Disclaimer: I do not own Merida or the Wild Magic series where the idea of Faolchu's past comes from. I only own Faolchu and Oisin, oh and this plot. (mostly)
Thanks again to MoneytheChef for beta-ing this for me
~Faolchu's POV~
"Everyone awake NOW!" Elinor screamed jolting us all up. Reacting to what my sleep riddled mind thought was an attack I launched forward and crouched ready to defend my mate and pup. "Faolchu, it is me please calm down, and explain why there is a six year old, malnourished, boy in your bed."
"Da?" Oisin asked, sounding frightened at my reaction.
"Sorry, Oisin, sleep made me think we were in trouble. To answer your question, I found him without a family when he ran into my legs about to be killed for a fistful of bread. By my old family's law, I could not leave him and was required to take him into my family as only a true member would. It was late, so I woke Merida told her about him, we named him, and went to sleep."
"Then he is your two's responsibility. You have today off from lessons, so that you may show him around and I can explain to Fergus why Merida now basically has a son."
"Mum?" Merida asked confused.
"You'll be helping Faolchu raise him?"
"Yes," Merida answered without hesitation.
"Then he is your two's son. Now I will be going, but before I do. Faolchu will you be raising him as your family dictates or as ours does?"
Looking towards Merida, I answer, "Both, because I feel that some things that my family does are more correct for situations. Such as, the law that made me take him in, and our courtship ways. Though I will also make it so that he knows your ways as well. The way that we talked about, before you ask, yes I told your mother. I could because she was already mated and thus had free reign to know about the courtship."
"Fine," Merida grumbled.
"Court-ship?" Oisin asked.
"When a boy or a girl, that likes other girls and acts like a boy, comes of a certain age they are taught the ways of courtship so that they can know how to within our family's way get that girl's hand in marriage. The same is for boys that like other boys, but still act like the typical man. The one's that would be the girly-er of the two would not be allowed to know the rules of courtship. I asked why once and was told that it was so that they did not feel the need to say yes," I explained as I turned around and sat cross-legged on the bed.
"So w'en will I learn tis?"
"In a few years, don't worry I didn't get to learn until I was close to 16. Simply because I had this bad habit of not being sure and worrying over stuff that I didn't need to worry about. Now how long till you think it is safe to leave the room?" I asked the last part looking directly at Merida.
"About as soon as my dad hears this, we should hear," she answered, and shifted so was leaning against my left side with Oisin in front of us. My arm naturally shifted so that it was wrapped around her waist. Another thing we had started to do over the past week.
"You two…" Oisin started only for me to cut him off.
"Are not together in that way, but we do act it a lot, and we are both not with anyone. Oh, Merida I was in the marketplace last night, because I wanted to get you a gift." I remembered that I hadn't changed last night and neither had Oisin so I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to her.
"Faolchu, you didn't have to."
"But, I wanted to, so do you accept?" I asked nervous, I mean if she rejected I wouldn't be allowed to court her.
"Of course I do, silly wolf," she teased as she turned away from me, "help me put it on?"
"Sure," I swallowed as I put it around her neck. "Hey, I am going to give Oisin a bath and take my own, so we will be out in a minute. Come on pup."
"Pup?"
"Uh…yeah, see my other family is a uh wolf pack, so I kinda do a lot by their standards and laws." I ducked my head waiting for the fall out.
"Tat is so cool! My da was, or is, a wolf-girl!" he shouted, and slammed into me with a tackling hug. Laughing, I held him tightly as Merida laughed at us, before shooing us into the bathroom.
I helped him bath, before bathing myself. Then I got dressed in the clothes Merida brought in, grabbed a loin cloth and gave it to him. Going back into the room, I got some of my clothes and a knife and cut them to be his size and gave them to him.
The door slammed open and I again launched myself in front of my family, only this time armed with a knife. "What do you two mean you have a son?!" Fergus yelled, as Elinor came up behind him.
"Due to pack law any pup or elder without a pack that is found must be brought into the pack short of having the mark of a loner. A loner that is not by having his pack die or being separated is one that in order for the previous packs safety had to be kicked out and the alpha was just too kind to kill. I saw him and due to pack law had to bring him home."
"If I told you to leave because of this?"
"Then I take him and pack a bag and go. You are alpha of this land, but as I am a guest I could still invite him into my pack not yours."
"Good then you all may stay, but he is your responsibility as he is your two's son," Fergus answered after Elinor touched his arm.
"You threatened da with the barn again, didn't you mum?"
"Of course, except it was for a whole week this time."
"May we get breakfast now please?" I asked as my stomach rumbled loudly gaining a laugh from Oisin and a giggle from Merida. Elinor nodded and I turned to Oisin, "What to ride on my back?"
"How?!" he asked excited.
"Wrap your arms around my neck, but don't squeeze too tight," I answered and when he did I grabbed the back of his knees and stood up. His extremely light weight worried me. Though I guess it was understandable as he had lived on the streets up till now.
We ate breakfast in the kitchen and then I showed him around the castle and got him measured for clothes. We got food together for a picnic and then Merida and him rode on Agnus and I ran to the river so that we could have a picnic and spend time together outside before introducing Oisin to everybody at dinner.
