Re: A Long Awaited Vacation - 119 4A

[Kara Winters]

"This is very impressive," Donovan had to admit.

The twins pretty much yanked themselves out of Donovan and Kara's hands to explore the place. They sort of understood they would be staying here a while.

"Don't wander too far," Kara cautioned the girls.

Really she didn't want them to get too close to the fireplace.

[Nara-pyon]

Ulrich grinned at the compliment. "Haradhel's idea. Make it a real home instead of just a place of business."

He gestured for them to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you the rest quickly and then I have to get home."

He gave them a very quick tour. Down the hall were two rooms on the left: a large dining room, complete with table, chairs, all the dishes they would need, place mats, tablecloths, and so on; and a smaller kitchen, again with everything they would need including a second fireplace - though this one was not lit.

At the back of the hallway was a door to the left (a small bathing room) and a stair behind it leading up and to the left. Again, there was a hallway, but this one was centered, and had three rooms on both the left and right of it. Five of them were bedrooms, and one was a storage room. Each bedroom had a double bed, two chests of drawers, a closet and a vanity with a pitcher and basin of water. Each one also had different colour themes: red, blue, green, brown, orange. Four of the five rooms were prepared, beds made and with heating pans in them.

"If you need anything, there's a door in the kitchen that goes down into the cellar that's shared with all four of the wings," he told them as he prepared to leave again. "Otherwise, just knock on one of the doors in the foyer, anyone will be willing to help you."

[Kara Winters]

"Thanks," Donovan replied.

He was about to ask where Miyu and Toshiro could be when the two suddenly entered. They had apparently stayed with Aragost for dinner and then spent as much time as possible before heading over to the guest wing.

[Nara-pyon]

"Hello, you two," Ulrich greeted the two. "I hope you had a good visit with Aragost and Arahad. I have to get home, but I've shown your parents around the wing, so if you need anything they should be able to help you, and if they can't, then you know where Aragost or Haradhel are."

He didn't want to be rude, but he did have a long walk home again, so he quickly bid them goodnight and left.

[Kara Winters]

"That's a sign, time to get ready for bed," Donovan announced, more for the twins because they began to protest.

Unfortunately for the twins, when Donovan said it was time to sleep, it was time to sleep. With a bit of rounding up, the group prepared for bed and headed off to their respective rooms. Though to make it easier to get the twins to sleep, they got first dibs on which coloured room they wanted.

[Nara-pyon]

It was a quiet night on the ranch, and morning brought cloudy skies and a light snowfall. Even at dawn's first light, the ranch was abuzz with activity: horses being exercised and trained, people going out for hunts or about their business, the ice in the wells being broken through ...

And then there were the children of the ranchers, some born there, some brought, playing in the yard, their happy squeals and peals of laughter ringing through the air.

[Kara Winters]

That morning, the group decided to see Haradhel and Elrohir. Mainly because they weren't prepared to make anything in the guest wing.

Though the twins could see from the window and hear the other children playing and wanted to go outside too. Donovan and Kara had to herd the twins to the door, saying that breakfast and visiting would come first.

[Nara-pyon]

Haradhel was preparing breakfast in her own kitchen, and she had sent Elrohir to check on Donovan and Kara and their children. At the same moment that their guests were heading to the door, Elrohir was already there. He stretched out his hand and knocked solidly at the door, trusting that they would at the very least be awake.

[Kara Winters]

The door open to reveal Faith trying to make a bolt for it, only for Donovan to grab her by the back of her shirt before making it away.

"Morning Elrohir," Kara greeted sunnily from where she was standing beside Donovan.

Hope was behind her, having noticed Elrohir before her sister.

[Nara-pyon]

Elrohir chuckled. "Good morning," he grinned. "Setting out already? Haradhel is preparing enough breakfast for all of you, if you've not yet eaten. We weren't sure if you're used to cooking in a kitchen like ours, we've heard stories of your Gaian kitchens. Are you interested?"

Otherwise, he would just let them do whatever they had been planning on doing.

[Kara Winters]

"Faith isn't, but we are," Donovan gave a cheeky grin.

Faith just pouted up at him and exclaimed she wanted to play. Food really wasn't the biggest thing on her mind at the moment.

"Food first, and then play," Kara replied softly.

[Nara-pyon]

"Without food, you won't be playing long," Elrohir agreed. "Come, it will probably be ready by the time we get there. Follow me."

He started back towards his own wing of the house, but paused and looked over his shoulder at them. "By the way, how did you find your rooms? Did you have everything you needed last night? Comfortable? Sleep well?"

[Kara Winters]

"Yes, very well," Kara replied, "This is a beautiful place. Who designed it?"

Someone must have been inspired to design this home the way it hand been, it was unusual, but very useful.

Hope, walked behind Kara, clinging to her mother's skirt, while Faith's hand was being held by her father. Donovan knew Faith was the more likely of the two to make a run for it.

[Nara-pyon]

"Arahad, after some travel," Elrohir said proudly. "Well, and after some discussions with visitors from your world. It was Haradhel's idea to give different rooms different colours, she doesn't like it when things are the same and she thought visitors might like some options as well."

