Chapter Four

The witch of Venric lived with her daughter in a hovel. There was simply nothing else you could call it.

The building was round with walls made of roughly cut blocks and the roof was a complete mess of straw, resembling a rather large bird's nest. Several items of witchy clothing were draped on top of it, possibly there to dry, and there was a small chimney, as well as a fence badly constructed from twigs running around the dwelling. The doorway was barricaded by just a few planks of wood. Jiro walked right up to the makeshift door and knocked on it, to see if anyone was in.

After a short while, one of the boards shifted. "What is it?" hissed a woman grumpily.

"I am Jiro, twin brother of Takashi Shirogane. I need to ask you some questions regarding your connection to Block the sorcerer."

Another plank was removed and the team could make out just who Jiro was speaking to. It was a young woman, perhaps no older than twenty-five, with long, straggly blonde hair, clad in an old brown shawl. Her nose had a subtle point that might not have made her look ugly if it hadn't been for one thing – a disgusted look upon her face.

"What do you want to know about Block?" she snapped.

"Are you the witch of Venric's daughter?"

The woman confirmed this.

"I am aware you were engaged to Block some decaphoebs ago, but your engagement was cancelled after Block married Meklavar."

Well, that's the more sanitised version of the story…thought Pike.

The girl scowled harder. She had never even realised that Block had got married while they were engaged!

"Block and Meklavar now have a two-decaphoeb-old child, who is very sick with a rare illness that could only have been created through sorcery. Do you have any experience in sorcery?"

"What would I need to practice sorcery for?" the woman spat, "I'm a witch!"

Now that was (seemingly) confirmed, Jiro now began to think it was time to mentally cross her off his list, but just to be certain, he decided to probe a little further.

"Do you maintain any resentment towards Block for marrying another woman?" The witch looked even more shocked. Jiro's features grew stern. "I'm sorry if this is intrusive, but this is a matter of life or death. If we do not find a cure for Afen, he will die."

The woman crossed her arms, hiding her hands under her shawl. "I'll have you know, I've never even heard of the little brat. Even if I was angry enough with Block to get revenge on him and his wife, I wouldn't know where they lived. I've tried to forget about him and move on. I'm afraid there have been men who've broken my heart far more than he ever did. If I wanted to get revenge on someone, it would be my last boyfriend…lying toad. I should have turned him into a toad. Or maybe the one before him…"

"We're sorry to bother you," said Jiro, "I wish you good luck with any future relationships."

Oh man, she's going to need it! thought Pike. I can't believe Block nearly ended up married to this old misery-guts.

The witch blocked up her door and the team walked away.

"If it isn't Bandonmor or the witch of Venric's daughter, we've only got one suspect left on our list," recounted Valayun, "I only hope to goodness it is him, or we will be quite stumped!"

"The ogre Terrig is incarcerated in a gaol many miles from here," explained Alfor, "We should have something to eat before our journey." Though Meklavar's village and the nearby penitentiary was quite a way from where she currently lived, it was also in the complete opposite direction to the prison they were planning to visit, making the witch's house the ideal place to stop halfway.

Everyone agreed that was a good idea and stopped to dine on the food Block had given them.

…

Meanwhile, it was lunchtime at Block and Meklavar's house as well. They'd finished giving Afen a bath and Meklavar was seated in her rocking chair. The boy was sat on his mother's lap, wrapped in a blanket. His torso was left bare though, in the hope it might cool him.

Block conjured a plateful of bread, sausages and quince, which he placed in front of his wife and child, in the hope it might tempt them. Meklavar cut up the food and fed her son a few mouthfuls. She then pushed the plate towards Block. "I'm not really hungry."

Block pushed it back. "Please, Meklavar! You're nothing but skin and bones. You'll starve if you keep skipping meals like this."

He stuck a fork into a hunk of sausage and moved it nearer her mouth. Meklavar opened her lips and ate the piece of food. Block watched carefully as she chewed to make certain she swallowed.

Once she'd eaten it, she smiled. "Thanks, Block. I've really lost my appetite lately."

"Yeah, me too, and that's really saying something. I'm not exactly my fat, jolly self at the moment, am I?"

