Thanks for the reviews, people! The reason why my chapters are so short is because I'm on duty 24 hours a day until June 7, when I go to being on duty only a few days a week. I'm trying to write whenever I have time now, instead of after work. Whenever I got tired was when I would stop a chapter. Anyhoo, keep up with the input, I really appreciate it. I'm greatly enjoying all of your stories as well.
Disclaimer: I am not Mercedes Lackey nor do I own any of her characters.
Chapter 3
"Oh my…"
Talia's voice trailed off as she took in the scene in Kero and Eldan's suite. There was a pile of small bodies in front of the fire. Each little girl appeared to be dressed in one of Kero's old shirts and was sound asleep, oblivious to the healer who was gently examining all of them. Kero, Talia noticed, was still in her nightclothes, an over-large shirt that sported a torn hem, and her face seemed to have been frozen in an expression of panic. A small cough drew her attention to Eldan, who was sitting in an old rocker that had traveled with him from his boyhood home to the Collegium to his current room. The baby snuggled into the crook of his arm tugged at her heartstrings.
"Kero, where did these children come from?"
"Rethwellen."
"Why are they in Valdemar?"
"Long story. I need your help."
Talia shook her head to clear it of bemusement and forced herself to concentrate on Kero. Dirk is never going to believe this! "Sure, what?"
"Eldan and I seem to be having a slight problem with space."
Talia took in the room around her. Cramped was the best way to describe it. The suite consisted of two rooms, the bedroom and living area. Against the far wall of the living area, Kero's jewelry carving workshop took up much of the space with a long table and several half-finished projects. Bookcases lined the wall across from the hearth, to the left of Kero's workshop, filled with books on strategy, tactics and Eldan's rock collection. The low table in front of the hearth was covered in pieces of weaponry and armor in various stages of being cleaned and an open volume of poetry. The padded bench behind the low table was clear of debris except for the board game Kero and Eldan had been playing the night before to while away the hours. What had been on the bench before the board game now resided under the bench. The floor was liberally covered in rugs, cushions and blankets. Talia was sure the bedroom was in much the same state. "Kero, your mastery of understatement astounds me more every day."
The panicked expression on Kero's face dissolved for a moment as she regarded Talia with a disgruntled look.
"Alright, so you and Eldan need new rooms. I can take care of that. What else?"
"I need you to brainwash them."
"Kero!"
"Please, Talia, just this once? I'm begging you here!"
"No! I will not 'brainwash' any poor, innocent child!"
"It isn't so hard. Just concentrate a little and bam!" Kero snapped her fingers. "They do everything Eldan and I tell them to."
"It doesn't work like that, Kero. I never thought that I would ever say this to you, but calm down." Talia reached out with her mind, hoping to soothe Kero into thinking rationally.
"That's easy for you to say! You were created to deal with children! I've never even touched a baby before today, much less taken full custody of one! A horse!"
"What?" Talia was taken aback by Kero's abrupt change of subject.
"I'll get Elspeth to turn the children into horses! That's it! I can take care of a horse."
"Kero. No magic or Gift."
"None?"
"No."
Kero rubbed her hands over her face and growled a curse softly under her breath. Inwardly, Talia was astounded. This was the first time she had ever seen Kero like this. Usually Kero was the one calming them all down and solving problems rationally and logically.
"Look, Kero, child-rearing has little tricks to it. You already know most of them from running a mercenary company. Just establish a routine for them and give them lots of love. The rest will take care of itself."
Kero felt her panic receding, undoubtedly in thanks to Talia putting some more effort into the empathy. She took a deep breath and took herself in hand for the second time this morning. "Right. Establish a routine. Got it. Reveille, chow, exercise, chow, cleaning, chow, bath, bed. Same as with the Bolts. We can do this."
Talia smiled. This is going to be interesting. "There you go. Now, go deal with the healer. I'll find you some new rooms and gather up some people to help you move."
Kero lay facedown on the bed and groaned.
"That was the worst, most horrible move I've ever had, and I've had some hair-raisers. It was even worse than moving the Bolts to Valdemar."
Eldan perched on the edge of the bed and pulled a boot off. "It wasn't that bad. The girls slept through most of it and Damini seemed content to ride Alberich's shoulders wherever he went. I think she found herself a friend."
Kero snorted. "That's all we need. A toddler that can swear in Karsite."
"He didn't teach her too many Karsite swear words. I think she learned some more in other languages from you today. You need to start watching that now. With as many diplomats as there are running around here, someone is bound to figure out what that munchkin is saying."
"Ya know, there are reasons— " Kero broke off as she heard giggling from their new living area. "That doesn't sound good." She dragged herself off the bed and stealthily crept towards the door and cracked it open. "Eldan."
"What?"
"Is Ianthe playing with fireballs?"
"What?!"
Kero scooted away from the door and Eldan took her place, pushing his face against the crack Kero had opened the door to, then swore.
"Just our luck. We have a fire starter."
"Stop her!"
"Oh no. You are her aunt, you are the mercenary, you stop her."
"You're the most experienced with stuff like this."
"You're the granddaughter of a mage and you have worked with many other mages. You deal with this."
