... Dealing with Brothers ...

[Calanon]

One thing was for sure, this elf was not going to fall, or knock, dent, or do anything that would cause him to have to say another prayer and apology to a plant. At least he wasn't going to do so where that human girl could see him! Geesh. Seriously, nothing he was trying to do to her worked at all. All that was behind him now for he was inside! Since he was at the ground floor that's where he would start! Peeking around the corner now, into what he assumed was the bar.

Did he really think it'd be that easy to find who he was looking for? It was midday and there was nobody to be seen! The bar was as empty as a desert during a heat wave (don't ask where that one came from!) but there was a clue! Laying on the floor heading off towards the Lounge area and partially kicked under a table was a well worn scuffed brown boot! Could it help him in his quest?

The boot could help, or it was a sign of someone going around with only one shoe. Walking with that limp which came with one-shoe wearing. So, he was going to take that shoe and sash it under an arm and go to the bar! yeh that's right, why not help himself to something to drink? There was no sign saying he couldn't - or that he could - but he would get himself something simple. Grape juice. In brown mug. Haha! Drink in one hand, boot under the other, he started to the lounge area. Sipping on grape juice he looked around. Nice place this Inn was so far. Quiet.

The boot wasn't simply an oridnary boot! Once he'd pick it up he'd find it was almost weightless and had the impression of leaves stamped up the sides of it. But! The main this was the owner of this boot hadn't noticed it was missing because he was out cold! Never one to sleep well at night Armandeus was quite fond of his routine of a daily afternoon nap and there on the couch of the lounge he would be! No blanket today the elf was resting comfortably on his side, one arm up under his head with the other resting against his waist. He was still wearing his apron overtop his dark leggins and blue green tunic though his feet were bare. The mate to the boot that had been found? Laying in front of the couch!

Ohh look at that! He was there and easy to be seen — laying on the couch. Okay, so it wasn't the best way he wanted to meet his brother again after 200 odd years but you have to take what you can get. Alyan dropped the boot he had under his arm on the floor and took a long pull of the drink in his cup as he leaned over the sleeping body. "Hmm…." Oh, he knew what to do! Had to try to wake the elf up so he leaned over and balanced his cup on Armandeus' shoulder. Sure it moved a bit cause the other was breathing It was steady enough - he thought - so he stepped back. All big grins as he looked at what he did. Maybe the cup would loose it's balance and.. well.. you know.

Grape juice. The young elf was lucky that the cup was balancing -for now!- where it had been set for it was going to be a toss up on who would skin him alive first once it spilled all over the elf and not to mention the couch; Armandeus or De'Ryanna. There was nothing outwardly to suggest that Armandeus was anything but asleep, his breathing remained steady and he hadn't so much as twitched when the cup was set on him but the words that came from him proved otherwise. "Remove that cup or I shall remove your fingers..' Looks like he was a bit grouchy at having been disturbed!

Look at that, it worked! Maybe his day wasn't going to be so bad now after all. Even if his fingers were being threatened. "Come now, is that any way to talk to your dear younger brother." Reaching out and plucking that cup from Armandeus' shoulder. "By Eru, elf spends a couple hundred years and the first words are threats. I'm beginning to think this Inn has taken away all my natural charm."

Dear younger brother? Natural charm? All further finger removing threats died in mid-thought as groggy purple eyes popped open in surprise only to widen as Armandeus simply stared. Dear Eru.. could it be? Was that truly his brother standing there? "Ahh.." He groaned and brought a hand up to rub over his eyes. "I am imagining things.." He'd only just gotten used to the idea of his brother being alive and now he was supposedly standing not even a foot away from him? He was truly loosing it...

Strike the pose……. or not. Look at that. Before he could even get fully established in the awesome pose his brother had closed his eyes and went back off to sleep. The nerve! well this type of ..of… ignoring wasn't going to go unnoticed! "Hey I had to apologize to a tree, and work around this human female who nothing seemed to work on, carry in your boot and now you're sleeping on me?" Huffs. Thats right, he huffed. Crossing his arm and tapping his foot. Then he clutched a fist in the air and held it up to the ceiling. "By Eru, I tell you I'm not an illusion! It is I, Armandeus Valandil, your brother, Alyan Calanon, come to find you!" Cue a new dramatic pose!

"I am not asleep!" Eyes opened again to look around the hand that was still raised and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "And you are right.. I could not create an illusion as dramatic as you.." Was that a joke? The hand lowered back down as he moved to sit up properly on the couch, pulling his legs back to make room for Aylan to sit when he was done striking his aweesome pose. "How in Eru's name did you get here?"

Score one for him. Things were working out and now he could finish off that last bit of grape juice that was in his cup before he sat down. "It wasn't easy, let me tell you that." He didn't take what his brother said any type of way but as he sat down he went to hug his brother! "So many years of searching and searching until I fell into some hole. There was a woman here in a shop who recognized your description." a bit of laughter. "Mentioned it was another who had dashing good looks like myself." Take a moment to smile brilliantly. "Then there was that female in the garden, wanted me to dig up a box. The family will be ecstatic! I told them you were still living."

