In Which Adonis Is Pierced by a Familiar Gaze

April 19, 1164

As Adonis lived a good ways away from the nearest village, he was not accustomed to receiving spontaneous visits from anyone other than close friends and those with whom he had business dealings; needless to say, he was rather surprised to find two young people at his door, one of whom he recognized as a brother of Falidor's and the other of whom was a complete stranger. "Uh... can I help you?" he offered, just as his daughter gave the pair a toothy grin and a fond "Hallo!"

"Hello, Asalaye," Ceidrid greeted the little girl with a nod. "I sure seem to be running into a lot of pretty women today."

Asalaye giggled, while the older girl rolled her eyes. Adonis had to do a double take--he could've sworn those eyes were just like the pairs upon the faces of his wife and all three of their children.

The girl then looked at him; he would have never imagined that those eyes could make him feel so uncomfortable. "Master Indruion?"

Wary, Adonis nodded. "Yes...?"

"Is your wife home?"

His suspicions were heightened. Not only did the girl have Honora's very eyes, but she had some business with her as well. Was she perhaps some sort of long-lost relation? "Well... yes. Er, why don't you come in and sit down?"

The girl took Ceidrid by the hand and led him past Adonis and toward the nearby couch. Adonis shut the door, then placed Asalaye on the floor beside Noah's ark. She quickly busied herself with the animals; he gently ruffled her hair, then pulled himself to his feet and faced the visitors.

"So... what's your name?" he asked, that uncannily familiar gaze upon him. She was not identical to Honora by any stretch, but the resemblance was more than enough to make him wonder. Was she a close cousin? Perhaps a younger sister? Honora had never mentioned having any siblings... but then again, whenever he had inquired about her family, she had always been quick to change the subject.

Embarrassed, Ceidrid's eyes fell to the floor. "Oh, sorry... Master Indruion, this is Evaleith."

Adonis took her hand in his own and placed upon it a quick kiss. "Pleased to meet you."

Evaleith nodded. "You likewise."

"So..." he began, trying to think of some relatively innocent detail to ask of her, "...where are you from?"

It seemed her only answer was a shrug. "Here and there."

"Can't say I've heard of such a place. Is it far?"

She giggled--her laugh was not unlike Honora's. "Depends on your definition of 'far'. Of course, some days it's further than others."

Adonis smiled; perhaps this girl could grow on him. "And how far is it today?"

"Today, it feels nearer than usual."

He laughed, his mood lightened by the sound of his wife's footsteps on the stairs. Surely she could shed some light on the situation! "I'll take that as a compliment. I hope you're enjoying your stay in Naroni so far. You know, Honora and I were some of the first in these parts, weren't we, dear?"

Honora sighed. "Adonis, why are you reminiscing? You never reminisce."

"I'm entertaining some guests," he told her, gesturing toward the pair on the couch. "You know Ceidrid, and I just met this girl, but she was asking for you."

Honora's teal eyes flickered to Evaleith's face. She then froze, her expression unfathomable. Clearly, she recognized her; while Adonis didn't feel right about prying into his wife's private business, he had to admit that his curiosity was really starting to eat away at him. "Darling? Are you all right?"

Either she was ignoring him or was too preoccupied to notice him--he gambled on the latter. "Why are you here?" she inquired of the girl in a sharp whisper. He knew that tone; that was the voice she used when asking a question to which she already knew the answer.

Evaleith trembled, a small tear rolling from the corner of her eye. She bit her lip, then replied, "Well... I think you might be my mother."

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