Malik picked Sef up from where he was waking up from his nap. He wriggled as he woke and Malik held him to his chest neatly. "Mal-Mal?" he asked with a yawn.
"Yep," he said cheerfully.
"Is mommy better yet?" he whimpered.
"No minnow, I'm sorry," he rubbed Sef's back gently. That's why he'd been put down for a nap. He'd wanted to see Maria, but she was sick and none of them were allowed to see her save for Altair and the doctor.
"I want mommy," he whined.
"Shhh," he cooed, "it's okay my minnow. We're ganna have a story."
"Story?" he asked and wiped his eyes.
"Mhmm," Malik nodded and sat on the sofa. Darim was already there with the book. Malik couldn't read, his brain couldn't make sense of the symbols, clearly he'd started trying to read to late and it was beyond him. But Darim could read. He set Sef on his thigh and Darim crawled between his legs too.
They were both worried about Maria. A sickness had visited the kingdom. It was slow going though and only took the young or elderly, sometimes a young person got it, but it was rare. Maria was just unlucky. As such Malik and the children weren't allowed near her for though Malik was an adult he didn't have the immune system to fight such a virus and he was no better than a child. So that left Altair to help Maria and Malik to keep the boys from going wild.
"What story?" asked Sef, he was five, and Darim was seven.
"Mmmmm," Darim opened the book and flipped to a page. It was a book full of mermaid fairy tales that Altair had bought Darim when Malik had first shown himself to the boys and taught them to swim. Darim was obsessed with mermaids and until Maria had gotten sick hadn't been able to stop and breathe sometimes he had so many questions for Malik. Obviously the stories in the books were rarely like real mermaids, but they got parts right. "The Mermaid of Zennor?" he asked his brother.
"Is it a good one?"
"I think so," Darim nodded.
"Okay," and Sef leaned against Malik's chest.
Darim cleared his throat and started to read. "The village of Zennor lies upon the windward coat of Corwell. The houses cling to the hillside as if hanging there by the wind and waves still lick the ledges in the coves and a few fishermen still set out to sea in their boats. In times past, the sea was both the be-beginning and the end for the people of Zennor.
"It gave them fish for food and fish for sale, and made a wavy road to row from town to town. Hours were ree-reckoned not by clocks but the rise and fall of the ties and the months and years ticked by with the herring runs.
"The sea took from them too and often wild, sudden storms would rise and fish and fishermen alike would be lost in the angry sea. At the end of a good day when the sea was calm and each boat had returned with its share of fish safely stowed in the hold the people of Zennor would go up the path to the old church and give thanks," he paused here, "Mal-Mal, what's a church?"
Malik looked at Darim, looked at Sef, and then looked back at Darim, "I have no idea," he shrugged.
"Huh," Darim bit his lip a moment before continuing. "The chore? Chour? Chore," and he nodded, Malik wasn't sure it was right but he didn't know any better himself, "would sing and after the closing hymn the families would go. Now in chore that sang the Even—song there was the most handsome lad named Mathew and not only was he handsome to the eyes but his singing was sweet to the ears as well; his voice pealed out louder than the church bells and each note was clear and true. It was always Mathew who sang the closing hymn.
"Early one evening when all the fishing boats bobbed at anchor and all the families were in church and all the birds in their nests and even the waves rested themselves and came quietly to shoe something moved softly in the twilight. The waves parted without a sound and from deep beneath them some creature rose and climbed out onto a rock there in the cover of Zennor. It was both se creature and a she-creature. Though she looked to be a girl where her legs should be was a long shiny, silver, tail. It was a mermaid, one of the daughters of Llyr, king of the ocean-
"Uncle Mal-Mal?" Sef interrupted.
"Yes minnow?" he asked.
"That story is wrong," he said firmly.
Malik chuckled, "Yes it is," he agreed. "But not everyone knows what mermaids really look like like you do," and he gently ruffled Sef's hair.
"Are there girl mermaids Mal-Mal?" Darim asked.
"Yes. Not very many though."
"What about Llyr?"
He chuckled again, "Mermaids have no kings. Keep going Darim."
"Right," and he swallowed and cleared his throat again. "One of the daughters of Llyr, king of the ocean and her name was Mo-Morv-ren-Morver-Morveren?" he looked at Malik who just shrugged again, it was no name he'd ever have a mermaid take, but he did not know all mermaids. "Morveren sat upon the rock and looked at herself in the quiet water and the combed all the little crabs and seashells from her long, long, hair-
"Mermaids don't have hair!" Sef practically screamed indignantly. Malik laughed. "This story is stupid," he claimed.
"It's fine," Malik said gently. "I have hair right now, see," and he showed the top of his head to Sef.
