Ensemble - Sunset

"Each morning sees some task begin, Each evening sees it close; Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose."

Time passed, as it so often tended to do, without consulting any of its current occupants. The warming, gentle sunlight of just barely past noon soon turned in the sky and began to set, hanging low upon the ridges of the mountains surrounding the Pine Valley.

The fall air was rich with the scent of pine and smoke, roasting meat, and baking fruit pies as the villagers each prepared a dish for the feast to come. A mockingbird called lowly, slowly in the distance, then gave up, for no one was paying attention to what he had decided was his most beautiful song.

Very few monsters roamed the low plains of the valley, preferring to keep to the dense forest that lined the mountain ranges around it. Though a token guard was posted about the village and instructed to patrol regularly, walking along the boundary fence, only once in the past year had they been forced to deal with any creatures of ill intent.

No, the festival would go off without a hitch. The night's peace would not be broken except for the occasional loud, cheery reveler.

Hot Creek was one of the few towns in the world that could claim its guards died primarily of boredom.

Ty finished his costume despite the constant nagging of the girls, and was surprised to find he was rather proud of it. The helm, dagger, and shield he had borrowed from Elder Kiel. The tunic, however, resplendent in its gold and red, he had worked on himself.

Clipping away the last excess string and removing the last pin, Ty pulled the tunic on over his plain shirt. It fit perfectly, but then, Marina had helped him with the pattern. He stood, tugging it down around his hips, then grinned and strapped on the harness that held the dagger and shield.

The helm was next. He fit it over his head, then, flipping down the visor. Through the slits he groped for his boots and gauntlets, pulling them on in turn, then left his room.

Clomping down the stairs, he could hear the girls giggling to each other in the living room. The scent of Kellen's famous pot pies drifted from the kitchen, he could hear Kell muttering to himself there.

It was difficult to tiptoe when he couldn't see his own feet, but he managed to get to the living room door quietly enough. Grinning fit to burst, he leaped out from behind the doorway into the midst of the girls.

Merry screamed. Hope sat silent, wide eyed, and suddenly burst into tears.

"Papaaaaaaaaa!" Merry screamed again, standing and taking a step back as if to run, then changing her direction and taking a step towards Hope. Then, her face screwed up into the fiercest expression she could manage, she leaped towards him and swung her little fists, pummeling wildly. Meanwhile, Hope stared at him with the most terrified eyes he had ever seen and wept.

"Merry! Hope! It's okay, it's just me!" he tried to tell them, warding off Merry's blows. "It's me, Ty!" By then Kellen had come bursting into the room from the kitchen door. Covered in flour and brandishing a rolling pin and a butcher's knife, Kellen's face was terrifying to behold.

At last Ty did what he should have done the second this whole thing got out of control. He reached up and ripped the helm off his head, blinking at the sudden light flooding into his eyes. "It's me!" he shouted one last time, and was absurdly thankful that the farm was far enough from everyone else's homes that no one had heard the panic.

Kellen swore loudly, lowering the knife and pin. "What in all the hells were you thinking, Ty?"

Merry had sagged down in relief and was now clutching Hope to her side. Hope had stopped crying, but her tear stained little face was filled with such reproach that Ty could have stabbed himself with guilt. "Yeah, Ty! What were you thinking?" she demanded, and sounded so like her late mother that even Kell looked confused for a moment.

"You knew I was making this costume!" Ty protested. "And I didn't think you'd react like that! One would think a goblin had marched in here with all the screaming."

Merry stood and wagged a finger at him. "You still shouldn't have tried to scare us," she announced primly. Hope also stood and wobbled her way over to Kell, who set down the rolling pin and held the butcher knife behind his back as he pulled her close.

"I won't do it again," Ty promised, then paused. "So, I take it the costume looks good?" he asked with a grin.

Kell raised his eyebrows. "Cheeky," he muttered. Merry nodded sagely as well. "Cheeky," she parroted.

From where her little face was hidden, he could hear Hope's voice agree. "Cheeky."

Aaron awoke to the last rays of the setting sun turning the sky as orange as his own skin. He blinked slowly, then rolled over, adjusting the sheets and covers., reveling in the delicious nap he had just finished

Margery stirred in her sleep beside him, but did not wake. She must have laid down after he had already dozed off, for she hadn't gotten under the covers. Her boots lay discarded at the edge of the large inn bed, her skirt was a little rucked up, shirt disarrayed. Normally he'd take the time to enjoy the view of her stocking covered legs, but some tender feeling within him stopped him. He gently arranged her skirt so that it once again lay to its full length, chalking his bizarre lack of lechery up to tiredness.