"Mom…" croaked Afen, looking a little green. She barely had time to react before he was sick all over her dinner, before he burst into tears again.

Block then cleaned up the mess while Meklavar calmed down her crying son. She cradled him in her arms whilst gently rocking in her chair, whispering, "You're my brave little soldier, you know that? Don't give up just yet, little guy. Your aunt and uncles will be coming home soon with a medicine to make you feel better…"

She felt a little guilty for telling a white lie, but it was the only way she felt she could reassure him. She closed her eyes and continued to rock the infant.

Block used his magic basin to create two bowls of white pea soup but when he turned to give one to Meklavar, he found that she didn't respond when he tried to hand it to her.

"Meklavar…are you praying?"

His wife nodded, a tear leaking from one of her eyelids.

Block set the bowl on the floor beside her and took hold of her hand. "I'll pray with you."

Meklavar had never been a particularly spiritual woman. It was Block who was more attentive to things like that and the main reason they attended church each week with their son (the sorcerer had been brought up regularly going with his own family). However, during the past few days he'd occasionally caught her kneeling at the side of their bed, audibly begging the gods to spare their son. He wasn't even sure if she believed in an afterlife, but he began to wonder if she'd been contemplating the existence of one lately.

After a few minutes, Meklavar opened her eyes. She saw Block knelt beside her, a tear trickling down his cheek. Before long, he opened his eyes and handed her the bowl of soup. It was still warm and Meklavar began to eat. Once she'd had her fill, she carried her son up to bed and tucked him in.

"You want to hear another story?" she asked him. The boy nodded. "What do you want this time, little fella?" Normally, she would have secretly hoped he wouldn't ask for the story of their wedding or his birth again, having recounted them all too many times, but right now, she honestly didn't care. "Do you want to hear more about Grandma and Gramps? Or your Uncle Aeryn? Uncle Pike? Aunt Valayun?"

Afen nodded again and Meklavar figured she'd have to come up with something that was about all the people she'd just mentioned.

"What if you start again from where you just broke off?" suggested Block.

"OK. I'll tell you some stories about your family. Let's see what I can remember…"

…

After having been on a few quests together with Block and her other friends, Meklavar returned to her old life. She spent her days working in the mines and her evenings telling her family all about the wonderful adventures she'd embarked on over the past few months. They rather liked the sound of her new friends and hoped she would be able to meet with them again sometime.

One day, Elenthiel was sweeping the kitchen when someone knocked at the door. When she opened it, she saw a young man standing there. He had medium brown skin, a bowl haircut with a skull cap, a plaited beard and was dressed in a gold, black and yellow robe, with a green cloak. He was carrying a staff and looked clearly like a mage of some kind.

"Does Meklavar live here?" he asked. "I heard from some local bard that she lives in this house…oh man, I hope that doesn't make me sound like a total creep! I'm real sorry! I'm not trying to hurt her, I swear."

"You must be Block," said Elenthiel with a smile.

The sorcerer was caught by surprise. "Wait…you know who I am? Did Meklavar tell you…" He broke off and got a better look at the woman's face. It was heart-shaped with large brown eyes and a snub nose, kind of like someone else he knew… "…are you related to Meklavar?"

"I'm her mother."

"I'm real sorry to turn up like this, but there's this snake monster that's been wreaking havoc in my village and I was wondering if Meklavar could help me defeat it. Is she in at the moment?"

"She's out working in the mines, but she'll probably be home in about a varga. Would you like it if I made you some broth while you wait for her?"

"Oh, sure. Thanks."

Block started helping Elenthiel prepare the broth, cutting up the vegetables and suggesting ingredients from the spice rack, as well as fashioning some bread rolls to go with it. The dwarf woman was very impressed with his cookery skills. Her daughter had mentioned that he loved to eat, but she hadn't realised he was such a good chef as well.

When Meklavar got back from the mines with her Dad and brother, she found her friend sat on an armchair in the kitchen, clutching a steaming bowl of broth and chatting with Elenthiel. He looked like a giant, what with Meklavar's mother being only five feet tall and everything in the room built specifically for dwarves (Meklavar's family was ironically one of the tallest in her village!)

"Block!" she cried, dropping her axe and rushing over to cuddle him.

