Welcome to Gaia! ::

Bez touches the harp and two of the strings pop. He flinches and sighs. "Sorry, I guess he's still mad at me. And well drumming last night is about as musical as I can get these days."

Bez smiles thinly. "You say I've redeemed myself. Ai says I'm on the road to redeeming myself... but maybe it is I who has yet to believe that this can truly be the case. I'm sorry, Kero. It just maybe that I wrote the end to my own story long long ago when I cried foul refusing to acknowledge change when I should have been embracing instead. For in truth... some punishments are not meant to be bypassed, by anyone save the one who has put them into effect. It could have been worse, you know... far worse. I could be like Verias, lost and bereft. He sent me Ai... when in truth he could have easily kept him away. Or... worse yet, I could have been cast down into the pits. Instead I was sent here, no doubt in hopes that I would come to see the error of my ways. I think perhaps, one needs to judge what I have done, what has occurred along the way, and how much he has actually relented with me... to understand how far I've come...in my eyes as well as his. I'm not there yet... I may never truly find my way pass the lowest of the gardens... But as Ai is so fond of saying... with great power comes an even greater responsibility. I misled so many... betrayed even more... and led others into turning completely away from the light altogether. I earned my punishment... and as harsh as it may seem... not being able to sing his praises seems rather trite in the light of all else."

Bez smiles sadly at the mage and shakes his head. "Let it rest, Kerobian. Trust me, I am content. I can still enjoy music... which in my book puts me in with the majority of people who roam this earth and through out creation. For every singer, for every harpist, there needs to be an audience... true? So why not let that audience be me... Play for me and girls why don't you? And perhaps your music will also help the one who sleeps within as well. For I fear he's been inured in some way, though I know not how. He's not fighting to get better, which he'd normally do in any other situation. It is almost as if he is resigned... to what, I do not know. And before you lump us together, I am not resigned... I have accepted. There is a vast difference between the two."

Bez smiles as he gathers up the girls and carries them to the large stone sink which sits against one wall, Placing them inside it he carefully cleans each one then wraps them in a warmed fluffy towel and places them by Kero so he can keep an eye on them while he cleans up their mess. Their tummies full and warmly wrapped, they soon fall fast asleep. While he works Bez keeps half an ear out for any sound coming from the bedroom. Finally, about half way through Kerobian's song, he hears Tam get up and head for the front room. He looks in on him, but Tam seems intent on going outside. No doubt to relieve himself as she is still in lion form. He motions for Kero to watch the girls and goes to see if Tam needs anything.

Tam wanders down towards the garden path, going off once to relieve herself. Once there she finds a growth of huney suckle and begins to pluck at the flowers. Bez offers to help her, scaring the heck out of his swedh. Once she calms down she nods and urges him to pluck all that he can gather in his two hands, but not once does she speak. She leads him back to the house and walks to the tea pot, indicating she wants him to make a steep them into a strong tea.

As he plays, a sense of peace comes upon him. Perhaps it is as Bez had said. The shadow plagued angel was on a journey, in truth only just begun. He had avoided so much for so long... not entirely turning away, but avoiding so much rather than facing it full on. And Talesian's journey was... in many ways, walking along side his own. Heal the body and then the spirit was the adage of many a healer and it wasn't a bad course of action. Perhaps, it was a task of another to heal him and in doing so heal himself. Only time would tell. But help would be there when the time came, of this Kerobian knew. A father never turns his back on those he loves.

**I always did like that one. Donald is such a bully in the older cartoons, but he always gets it in the end. True justice.**

When he returns to the caves, Em is up and over at Tam and Bez's place. A quick peek at Passura assures Kerobian that the lad is fine, merely sleeping deeply, and wouldn't be waking anytime soon. So he goes next door to see what is going on.

Tam is in the kitchen curled up before the fire, trying to eat a bowl of cooked grains, beside it is a sweet smelling tea that he seems to relish.

Bez looks up from where he and Em are pouring over an old herbal and nods a greeting. "We're looking for remedies for the throat. Ai was right about the honey suckle, though it says here to dry and powder it."