Hey, everyone! Sorry about the cliffie, but I had to go to bed! It was around four in the morning when I finished that chapter. Thanks for the great reviews, keep it up! This chapter is a bit long, and I rushed some things to get the plot moving along. I also realized that I was spelling Sayvel's name wrong. Don't much like this chapter, but we all seem to have a chapter that we don't like. The last scene is cute, but it is rated for interrupted extracurriculars and language. Standard disclaimer: yada yada. Enjoy!
Chapter 8
She couldn't breathe.
She heard the voices murmuring above her, but she could not get enough air to tell them that she could not breathe. Her world had narrowed to the pain and the struggle to breathe. Eventually, she grew too tired to struggle any more and gave up.
"She's stopped breathing!"
Curses sounded around the room and Healers flooded into the room in an effort to save the life of the brutally burned woman lying on the lamb's wool padding. Hands found unburned skin and Healing energy flooded in, directed by the Healer in charge of this particular case. They bolstered her flagging strength, breathed for her and worked to repair the damage the heat and the toxins had wreaked. Eventually, the Healers began to grow weak, and the senior Healer signaled a stop. They stood warily, counting her weak breaths and prayed it would be enough to hold her.
"We'd better have some other Healers ready to come in. Between her and the children, we'll need all the help we can get."
Ratha slid to a halt in front of the doors to the Healer's Collegium and Eldan leapt from his back. He had been with the Bolts in their fortress when the mindcall had reached him, relayed by Heralds until Ratha had picked it up. Eldan had been waiting for Shallan to finish the budget report for this latest expedition so Kero could approve it and order the books updated. Kero had often laughingly called the report the Scandals and By-blow report, due to the section which defined all damages paid to taverns, town governments and women who were confirmed as pregnant with a Skybolt baby. He remembered he was laughing with Shallan over how Kero would never believe this report because no damages had been paid out this time. Then Ratha had called to him and he had run out the door, not even pausing to grab his gear, and mounted Ratha without even stopping. Ratha had surged into a gallop and an interminable amount of time later, they were home. He did not even remember if he had told Shallan that her captain was injured, possibly dying.
Daren stood when Eldan appeared in the hallway outside Kero's room and grabbed the Herald before he could burst into her room. Eldan fought briefly, then realized who was holding him back and stopped.
"What happened?" Eldan's voice was hoarse from cold and worry. The Herald looked the worse for wear after his month in Evendim, and Daren had no doubt that he had been looking forward to coming home and spending time in a hot bath and a warm bed, in that order.
"There was a fire. Ianthe's Gift went out of control. From what we can tell, she was sleeping with Kero when it happened. Kero was burned then, and she was burned again when she went back in to try to save Ianthe. She also sucked in a lot of smoke while saving the other girls and when she went back for Ianthe."
"How bad?"
Daren winced.
"Daren. How bad?"
"Not good. She's stopped breathing once already." Curses echoed from the room and they heard the Healer's scrambling. "Make that twice, now."
Eldan paled and Daren forced him to sit on the bench he had vacated. He was unaware of Talia putting a hand on his shoulder, or Alberich patting his back before turning his head away to hack into a handkerchief a Healer had given him, suffering from the smoke he had inhaled. From another room, this one darkened and the door only opened a crack, a weak whimpering began. Eldan heard murmuring, but the whimpers turned into a wail.
"Auntie Kero!"
Eldan began to rise, knowing he had to take care of the girls since Kero could not, but froze when he heard some soothing her.
"Hush, Ianthe. I know it hurts, but you need to sleep. It will feel better, then."
Talia watched Eldan's face harden at the mention of the child's name and knew that she now had two more hard battles on her hands. One was to get Kero to realize that what had happened was not her fault and that Ianthe was not dead. The other was to get Eldan to realize that it was not Ianthe's fault that Kero had been so badly wounded.
Gradually the cries subsided, as well as the sound of the Healers scrambling in Kero's room. The senior Healer stepped out and paused when he saw Eldan there. He nodded to himself, squared shoulders that had been drooping with exhaustion and walked across the hall to stand in front of Eldan.