"Meklavar! I've missed you so much!" After they'd embraced, he proceeded to tell her about the mission he wanted her to help him with. Soon the other families came into the kitchen for dinnertime and he helped Elenthiel dish up the broth and rolls.

Aeryndal messed around with some of his little boy neighbours, like he usually did, but what caught Nalthalor's attention was that Block also made an effort to talk to the children. He was actually pretty good with them. His manner was very gentle and sweet. To think that this lovely young man was his daughter's friend and very close to her as well, judging by the way they acted around each other.

Once all the dinner was served, Block sat next to Meklavar and began talking to her as she tucked into her meal. He made her laugh on several occasions and the pair seemed to get on very well. Nalthalor raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile upon his face.

After supper, Meklavar decided to leave with Block to sort out the problem involving the monster. She hugged and accepted kisses from all three members of her family before venturing out into the dark night. After he closed the door, Nalthalor continued to have that knowing smile upon his face.

"He's a handsome fellow, isn't he?" he stated, "Quite the gentleman too. Our Meklavar has chosen well…"

His wife and son noticed his expression.

"Do you really think he could be the one…?" Elenthiel wondered aloud, a little taken aback.

"I don't know, but he sure seemed like a great guy," said Aeryndal.

This was the first of many times Block came to visit. He would escort Meklavar home each time after they'd completed quests together (always with their usual comrades) and sometimes pop in when he merely wanted to see his friend again. Pike, Jiro and Valayun also came to see her on occasion and got to know the family quite well, including Aeryn's girlfriend, a warrior who'd served with him during the war (he did say his hair attracted the chicks, after all…) that visited him whenever she could. It warmed Nalthalor and Elenthiel's heart to see their son moving on in life, getting closer to becoming a husband and father. It also gladdened them to watch Meklavar interact with her friends, especially Block. Though she was close to all her team-mates, the pair of them was thick as thieves.

Eventually, Pike, Valayun and Jiro moved away and the family only saw Block from time to time. He took Meklavar on a few solo quests, each one longer and further away than the first. One time, the pair had been gone for almost a month and they had begun to worry. This wasn't to say they hadn't worried about her during every other quest she'd gone on – the life of a warrior was a particularly dangerous and potentially fatal one – but without any method of communicating with her, they were unable to know the reason behind her extended undertaking.

It brought a great deal of relief when one day there was a knock at the door and who should be stood there but Block and Meklavar. Aeryndal invited them in hastily and took them up to the family's bedsit. Meklavar's parents were overjoyed when they saw her and smothered her in a loving cuddle, which Aeryn and Block felt obliged to join in with.

"We were so worried something might have happened to you," said Elenthiel.

"Don't worry, Mom. The warrior Meklavar lived to fight another day!"

Once the group hug was finished, Aeryn asked, "Hey, what happened to your armour?" His younger sister was wearing an unfamiliar green dress with a laced bodice and a long-sleeved peasant blouse underneath.

Block and Meklavar exchanged a glance. They smiled at each other fondly.

"You go first," said Block.

"We were trying to stop this witch from causing trouble, but just as we thought we'd defeated her, she trapped Block in this magic circle which forced him to become engaged to her daughter…"

"Yeah, and the only way to break to break the spell was by marrying someone else…"

Meklavar took Block's hand. "…so we got married."

For a few moments, the family didn't know what to say. Elenthiel clapped a hand over her mouth. Then Aeryn suddenly laughed and embraced his little sister, nearly knocking the wind out of her. He lifted her up and spun around with her. Once he'd put her down, the family congratulated the young couple. Meklavar got lots of hugs and Block was patted on the back. All the while, Nalthalor had the same knowing expression on his face that he did after he'd first met Block. Elenthiel spotted it and smiled back. It turns out he'd been right all along.

After the jubilation had calmed down, Aeryn broke some news to Meklavar. He and his girlfriend were now engaged! It was his sister's turn to be excited for him and the siblings shared yet another embrace.

"I hope you two are real happy together," she said, "I know Block and I am."

"You're both invited to the wedding." Aeryn let go of her. "We're getting married in the spring. Would you like to be a bridesmaid?"

