A Joyous Return

Marriage

Returning home after ten years, everyone was surprised to find Ager had come home with more than numenera and stories.   He had returned with a wife.

Passing through Calda on his way to the portal, many stories cropped up about Ager and the woman he travelled with.   A prisoner of the Voz Dynasty, freed by Ager who then fell in love with her. A commoner from beyond the eastern borders of Sudboia. A princess of a king who left power and riches behind for the man she had fallen in love with. All of these stories and more can be traced back to the stories told by Ager and his new wife herself as they travelled through Calda.   More often than not though, they'll simply smile, look at each other, then one of them will state "it's a long story of wits and guile about opening your eyes to the wonder and beauty of our world".   Nobody is sure which one had their eyes opened, but what was plain to see ( even to a blind man ) was just how much they loved each other. Whatever one or both had given up in order to be with each other was nothing compared with what they had gained.   When they finally returned to Ager's home in the Steadfast, his friends and staff threw the newly wed couple a week long celebration. It was plain to see that somehow Ager had found someone with as big and mysterous a personality as himself.   A somewhat quiet woman, Tashi Shaho had an inner strength that any who met her saw straight away. Those that didn't know her well would often describe her as cold, or haughty. Those that knew her better would describe the warmth of her smile and the joy of her infectious laughter. In some ways, Tashi was a mirror of Ager; closed where he was open, hard where he was soft, quick to anger where he was slow, she easily forgave where Ager held onto grudges. If people could be given attributes of the elements, Tashi would be ice and cold, Ager would be fire and heat -- both could burn, but in their own ways.   But while hard to get to know, those who were close said they were less of a mirror to each other, and more like two puzzle pieces who fit together perfectly. Both had mysteries in their past they would not talk about to anyone except each other. Both would sometimes be struck by strange moods and want to be alone; Ager would travel the world, Tashi would retreat to the forests near their home to be alone in nature.   The one thing that everyone found curious was that when Ager would go on another journey, he would only occasionally be joined by Tashi. Most of the time she'd stay home to manage the trade business.