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Arrenhe tr'Khev

A Decision - Part I

OOC Note: May not get Pt II out for a while

 

A Decision

Part I

Arrenhe tr'Khev

 

Perhaps it was just the spartan and industrial surroundings of the Talon that had allowed him to suck it in for all of that time, or perhaps his musical compositions had drained away just enough for him to get through each day without breaking down, but now at home the weight of all that had happened to him and to the friends he'd made finally washed over him like a tsunami. Leaving the song half played he burst out of the parlor onto the patio outside, a wail of grief harmonizing with the deep chord that still echoed within the parlor. Heaving himself into one of the loungers on the patio the slender Galae dheno and musician finally allowed all of the stress, fear, pain and grief out in a torrent. As the sun moved overhead he finally grew quiet and still, face down upon the chair.

 

So Nalah found her son. Quietly she strode through the patio doors and knelt beside him, her hand reaching out and laying upon his shoulder. After a moment, she gave a little rub and squeeze before speaking.

 

"Come, Arrenhe, sit up properly so I can see you," she said. He complied, rolling over and scooting up so he could lean into the back of the chair. His eyes were green and puffy from his bout of emotion, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Ah, Faelirh..." She sat beside him and hugged him fiercely, just as she had the last time they'd seen each other in person before he left to join Galae.

 

"Ri'nanov..." Arrenhe whispered as he was squashed into her. Most other times he would hate the feeling of being mothered as if he were still a squalling child, but since today that was precisely how he felt it was a welcome event.

 

"Hush," Nalah said. "Just let me hold au for a while."

 

After almost fifteen siuren of that Arrenhe began to feel more himself, or at least more of his adult self rather than the child. He gave his mother a good squeeze as he really looked at her for the first time. She hadn't changed at all, he noticed quickly. Her youth and beauty had not dimmed in the slightest, not that he would have expected it to, as he swore that she spent at least three-quarters of each work payment on vanity items.

 

"Au look gorgeous as ever, ri'nanov," he said. His voice was still quiet, but no longer raw. "Come, let us go back inside, the air is starting to chill a bit."

 

"Ie," Nalah replied. "Weather control was ordered to put some rain down for us to keep the farmers happy, au's di'ranov managed to finagle it through."

 

They made their way inside, Arrenhe's arm slung companionably around his mother's waist until they passed within. There, he headed to the bar and poured an ale for his mother and some sparkling water with fruit juice for himself. They settled next to one another on an antique yet still very comfortable couch.

 

"So, ri'nanov," Arrenhe began after taking a sip and noting the time. "Au must have skipped out on au's work a little early today."

 

"Ie," she said. "Luckily there was little extra work to be done today, so I was able to fulfill my duties a bit early." She smiled over at him. "Though even if every piece of paperwork on ch'Rihan had been put through our office I would have left it anyway. Na io keeps me from my faelirh after three years." He smiled back. She sensed that now was not yet the time to begin asking questions of him regarding his work, so she chose to keep it light. "It was a mnekha decision, I see, or au would have been drowned on the patio."

 

The skies had darkened quickly and the rain began to fall in torrents, as weather control showed its displeasure with the change in plans through a quick and painful transition in the pattern. The sheets of rain washed over the province as they watched it come pounding down through the window.

 

"It certainly would have taken my mind off things," he replied. "So how have things been?"

 

"Ah, it has been quite a bumpy ride lately, many changes in the Senate and elsewhere. Luckily our little Province has weathered the storm, so to speak. While there has been some painful times for people, I can na say I am displeased by it as it has given au's di'ranov a bit of a boost."

 

"Au would na be a very good Rihanha if au couldn't appreciate good fortune however it came," Arrenhe said with a chuckle. "I am glad, I have heard some worrying stories and hoped that our family could sneak through it."

 

"Well," Nalah began with a wry smile, "I will have to admit that this time we did na sneak through. Au's di'ranov has mnekha instincts, and decided this would be a time to barge through the obstacles rather than dance around them. It has turned out well. I am hopeful that the next cycle he will be able to drop the ne' from his title."

 

"That is mnekha, ri'nanov. Au are na optimistic by nature, au would na mention it if au weren't fairly certain."

 

"True," she said with a laugh. "Though with the greater title au's di'ranov will have a larger target on him."

 

"Larger target maybe," Arrenhe conceded, "though a larger arsenal available to him to combat it. Na to mention the fierce sniper waiting to pick off anyio that looks at him cross-eyed," he said, speaking of her. She was excellent at maintaining the image of a dutiful wife just doing her part for her husband, while she was really her husbands closest advisor and both the first and last line of defense. Arrenhe did not come by his performing skills dishonestly.

 

"Ah, the image that provokes is very amusing," she said, still chuckling. "I will have to share that with au's di'ranov tonight."