"Sure thing! That would be so neat. I can't believe that soon we're both gonna be married…"

Nalthalor took hold of his wife's hand. "Would you believe it? In half a dozen phoebs' time we'll be empty nesters. It won't be long before we've got a few grandkids as well…"

"Oh my goodness, that reminds me!" Elenthiel let go of his hand and asked Meklavar to come with her to a corner of the room for a private chat. While this was going on, Block presented Nalthalor and Aeryndal with a map of how to get to their new home and made certain they knew how to use it.

The couple ended up staying the night and began their journey home the next day. They visited a few more times before Aeryn's wedding the following spring. Meklavar wore the same dress she'd got married in to be a bridesmaid, coupled with a wreath of flowers around her head. Her hair was growing out and had now reached chin length, so her mother was able to French plait it. Block thought she looked so beautiful he kissed her hand before she followed her brother and his new bride down the aisle.

Several months later, Elenthiel, Nalthalor, Aeryn and his wife made the journey to visit Block and Meklavar, whom they hadn't seen in all too long. Upon arriving, they were gobsmacked at how lovely the couple's house was. Instead of a shabby bedsit in a town house like Meklavar had grown up in, they had a proper cottage with a thatched roof and a charming front garden.

Block soon came out to greet them, holding Meklavar's hand. Something about her appearance caught Nalthalor's attention.

"I see your husband's been feeding you," he teased.

Elenthiel noticed her daughter's belly and gasped.

"Oh!" cried Meklavar, her eyes turning to her bump. She'd quite forgotten they'd had no idea about the good news. "Mom, Dad, I want you to meet your first grandkid." She placed a hand on her abdomen.

Her family froze in delighted surprise before there were cries of excitement. Elenthiel grabbed her daughter into a long cuddle, tears spurting from her eyes.

"It's wonderful you've now become a mother," she whispered, gently rocking Meklavar back and forth, "I hope you realise that now you've taken this step, you can never go back to your old life. There'll be less time for you and your husband once you've got a little boy or girl running around."

"It's OK, Mom. I'm ready for this. I've completed a lot of quests before and I guess this is just gonna be the greatest quest Block and I have ever undertaken."

Elenthiel let go of her and placed a hand on her daughter's protruding belly. "It's amazing, isn't it? Having a new life growing inside of you." Meklavar grinned. "Were you sick a lot in the first couple phoebs after you found out you were with child?"

"All the time…" Meklavar hated the memory of throwing up every morning and getting nauseous at the very mention of food. "But I'm feeling a lot better now. I've been eating a ton lately. This little one is real hungry!" She patted her stomach soundly.

Elenthiel moved out the way as Aeryn came over to give his little sister a hug and congratulate her. He even bent down and rubbed her tummy. "Hey, is the baby moving?" he asked after noticing some movement.

"Sure is!" said Meklavar, "It feels like it's kicking a soccer ball."

"You look like you've swallowed a soccer ball!" joked Aeryn, rising to his full height. Meklavar playfully punched him on the arm, making him laugh.

Nalthalor punched Block on the arm too, giving him a supportive smile – from father to father.

They invited their folks into the cottage and showed them around. Meklavar's parents were so impressed they jokingly suggested they could move in, and perhaps would have done so if it wasn't for the fact there wasn't a mine in the nearby vicinity where Nalthalor could work. Block cooked them some supper, making certain Meklavar had more than one helping.

Aeryn watched his brother-in-law closely, thinking about how it wouldn't be long before he was in the same position as him, caring for his wife as they waited for their first child. He couldn't believe both him and his sister arrived at such a life-changing position in their existences…they still both seemed so young. Meklavar was only nineteen and he was in his twenties. He knew people who'd started families at even younger ages than that, but it was still so hard to get his head around.

Something else he'd never been able to help but notice was just how Block made an effort to look after Meklavar, much like he himself always had. He could easily imagine Block taking her home after a night out at the pub. His little sister was in good hands, and so was their baby.

Elenthiel went with Meklavar to her room for a private chat later on while Block caught up with his in-laws.

After Afen was born, Block and Meklavar went to stay with her parents for a short while. Aeryn came over to visit with his wife.

"So this is the little guy I felt kicking in your belly," he remarked as Meklavar let him hold her new baby, "Man, he's so cute!" Then he laughed. "I still can't believe you actually had to go on a quest before you were about to give birth to him! Is that bad timing or what?" She and Block had told their relatives the whole story about how they defeated the imp.