Kero growled once again, then slowly drew the door open. She forced herself to walk slowly and calmly toward the huddled little girls who were giggling again as Ianthe forced the fireballs to assume the shapes of butterflies and flutter around the room. One passed dangerously close to Kero as it fluttered up the to the ceiling then dove back down again, skimming along the floor. It fluttered up to land on Ianthe's outstretched finger. The little girl was as diminutive as her sisters, but there the resemblance pretty much ended. Her hair was a darker blond and her eyes were a striking green instead of blue. In fact, she was almost an exact copy of her grandmother, Kethryveris, which led Kero to wonder if fire starting was not just one sign of a Mage Gift. She coughed softly to get the girls' attention when she was standing behind Ianthe.
As one, they all looked up. That was when all hell broke loose. Ianthe lost control of her fire butterflies. As if they had been directed, they all homed in on the other little girls, who jumped up and started running, shrieking in fear. Kero grabbed a pan from her pile of traveling gear and nailed the butterfly following Damini as she toddled as quickly as her little legs would carry her, screaming and crying in fear. The butterfly vanished with a womp! and a curl of smoke. Then Kero took off after the second butterfly while trying to pinpoint where the others were. Eldan came running into the room and grabbed up a bucket of cleaning water that had been sitting on the floor and managed to hit another butterfly that had been chasing Acacia and Kero managed to pound another, which had been chasing Caia, out of existence. When no more butterflies were streaking around the room, they all stopped or collapsed where they stood, breathing heavily. Then Eldan sniffed the air.
"Do you smell something burning?"
Kero sniffed the air and identified the unmistakable aroma of burning hair. She darted glances around the room to see whose hair was burning, then froze when she felt an intensifying heat on her own back.
"Eldan."
"What?"
"I think I have a problem." She turned her back to him. "Mind helping here?"
Eldan swore vigorously as he grabbed up a blanket and pushed her to the ground, trying to smother the butterfly that had been taking a breather of its own in Kero's hair. This butterfly, however, appeared to be more stubborn and caught the blanket on fire. Eldan swore again and threw the blanket into the hearth as Kero rolled on the ground, trying to smother the fire between her leathers and the stone floor. The girls continued shrieking, but Acacia, at least, remained partially in control, running from the room to grab another bucket of water from the bathing room down the hall. She came running back as fast as she could hauling the heavy bucket and dumped it over Kero as she rolled back over. The flames did not even pause, charring her leathers and devouring her braid.
"Cut it off!" she screamed. "Cut off the braid!"
Eldan did not hesitate, pulling a dagger and slicing through the thick braid at the nape of her neck, then throwing it on the hearth to burn. Kero pressed her face against the cold stone of the floor, breathing deeply, trying to calm the adrenaline running through her veins. She felt Eldan employing his dagger on her leathers, checking her for burns. When he found only minor burns that could be Healed with very little effort, he sighed in relief and sat back on his heels beside her.
"Are you all right, Aunt Kero?" Caia's little voice fluttered down to her through the fatigue brought on by the adrenaline crash. Before Kero could answer, feet pounded down the hallway and people dressed in Whites burst into the room, creating more chaos than Kero really wanted to deal with.
"Captain!"
"What happened?"
"Are you burned?"
"Get a healer!"
"Everyone back off!"
The last came from Eldan. Everyone moved back and Kero sat up as silence descended.
"I'm fine, Caia. Just feeling a little naked right now."
The little girl giggled as Kero began searching the crowd for Ianthe. She spotted her wrapped in Acacia's arms, her face buried against her sister's neck.
"Nothing's wrong everyone. We just discovered we have a new little fire starter in the family. Thanks rushing to our aid."
The crowd slowly trickled out of the room among many whispers about fire starters and how dangerous they could be if not properly taught. The whispers unerringly found their way to Ianthe's ears, and Kero could see the little girl cringe even more against Acacia. Acacia glared down anyone who looked in their direction, more than willing to fight for her sister.
"Ianthe, come here."
Ianthe shook her head and huddled closer to Acacia.
"Ianthe, I won't hurt you. Come here."
"She doesn't want to."
"What she does or doesn't want to do is not up to her right now. Ianthe, come here, now."
Kero's firm voice propelled the girl away from her sister and drew her over to where Kero was sitting, half-leaning against Eldan who was absently tugging on the ends of her newly shorn hair. Ianthe stopped a few feet away, eyes downcast.
"I'm sorry I lit your hair on fire. I didn't mean to."
"I know. But do you know why I am mad?"
"Because your hair is gone."
"No. I'm mad because you should know better than to do magic inside. There are special places for it, and special people you have to be around when you do that. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Aunt Kero."
Kero did not have it in her to punish the girl. The fact that the girl did not know she was doing wrong made it impossible. She pondered her options for a few minutes, then nodded decisively.
"Tomorrow, we will have you tested. Then you will learn some basics until you are old enough to master your Gift. In the meantime, it is bath time, then bedtime." Groans met her announcement. "Do not even think about arguing. That is not how things are done in the Companies. Bath, then bed." The girls barely argued, straggling to their own rooms to get their bathing things. Damini toddled over and made herself a comfortable seat in Kero's lap. The baby was with the healer for the night, having her cold taken care. At least I don't have to deal with a sick baby tonight, Kero thought in relief. Then suspicion began to set in. She turned to Eldan. "Is it me or did they agree to a bath way too easily?"
Eldan shook his head. "It isn't you. They're up to something."