[Calanon]

Armandeus listened as the younger elf talked as he sought to return the hug but something wasn't adding up right. He'd simply fallen through the portal and wound up in New Haven? The odds of that were astronomical or else half the Macon army would have found them before now.. And the family? As far as Armandeus knew he had no living family members beyond his siblings. . All this caused him to frown and tighten his grip before asking, "Who are you? Who sent you here?!"

Now, Alayn just looked at his brother with surprise and shock, the blinking making it clear that he didn't understand why the other elf was so confused! "Gone for a handful of years and you forget everything, don't you? Geez. Discounting your sister as a member of the family now?" He huffed, even if it wasn't in anger or anything like that, more playful. "she'll love to hear about how her older brother, that she'd be concerned about for years, suddenly says he has no family." as he sought to get up from the couch, tugging on his cloak. "Maybe I'll just leave then. You seem well enough and certainly have no need of me." time to lay on the guilt? "Nevermind the fact that I've been looking for 200 years to find you. No. Or that I've suffered through countless things unable to be uttered." Well, that may not really be true as it sounded.. but it sounded good! "Never mind that I was nearly forced to work like a slave all for the sake of wanting to see my brother again no!" Putting a hand to his forehead. "No.. No none of that matters." cue dramatic sigh. "You deny my existence…"

"..You've seen Eleniel?" The theatrics were largely overlooked at the mention of his sister's name and even caused Armandeus to loosen the grip he'd had on Aylan's cloak. "I never told anyone that you two were alive.." He was still frowning as he looked up at A;yan, though the look now was one of studying. "You look like our father, how can I deny that?"

There it was! Recognition! "Strange. The people in the garden said I look like you." Whether he was happy or not that Armandeus said he looked like their father was uncertain, for now he was sitting back down on the couch. "Yeah. I've seen Eleniel. Not.. recently but, you know. Before I left home I told her to wait there cause I was going to be bringing you back home!" Maybe not his exact words, but it was close enough. "Sure she's probably restless about the wait now." -

"You have his eyes and his flair for the dramatics..." An eyebrow raised as he watched him because, really, he was the biggest drama queen Armandeus had come across in years! "You said you met a girl in the garden. Did you get her name?" He was curious as to who thought they looked the same! "You said you would bring me back?" His face fell as he slowly shook his head. "I cannot go back."

That was something he didn't remember about their Father, perhaps because he was too young to have much memories of him or their mother. How good to know it was something that ran in the family! "Well actually she didn't say I looked like you. but this other guy, George, thought I did, and the female Ayabara said that I certainly was not you. " but he smiled anywaay. "But I could tell I reminded her of you. "

Considering all their years apart it was hard for Armandeus to remember just how young Aylan had been when their parents had been killed but on the brighter side he could still share memories! "Ah, you met De'Ryanna." He chuckled, the sour mood lifting away a little. "She would know better than anyone that you were not me. Did you tell her who you were?"

"And I'm just a bit hurt that she didn't know you had a brother!" There was that huff again along with a frown. "Like you didn't want anyone to know. Like you said, you never told anyone about us. I mean.. why would you? Nice place here, good drinks." he had been to the bar. "Sure that woman may put you to work—— oh. Why can't you go back?" He had somehow missed that to first time!

"It was too dangerous.. you were just children and couldn't defend yourselves! I couldn't bare for you to suffer the same fate as I did..." The thought of the twins imprsioned made him shudder and look at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. "You spoke of doing untellable things but imagine actually doing them.. that is why I cannot return." It was the truth, sort of..

"I suppose then you'd just prefer to vanish off into oblivion.. leaving everyone who loves you, and you love, behind without so much as a word. We're not to know if you're living or your dead. Is that better than returning home?" he wanted to know. Sounded like his brother thought it better if they just forgot about him all together. "Making my trip to find you useless."

"Better to forget me than to live on guard of those who would harm you because of me." He looked up, glancing over at his brother. "Did you not wonder wwhere I went to? Why I just disappeared without a trace one day? I was captured and taken to the prison as a slave."

Alyan frowned. "a lot of things happen to people.. but you're not a slave now. Why not just come home? To your brother and sister who have missed you?" he could have been to young to understand it all. "If I didn't wonder where you went I would have never bothered coming out to find out for all that long of time. i wouldn't have cared, and I would have stayed home with Eleniel like she wanted me too. But i was determined to find you." he went quiet. "But you never thought enough to send word to us. even when you were free."

"You make it sound so easy," He sighed. "Itried returning once, a few years ago, and do you know what happened? I found our village in ruins and the people scattered save for one very old woman with the gift of foresight who told me of your deaths. I had not known you were alive until a few months ago when Elessar finally told me such."

"And you still didn't bother telling them about us." Convince the elf that Armandeus simply didn't want them around! Or he was just giving his brother a hard time. He did have all those years of catching up to do. "Some things are easy. Look at me? Positive outlook! That's what I say. I would have given up years ago if not for that and determination." He gave his brother a couple of pats upon his back. "Well I'm here now and here you are, so we can go back home! I'm obviously not dead. You can be with us again!"

