(2022-03-24) Two Decades Apart

Details

Author:	Saaron
Summary:	Gwenivene helps Gausanders organize a meeting with Therald, hoping that he'll talk to him about being possibly related. She has to intervene a little, though.
Rating:	T for Teen

Gausanders has been pacing up and down this place ever since he got there. "Are we sure he's coming? Do I look good?" He's wearing the suit he was wearing for Colson and Mordecai's wedding. "You… you do, though!"

Gwenivene inhales deeply, forcing herself to breathe carefully through even the mild compliment, keeping her blush to a slight pinkening of her cheeks. Now is not the time. "Thank you, Sandy. I thought wearing robes of Dalaran would be appropriate, and perhaps lend me some air of importance…I don't know. But I'm sure he is coming. He's a military man. They are all about duty and punctuality, right?"

Gausanders nods. "Also with you wearing these robes, he'll know he's at the right place, since you invited him for Kiring Tor business!" Sandy sits down for just a second before the bells of the Cathedral ring four.

Gausanders then immediately gets up again and stares at the door. "He should be here… any minute now."

Gwenivene: Wellll…I didn't strictly say it was Kirin Tor business. I didn't want to lie. But…I might have just let the implication go unchallenged.

Gwenivene finally blushes with a guilty grin.

Gausanders chuckles. "Well, if he's not the right Therald, I'll just point at your robes. He'll think we're looking for him for Kirin Tor reasons, then, and he won't be too mad we had him come all the way here! No need to challenge the implication!"

Gwenivene: Yeah, but…I don't have any Kirin Tor reason to speak to any Therald.

Gausanders says: That he doesn't have to know!

Therald knocks at the door.

Gausanders gasps. "Do you think he heard that?!" He stays in place, the muscles in his legs and arms visibly tensed.

Gwenivene stands and places her hand on Sandy's shoulder, cooing softly. "Relax. It's going to be alright. Just breathe. I'll get the door."

Gausanders puts his hand on hers. He breathes, his muscles relaxing slightly.

Gwenivene 's own breath catches when his hand touches hers. She takes a moment to gather her composure before moving to open the door, offering a warm smile. "Welcome. Please come in."

Therald doesn't move to get inside quite yet. He is holding the letter in his hand. He looks at it, making sure he's really got the right address and the right person. "Ah. Gwenivene Whittle?" He quickly glances from the paper, to her tabard, to her face.

Gwenivene nods enthusiastically. "That's me! You're Argent Guard Therald Oakley, are you not?"

Therald nods. "Yes, that's me." He takes a few steps inside the building, then stops and stares at Sandy.

Gausanders says: H— hi!

Therald nods at him.

Gwenivene: Oh, ah…yes. Therald Oakley, this is my…my associate. And friend. Gausanders Spellbond.

Gausanders says: Hi… Sir… mister? Hi, Therald Oakley! I'm Gwenivene's… associate and friend, you can call me Sandy! Sit! I mean, take a sit— seat… If you want to, that is. I, uh… I've got snacks! I brought them!

Therald looks suspiciously at Sandy, then at Gwen. He takes a few more steps inside and takes a seat. The one furthest away from where Sandy is standing, right now.

Gausanders rushes to bring cookies from the table. He realizes that there are no tables around the meeting area, so he just puts the plate on the chair next to Therald. "There you go! Eat!"

Gwenivene smiles. "Allow me." She makes a circular gesture with her hand flattened, palm up. The plate glows for a moment, then levitates up from the chair, positioning itself as if there were a table.

Gwenivene chooses the seat to Therald's left, and gestures to the seat to her left for Sandy, positioning herself between them.

Gausanders has the biggest smile on his face as Gwen makes the table levitate. He breathes deeply as he sits on his chair.

Therald: Hm. *Therald carefully takes one of the cookies from the levitating plate, periodically glancing at the two of them. He holds the cookie but doesn't bite into it.* What do you need me for?