 

"Late tonight, I imagine," Arrenhe said. "Spare me the details on how he responds. That imagery I don't need."

 

They passed a few hours continuing to talk, Arrenhe finally able to speak out about what had happened to him on the Talon, allowing him to relieve more of the emotional stress of it all. They then ate a light dinner and spoke of current events on ch'Rihan, the conversation not limited just to politics but of sports and entertainment as well. Finally the sound that Arrenhe had waited for came, and he burst out of his chair and into the main hallway of their home.

 

Aethhon stood in the hallway after coming in from their garage, hanging up his coat upon a hanger in the side closet. As he saw Arrenhe come busting into the hallway, a large grin lit up his severe face. Leaving the closet door wide open he strode over to his son and they grasped each other in a hard embrace.

 

"Well," the elder Khev said finally. "Au managed na to yy'a."

 

"Barely," Arrenhe replied. "It is good to see au, di'ranov."

 

"Very mnekha indeed. Come, I need a stiff drink after a particularly feisty session in the Senate today," Aethhon said. They made their way into the parlor and the ne'Deihu poured himself a double of Kal`iFhou. He settled into his favorite chair and drank it swiftly. He looked to his wife. "Well e'lev, all of au's fretting went for naught."

 

"I am his ri'nanov, I am entitled to fret whether it's required or na," she said.

 

"So au say every time I tell au na to," Aethhon replied, looking at Arrenhe with a wicked smile. "She has been a pain of tremendous proportions."

 

"She is au's wife, di'ranov," Arrenhe said, matching the grin. "She is entitled to be a pain whether it's required or na." While Aethhon laughed, Nalah popped up from her chair and gave Arrenhe a big kiss on the top of his head.

 

***

 

After a very late evening catching up with his parents, Arrenhe was settled comfortably on his bed while some of ch'Rihan's classic music played softly from the speakers over his head. He was very happy to be home, and for the first time in a while, content. Enough so that he he could ponder his future, a future that would not include Galae. He had not really set out to do what he had initially planned, though after his time serving he began to believe that it would na be possible anyway.

 

With the happy thought of becoming once again a musician he drifted off to sleep.

 

***

 

The next morning he greeted his parents as they sat in the breakfast nook of their kitchen. After grabbing some toast and jam he joined them at the cozy table.

 

"Did au sleep well, Arrenhe?" His father asked.

 

"Ie, quite well. I had forgotten how comfortable my bed is here."

 

"Mnekha. So what will au do with au's free time?"

 

"Well," Arrenhe began. "First I must send off a comm to Kerih, I haven't spoken with him in ages. After that, I plan on heading into the Capitol and contacting Maestro tr'Julan and seeing how the orchestra is faring."

 

"Kerih will be glad to hear from au," Aethhon responded over a bite of egg. "As will the Maestro. I swear we've had more comms coming in from him inquiring on au's health than from au's aunt."

 

"That is mnekha, I worried he would have forgotten about me."

 

"Na," Nalah said. "He is half in love with au."

 

"Oh, eww..." Arrenhe said. While tr'Julan was ch'Rihan's best conductor and a musical genius in his own right, the man was as old as the Elements and uglier than a Klingon targ. "Anyway," he continued. "I plan on asking him how full his event calendar is over the next few months."

 

"Why?" Aethhon asked, finally peeking over his ISD to look at Arrenhe squarely.

 

"I am strongly considering resigning from Galae," Arrenhe replied. "In fact, I mean to. Though I will wait until my leave is almost complete before I finalize the decision."

 

"Au are sure about this, faelirh?" Nalah asked.

 

"Ie, I am. I was asked to give a performance by Khre'Riov t'Rexan before we departed for our leave. I realized while I was doing it that while being a dheno has given me a new perspective and good experience, it is na who I am, and na how I can best serve the Empire or our family."

 

"This is a big decision, Arrenhe," Aethhon said. "Au know that joining Galae was na something we wished for au."

 

"Especially after au finally admitted that I should be a musician instead of a politician," Arrenhe interjected.

 

"Ie," Aethhon admitted. He then looked to Nalah and nodded.

 

"If this is what au wish to do, faelirh, we support you in it, though if you do wish to remain in Galae we will support that is well. We both know well what it is to be called; though I dearly wish that au were na called in re separate directions."

 

"Mnekha," Arrenhe said, smiling at both his parents. "I knew au would both understand. For the next couple weeks, though, I intend to have fun, whatever comes at the end."

 

"Io thing, though," Aethhon said. "Au should know that Galae is stretched thin at this point. They may na accept au's resignation, especially if t'Rexan wishes to keep au."

 

"So be it," Arrenhe said. "I have made my choice, now they must make theirs."

 

***

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