was simple: one of the first he learned. He wouldn't even have to borrow mana from the staff to perform it. No, instead he was worried he would overdo it: it would not do him any good to slam the table through the wall, either. Once he was sure he had the right balance, he whispered the spell under his breath as he flicked his fingers upward. The table rose a few inches, just enough to clear the grass, slid smoothly to the side, and nestled itself flush against the side of the house before settling down onto the ground again. Kalibose let out a breath. Talrend was leaning back on one foot with an appraising look on his face.

"Interesting."

His brother gestured to him, from his head to his scruffy boots. "And it does not effect you when you cast?"

Kalibose thought that the conversation with his brother made him more weak in the knees than any spell might.

"It does, actually. Every spell borrows against a person's life force. This was just a small one."

Talrend's face looked less casual as he continued. "And this is what you choose, of your own free will? No one has forced you into a mage's life?"

Kalibose felt his heart jump into his throat. Nothing but the truth would do here, no matter if it eroded the fragile truce they had found.

"I have studied magic for the last twenty years, at great peril to my life, and I intend on continuing to pursue it until it consumes me. This is my life, this is what I choose. Even if it means I will never be able to return home."

"The pursuit of power?"

There was no more pretense in his brother's face. This was how he was measuring his Outcast brother, and Kalibose forced himself to slow down and take a breath before he spoke.

"The pursuit of knowledge. The pursuit of skill. I do not seek to dominate others or to take lives, although I will if I have to. This thing right here," he knocked a fist against the crystal that floated atop his staff and it glinted purple, "keeps me from that. I do not mindlessly seek power."

His brother did not look convinced, and Kalibose spread his hands to the side. "I know that to you, and most night elves, I am merely a poor addict looking for a mana fix. But listen to me, Brother: do I appear to be out of control? I have graduated my magical training. I have completed my quest to gain my amplifier, and I am here, trying to reconnect with what little family I believe I have a chance with. Before, I was living a lie in the shadow of a family that demanded I do what they wanted. Now I am better, I am stronger, I am trying to build my life again."

His voice threatened to choke on the last sentence and he clamped his mouth shut. His brother nodded his head to the silhouettes in the fading daylight. It was Lorel, who looked as if she had finally had enough to drink. She was walking back to the house, but she was swaying as she told what looked to be a hilariously raunchy story. But the most important person was Mae, who had graciously taken Lorel's arm so she didn't fall. She giggled and her face was beet red, and the dwindling sun lit up her hair like a rare metal. She walked slowly, giving her full attention to the petite night elf beside her, and Kalibose felt somewhere inside of his stomach jump.

"And what about Mae?" Kalibose forced his attention away from the monk and back to his brother. "What does she think about all this?"

Kalibose snuck one more look back at her. She had stopped as Lorel bent over double laughing, slapping her thigh in her entertainment. Mae laughed along with her, her hand over her face, and it was then that she glanced up at him. Electricity flared between them as their eyes met. Her face lit up, and she waved at him encouragingly, before taking his sister's arm again and starting them back up the walk to the house.

"Mae accepts me, as me." It took a moment for him to realize he implied their relationship was deeper than friendship, but he didn't bother to correct it. It didn't feel at this moment that the distinction was important. His brother had watched the entire silent engagement, and nodded his head again.

"Then I will try to, as well."

He swept past him without another word, and Kalibose spun around, trying to catch up to his brother's faster stride. There wasn't much more spoken aloud as Kalibose levitated the second table, and Talrend helped maneuver it beside the first one. By that time the sun had sunken fat and red below the horizon, and the last of the straggling guests had staggered down the path and off the property to continue any other partying elsewhere. Kalibose and Talrend joined the women in the kitchen. Freyda had organized a squad of dwarves to clean up after dinner and to put food away, but Talrend's wife was making a pot of coffee as well as putting the kettle on for tea. She was still dressed in her wedding clothes, but she had donned an comfortable looking wrap on top of it and her jeweled sandals had been put away. Kalibose for the life of him could not remember her name, but he supposed he had time to learn it.

He had time to learn it. He was not about to be turned out on his ear.

He sat down with a thump in the proffered chair at the kitchen table. Suddenly the entire day seemed to have lasted weeks. Mae stood at the stove, looking through the teas on the shelf and talking excitedly about each one. Lorel emerged from a previously innocuous doorway. She had traded the ridiculous purple dress for a loose sweater and pair of shorts that barely covered the areas they needed to. She wobbled to the table, and accepted the cup of coffee from her sister-in-law. Talrend had disappeared, and when he came back he was no longer wearing his suit coat. He kissed his now-wife on the cheek as he took a cup of coffee from her.

"The girls in bed?"

"Reluctantly." It was the first time Kalibose had heard her speak, and he was determined to find out her name quickly so that he could place it with her voice. "They had to have a story from your brother's friend. And promises to visit again soon."

Her silver eyes skipped over his for a quick moment, then she turned back to the stove. She obviously still didn't really trust him. He couldn't fault her for that. His vision was taken over by Mae then as she brought them both a cup of tea. Her face was encouraging as she sat down beside him at the table. His brother chose to remain standing, leaning against the counter, while the violet-haired night elf finished making her coffee and settled in the empty chair across from him. It was warm, almost too warm for the hour, but she shivered and pulled the wrap closer around her.

"So, Kalibose," she started, then took a sip of her coffee. The way she said his name made him want to crawl under the table. "What are you and Mae's plans for the present?"

Her face did not hold even an ounce of friendliness. He tried valiantly to find his tongue, but Mae thankfully cut in.

"We have a bag of draconic artifacts to get appraised and sell, then we thought we'd look around Stormwind, see what there was available. Isn't that right?"

She nudged him, and he gulped down a mouthful of his tea before agreeing.

"What she said."

Zarabethe nodded to Mae. "Where are you from, Mae?"

She straightened up and turned bubbly as she talked about her hometown. "My parents are based out of Astranaar. We were up there a few months ago, but we'd like to find somewhere to stay for longer than a night or two. And we can't stay anywhere near Ashenvale Forest, obviously."

"Obviously." His answer was a lot more sarcastic than he intended, but Mae didn't seem to mind.

His brother looked like he had a million questions, but he nodded instead. "Well, you are welcome here. We are estranged from our parents here in Elwynn, so it is safe."

He took a drink of his coffee before muttering half to himself, "Just don't teach my girls to cast spells."