Chapter 14: A Mother's Care.
Lyude waited impatiently for the shuttle to arrive that would be taking the recruits from the fortress to Mintaka for their week of leave. Folon was standing beside Ayme. Despite their often thorny relationship, the two seemed to be relatively close, but Lyude wasn't sure why. Maybe she was his sister? He doubted that Folon's blue skin was something he'd been born with, after all, but he'd never asked the strange boy where he'd gotten it. Larry was perched on Folon's shoulder and was batting at Ayme's magenta braid, his ears no longer sporting the socks. Either Folon had gotten bored with the look, or the bunnycat had, though Larry generally seemed tolerant of anything the blue boy decided to do to him.
Andrews was standing beside Lyude waiting to go home as well. His duffel was slung across his shoulder and he was looking at the time. "Ya know, it's funny how they expect us always to be on time, but its okay for them to be late." Andrews said in a bit of a grumble. "Kinda like a doctor's office…." He added thoughtfully.
"I'm ready to be getting home too, Michael." Said Lyude, watching the gate. "I'm sure that the shuttle will be here any moment. What about you, Folon? What are you doing for your week of leave?" he asked as Folon wandered their way for a few minutes.
"What else? Cause mayhem and grief for the unfortunates that have to put a roof over my head." He smirked. "My trusty sidekick here is already shedding and raring to go." He grinned.
Andrews chuckled. "You keep it up and you may not get a roof over your head." He said. "I know you wouldn't if Commander Stryker had anything to say about it."
"Eh, not like he can do a whole lot. Yell and do some stupid punishments, but I've got the edge on him." Said Folon with a smirk. "Me and Ayme are going to be on Giacomo's roster once this stupid required training is up. I don't even need the stuff. I know exactly what I'm doing." He sniffed disdainfully. "And in that command it's not a 'No Larrys allowed zone' like those stuffy old barracks." He added.
Lyude chuckled. "I fear inspections would have been very bad for all of us with Larry's green and blue fur on our white bed sheets. It won't be long now before we're past preliminaries and separated into the more specialized areas where we'll be placed permanently."
"Just imagine Red, you'll be lying awake nearly every night missing the sound of my snoring. I know you can't sleep without it anymore." He smirked.
Lyude smiled ruefully. "It'll be nice to get home to actually be able to get a restful sleep without an iron beetle roaring over my head." He said. "It's been so many months since we've been allowed to go home, I can hardly wait for the shuttle to arrive." The chatting boys were interrupted by a voice that was as unpleasant as it was familiar.
"Can't wait to get home to your stonecarver nursemaid, eh, Lyude? Gonna cry when you see her like some little momma's boy?"
Lyude sighed. "Hello Benson." He said, not needing to look to know who was baiting him. "What are you doing here? You're not even going home."
"I can be out here if I want." Said Benson snidely.
"That you can." Said Lyude and was relieved when the shuttle finally came before another word was said and he and Andrews boarded, evading any further conversation with the rather unpleasant boy, Benson scowling at their escape.
Lyude said goodbye to Andrews once the shuttle stopped in front of his home. Lyude smiled and waved as the shuttle took off again and turned anxiously to the door, practically racing for it and opening the door. "Almarde! I'm home!" he announced cheerfully.
The red headed woman smiled and got to her feet from a bit of sewing she had been doing. "Lyude, my boy. Welcome home." She smiled, embracing him warmly as he hurried to her arms. "How are you, Lyude? Are things going well with your training?" she asked.
"They're progressing well, Almarde. It's nice to be home though. I've made a few friends in the fortress so that helps, but nothing's better than being home." He smiled.
Almarde smiled fondly and smoothed Lyude's silken curtain of red hair. "You've always been such a good boy, and I know you're going to do well in whatever you do." She said.
Lyude smiled. "Thank you Almarde." He said. He was grateful for her encouragement, something he certainly never got from his siblings. He didn't have to be perfect or extremely disciplined to earn Almarde's approval, all he had to be was himself; and that alone meant the world to him.
"So what do you want to do during your week of leave, Lyude dear?" Almarde smiled.
"Is it okay if we visit Azha for a while, Almarde?" Lyude asked.
Almarde smiled. "I think that can be arranged, Lyude." She said. "Go put away your things and your uniform and I'll finish up dinner." She smiled.
Lyude hurried to comply, his stomach rumbling audibly. He'd purposely skipped breakfast this morning, only nibbling a piece of fruit so that he would have plenty of appetite for Almarde's cooking, which would be a welcome reprieve from the food served at the fortress cafeteria. He could smell Azhan yeast rolls baking in the oven, their sweet scent a mouthwatering aroma. It made him hungrier just thinking about them.
Lunch was a pleasant, happy affair, Lyude related some of Folon's antics and some of the other things he had experienced in the fortress. Almarde listened in genuine interest and laughed lightly as Lyude described more of his more interesting experiences with the blue haired boy and the friend he had made in Andrews.
After lunch Almarde sat down to a game similar to chess with Lyude. He had grown masterful of the game through the years, but Almarde was still more than a close match. It was a quiet time between them, but neither seemed to mind, words were not always necessary with their sort of connection, all they needed was the presence of the other to be content.
When it grew to be time for what would have been lights out for the fortress, Lyude found his eyes growing extraordinarily heavy. He reluctantly found drowsiness hitting him hard, and had no wish to give into his internal programming for sleep as the time in the military had placed him in.
Almarde smiled warmly as she saw Lyude lean his head on his hand, rubbing at his eyes with the opposite one. "I think it's bedtime for you, dear." She said.
"Mmn'allright…really.." Lyude murmured.
Almarde smiled and gently took his arm. "We will have plenty of time tomorrow, Lyude. You should sleep and rest now so you'll be awake and aware to enjoy tomorrow." She said, ushering the young boy to his room and having him get into his pajamas. Once Lyude was settled in Almarde came in to tell him goodnight, gently smoothing the sheets comfortably over the dozy boy. "Good night, Lyude." She said, stroking his hair back gently.
"Good night, Almarde…" Lyude said, closing his eyes at the gentle, familiar touch of his nursemaid.
Almarde's smile turned a little sad as Lyude's eyes fell closed and he gave in to slumber. Delicately she stroked his bright red hair, so much like her own. She and Lyuvann had never told Lyude the truth about his birth, it had been decided long ago that it would be better for him all the way around if he didn't know he was half Azhan…and consequently, that meant that he could never know…at least not until he was ready, just who his mother was. Almarde was far from bitter from all the years she had spent raising Lyude as a nursemaid, she had treated him as her own child, and so had still been able to be in the role for which she was meant. Even if Lyude didn't fully understand the bond, she knew that he recognized and appreciated it all the same. She bent down and kissed her son's forehead and his soft, smooth cheek gently. "Rest well, my sweet child." She whispered softly. "Sweet dreams."
A/N: WHEE! I finally got around to finishing up this chapter. x.x Sorry folks, had company over the last weekend and homework to catch up on. Child Psychology is a killer subject. Note to self: No more psychology courses when they're an optional course. Art and writing classes all the way! Aren't we all glad that Lyude resembles young Almarde much more than Lyuvann? XD The dude looks like he was double Almarde's age. I'm thinking I'm going to try to bring this fic to a close within the next chapter or so. I only intend to take it until they get placed into their separate units, thus separating Lyude and Folon. Ah, such a frame the friendship couldn't last and they ended up beating the heck out of each other like…five times during the game.