<JETMODE> <Kender> So, does that sound good?

<TIAMAT> *Jarod: Fine by me.

<JETMODE> *There's a general roar of agreement from his family.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *satisfied grin* All right, then. Let's go! Hey, Cinno -- er.. *bewildered look around the room* Where's Cinno?

<JETMODE> <Elly> Didn't Marta have him?

<TIAMAT> *Roary: She did just a few minutes ago..

<JETMODE> <Rinelle> .. Where's Marta?!

<JETMODE> *Dorian sighs and sinks down into his chair. "Not again.."

<JETMODE> <Kender> We better find her.. this place is really big -- it's not like the forest out back.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper frowns slightly. "She couldn't have gotten too far, she hasn't been gone that long...

<JETMODE> <Rinelle> Oh, don't trouble yourself -- you three go on ahead. We can find her. *shoots a glare at her family in general*

<JETMODE> *Dorian sinks farther into his seat. Elly pouts.

<JETMODE> <Johan> *crabby* Mom, we'll only find her if she WANTS us to find her --

<JETMODE> <Rinelle> JOHAN!

<JETMODE> <Johan> *muffled* Never mind..

<TIAMAT> *Whisper: You don't know the Arena -- like Kender said, it's huge, and there're lots of places she could hide. We'll help you.

<TIAMAT> *Roary and Jarod nod, the latter a little reluctantly. :P

<JETMODE> <Rinelle> *doubtfully* If you insist..

<JETMODE> <Dorian> *hops to his feet* Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we? *stomach growls* The sooner the better, I suppose.

<JETMODE> *Rinelle orders everyone off in military fashion -- Jarod with Elly (to Jarod's dismay, I'm sure), Roary with Johan, Kender with Whisper, and herself with her husband -- undoubtedly to give him an earful.

<JETMODE> <Kender> We'll check the lower levels, all right?

<JETMODE> <Rinelle> *nods* We'll be going up. You four *Jarod, Elly, Roary, Johan* cover the middle. We'll meet at your restaurant in an hour, is that clear?

<JETMODE> <Kender> Yes, ma'am.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod nods a bit frightfully, but Roary just grins a bit. Whisper's already out the door.

<JETMODE> *Kender chases after her, and Dorian gives a heavy sigh, linking his arm with his wife's. "Shall we go, then?"

<JETMODE> *Rinelle gives him a dark look.

-- cut to trouble --

<TIAMAT> *Teal's straightening up his office a bit, getting ready to call it a day.

<JETMODE> *He might or might notice the door to his office creak open, then creak shut.

<TIAMAT> *He glances up from his desk at the second creak.

<JETMODE> *Funny, nobody in view. But moments later, a small, red-blond head pokes around the corner of the desk. "Mister?"

<TIAMAT> *Teal starts slightly and turns to her. "Er...hello, who are you?

<JETMODE> *Cinno leaps on to the desk right afterward, yowling protests about his innocence. This was certainly not HIS idea.

<JETMODE> <little girl> Marta! He's Cinno. He's being noisy.

<TIAMAT> *Teal recognizes that cat.

<TIAMAT> *Slowly, anyway, it's been a little while since he's seen Cinno. :)

<JETMODE> <Marta> *matter-of-factly* We're lost.

<TIAMAT> *Teal: Lost, eh? Where're your parents, Marta?

<JETMODE> *Cinno makes a disgusted noise.

<JETMODE> <Marta> *promptly* They're with Kenny!

<TIAMAT> *Teal: Kenny? *he suddenly puts two and two together and looks at Cinno* This...is Kender's cat.

<JETMODE> <Cinno> Mrr. *begins cleaning face*

<JETMODE> <Marta> *happily* You know Kenny, Mister?

<JETMODE> *Marta is, well, seven, but a little small for her age. Her hair is lighter than Kender's, blond with that hint of red, but her eyes are the same color.

<JETMODE> *Oh, yeah. She's wearing a simple little dress, but her feet are bare, and her hair is up in pigtails.

<TIAMAT> *Teal: Kenny -- you mean Kender? Yes, yes I know him. *he eyes Marta up, smiling a little* And I bet you're his little sister, eh?

<JETMODE> <Marta> Yep!! I'm the littlest -- but I'm gonna be a knight! *peers up at Teal* You're awful tall, you know?

<TIAMAT> *Teal laughs at this. "I suppose I am. Now, tell me, Marta, why did you wander away from your brother? I bet your parents are worried about you.

<JETMODE> <Marta> *thinks about that quite seriously for a moment* Well, they were all talking. I got bored! And Cinno tried to run away, so I chased him. *cheery smile*

<JETMODE> *Cinno hisses.

