Tharivol puts an arm on Jareth's shoulder. "I have come to think of us as brothers for a long time now. This will make it official." he adds smiling.
Tira answers as she hugs Tharivol around the waste, "I will."
The two half-elves then make their good-byes to everyone before gathering up their gear and heading into the woods.
_________________________________________________
Soon the group has reached the boats and as they load up the ambassador sits on a log and rummages through one of his bags. "Gather round everyone please gather round."
Forming a semi-circle around the elf the group notices that he has laid out a couple of odds and ends beside him and on the ground.
He looks to each of you before speaking. "You, all of you have done a great service to the Empire. And I wish to reward you all."
"Trinham Woods." the ambassador says standing holding a small item in his hands. Trinham gulps and Moggins jumps away catching his masters "jitters". The cat bounces behind the group hiding among everyone's legs.
"Please step forward," the ambassador says in an unusually official tone. Trinham takes two steps towards the elf and looks to the ground shifting his feet. "Young Master Woods, you have shown yourself to be quite a masterful wizard. Your spells are one of the things that helped stop the Purists from getting back the Crown of Isillis. I myself have dabbled in the arcane but due to my station I have had very little time to follow through with it."
"This," he says holding up a small golden ring set with a pale pink pearl. "was given to me by my teachers, as a way to help drive me to study harder and learn more." He looks at the ring and sighs. "If only these were other times. I would have loved to have spent my days in study and solitude, but they are what they are. Please accept this ring and the powers it posses, I think you will be most pleased by them both."
Trinham shakily takes the ring and looks on it in wonder. "Thank you. I will."
Stepping quickly back the ambassador calls forth Ernestine. "Another young arcanist, I am sorry I have only one ring such as that. But I do have this." He says pulling a long thin wand out of his bag. "I have seen you trying to decipher the workings of that red rod these past two days and I want you to have this to help you. Also it will help with whatever other magical trinkets you may find in the future. This is a wand of identifying. I had it made because no matter how good the wine, once you added the other components and spoke the incantation it made the stuff just horrible to drink." The ambassador shudders in memory. "And this," he says pulling out a scroll case. "has a few spells in it I have not needed in a long time."
"Thank you ambassador. The rod has vexed me at every turn now. I..." she starts to say then blushes. "Sorry thank you. The command word?"
{{ Fel'ith Darvol }} the ambassador answers in elven.
Nodding Ernestine steps back eager to try the wand but knows she should wait.
"Aver."
The elven rogues sharp pointed ears perk up.
"I have nothing else for an up and coming wizard. But I believe on our journey we might be able to see about your reward."
Grumbling Aver folds his arms and kicks at the dirt.
"Malaroc... um I'm sorry I don't know your full name." the ambassador says sheepishly.
"Malaroc is my full name." Mal says eyeing the bag. Wondering what could be in there for a non-caster like himself.
With a nod the elf starts again. "Malaroc I have witnessed your natural agility in battle and as we have traveled. I wish to give you these." he says pulling out a small pair of doe skinned gloves. He looks on them dearly before handing them to the confused dragon warrior. "They will add to the natural talent you already posses."
To Malaroc the gloves look dainty, as if made for feminine hands and they have an odd leaf and flower designed stitched into them. "They were my wife's." the ambassador says to the unspoken question. "She gave them to me as a gift when she knew I was to come to Farshaw Forest. She said they would help protect me and keep me on par with the archery skills of the Nandirly, so as not to give a poor account of the skills of the Treylor. Please try them on they will grow to fit you and be almost like a second skin you will not know they are there."
Malaroc excepts the gift with a silent nod putting them on they look very odd but they fit. Covering them with his gauntlets he hopes Emma never sees him wearing them. He will not be allowed to live it down if she does.
The ambassdor looks up and meets Jareth's eyes. He looks into them for a long moment before saying softly. "So much like your father."
Stunned Jareth misses a step when the ambassador calls him forward. "Jareth Kyras. Bon'Dradi - Kyras." he corrects himself. "Knight Blade of the Five Kingdoms. I have two items for you. One you have earned for your service to the empire. The other is yours by birthright."
From his bag the ambassador draws forth a long shiny shirt of mithral links. The shirt looks strong and yet light in the ambassador's hands. The design is elven with what looks like a mojaer-tal worked around the neck line. Holdng it up he shakes it setting the links to jingle and states, "This was given to me by Bon'Dradi - Tesson. A noble elf whom I had helped many years ago. It has saved my life more than once. But I find it does not go well with my new found profession. So as to honor Bon'Dradi - Tesson and reward you Bon'Dradi - Kyras it shall once more be put to service and protect the life of another noble and deserving soul."
Jareth nods as the ambassador lays the shirt over the log and then reaches into his pocket. "I take it that was not mine by birthright." Jareth says with a grin to break the tension.
"Correct. Your ears aren't the right length." the ambassador replies with a smile.
Pulling forth a small medallion on a silver chain the ambassador holds it forth for all to see. Jareth gasps and his legs start to shake. "Yes. I see you know what this is."
Everyone looks oddly at the medallion and at each other, Jareth stares at the ground his face a mix of emotions. The face of the mediallon shows a pair of crossed swords overtop a lion's head. Strange writing encircles the face but is to small to make out.
"You wonder about your older brother? You had probably hoped he possessed this," he continues holding the medalion higher. "You did not wish for this to come to you, but that is not a choice one can make. It is in the hands of those who watch over us and the world. In the hands of those... I hope know what is best for us. Fitting how we must then wear something to show we accept what fate has designed for us to do."
"I do not accept..." Jareth starts to say. But the ambassador cuts him off angrily not allowing him to speak something he may not be able to retract.
"Then the House of Kyras is dead! Is that what you wish? Shall I toss this into the river? Shall no one take up the mantle and prove my friends death an injustice?" It takes a moment of calm breathing before the ambassador speaks once more. Everyone stares in shocked silence.
"I know what you would say. This belongs to your brother that he is the rightful heir to the Barony of Kem. That is true Jareth, but he is not here. He may not even be alive."
Jareth's loses what little strength his legs had and he falls to his hands and knees. "No! No that isn't true!"
"I hope that it is not. I hope we find him and he can take this burden from you but for now House Kyras needs an heir. For now you have that burden to bear."
Placing a hand on the young man's shoulder the elf says in a tone to everyone like a proclamation. "Before you knells Jareth Kyras. Honored son, devoted soldier."
He takes the medallion and drapes it around Jareth's neck. "I present to you the Seal of Kem. And bid you to rise as Baron Kyras, Lord Protector and Steward of Kem."
Jareth kneels and mumbles at the ground for a long time before numbly rising, his fathers most prized possession around his neck. The ambassador steps back and gives Jareth a deep bow.
[sblock=DW]
Then shockingly Jareth hears the ambassador's voice inside his head. "Hail and well met Baron Kyras." [/sblock]