Meklavar laughed as well. "You know me, Aeryn. I never let a little thing like that get in my way!"

It wasn't long before his nephew had grown into a small boy. Block and Meklavar were able to take Afen on Block's staff now he could sit up without assistance and they visited Meklavar's family whenever they could.

As soon as they arrived at the house where Aeryn still lived with his wife and parents (they were too poor to afford a place of their own yet) he would open the door, bend down and open his arms wide. Afen would run into them and get a big bear hug, which usually turned into a friendly wrestle. Meklavar would often join in and was pretty good at it.

"I see you haven't changed, little sis," Aeryn would say after they'd finished play-fighting.

"Actually, I think I'm getting kinda rusty. All this running after Afen has given me less time for training my muscles. Isn't that right, little guy?" Afen sat on her lap. "You're a real monkey sometimes, trying to help Block and me with the washing and gardening, huh?"

"Oh, I bet you're REAL helpful…" teased Aeryndal, ruffling his nephew's hair, which made him giggle.

"I'm sure glad I'm no longer a stay-at-home Mom. Block's much better at being a homemaker than I was and he never gets cross with our little man. It's been really working out, me working as a woodcutter while he stays home. You like having your Dad around, don't you, Afen?"

The boy nodded.

"Man, I can't believe how much you're getting like your Dad!" continued Meklavar, "You're a real sweetie, you know that? Just like Block."

Block was watching from nearby and smiling tenderly.

"And I'm sure you get this from your Dad as well…" Meklavar teased, giving her son's chubby belly a friendly pat, which made him giggle. They then started play-fighting again for a short while.

Aeryn's wife had given birth to a baby of her own some time ago and he invited his nephew to say hello to the infant, who was now crawling around. The pair of them played together and Afen let her hold his treasured wooden horse. He tried to teach her how to make "neigh!" noises, which she attempted to copy, but hadn't quite made it to the talking stage yet!

It wasn't just Meklavar's family he was forming relationships with either. They occasionally saw Block's folks, who loved him every bit as much. Block's mother liked to show him around her magic chamber, as long as his parents kept him from touching anything he wasn't supposed to (i.e. half-finished experiments, jars of pesky wind sprites, potions that could turn your skin purple…with no offense to any Galra reading this). Sometimes she would even demonstrate spells for him, conjuring bouquets of flowers and mixing concoctions together. She wore a long green and gold dress with a hood and decorated edges, her long curly hair tied back in a bun, the typical appearance of a skilled sorceress.

Block's father was a blacksmith who let Afen look around his workshop. He would stand back with his parents and watch him fashion a piece of iron into a horseshoe, clutching onto his own little horse toy. He was able to say hello to the horses his grandfather worked on and even got to ride on a small pony one lucky time. Block would sometimes help his father with tasks, like he used to when he lived at home.

The other members of Block's family also took a shine to the little boy, inviting him, Block and Meklavar on picnics in the nearby woods, where he'd get piggyback rides with Block's cousins and paddle in the stream with his great aunts and uncles. Meanwhile, Block and Meklavar would lie down on a blanket under a shady tree and take a nap together, knowing their son was in safe hands…

Pike, Jiro and Valayun also frequently visited their friends' cottage. Afen would squeal with delight every time he saw "Uncle Pike" arriving. The rogue would lift him up high above his head.

"Put me dow!" Afen was barely able to speak, he was giggling so much.

"And what's the magic word?" Pike would ask.

"Pwease!"

Pike would lower him into a cuddle. "I'm sure glad to see you again…" he'd say, "So, what do you think your old Uncle Pike could teach you this time? How to play nursery rhymes with your armpits? The best hiding spots to jump out and scare your Mom and Dad? I'm sure you'd love to go catch some bush tucker with me, huh?"

"I don't think his parents would appreciate any of that," Valayun would say, though she was more amused than disapproving.

"Don't listen to her!" Pike would address the toddler, "Your Mom was every bit as wild at your age. I hear she used to defeat your Uncle Aeryn in wrestling matches, even though he's decaphoebs older than her! I wonder if you could defeat your old Uncle Pike in a wrestling match…" He'd growl gently and start play-fighting with the laughing toddler, Valayun rolling her eyes.