There was nothing to say to that because it was the truth. Even after finding out Armandeus hadn't told anyone, not even De'Ryanna. If Aylan was giving him a hard time he was doing a good job at it!! "I am not going back, and that is final but.. you could stay here with me." He looked hopeful at that!

Alyan frowned. "What about Eleneil? You expect me never to return to her, like how you never returned to the two of us? We're all the family we have. I can't never return." It had been forever already! He missed his sister… With the frown he looked down at the ground.

Armanseus sighed, knowing this wasn't going to end well but there was no other way to explain about his sister. "She has been imprisoned.. Elessar met her when he was captured. I cannot get her out, I don't have the force to take on the prison alone."

"What?!" No. No. No. No! He stood up quickly from the couch and took a few steps towards the door before he turned around. "I told her to stay home! I told her I would return! I never should have left her.. You should have come back! If you had come back I wouldn't have had to go" well, not really because Armandeus was still in prison when Alyan set off to find him.. probably. "It's your fault she's captured and you're not even going to try and go after her! Who cares if you have an army or not she's your sister! My Sister. I have to go and rescue her!" Him, with all his flare for the dramatics, would be able to do something, right?

He knew this would happen. He knew it! Armandeus was on his feet and after Alyan before he could get too far away. "Getting worked up and upset isn't going to do anything helpful for you or her so just calm down! And maybe it is my fault she's there but you have to listen to me. Trying to rush the prison will do nothing but result in your capture or getting you killed and then what good will you be to her? I want her back as much as you but I'm not foolish enough to rush ahead without a plan."

"Coming from the elf who moments ago admitted to not wanting to go home to us, and never telling anyone about us. By Eru, why should I believe that you even want to go and save her?" He was being honest in his questions and the confused and sad look was on his face. "Because you know we're alive? Why not go home, Armandeus?" The plea was heard in the voice. "Go home and find others willing to help you free her and anyone else. Sure there have to be others. You won't find help here!" waving a arm around the room to mean here as a whole.. not just this place. "These aren't our people. Why would they want to help? Go home. Home. Find help there."

"I will not leave her there to suffer like I did!" he snapped and threw up his hands in the air as he turned away. "Why are you so insistant on my returning there? I could find help here! These people are my friends!

"Right." he paused and then he shrugged. "Your right. These people are your friends and clearly they're tearing up the floor, flocking to you with whatever weaponry they have, forces amassed, to knock down the doors of that prison, to help someone who's not their own." He smiled a bit, no flare for the dramatic. "I'll just go and seek out .. something." the news of his sister had saddened him. Though he said it was Armandeus' fault, he knew it was his too, he shouldn't have left his sister alone and felt guilty for it. So he would seek to head out.

Dear Eru help him he didn't know where to slap him or bang his head off the nearest wall. "What wuill you find? The portal won't open until the next full moon and for all your talk I doubt there are gropus flocking to your beck and call either! If there were then why would just you come all this way to find me? Surely there were many who wanted to come with you."

"Why would people want to come and find you besides your family? But people will gather to help free their family and friends from prison." It wasn't getting people to help him free his sister, it was about getting people to help free all the captive elves. He spun on his heel and took a couple backwards steps. "I got thrive and charisma!" couldn't deny him that for all the flare he had. "It will be a glorious conquest!" He had a few weeks to map out his plan, and then homeward bound to get forces!

"You are a fool to think it will be that simple! Our people have heard of the stories of the prison long before you learned how to walk and greater men than you have tried to attact and failed. Within those walls there are guards and weaponry you can only imagine; I tell you it will end up being a bloodbath. Why can't you see that?"

Because he was a kid who thought that he could conquer the world? Of course he was! That's what's so great about youth. Alyan spread his hands and put on a glorious smile. "But at least I will be doing something. It was nice to find you again. Brother." A quick skip as he bounded out the Lounge door!

Oye, kids. Armandeus was young, for an elf anyway, but he didn't quite remember what it was like to be young enough to think everything will turn out roses and sunshine. Which is why he was heading our after Aylan muttering elvish oaths under his breathe as he went! "Wait up!!"

Where was he going? Well.. for one.. if it was going to take couple of weeks then he needed to find out about finding a place to stay. He was here. This was an Inn. They had rooms right? "Ah-yeeeess?" turning his head around to look at him while he walked to the front of the Inn. "Can I do something for you?"

He could stop acting like a prat? That was the first thing on Armandeus' list and it was only biting his tounge that he didn't say it outloud. "You're not getting away from me that easy. I'm still your older brother!"

"Then you can follow me back home when the next full moon comes. That is when you said it opens up again wasn't it?" he thought that he heard him right! "Till then, like I said, I'm going to bide my time and prepare for the return trip." Reaching the desk he looked around. "There a receptionist here? I don't have to face De'Ryanna again do I? Eru.. She'll likely have me mop the floor. Might as well see if there's any rooms here before I look elsewhere."