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"Be back soon!" Maltavro calls after them and the bard leaves. Half way to Maru's home he runs into Vespara and the children.

"Uncle Tavro!" The most affectionate of the three children, a little girl with blond hair, hugs the bard tightly.

Maltavro chuckles, and scoops Merrisol up in his arms. "Hey there little one!" He gives her a peck on the cheek.

Her mother, Vespara, is a rather plain looking woman with straight brown hair. She smiles apologetically. "I know we're running late for dinner. Time just got away from us. You're coming too aren't you?"

"That I am, but where's Maru if I may ask?"

The woman sighs wary of saying too much in front of the children. "I'm afraid he can't make it after all. He says he can't get away from the store at the moment."

"Oh is that so? Well, go on. Tell the others I'll be back shortly." He sets Merrisol down and pats her twin sister on the head, and gives their older brother a pat on the shoulder. "Behave kiddos. I'll be joining you soon."

"Bye Uncle Tavro!" They call out after him. In typical bardic speed, he soon finds himself at the shop Maru owns. A bell cheerfully chimes as he opens the door.  It is a slow day, and only one customer is browsing Maru's wares which consist of all sorts of miscellaneous odds and ends.

Maru has always been overweight, though Maltavro notes he's lost some recently. The brown haired elf makes eye contact with his uncle and before the bard could even say a word, he tells him. "I know you're trying to get to come to dinner, but I'm not. I told Grandpa I probably couldn't away from the store."

Maltavro makes a derisive snort as he looks about the large room and its sole customer. "Yes, it's sure busy here. No wonder you couldn't get away to share a meal with your family."

"Uncle, I just do not want to talk with him."

"He's your father, Maru. Don't do this. He had a hard choice to make, and he tried to do what was best."

He lowers his voice to a whisper while his eyes flare with anger. "She's my mother. You really, truly with all your heart believe it's good for her to be sent away from her family, her friends and the people who love her, and being forced against her will to stay someplace far away with not just complete and utter strangers, but humans?"

Maltavro raises his eyebrows. "I didn't know you to be so distrustful of humans."

He sighs with frustration. "I'm not, Uncle, but they're humans, not Feir'Dal. What do they know about treating an ill Feir'Dal?"

The bell sounds the customer makes an exit. Alone with his uncle now Maru raises his voice. "What my father chose to do is inexcusable! You don't send family away just because they become inconvenient to care for."

Taking a deep breath, Maltavro says, "Do you have any idea how hard your father tried? He couldn't do it anymore even with the rest of us helping out the best we could. We have taken her to see all sorts of elvish healers, and none of them have helped her either. For Tunare's sake, Maru, she tried to kill herself.  Your father had to try something drastic, not just for her sake, but his sake as well. Did you not see the toll it was taking on him too?"

"Of course I did, and I'm not stupid, Uncle. I know she needs help, but this wasn't the answer. He's given up on her, but I haven't. She could have come and lived with us if she was really so much of a burden."

"Oh yes, have your wife watch over your suicidal mother. Great solution, Maru. I'm sure Ves wouldn't mind at all. It's not as though she doesn't have three young children to watch over at the same time."

He glares, "I wouldn't have had just Ves watch her. I would have hired someone else to help watch her, or she could have lived with you and your wife.  She likes Ciragale a lot, and they always got along."

"We've that this conversation before, Maru. I'm sorry, but as much as I also love and care for Eluna, I'm just not able to put myself through what she put my brother.  It's one thing to visit a person, but when they're living with you fulltime, that's another story. She may get along swell with my wife, but that won't last if they're living together, and Eluna and I have never gotten along that well."

"Nonsense," Maru scoffs. "She's never said a bad word about you."

Maltavro laughs. "Maybe not to you, but our relationship has always been complicated; trust me on this. Now stop being obstinate and close down shop temporarily and come to dinner.  You can disagree with your father's choice, but he's still your father. You need to forgive him. Besides, when have you ever known your father to change his mind with this ridiculous passive-aggressive act? I've known him longer than you; trust me here. It won't work."

The bard can tell his nephew teeters on the edge of accepting but then shakes his head. "I hate to close down unexpectedly. I know it's slow now, but it tends to pick up later in the evening."

"Fine, I have another reason you should come. Your youngest sister is getting married, and she's brought her future husband over to meet the family."

"What? That's not even a funny joke, uncle."

He gestures with his finger over his heart. "I swear to you in the name of Tunare I'm not lying."

Maru snickers, "You know that'd be more convincing if you were actually a believer."

"I am serious. You'll want to meet him."

"So it's not that Nikoi twerp then?" Maru looks relieved.

"No, thank goodness." Maltavro grimaces at the thought.

"All right, all right I'll come then. Give me a moment to get things settled here. Don't wait for me."

"Thattaboy." He pats him on the shoulder, and whistles a note as he hurries back to his parents' home. He finds them all seated around the table, chatting among themselves. Vespara and the kids had already been introduced to Tylum while he was gone. The twin girls talk excitedly with Thalisa about taking part in the wedding and getting to wear pretty dresses.

Next to Thalisa of course Tylum is seated, and on his other side Daleth sits with Alondar across from him.  Daleth, as he's wont to do, continues to talk the boy's ear off.

"So, you'll be invitin' this Lodir to the wedding I assume? My parents were merchants as well and ran a very profitable trade route and business between here in Ak'Anon.  I followed in their footsteps and took it over for many years until I had enough money to retire from the work. If you're lookin' in that line of business, Tylum, I'm definitely glad to give you some advise. I used to have some contacts in Highpass, but alas they're gone now. Maru does some business with the grandson of one of them though. Drat, I forget his name. Always struggled to keep names straight. Hey, Tavro, so is Maru comin'?"

The bard nods. "He'll be here shortly."

Vespara gives Maltavro a look of surprise, but says nothing and sips her drink.

"Anyway, as I was sayin' sure to invite this Lodir to the weddin'. It'll get you in good with him, so he'd be fool not to pick you as a partner. After all, you can offer him a possible business opportunity too. Maru's always lookin' to pay reasonable prices for items to sell in his store and the farther away they're from the better."

Maltavro takes the empty seat next to his brother and gives Tylum a look of sympathy.