As a matter of fact, people did have food, even hot food, waiting for us. Our arrival wasn't too scheduled, as nothing in this era could be too specific if any traveling was involved, but we were expected. The gates were quickly opened as we arrived, and we were quickly pointed off to a lovely little location near the kitchens where we could get a meal.
There was a thick hearty stew and some bread that if I had to guess was likely made this morning, someone had taken the time to make it with some kind of honey glaze and it was perfect. Normally I didn't go much for bread, as I had too much as a child, but special takes like this were always a welcome change.
As I was digging in to the thick brownish soup something contacted me from behind, lifting me up and out of my chair and quickly into the air.
"BWAH!" I yelled as I was lifted up, taking only a second to charge up one of my nastier screams.
It died in my throat as I saw the man whose arms had lifted me into a hug, and the bright smile on his face.
"So long and you didn't even have time to come and see you dear old father?" Dad asked as he hauled me up from my seat.
"Put me down. I didn't even know you were here," I angrily declared. He was getting between me and the most pleasant meal I'd had in nearly a month.
"Fine, fine," he said as he lowered me back to my seat, finding one opposite. "Your mother has been asking about you you know, and I've been a bit concerned myself."
"I've been in quarantine for the last bit. Which I'm guessing is over now?" He nodded. "At any rate, brother certainly could have told you I was fine."
"Quarantined or not, you still could have at least sent a letter." His face showed a good bit of disappointment in my behavior.
"Er... I forgot, and figured you'd be told I was back anyway..."
I had never really been much for the whole letter writing thing. Back when I was poor it wasn't that much of a thing, as paper and ink could both be a bit costly. In school we'd had to write a number of things like invitations, and basic correspondence, as those were integral to high society, at least before the kingdom fell. I though had never been overly taken with it, it seemed like a chore, and one that was far too formal for me. Perhaps it was because I'd been raised in the age of texts and messenger apps, so a long winded note just seemed... off.
"Your brother and I were, as we're better read into things, but your mother didn't find out you were back on the continent until you'd already left. She does however now know how long you've been back." Those words were less than comforting.
"I'll write her one tonight then..." I began.
"You're out of quarantine dear. The test was successful and the emperor is satisfied that you and your team weren't compromised by whatever artifact you interacted with or the elves. You're free to go see her tonight if you want to," he explained. "Which I'd do, better to get on with it." I had the distinct feeling that it might be a long night.
"I will. Um... another question, could you check in on the members of my team, the ones who made it back with us. I haven't gotten a good chance to, so I'd like to know how the ones who aren't on the project anymore are doing," I tried to appear nonchalant about it, but I was a bit worried.
"Any in particular? I imagine that most have been sent back to whatever their projects now demand of them," he asked with a raised brow.
"Well... the elf that we picked up while over there, Ulanion. I was a bit worried that something might have happened since he wasn't part of our original team..." That much was true, particularly with how unhappy Durin had been with me recently. I didn't think it was likely, but the archer could be in some danger.
"Oh hoho! I'm sure he'll be flattered you were asking about him. He's fine by the way, and I rather approve." Dad smirked, and I couldn't help but feel that he might have been speaking to my brother too much.
"Have you been speaking to John? Because he's rather an idiot about thing like that," I tried, hoping to nip this in the bud.
"Yes, but I also spoke to your new 'friend' myself. We had drinks and he told me about his intentions. I'm having him assigned to one of my training units, we could use more archers like him and he's more than willing to teach."
I felt the smallest twitch beginning to form just over my right eye. It was fortunate that the spoons and the like in this world tended to be wooden, at least in informal settings, because I could feel my knuckles whiten. I'd have probably bent one of the little flimsy metal ones of Earth had I gripped it as hard as I was the one for my stew.
"Interesting," was all I managed.
I wasn't sure who to be mad at. I'd been avoiding Ulanion, but he still should have spoken more to me before going to my father. Then again, he might not have had many options in that. Dad should have known better than to go to the elf before me, but I hadn't been around. John, yes, I'd be mad a John because he'd surely blabbed about things and led to this whole stupid situation. Part of my brain told me that that wasn't entirely logical, but the rest of my rather frustrated mind told that part that it needed to shut up.