She struggled to make conversation herself with the little boy and mostly watched him play with her friends from a distance, rarely interacting with him, but Afen still rather liked her. It was probably because sometimes when he and Pike were messing around in the forest together without the others, they'd sometimes sit behind a bush and talk about stuff together – things that Afen never told anyone, even his parents. Though Afen couldn't say much, Pike would do most of the talking and tell him all his deepest secrets.

"Your Aunt Valayun's a special woman," he said one day, looking reminiscent, "You don't meet many women like her in a lifetime…I know I've never met anyone like her before. I don't think Theodshin has either…"

"Who Fode-Shin?" asked Afen.

Pike smiled at his little friend's mispronunciation. "Theodshin is this elvish knight who's…I guess you could say he's very close to Valayun. He's way much better looking than I am. Oh man, you gotta see his hair! It's as long and silky as hers."

"Is he girl?" asked Afen, seemingly rather amused.

"What? No, he's not a girl!"

Afen chuckled loudly, quite proud of the joke he'd just made.

Pike smiled in response. "They've been hanging out together, probably sharing fighting techniques and swapping hair products…that sort of stuff. It didn't used to bother me too much…well, actually it kind of did. Now he's asked to be her boyfriend. Do you know what a boyfriend is, little guy?"

"He's her fwiend!" replied Afen enthusiastically.

"Well, kind of, but not exactly…" How was he going to explain this to a two-year-old? "He's sort of like a friend…but not just a friend…to Valayun, that is." He was silent for a moment. "A boyfriend is…the guy you think you're gonna marry."

"But you mawwy Va-yun!" said Afen, looking rather upset.

Pike placed a hand on his shoulder. "We've been through this before, little buddy. I can't marry Valayun. She likes me, but as a friend…not a boyfriend. She doesn't want to marry me." Afen started to cry. "No, no, don't start leaking!" Pike embraced him. "We should be happy for her. She's found a guy whom she actually might want to marry. Isn't that great? He treats her real good too. Just as good as your Dad treats your Mom." He mopped Afen's eyes, but then realised tears were forming in his own. He tried to wipe them away, but knew that Afen had spotted them already. "I know…I shouldn't lie to myself. It still hurts real bad, even though I know I should be pleased for her and Theodshin, but what can I do? I just can't compete with him! He's gotta be the most attractive guy in more lands than your Mom's the best axe-fighter in! I'm just a common thief…or at least I used to be, before I met Valayun…" His voice trailed off.

He sat down with his back against the bush and put his arm around Afen. The pair of them was silent for a long while before they heard someone pacing through the forest and a voice calling, "Pike? Afen? Where are you? Block's going to dish up supper soon!"

Pike immediately knew who it was and took hold of both Afen's shoulders. "Don't you mention a word of what I just said to you!" he hissed.

The infant nodded and they both crawled out of their hiding space, before following Valayun back to Block and Meklavar's cottage. The friends ate a jovial meal together around the kitchen table and Pike and Afen all but forgot about the private conversation they'd just had.

"So, what do you want to be when you grow up, little guy?" Jiro asked Afen at one point.

"Dunno," he responded through a mouthful of bread.

"If you want to become a knight someday, I could teach you how to fight when you're older – Paladin style."

"Hey, that sounds good, doesn't it, Afen?" said Meklavar, "You always like playing the brave warrior in our games together, don't you?"

Afen nodded.

"When you're a little older, I'm going to teach you sorcery," said Block, "I've already started teaching your Mom. She's getting better than me!"

Meklavar grinned proudly and Block gave her a kiss, right on the lips. Afen giggled. He liked seeing his parents kiss almost as much as he liked getting kisses from them.

Meklavar then leaned over and planted a kiss right on his cheek, which made him giggle even more. She gave him several more, one after the other, and he nearly fell off his chair with laughter.

It would have been hard to imagine back then that their delightful little boy, plump and healthy, always finding ways to have fun and make mischief, would one day be sick, bedridden, half-starved and barely able to make any sound that wasn't crying. However, it would have been even more difficult to imagine a world without him…