<TIAMAT> *Teal: Well, I think we better get you back before there's trouble. *he scoops her up and sets her on his shoulders, with either leg wrapped around his neck, and starts for the door. "Er, I don't suppose you remember where your brother's room is.

<JETMODE> *Marta gives a whoop of delight as he swings her up, then calls to Cinno. Cinno gives her a completely disgusted look and opts for the floor.

<JETMODE> <Marta> We went down lots of halls.. and some stairs. Mommy and Daddy got lost, too, but they found it.

<JETMODE> *Cinno yowls. HE remembers.

<TIAMAT> *Teal: Lots of stairs, eh? *he glances down at the cat.

<JETMODE> *Cinno scratches behind one ear and trots over to the door, where he sits and stares expectantly at Teal.

<JETMODE> <Marta> *happily* Cinno knows!

<JETMODE> <Marta> He's a smart kitty, but he's kind of mean.

<TIAMAT> *Teal follows the cat. "Indeed. Well, lead on then, Cinno.

<JETMODE> *Cinno flirts his tail and grumbles aloud, trotting out the door, which I assume was opened for him. ;) Haha, I can just picture the looks on the guards' faces.

<TIAMAT> *HEHE XD Yeah, the door is open and Teal's on his way toward the steps, chatting with Marta. "So you came to visit your big brother, did you?

<JETMODE> <Marta> Yeah! Mommy and Daddy were mad 'cause he didn't ever write them -- well, mostly Mommy, but Daddy always agrees with her anyway -- so they decided to come, and we got to come too! Even Johan! Barvan's watching the animals, and Daddy says he's gonna count every hair on every horse's tail when he gets back.

<TIAMAT> *Teal laughs. "I wouldn't want to be Barvan if those horse's tails aren't trimmed and braided when your daddy gets back, then. Hold on tight, now! *he bounces her a bit as he starts up the stairs leading to the training grounds.

<JETMODE> *Marta laughs delightedly. "Barvan's a mean old man anyway." Cinno glances back over his shoulder in irritation, then stops to scratch behind one ear.

<TIAMAT> *The guards are giving Teal very odd looks as he hops up the steps, too.

<JETMODE> *As they reach the top of the steps, Cinno suddenly bolts ahead with a yowl. Just up the hall, Kender and Whisper come into view. Marta pats Teal on the top of the head and points. "Kenny!"

<TIAMAT> *Whisper is talking to Kender when they appear, looking worried. "It's getting dark, and she's been gone for-- *Suddenly Cinno comes bolting up to them, and she years Marta's voice. Teal glances up at the little girl when she pats him on the head, then looks toward where she's pointing.

<JETMODE> *Cinno leaps into Kender's arms and howls obscenities at him, and Kender looks up blankly. "She.. what -- eh?"

<JETMODE> <Marta> *waves* Kenny!!

<TIAMAT> *Teal coughs a bit, trying to look like he's not grinning too much. "Ah...Kender."

<TIAMAT> *Whisper's eyeing him very suspiciously.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *utterly mystified* Baron.. Teal? *he glances up* Marta?

<JETMODE> <Marta> Hi Kenny! *happily* We found him, Mister!

<JETMODE> *Cinno growls something and slinks up onto Kender's shoulders.

<TIAMAT> *Teal: Yes, we did indeed. *to Kender: She and your cat wandered into my office a little while ago. *he swings Marta down to the ground, patting her head a bit.

<JETMODE> <Kender> Oh.

<JETMODE> <Marta> *whoops again as she's swung down and bounces over to cling to Kender's leg* Hey, are you guys all done talking now? I'm hungry.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *laughs*

<TIAMAT> *Whisper: We...were just going to get something to eat, actually, Marta. *she smiles down at the girl.

<JETMODE> <Marta> *cheers and trots over to cling to Whisper's leg now -- her new hero* Can Mister come too?

<JETMODE> <Kender> .. er ..

<TIAMAT> *Teal clears his throat, regaining his composure a bit. "Well ... as much as I'd love to, I'm afraid I've got things to do--*though I suspect that if Marta asks again, he just might take them up.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper stumbles a bit and pats Marta on the head.

<JETMODE> *Marta looks horribly disappointed, but Kender looks sort of relieved. XD "Ah -- it's all right. Thanks for taking care of her, Teal." He grins.

<TIAMAT> *Teal smiles a bit. "It was my pleasure. Enjoy your dinner. *he nods and turns to go back to his office.

<JETMODE> <Marta> *chirp* Bye, Mister!

<TIAMAT> *Teal turns 'round and waves to Marta when she calls to him.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *scratches the back of his head* .. We better go find Mom.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper nods and takes Marta's hand as they start back for the stairs. "This has been a bizarre day ...

<JETMODE> *Kender swings around and takes Marta's other hand. "Beyond bizarre ..."