Gwenivene gives Therald a sweet smile. "Of course, this must be a bit confusing. Mr. Oakley, I understand that you had a previous encounter with Gausanders which…might have left you a bit befuddled. I assure you, that encounter did not go according to Sandy's original intentions. It's my hope that you'll indulge me and hear what Sandy has to say. At worst, you've wasted 30 minutes and gotten some free cookies. But…you might gain a lot more out of this if you stay."

Therald nods, keeping his head up for a little longer than usual. That's how he knows the guy. Sandy is that guy, from that day. "It's… not a joke, this time?"

Gwenivene: I promise, it was never a joke. Just…nerves.

Gwenivene gives Sandy an encouraging smile.

Gausanders says: I mean, it- it wasn't a joke last time either, but, uh, if that made you laugh back then, then great!

Gwenivene removes her Very Pointy Hat, having made her initial wizardy first impression.

Therald looks at Gwen, then at Sandy, with a sad and confused frown on his face. It definitely didn't make him laugh back then.

Gausanders avoids Therald's current look at him, and turns to Gwen instead, he smiles back at her. "Okay." He takes another deep breath, and looks at Therald once more. "Do you… Your name… has always been Therald, right?"

Therald nods slowly, still looking very confused.

Gwenivene gives Sandy encouraging nods, like one gives to a puppy trying to climb steps. You can do it!

Gausanders says: Okay, phew! Because you know… maybe you killed a Therald someday and stole his identity, or something and… You know, that happens! *He looks at Gwen, rubbing his hands together, nervously.*

Gwenivene winces. Oh no.

Gwenivene turns to Therald, spitting out the words as fast as her lips will allow. "Of course we never imagined that you killed anyone and took their identity!"
Therald stares at Sandy rubbing his hands. Oh no. He's about to get identity thefted.

Gausanders says: Right, yes, no, she's right! You wouldn't do that, you're a good person! Very probably!

Gwenivene laughs nervously as one does when things are going so very badly before they've even had a chance to go well.

Gwenivene: Sandy…why don't you go check upstairs…for more cookies?

Gausanders abruptly gets up. "That's a great idea! Should… should we all go check for more cookies upstairs?"

Gausanders walks closer to Gwen and whispers to her, frequently glancing from her ear to Therald. "I do have something that might help that I left upstairs, though!"

Gwenivene blinks, murmuring. "Sandy…are you sure now is the time for surprises?"

Therald glances back from the plate of cookies in front of him to Gwen and Sandy, unsure if he should be looking at them while they talk privately. His gaze sometimes crosses Sandy's and the two man quickly glances back to what or who is right in front of them.

Gausanders says: Yes! *He says out loud. He then turns around and sprints upstairs. He never ran that fast in his life. Bonk, bonk, bonk. He trips down the stairs, but immediately gets back up and keeps running.*

Gwenivene calls after him. "Take your time, Sandy! There's really NO RUSH!"

Therald raises an eyebrow at Gwen, then looks at the bear rug. He leans forward, his forearms on his knees.

Gausanders's loud steps can be heard right above them.

Gwenivene takes a deep breath, turning to Therald with a composed smile. "Mr. Oakley, please forgive his…overenthusiasm. He has good reason to be nervous. I'm going to get right to the point, as I can't think of a very delicate way to say this."

Therald turns his head back to look at Gwen. He's looking very worried.

Gwenivene: Sandy…was separated from his birth parents, and now he's looking for them. He knows very little about them, but he does know their given names. For instance…his father's name is Therald.

Gwenivene braces herself, pinching her lips as she waits for Therald's reaction.
Therald suddenly straightens his back. The bear rug isn't suddenly extremely interesting anymore. He stares at the stairs. "How… old is he?"

Gwenivene: Around my age. About twenty years, I think. He said that you were apparently about the right age…

Therald nods. "Yes, that's…"

Gwenivene: …and that you're from the right region. Though he wasn't specific about where that is.

Therald: Silverpine Forest… *He whispers, more for himself than for Gwen.*

Gwenivene leans in, her brow pinching upward in a sympathetic lift. "I'm sorry if this is difficult. Therald…did you have a child?"