He opened the door to his and Haradhel's wing and let the others enter first. It was laid out just as theirs had been, though their chosen colour was crimson and their furniture was very different from anywhere else in the valley: none of it was put together, only carved out of single pieces - even the couches and chairs, though they had crimson cushions on them - and the tables were only wooden frames, with smooth glass tops that fitted them perfectly. Despite the fact that it was winter, there were potted flowers blossoming on the mantle.

"Come straight through to the dining room," Haradhel's voice came from down the hall. "Breakfast is ready."

[Kara Winters]

Miyu and Toshiro greeted Haradhel the moment the two stepped into the room. While Kara and Donovan were trying to get the twins to say hi.

Faith said hi, Hope just waved.

"It's good to see you again Haradhel," Kara greeted her old friend.

[Nara-pyon]

"Likewise," Haradhel smiled warmly at Kara. She was just taking the last of a stack of pancakes out of a pan and putting them on a tall plate. "It's been quite a while, we were beginning to wonder when we'd see you again."

She brought the pancakes to the table, where eight places were set. There were a few small containers on the table as well: maple syrup, strawberry and raspberry jam, and a bowl of whipped cream. A tall pitcher of milk topped it off.

"Sit wherever you like," Elrohir invited the Lau/Winterses, gesturing towards the table.

[Kara Winters]

"It's been difficult to juggle all the responsibilities," Kara admitted, "We've been spoiled in having stage growing children. Don't get me wrong, it's been a wonderful experience having Hope and Faith, but with that comes the realization that I can no longer do everything, even with Donovan's help."

Hope eyed the pancakes, she did have a sweet tooth, but she could feel her father's eyes on her. She looked up at him and he looked back.

"Ask first," he reminded the little girl.

Hope looked at Haradhel and then looked at Faith. Faith stood up on the chair as she was too small to be able to reach the tabletop comfortably.

"Please! Pancakes and sir-rup!" Faith announced.

[Nara-pyon]

"Coming right up!" Haradhel beamed. She started serving the little girls first, allowing Elrohir to help with the syrup.

"Just wait," she added to Kara as she served. "Once they grow up - and trust me, the day will come all too soon - you won't know what to do with yourself, you'll have so much free time."

[Kara Winters]

Kara chuckled, "That is true..."

After all, at the height of her adopting spree, she had been really busy. However, that only lasted for a year or two.

"Speaking of time, what have you and Elrohir been up to in the past few years? Besides running the ranch that is," Donovan asked.

Now that there was more downtime and all their children were grown.

[Nara-pyon]

"Besides running the ranch," Haradhel murmured, a smile playing about the corners of her lips. "Well, running the ranch has been keeping us busy enough, but aside from that, we've been doing the usual. Working to stay alive and fed. Helping our children. Enjoying our young grandson, whom you have yet to meet."

She grinned widely. "You really should. He's quite the boy. Takes very much after his father, Ahren's quite pleased. And as sweet as Shiara, though without her shyness."

"And of course, with the ranch, there's been a lot going on," Elrohir added. "New stables, new houses ... a lot of changes."

[Kara Winters]

"We're going to have to take a walk around then," Donovan murmured, but he eyed the twins as he said this.

It was clear with the children on the Ranch playing outside, the twins might rather want to do that instead.

The twins, unaware of what their father was thinking, were digging into their sweet treat of a breakfast. Which made Donovan also think by the time they were done breakfast, Faith might have forgotten.

[Nara-pyon]

"You might want to be prepared to spend the whole day out there," Haradhel warned Donovan. "There's an awful lot out there."

"So eat up, you'll need your strength," Elrohir added. "Especially if the snow gets too much thicker."

It had begun to snow overnight, though without any wind it wasn't terribly cold, so it was actually quite beautiful.

[Kara Winters]

"We can play?" Faith asked between bites of pancakes.

So much for Faith forgetting, Donovan had been hoping for that.

"We're going to visit people first," Kara replied, "You'll have other days to play."

[Nara-pyon]

It was a lighthearted breakfast, and afterwards, when things had been cleaned up, Elrohir and Haradhel together put on their cloaks and boots and went outside to give Donovan and Kara the tour of Haven.

It was early enough in the morning that the yard was void of children, though there were a few men heading out to their various jobs.

"Most of the children spend the morning hours with their mothers, being educated," Haradhel explained, taking in a deep breath of the crisp, cold air. "Now, is there any particular direction you'd like to start in?"

Clockwise from the main ranch house, there was a well, various other houses, a second well, more houses, gardens, fields, the horse pastures, a training pen, the stables, another well, and then back to the main house. Behind the houses were various places of work, from which came sounds of a blacksmith's hammer and the aroma of freshly baked goods.

[Kara Winters]

The couple looked at each other and shrugged.

"Not particularly," Kara admitted, "Why not you choose the direction?"

It felt a bit overwhelming to go from a simple ranch to a small town.

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