It was indeed early the next morning when Arthur found his daughter in the barn. From the door opening, he watched her care for his cattle, standing there for just a couple of seconds to prepare himself for her wrath. It was not like him to force her into something, but he knew he was doing the right thing. She needed to open her eyes a little more, let the good in too, and not only the bad. Besides that, the only thing that could possibly upset her more was that Taladan would leave without a word and without her. Arthur was already fearing the day he would return after doing that. Evadne would skin him alive.
"Goodmorning," Arthur started after a deep breath, and moved towards her. Evadne seemed unusually cheerful. "Hi dad," she smiled. "Did you have fun last night?"
Arthur nodded. "It's a nice diversion once a year. But I had something to talk to you about."
Evadne sensed the sincerity in his voice and left her work alone for a moment. "Yes?" she asked with a frown, wiping her hands on a ragged cloth. Arthur coughed.
"Taladan is leaving today," he said. With the look on his daughter's face he felt a stone drop in his stomach. It was quiet for the longest moment.
"What was that?" said Evadne then, her face and voice laced with disbelief. Nervously, Arthur fidgeted with the edge of his shirt. "Taladan is leaving today," he repeated, a little louder this time. Evadne gasped for air and clutched her hands around the cloth.
"You cannot be serious," she muttered through clenched teeth. Arthur took a small step back, certain that if it had been Taladan to break the news to her, he would have been turned inside out already. Now that he thought about it, it was ridiculous that he was so... hesitant about this towards her. He lifted his chin and cleared his throat.
"Evadne, you're going with him," he said with a definitive tone to his voice. The girl froze for a moment, and then sent her father a deadly look from beneath her eyebrows. "Oh really?" she said darkly. "And when did I decide this?"
"You didn't," Arthur answered. "I did. Though it was Taladan's idea, of course. He actually wanted to leave last night, but felt bad about not telling you. You need to get out of here, love. There's nothing more for you here than what has been here for the past twenty years. And there is never going to be anything else. Whatever it is that you need, you won't find it on the farm or in this town. And I am not going to let you waste your life living with your old man."
Evadne stared at her father. He never talked this much at once. But she had been falling in and out of surprises about him since Taladan was here. There was something about the bard that seemed to bring about change in people. Brusquely, she turned around and lifted the bucket of oats. "I'm not going," was all she said.
Arthur was quiet for a while. "Alright, fine," he said comfortably, watching Evadne's back relax, and he waited until she turned around. "If you can tell me in all honesty that you would rather have him leave without you, THEN you can stay."
Though Arthur had been almost certain about the way she felt about Taladan, it was still a bluff. Evadne stared at her father, unwillingly seeking for the answer. Holding her breath, she realised she already knew. "That's not fair," she gasped, feeling her world turn upside down for the hundredth time this week. Arthur suppressed a grin and hunched his shoulders. "Better go pack, darling," he said as neutral as possible. "I'll finish up around here."
Evadne felt like she was boiling inside when she marched towards the house. Of course she would find Taladan there, all smug because his plan had worked. He just seemed to love to keep her with her back against the wall. She found him in her room, probably barely awake. She didn't even try to compose herself this time. She pulled an animal skin bag from the closet and started stuffing her clothes and personal items in there.