Therald nods once again. "A son. Leghan." he turns around in his chair to face Gwen. "It's not a joke?"

Gausanders comes down the stairs, holding an old woolen blanket, the one he was found wrapped in. "Phew, I thought I'd forgotten it!"

Therald stands up.

Gwenivene rises with Therald. "Sandy…what's that?"

Gausanders says: That's… *He walks up to Therald.* Do you… recognize it, maybe?

Gausanders hands him the blanket.

Therald doesn't take it and lets his cookie fall to the floor. "No. That's an old blanket." He takes a few steps closer to Sandy, getting really close to him and he inspects his face from different angles. "Are you really…?"

Gausanders doesn't move his feet but extends his neck back a little, placing his face at a more comfortable distance from Therald.

Gwenivene peers at both men, searching for resemblances.

Therald stops and looks directly into Sandy's eyes. "It… it really is you!" a big, shaky smile draws onto Therald's face. He turns to Gwen, and his voice goes a little louder. "It really is him!"

Gwenivene jumps a bit at the rising volume, but then her face lights up like the rising sun. "Ohmygoshreally?"

Gwenivene clasps her hands together, quivering with excitement.

Therald throws his arms around Sandy, a strong flow of tears rolling down his face. He tries to speak but lets out loud sobs instead. He manages to articulate "… Leghan…!"

Gwenivene takes in a shaky breath. Her hands cover her mouth as tears of unfiltered joy well up in her eyes.

Gausanders lets go of the blanket and throws a confused look at Gwen as Therald embraces him. He doesn't hug the man back right away, until he hears the name 'Leghan'. "Wait— that's the name Auralind heard in her vision! So… you're…"

Therald nods 'yes' repeatedly against Sandy's shoulder.

Gausanders gasps silently at Gwen, his mouth wide-open. He hugs his birth father back and gets misty-eyed as well.

Gwenivene sniffles and beams happily at Sandy. "He's your father, Sandy. You've found him."

Gausanders nods at Gwen. "Thank you… for your help!" he says, his voice shaky.
Gwenivene nods, eyes sparkling with happy tears. Her voice cracks through a whispered, "Anything for you, Sandy."

Therald and Sandy hug tight for a very long time, the former clearly not wanting to let go. "I… what happened to you? Is Sirie here too..? She took you an— and…" he sobs loudly again.

Gausanders says: I'm… sorry, she's not, no. I… Well, long story short, I was found and adopted as a baby by Ekorenine Spellbond. She's a noble here, and she's great! I thought… maybe you'd be the one to know where… Sirie is!

Therald shakes his head, still hugging Sandy, and even between the bittersweet tears of finding his lost son 19 years later, his voice sounds very cold when he answers: "No." He lets go of the hug, wipes his tears with his sleeve and sniffles.
Therald: "So… you're with the Cobalt Company, uh? A mercenary? *He grins, his smile still a bit shaky.*

Gausanders says: Yeah! I'm uh… I'm a wa… warrior's son, who became a mage, then! *He grins, then quickly looks at Gwen.* I work both with… the Company and the Kirin Tor. You know. Since I'm Gwen's associate!

Gwenivene grits her teeth…declining to comment on Sandy's creative handling of the truth.

Gwenivene takes a slow, steadying breath to regain some measure of composure — though the mile-wide smile on her lips refuses to depart. "I think I'm going to leave you gentlemen to get reacquainted. My work here is done."

Therald takes a few, slow steps towards Gwen, smiling. He hesitantly tries to put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you… for bringing me… Leg— Sandy back."

Therald sniffles loudly.

Gausanders looks at the two, emotional.

Gwenivene manages about three seconds of restraint before flinging her arms around Therald and hugging him tight. "I'm so glad I could help."

Therald hugs her tight as well, like he did Sandy.

Gwenivene finally lets go and slips out, leaving father and son to bond and catch up on two decades apart.