"Not in the water you don't. Or have a silver tail," he frowned.
"Yeah, I thought mermaids were dark colored," Darim said.
"Well first off, some of us do have silver skin and tails, and two, it's s story written by someone who has clearly never seen a mermaid before," he reminded them both. "Now. Story," he pointed at the book.
Darim shot a look at his brother and then looked back down at the book, "Okay where was- oh, here. As she combed she listened to the murmur of the waves and wind and bornee on that wind was Mathew's singing. 'What breeze is there that blows such a song?' Morveren. But then the wind died and Mathew's song with it. The sun disappeared and Morveren slipped beneath the water to her home.
"The next evening she came again, but not to the rock. This time she swam closer to shore, the better to hear. Once more Mathew's voice carried out to sea and Morveren listened. 'What bird sings so sweet?' she asked and looked all about, but darkness had come and her eyes only saw shadows.
"The next day Morveren came even earlier and boldly she floated right up to the fishermen's boats. When she heard Mathew's voice she called 'What reed is there that pipes such music?' there was no answer save the swishing of the water round the skiffs. Morveren would and must know more of the sining.
"She pulled herself up on the shore itself and from there she could see the church and hear the music pouring from its open doors. Nothing would do then but she must peek and-"
Darim cut off when the door to the master bedroom opened. Everyone looked as Altair left the room looking very tired and closed the door quietly. He felt them looking at him and looked back. "Excuse me," he said, not meaning to interrupt.
"Darim was reading us a story. Would you like to join us?" Malik asked.
Altair looked a moment away from refusing, but instead he nodded and walked over to them. Malik shooed Darim out of his lap as Altair didn't bother sitting on the little couch and sat on the ground between Malik's knees. "What's the story?" he asked.
"The Mermaid of Zennor," Darim said.
"Ah, that one. I know that one," Altair sighed. Altair had told Malik that like Darim he'd become interested in mermaids after the first time he'd seen Malik, and read everything he could. Unlike Darim though he had no one to ask all his questions of, only stories and fairy tales. "She get to the church yet?"
"Not yet," Malik said and ran his fingers through Altair's hair gently.
"Daddy, what's a church?" Darim asked.
"It's like a mosque," Altair said one of his hands going to wrap around Malik's chained ankle. "Only for different people, who worship a different god then Allah."
"Oh," Darim nodded, half understanding since Altair did not worship and Maria did so sparingly. But Darim knew what a mosque was.
"Lets hear the rest, yeah?" Altair asked and leaned his head against Malik's thigh.
"Okay," Darim nodded again. "Uh… I was right… here! Nothing would do then but to peek in and learn for herself who sang so sweetly-" Darim continued as Malik kept running his fingers through Altair's hair in silent comfort. He felt Altair playing with the little bells on his anklet and heard their gentle jingle. He didn't ask how Maria was feeling, as Altair still looked like he'd just been hit by several large hammers. She was still sick and that was all Malik needed to know. He didn't wish that upon her though and hoped she got better.
They listened to the story and by the time Darim finished it with, "There are ones who say Mathew sings yet to those that will listen," Altair was asleep against Malik's leg. Altair hadn't slept much since Maria had fallen ill though so Malik did not blame him.
"Darim," Malik said, "your daddy's sleeping. Take Sef and go find something quiet to do," and he lifted Sef off his knee and put him on the ground.
"Okay," Darim said and took Sef's hand, pulling him away from the sofa. Malik smiled after them and Sef waved as he followed after his big brother. Once they'd gone Malik hoisted Altair up with only a bit of trouble and laid him out on the sofa.
Altair's eyes opened blearily. "Hmm?" he asked, "Story time is over?"
Malik smiled, "Yes, I'm sorry to say," Malik said and smooth his hand along Altair's face.
"Oh. I missed it."
"It's okay," Malik said gently. "You sleep, okay? I'll wake you up in a little while."
"Mmm, you going to cook?"
"You trust me to do so?" Malik teased, since Maria had taught him. But it was hard to cook when Malik didn't actually like the taste of any of it, he just liked the smell, and so did any cooking both under Maria's eye and by smell alone.
"You won't poison us at least," Altair said and looked ready to fall asleep again.
Malik chuckled. "No, I won't," he agreed and made to get up from the sofa.
"No," Altair said, grabbing the hem of his shirt, "Stay."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay," and Malik slid back down. After a few moments they moved so Malik was sitting and Altair had his head in Malik's lap. He fell asleep just like that shortly after, Malik played with his hair.
Review note
Asking me to update will not increase the likely hood of updates at all. This story is updated strictly based on requests and so telling me to update does nothing but make me frustrated that you people can't read.