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"Don't be too mad at him dear. For now you should finish your lunch, I've got a few things to do before returning to Lithere, but should be ready to go by this evening. Think you can have your things packed and ready to go by then?"
"Sure, I'll need to talk to Dras and Selene too though. Are we moving back to the previous lab in the city?" While our place here was certainly secure, my understanding was that we were planned to return to Mystien's place when we'd returned from Atal, but things had gone weird.
"That's the plan. Word has come down that you lot might be getting some more interesting work. The emperor has plans for expansion, and since things are going well... Well, I'm not in on all the details, but big things are afoot."
"Excellent," I said, happy to hear we were doing well.
"Right then, I'll come by to see you once I'm finished up, till then." He came back around my side of the table and gave me a light hug before heading off to whatever business he had.
I got back to my meal only to find that my stew had gotten cold. That was rather irritating, but a quick hummed tune and small bit of spellcraft easily fixed it.
Moving the workshop was no big deal. Our previous project was done, and this place had been temporary anyway, so packing the important stuff took less than an hour. It helped that we'd done most of it already, being that our team had been going into the field again. Most of what we needed to do was stacking up the boxes and cleaning up, and all of us were motivated to get it done.
Upon returning to my quarters, which were in much the same situation as the workshop, I found something that peeked my interest. I had mail, and a fair bit of it. There was a letter from my family, dated the day after I'd headed off into the frozen wastes, along with three from a certain elf.
Ulanion's first letter was from roughly the time that I'd been put in quarantine. It was long, and prettily poetic, but mostly explained that he wished to speak to me again, when it was convenient. The second was from a day or two later, explaining that he'd been put into quarantine, and apologizing for his inability to get letters or speak to me for a bit. His third letter, dated just a couple of days ago was to tell me that he'd been informed that after being quarantined I'd been sent on a mission, and that he'd taken up a job in Lithere, and provided an address at one of the military facilities. It also talked about how he'd been visited by dad, and spoken to him. It was clear at some point that I would need to speak to Ulanion, perhaps I should write him when I got home.
I packed my mail in with my things and before long dad returned. From there it wasn't all that bad to get back to he city. We had the portal network that took us just a bit outside, followed by the really rather more complicated process of not making it obvious where we were coming from. While the whole thing was a bit tiresome, it was also needed to keep the location of the network secret, and it wasn't until the sun was falling below the horizon that we finally made it back to Lithere.
Mother came down to greet us as dad and I piled out of the carriage, eager to have dinner and sleep. I saw her face light up as we saw each other for the first time in far too long. I was distant from my family in some ways, we'd spent so long apart on so many occasions that it just happened that I didn't feel as close to them as I had my first family. That said I still loved them, they were still blood and nothing would change that.
"Hi mom," I said as we embraced. At some point I'd gotten taller than her, which seemed weird, but the tight hug still made me feel small.
"I'm so glad you're home safe Alana, I was so worried."
"Me too, me too." I answered.
For a moment I was lost in the joy of it all being over for now, being some place I could relax for just a bit longer.
"You too dear," she said to my father, who just smiled.
"It's such a shame," mom began, her voice almost sickly sweet. "Had I known you were coming home I'd have had something special prepared."
I felt my stomach drop, she was clearly more than a pit peeved. For a moment I considered running, pulling back ever so slightly only to find that she'd taken both of my hands in hers. Normally that would have been a kind caring gesture, but she'd known my predilection for flight and taken the initiative to kill that option.
"Something wrong?" She asked as I moved, grip tightening.
"Um... No, just thought I might get some sleep, it's been kind of a long day." Run, every brain cell was screaming at me to run.
"I do hope you'll at least have dinner before retiring." She kept smiling, this was clearly not a request.
"Of course, sorry," I said as she began pulling me towards the dining room.