Over the course of Turel's five weeks absence, Seed kept himself busy at the Hungry Wolf. He wanted to distract himself, so he spent most of the afternoons and nights helping Silene out at the pub. He tried to discreetly practice his training exercises on the outskirts of the city in the morning where he wouldn't be seen, but he didn't want passersby to see him wielding sword and rune. He needed to stay active though, so he ran and did exercises in the grass. He wanted to find Culgan, but he wanted to wait until Turel's return. Now, it felt as if he had all the time in the world.
Christina quickly became a draw for new customers and popular with the regulars at the pub. Silene found herself spending more time cleaning than serving drinks or socializing, but it gave her more free time to chat with Seed when Christina took the spotlight.
Seed decided to skip his morning routine after an especially rowdy previous night at the pub. He unlocked the door, and Silene looked up from her notebook.
"You're here early," she smiled.
"Thought you could use a hand. Last night was pretty rough, and Christina got a little carried away with the singing and dancing."
"I already mopped up the mess," she said good-naturedly.
"I'll get the empty barrels out of here and put in some new ones," he offered, walking around the bar. "Christina offered to come by to help too, but I have the feeling she's going to be sleeping in a while longer."
"That's okay."
Seed carried a barrel out through the back door.
A moment later, Silene heard a knock at the front door. "Did you lock yourself out?" she teased, opening it.
"I forgot my key," Turel grinned.
"Turel!" she exclaimed joyfully and hugged him. "Welcome back!"
"Thanks! It's good to be home. And I come back bearing gifts."
Seed returned carrying a new keg of ale and set it atop the counter. "Hey!"
"Oh, Seed's here. Good, he can help me carry this stuff upstairs," Turel grinned.
Silene moved aside as Turel dragged a chest inside, and she caught a glimpse of a case that looked suspiciously like that of a cello.
Seed stepped past her to drag in the other chest. "You got a little carried away, didn't you?"
"A little," Turel admitted with a grin. "So, how's it been?"
"Business has been booming with Christina on board," Silene said.
"That vacation did wonders for my back," Turel said, stretching. "I'm glad it's been going so well. You're going to have to fill me in on everything."
"Hey, we're not the ones that went on vacation," Seed reminded him.
"That's right!" Silene poked him. "Regale us with your stories! How did you like Vinay del Zexay?"
"I loved it!" Turel grinned.
"And did you meet Lucia?" Seed asked.
"Yeah, I did. Lucia wished for me to tell you that she's happy to know that you're still alive. She'd also like you to visit her sometime."
"Really?" Seed grinned. "That's great!"
"I was nervous when I entered the grasslands. I nearly fell off of my horse when Lucia and the other Karayans rode up to investigate who I was," he chuckled. "I started shouting that I knew Seed… and Lucia laughed at me."
Seed chuckled, "I can only imagine how awkward that must have been."
"But my favorite part of the trip had to be fishing in Vinay del Zexay. The entire city was pretty amazing, and I had to check out their pubs while I was there."
"Meet any women?" Seed winked.
"Well," Turel looked from Seed to Silene. "I did find a world-renowned violin maker."
Silene wasn't sure by his tone whether he knew that she was her sister or not. She had told him she had a sister but never talked about her family or her past life, and he respected her privacy enough not to ask about it.
"Anyway, when I went to the store to buy you an instrument, I got to talking about you and she trusted me with a very special instrument to give to you," he said, lifting up the case.
"Thank you," Silene couldn't think of words that could amply express her gratitude.
"She sure was a sweet gal," he grinned.
"Who was a sweet gal?" Christina said, barging in behind him. "Hey, you're back!"
"Yeah, I'm home. I hear you've been really helping out around here."
"I try!" Christina hopped up to sit on one of the stools at the bar. "Hey, what's that?" she asked, pointing at the cello case.
Silene lifted it open and smiled, "My mother's cello. Thank you, Turel."
"You're welcome." Turel opened the coffer he'd brought along, "Don't worry, I didn't forget about you guys. It might not compare to a cello, but Seed, I got you a tunic fit for a Zexen knight. And Christina, I got you some beads and bracelets from the Karaya clan." He handed them their souvenirs.
Seed examined the fabric and the designs around the collar, "Thanks!"
Silene recognized the orange and gold on his tunic and couldn't help smiling. It made her a little nostalgic.
Christina hopped off her seat and took the jewelry from him. "Oh, colorful!" She slipped the beaded bracelet around her wrist and said, "Thank you, Turel!"
Turel grinned, "You're all welcome. Now, I need to unpack and take a nap. I'm exhausted."
Christina looked at Seed and then to the others. "Well, I think I will just go back to the inn…"
Seed scoffed, "I knew you'd try to get out of helping me."
"Me? Never!"
Turel lugged his suitcase up the stairs. "Silene, I hope you'll play us a song later."
"Of course," she answered, ready to take her cello upstairs for a good tuning.
With Turel back at the Hungry Wolf, Seed felt he could dedicate himself to finding Culgan. He would begin his search bright and early the next morning. Hopefully he wouldn't have to go all the way back to Kyaro, but now he had the time to make the trip.