"Margie," he said, leaning over to kiss her lightly on the temple. "Time to wake, dearest."

She stirred once more, then slowly opened her eyes, blinking a bit from the last bit of sunlight pouring through the window like sweet summer honey. Their eyes met and she smiled, suddenly and brilliantly.

"Aaron," she said sleepily. "You're really home."

Was it the sunlight on her face that made her seem to glow so brightly? Or was it just that smile? Gods, how he wanted to kiss her. How he'd always wanted to kiss her. But no, they were friends, and friends only. She'd made that clear years before.

"Yeah," he said, and as she yawned, stuck his finger in her wide open mouth, laughing uproariously as she tried and failed to close it and bite him.

"I hate you," she informed him when she'd finally finished yawning, pouting those beautiful lips a bit at the grin he couldn't seem to wipe off his face.

"Yeah," he said, then leaned forward and kissed her anyway.

Raithen tied off the laces to the back of Namarea's robe even as behind him, Salira helped him with his own laces. Her hands were quick, she tugged once at the bow then pinched his rear.

He snarled playfully at her as she danced out of his reach, giggling as she went to help Julin don her own mage robes. Of all of them, Salira was the most fashion conscious, and had chosen their evening clothes tonight.

"Rai," that was Harrier, leaning in around the door lintel. "The sun just set."

Immediately the group ceased their doings, gathering around Raithen. As first husband and the most powerful sorcerer among them, they had each married to him, and so through him their bonds stood. Raithen held out his paws, and each took a hold of him.

The sudden rush of magical power was intoxicating. Raithen could feel himself swaying as each of them channeled the excess power they had been storing up all day. It was glorious. There was Julin's warmth, her magic wrapping around him as if to protect him from what harm the world might wish him. Next came Namarea's, reserved yet gentle, never forcing their connection. Salira was third, fast and fierce, with palpable heat.

And then Harrier, whose power Raithen did not yet fully understand. He was the reason they had created this ritual. As Harrier's power flowed into Raithen, cool and calm, it also turned and melded with the others. Raithen did what he could, pushing his own magic force towards Harrier, imagining it as a stream flowing into Harrier's body.

In Harrier's other hand sat a crystal, which even now was absorbing their combined magic. One by one Julin, then Nama, then Salira shut down the channels they had opened, and at last Raithen closed down the one he had linked to Harrier. The other man kept his eyes closed for a moment longer, then opened them, regarding the crystal in his hand.

"We've had good results with quartz before," he noted, "But I think the less flaws, the better."

Raithen nodded sagely, reaching over to scratch Julin's back idly. She purred at the relieving touch. "That makes sense," he said, and Salira rolled her eyes at Harrier.

"Could you make a more obvious statement?" she asked him, fluffing her fur and looking at herself in their mirror.

Harrier laughed. "Someone must uphold the Yuke stereotype here," he told her. "Now let me get a book and I will be set for the public gaze."

Mina Mi took a deep breath, running her brush through her hair one last time. The rejuvenation festival was tonight, and likely the memorial would be tomorrow. She could do this. One more night and one more day, and it would be over.

But what to wear tonight? Certainly not her ceremonial furs, it was becoming far too cold out. Not the blue dress, though it was becoming on her. Closing her wardrobe door, she sighed. How was it that whenever she desperately wanted to look her best, it seemed nothing looked good?

Not that it would matter. She'd rid herself of all the mirrors in her home three months ago. Looking about the room, from her bed in one corner to the matching bed in the other, from her wardrobe to the other, it suddenly occurred to her that everything Hao had owned now belonged to her.

Could she...did she dare?

There was that green dress. She wondered if it was still in Hao's wardrobe. Would her sister be angry to find her wearing her clothes? Mina pictured Hao with her hands on her hips, scolding her, then laughing and stealing her blue dress.

No, her sister would not have minded. Her sister probably would have insisted on it.

Blinking hard, Mina walked over to the other wardrobe and opened it, quickly plucking out the green dress and shutting the wooden door. She didn't want the memories to overtake her, not now, not yet. Not until she'd had some time to create some memories of her own in this dress.

She didn't need a mirror to know it would look good on her. It had always looked so good on Hao. With shaking hands, she pulled the green cotton fabric over her head, tying the sash firmly at her back.

This might be the most joyless rejuvenation ceremony she would ever attend, but damn would she look good attending. And perhaps she would even catch the lovely hazel eyes of a certain farmer.

She could feel the flush heat her cheeks and suddenly realized that, for the first time in awhile, she was smiling.

Running her hands over the soft green cloth, she whispered, "Thanks, sis."

The sun set, and the villagers gathered.