Edea had a very bad chewing habit when she was young. She chewed her clothes, chewed the sides of her crib, all of her toys, table legs, people legs. It wasn't dangerous or malicious, just a bit improper, and Braev did his best to discourage her from such behavior. By the time she was grown enough to walk and run and speak, Braev was fairly certain she'd been weaned off of her biting habit - at least, in polite company.
He brought the boy, shivering and suspicious of everything, without having told Edea. He had sent word to Mahzer, thinking the news would have been related to their daughter, but the little girl seemed shocked at the presence of the newcomer. Shocked, but not angered.
The two of them were introduced. Edea grinned and approached the boy, reaching for his hand. Alternis hesitated, his shoulders bunched and tense. But he allowed her to take his hand, and just like that, the two of them stuck together. Edea hovered around Alternis constantly, pointing things out, making sure that he was alright, always playing and chattering away.
Alternis was standoffish and alert, his gaze always darting to objects he could use as potential weapons when adults were in the room (Braev noted with a heavy heart that this tendency applied to even himself if he made sudden movements around the boy). But when he was with Edea, Alternis seemed relaxed, his silence a peaceful one. He allowed her to climb on him, read to him, bring him to interesting places in the fortress, and brush his hair, very very gently. She seemed to know the fragility of her new sibling.
Alternis did not speak. Braev had heard his battle cry in Florem, trying to use an asterisk fit for a man, not a child - but ever since, the youth had been silent.
"Ally never talks," Edea said one day, curled in Braev's lap. "He is so quiet."
"You must be patient with him," Braev said.
"So quiet," Edea said, swinging her legs. She did not seem upset or wondering about it. She was simply pointing it out.
If Alternis swaddled himself in scarves and sweaters, he could bear going outside. Despite being the protégé of the Grand Marshal, though, he was a target for slightly older children. There was not much boy underneath all of his clothes. Alternis often found himself buried in the snow after being roughed up by the other children. And Edea would find him, help him to his feet, and rough up whoever had picked on him.
Both of them often came back to Eternian Central Command needing bandages, disinfectant, and plenty of tissues. They tried to hide their scrapes and plasters under clothing and scarves when they visited Mahzer, but she knew. The children would shrink certain parts of their body away from her touch (arms and hands for Edea - what she used to fight - while Alternis blocked his chest - likely bruised)
Mahzer could not do much, but she had time, and she had been allowed crocheting needles. She spent a long while thinking of the appropriate companion for her young son, and an even longer while putting it together. Something fierce to encourage strength, but soft enough to hold. Something to fight the terrors of the night. A noble creature.
She finished the toy dragon in time for a visit from the entire family. Alternis accepted the gift with wide, wet eyes. He bowed his gratitude and tucked the plush under his arm bashfully.
"Mother, do I get a dragon too?" Edea asked.
"No, dearest. I only just finished this one. Perhaps another time."
"That's alright." Edea did not complain. She was a practical child.
Braev did not have much time to watch over his children, and when he did visit them, what he saw impressed him. Edea was growing stronger, gleefully practicing swordplay using common objects, and Alternis was simply growing - proper meals and sleep transformed his small frame into that of a young man. Braev decided he would return the boy his sword soon.
And yet, still, Edea dragged Alternis around the keep, pushing him around good-naturedly. Alternis, in his silent way, endured or even enjoyed such attention. He brought his little dragon with him on some of their adventures.
Braev was pleased that they got along so well, but he could tell his daughter was irritated somehow. A girl her age needed more than an impassive companion. He observed them from the corner of his eye while he read reports from operatives in the other continents. Edea was attempting to tousle with Alternis, who sat still despite her challenges.
Braev did not know why he looked up, or why he did it then. But he looked up in time to see Edea, incensed for reasons he did not fully understand, bite Alternis on the shoulder. Braev was on his feet in an instant, wrenching the two youngsters away from each other. Deep within, he was afraid that such a violent action would bring back the frightened, feral child in Alternis, and was horrified his daughter had not, after all, grown out of her babyhood habit.
"Edea! I thought you were above such base behavior!"
"Father!" was the only thing the girl had enough presence of mind to say. She looked on the verge of tears, barely managing to hold them back.
"To your room! At once!"
Edea fled, and Braev glared after her. Then, he turned, dreading what he was about to see.
But Alternis seemed remarkably undisturbed. Rather, he seemed confused, his eyes wide and expression cautiously open. Braev relaxed a bit. The boy had adjusted; he was no longer quite the ragged orphan.
"Forgive her. It was an old habit, one I hoped she had forgotten."
Alternis furrowed his brow, though Braev had the curious impression that the mild frustration in the gesture was directed at him, not at his daughter.
Edea had burrowed underneath her many blankets, fighting the sobs shaking her body. It was a losing battle. She burrowed deeper, despite the unbearable heat, champing the corner of one of her pillows even though her father's scoldings still sounded in her ears.
The sound of the door opening made her wish she would evaporate, disappear entirely. She did not want to confront her father right now. But the footsteps were not heavy, and the weight on the mattress was too light to be the Templar.
A gentle hand touched the top of the blankets where she lay huddled. A soft, wordless noise, one she recognized as Alternis' very rare vocalizations. Edea curled tighter. His presence was worse; she did not want to confront the person she had acted against, either.
She felt the weight on top of her gradually lighten as Alternis peeled away the blankets. He exposed her, still crying, still chewing her pillow.
He lay on his side, curled like she was, in front of her. He seemed shy, unsure, but not afraid. This calmed Edea somewhat.
He knew a little more than the Templar on this matter - knew that Edea still ground her teeth against things when she was upset. He had seen this more than once, when she had been so angry towards bullies that she furiously gnawed her own sleeve or ribbon. He simply had never had such frustration directed towards him.
Alternis was not angry. He had been surprised, of course, but he understood her reaction, in a way. Biting was not unfamiliar to him - he had done his share when he was younger. There were some instances where teeth said more than words.
Edea stared at him, her eyes pink with crying, and sniffed, the corner of the pillow still in her mouth.
He did not know how…how was he going to tell her he did not mind as much as people thought he did.
Alternis held out his dragon, waving a little paw at her. She stared at the plushie. He pushed it towards her, opening and closing his mouth so his teeth made an audible clicking noise when they came together. Her expression betrayed utter bewilderment, so he tried again, bumping the dragon's head against her cheek and repeating the click.
She stared. And stared. Finally, she chomped the air in front of the dragon hesitantly.
Click.
Edea smiled. And then she giggled.