Family Matters
© 2022 by M. Mitch Marmel

Thumbnail art by  Paul_Lucas

Part Thirty


Winterbough:

I stood there and watched the remaining Elves who’d watched the last Challenge go, with Anastasia and the leading lights of the [Doe-Moot] gathered around Belladonna Sumac to offer the doe some consolation after her defeat. As soon as the last of them were out of sight, I was nearly knocked off my hooves by a sudden gust of hot, steamy air.

Felt very nice.

I turned to see Windimere eyeing me very meaningfully. {“Fb, hz . . . jung qvq lbhe zngr gur Svefg-bs-Ryqrfg fnl?”}

She gave a rumbling purr as I scratched her nose while I gently tapped at my mate’s Elf-mind. “Dearest?”

“Yes?” Anastasia asked.

“Do you mind if I don’t come home tonight?”

I could sense her smile. “Take care of her, my love.”

There was no way I could argue with that, could I?

Windy saw my smile and cocked her head slightly, and she watched as I pronounced the transmogrifying formula.

Now, I’m a short roebuck, so I wasn’t Windy’s match in size as a wyvern. Still, from the look on her face I was the right size for her in at least one important aspect. {“Ibhyrm-ibhf pbhpure nirp zbv?”} I asked in well-practiced Draconic.

In reply, Windy came fully out of her cavern, nuzzled me, and sang as she unfurled her wings.

{“Syl zr gb gur zbba
Yrg hf cynl nzbat gur fgnef . . . “}

She took to the air, then, and I flew to pursue her.


***


Anastasia:

The storm had spent itself, but I was very much looking forward to a hot bath, a good dinner, and a good night’s sleep under blankets.

But before that, I and the rest of the [Eldest] had a duty to perform, and that was to escort the loser in the Challenges for Sixth back to her home. Much to her credit, Belladonna maintained a stony albeit downcast demeanor, and even tried to apologize to us for her failure.

All of us hastened to reassure that she’d done the absolute best she could, as a true Elf of the Vale, and that she should not berate herself. Leaving two of the [Eldest] with her, I headed back to the Lodge.

Something made me look up, where the wind had pushed open a break in the clouds, and in the light of the setting sun I saw Windy in flight.

With a slightly smaller, mint-green wyvern flying alongside her.

“Arrah, ‘tis a sight t’gladden th’ heart of an auld Elf,” I heard Estvan say, “That sich wonders as wyrms aren’t yet gone from th’ Shining Land.”

Despite the fact that one of those wyverns was my mate, I had to agree with the ancient tod-fox as [Little Toy] watched me wipe my hooves before going inside.

Morning came, but the seat at the breakfast table usually graced by my mate’s presence was vacant.

Along with lunch, and dinner.

And he didn’t come home that night.

Or the next night.

Or the next.


***


Missy:

It was a fine morning, marred only by some mild nausea that was likely something to do with the kitten growing inside me. Elves Don’t Lie, it was the sort of thing I never expected to have happen.

I felt very good about it, too. Just like with Aedith, I would love this child, and try to raise her right –

My steps faltered as something borne on the wind attacked my nose and made my eyes water.

What the Netherhells was that?

[Note appended to manuscript: “Yeah, sure, like you’ve never rolled in anything smelly before.”]

[Note appended to manuscript: “There’s a difference between ‘smelly’ and ‘makes your nose want to die,’ Master.”]

The answer came plodding over a hill while I moved to my right to get out of the way of the reek of dragon-musk coming off a certain pissy roebuck. Who, Elves Don’t Lie, was looking far less pissy than usual; if I didn’t have my nose telling me what he’d apparently been up to, I’d say he had been on a week-long bender.

“What happened?” I asked.

He paused and bleared at me. “Windy,” was all he said.

“Hmmph. If they get downwind from you, everyone’ll know it’s Windy. Hold still.” I poised a paw over his antlers – there was no way that I was going to actually touch him – and pronounced a series of cleaning cantrips.

Then had to step out of the way of the spreading puddle of I Don’t Know What. “There,” I said, “that’ll make you a bit more presentable.” He glowered at me and I said, “If you showed up at the Lodge stinking like you did, your automaton won’t let you across the threshold, and you know it.”

He shrugged and started to shamble past me, and I asked, “Does Anastasia know where you’ve been?”

I had to flick my ears forward to hear him say, “Yes,” and while he went off to wherever he was going, I decided that I’d get a little more walking in. I knew from observation that I’d start swelling, but I wanted to stay in shape.

[Note appended to manuscript: “’Beanpole’ is a shape.”]

[Note appended to manuscript: “So is ‘toothpick,’ but let’s set aside what Tessie said about you.”]

[Note appended to manuscript: “ . . . “]


***


Tessie:

I had watched the third and final Challenge, and when I saw Una Sawyer ride off, with Sixth draped over the sheep she was riding, I joined the rest of the crowd and went home. I was soaked to the skin and starting to feel cold.

Fortunately, Mrs. Fletcher told me that my services weren’t needed, and that I could go get cleaned up. So I headed over to the Lodge, making sure to clean myself up so [Little Toy] wouldn’t chuck me out, and after getting something hot to eat I took a bath and went to bed.

Not in the Master’s bed, mind you; that was pretty much out of bounds to me now, since I was carrying his son’s child. I was sleeping in my bed downstairs.

I was having a pleasant dream, one involving a delicious fish dinner, when I felt a presence wash over me.

I was awake in an instant. A very useful thing, when you’re expected to fight the Unseelie.

“Easy, girl,” the Regalia told me. “Threat’s been repelled.”

“What was it?” I asked. I had been almost ready to draw Sun-and-Moon.

“Someone tried to scry you in your sleep,” the Regalia replied. “But you’re wearing the Ring of Brightwater now; not only can anyone not scry you, but it hurts them to try.”

I listened to the enchanted armor, glancing at the ring with its cat’s-eye stone. “The Master said he’d tried to scry me in Eastness, but I didn’t feel anything like that then.”

“You were awake then.”

“Oh.”

I curled back up under the blankets and soon fell asleep again, hearing the Regalia singing.

“They can't hide their scryin' eyes
And their wards are a thin disguise
I thought by now they'd realize
There ain't no way to hide their scryin' eyes.”


***


Anastasia:

It’d been, well, about five days since I saw Westersloe and Windimere up in the sky, and quite frankly I was starting to get a little worried.

I also hadn’t heard that Sixth and Una Sawyer had returned, and I had time set aside for her. I had to get to know my new daughter-in-law.

So when Nippy brought me my luncheon at the Annexe and told me that Westersloe had returned from the [Star-Mirror], I was quite relieved.

“How was he, Nippy?” I asked as I sipped my tea.

The ermine femme replied, “That is not my place to say, Ma’am. The Master came home, took a bath, had a meal and is now asleep.”

“He didn’t say anything?”

“No, Ma’am.”

That was a little out of character for him, so after lunch I left my office at the Annexe and went upstairs to our bedroom.

Westersloe was curled up under a blanket, sleeping like a fawn. He looked so peaceful, in fact, that I decided that I could use a short post-lunch nap myself.

He gave a little start when I slipped under the blanket and nestled up against him. “Whuh - ?”

“Shh,” I whispered, hugging him from behind and stroking his ears. “It’s just me, Westersloe,” and he snuggled back against me in response. “Are you all right?” I asked.

My mate shivered slightly and murmured, “Yes. Tired.”

“Did everything work out all right?”

He shivered again and nodded. “Venery in midair,” he mumbled, “is . . . “

“Interesting?”

“Terrifying.”



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