Fanfic:Never a Dull Moment
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Saldea was home to Riahana and Gareth, and it was where the pair returned after watching Ria's Great-Grandfather, Caden Ives, leave the Tower, carrying the body of his Aes Sedai, and her Great Grandmother. When Gareth and Riahana left the Tower, neither knew when or if they might return. Saldea offered Riahana a chance to seek closure from the loss of her great-grandparents, both of whom played a significant role in her becoming a Warder. Time back home also gave the pair a chance to marry, and celebrate their union with family and friends.
It didn't take long for wander-lust to hit the pair of them, and they left Riahana's family estate, looking for something, though neither would call it adventure. The Wheel had a funny way of putting them somewhere where their talents might be needed. Often, people might need healing from Gareth, though occasionally, Riahana's talent with bow and sword were called upon to rid a farm or village of the odd bear, coyote, or other beasts that might prey on livestock.
Neither Gaidar or Asha'man knew how long they might stay at a particular village. Typically, they moved on to their next adventure within a month's time, but every so often, their skills required them to remain for months, or more. It was during one of these longer stays that Riahana became pregnant, and had fraternal twins. The girl was named Tia, after Riahana's grandmother who died while the Warder was still in training, working on earning her fancloak. The boy was named Einion, after Gareth's adoptive father.
Children added a layer of complexity to their lives, but one that was welcomed. Warder and Asha'man still traveled and helped those in need, but both knew settling down for at least some time would give their children a chance at a ‘normal' childhood. The Wheel spun, and put them in a hamlet named Duron, which was over-come with an unknown illness that took Gareth some time to cure. Days turned to weeks, turned to months, and the family settled into a routine. The hamlet became home, for the family, with their children reaching their fifteenth year, and leaving the parents to wonder where the time went.
Late one afternoon, she and Gareth were returning to the small house they shared when a messenger rode up to the pair, "Gaidar Riahana Ferria?"
Riahana looked to Gareth and arched a brow before looking back to the messenger, "Aye, that's me."
He handed her a scroll with the seal of the Grey Tower, "I've an urgent note for you, though it has taken me longer than I expected to find you and Asha'man Gareth. You…may want to return to the Tower."
Confused, Riahana broke the seal and read the note, holding it so Gareth could read it over her shoulder. After a moment, she looked to her Asha'man, "I don't understand…this can't be. We saw…"
Gareth had no more answers than Ria did. His heavy brow arched as he read the words a second, and then a third time. "The Wheel is strange in its turnings and apparently, it was not ready to be done with Miahala Ives walking these lands," he rumbled.
The Gaidar read the scroll again, then looked to the messenger, "Thank you for delivering this to me…to us. If you need rest, we can find a bed for you, and a stall for your mount."
"Thank you, Gaidar, however my mount is good, and I am required to return to the Tower at once. Should I tell them to expect your return?"
Exchanging the briefest of glances with Gareth, Riahana looked to the messenger, "Yes. We will leave as soon as we finish here. I expect us to depart in two days' time. We will need family quarters, as our two children will be with us."
"It will be done," the messenger replied before turning his mount around and starting his journey back to the Tower.
Riahana looked to Gareth, "This should make for an interesting dinner conversation with the kids. I'm not sure either of them will be so eager to leave Duron."
Gareth rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. He had come to love Duron and the life he had here, but he couldn't deny that something in him thrilled at the idea of returning to the Tower. It had been so long... "Einion certainly won't," he agreed. His son was something more the homebody type. A Brown in the making, Gareth had joked. "But I think Tia will enjoy it, and will be good for her. She's been...restless as she gets older."
Laughing softly, Ria nodded, "Good point. Our Tia is much more the adventurer than her brother." She continued walking towards their home, "It will make for an interesting dinner conversation, at the very least."
Draping an arm around his wife's shoulders, he chuckled that chest-deep rumbling chuckle of his. "About time to liven things up, then."
With a smirk, Ria slid an arm around Gareth as the two continued the short walk to what had been their home in Duron. Tia was outside stacking recently split wood, and given how much of a homebody Einion was, Ria suspected he was inside preparing dinner. "Enough work for the day, Tia. Get washed up and come inside. We have news."
The young woman looked up as she put a final piece of wood on the wood stack, "What news?"
Gareth couldn't help but chuckle at his daughter, and how "come inside to get the news" prompted the question all the same. "Come inside," he said with a smile. "It's news for your brother to hear as well."
Tia furrowed her brows, giving a curious look to her parents, "Well enough. I'll just wash up first."
Riahana couldn't' help but smirk as her daughter walked off, "It is truly going to be an interesting dinner conversation." She spared a glance to her husband before entering the house. She smelled the stew and fresh bread just before she opened the door, and her stomach growled its appreciation for the coming meal. "Einion. . .you have not been idle this day. Dinner smells amazing."
Giving his mother a look of mock affront, Einion replied, "I'm never idle during the day, Mother." He paused. "But thank you. Did you ask Tia to come in? It's almost ready."
With a nod, Ria replied, "I did, and she will be along as soon as she washes up."
As if on cue, Tia came in and licked her lips, "Einion, you have been torturing me most of the afternoon with the smell of dinner. I'm starved!"
Einion grinned, looking proud of himself for whatever his latest creation was. He ushered everyone to sit at the table, which was already set, and brought it over. Gareth, meanwhile, waited until everyone was settled and had their food in front of them. "There is something that your mother and I wanted to talk to you two about," he rumbled, exchanging a glance with Ria. He let her continue, though, since it was news about her great grandmother and all.
Sparing a small smile for her husband, Ria then looked to the twins, "News came to us from the Grey Tower. Neither of us understand how, but it appears my great grandmother. . .your great-great grandmother Miahala has returned to. . .life and to the tower." Stories had been told of their great-great grandmother, and the twins knew well enough she was one of many reasons Riahana wore the fancloak. A powerful Aes Sedai for the Green, and matriarch of Riahana's family. . .their family. They knew her passing had a huge impact on Ria, but to hear she was somehow back?
"What does it mean?" Tia asked, looking from her parents to her brother and back again.
Riahana looked to Gareth for a moment before answering Tia's question, "It means we will leave Duron, and return to the Tower."
Einion stared are his parents, and couldn't decide if he was more shocked to hear that this fabled woman had returned from the dead, or that their life was about to be turned on its ear with a move...away. But then, the Tower. They had told stories and he'd always wanted to see it. "Well..." he began, looking at the meal in front of him. "That's interesting." Even in his own ears, it sounded lame, but he couldn't manage anything else.
"Interesting?" Tia looked to her brother. "It's more than interesting. It's…crazy. Coming back from the dead? Has it ever happened before?"
Ria looked from her daughter to Gareth as she answered, "Not to my knowledge. Gareth?"
"In the annals of the Yellows, I can't say it was unheard of," he said, "although after so long a time, that's...different. But there is little in the turning of the Wheel that has not happened, even if we have not before heard of it."
"As I mentioned, we do not understand the how, nor do we know why. What we do know is we have family back at the Tower, and I would like to see her again. I do not know what we will find when we arrive at the Tower, but your father and I think it would be prudent for us to return as soon as we can. We will leave Duron the morning after tomorrow," Ria replied.
Tia grinned, "I'll be ready. I can't wait to see the Tower."
Einion smiled, although he was never as...fervent as his sister. "I have long wanted to see the Tower. Do you think the Browns will kick me out of the libraries?"
That made Gareth laugh. "No, they'll just recruit you."