"She's stable, for the moment. She's given us a few scary moments, but I think we're past them for now. Her lungs were very damaged from the heat and smoke. Simply trying to breathe was exhausting her, which is why she stopped breathing. We've Healed as much damage to her lungs as we can, for now, and we are continuously feeding her energy to keep her strength up. We're recharging her fast than she's using it now, so in a few minutes we'll stop giving her energy and let her rest. It's what she needs more than anything else right now, other than some encouragement. The next few weeks are going to be very hard for her."
Eldan was vaguely aware of Talia working to calm him and was thankful, but he could tell the Healer was holding something back.
"What else is there?"
He sighed. "We're worried about the guilt factor. You Heralds have shown a strong tendency to guilt yourselves into thinking you don't deserve to live. As far as Kerowyn knows, Ianthe is dead. She collapsed before we could tell her Ianthe was going to make it. Kerowyn doesn't even know if the other girls are in danger or dying. I'm thinking, since you're here, Talia might be able to go get some rest. You're just as good for Kerowyn, right now."
Eldan nodded. "What about the girls. How are they?"
"They are all alive, but only Ianthe has regained consciousness. Her Gift protected her from the effects of the fire, but she is suffering from Reaction. A five year old handles Reaction even worse than a full grown Herald, so we have our hands full with her. We thought we were going to have to be the most worried over the baby, since she was in the same room as Kerowyn and Ianthe, but she appears only to be suffering from the smoke, as well as the other girls. They should all regain consciousness and make full recoveries. Caia's Gift is even helping her to Heal."
Eldan nodded again, then swallowed. "I want to see her."
The Healer nodded and stood back as Eldan rose. "You should prepare yourself. She doesn't look quite as pretty as she normally does right now."
She did not look as bad as he thought she would. Her face was lightly burned compared to her arms and hands, only showing redness and blisters. He could not see her arms and hands under the layers of bandages, and he knew those were the worst. Other burns were left uncovered, he saw when the Healer pulled the light sheet back so he could see all her injuries, showing a range of light burns to thick blisters. Her right leg was the worst of the uncovered burns, blisters twisting around it, showing how the fire had swirled around her like water. In spite of all of this, he laughed when he saw her hair, and sank down in the chair next to the bed. Her hair was shorter than ever, and he knew she would think she looked like a fluffy chicken when she saw the white down sticking up.
He traced an unburned cheekbone with a fingertip, then placed a gentle kiss there.
"You're not having a good hair month, are you, love?" he whispered in her ear.
Time did not exist for Kero. Her reality was swirling pain and guilt. Now that it was easier to breathe, she was realizing that she did not want to breathe. She had been so proud that she and the girls had made it a month without any major catastrophes. Now Ianthe was dead, and it was all her fault. Surely someone who was better at raising children that she was would have recognized what was wrong with Ianthe and gotten some help. Instead, Kero had left her behind to burn.
She was vaguely aware of Talia floating with her in the pain and guilt, but she ignored Talia's pleas. She had messed up, and that was that. Eldan came then, in a dream. He told her that Ianthe was alive, and Kero put the dream off as a hallucination. After all, why would Eldan come to her and lie? He could not lie mind to mind, no Herald could. Then Tarma came to her.
"Enough of this."
Kero was abruptly away from the gray haziness that made up her existence and was in the practice ring in the cave beneath Kethry's Tower, a sword in her hand and clad in practice armor. Tarma stood across the circle from her, clad in her own practice armor with her own sword clasped in her hand.
"Defend yourself."
Kero's sword rose automatically into a guard position and Tarma attacked. The attack, as always, was wicked, but the defense was lackluster at best. Tarma disengaged and glared at Kero derisively.
"Pathetic," she spat. "I taught you better than this. Defend yourself."
She attacked again, and again Kero barely made any effort at a defense. Tarma drove forward and pinned Kero against the stony wall, and Kero cried out as the rocks dug into her back. Tarma leaned in, locking their swords, and looked Kero right in the eyes.
"Do you want to die? Fine. I'll accommodate you."
Without letting go of Kero's gaze, Tarma disentangled their swords, and drove her own sword into Kero's abdomen. Kero's breath left her in a gasp, but Tarma's ice blue eyes never left Kero's as her knees weakened. Tarma's arm around her waist eased her to the ground. With an abrupt jerk, Tarma pulled the bloody sword out, then knelt beside her student. Hot blood was streaming out of Kero and pooling beneath her, and Kero uselessly pressed her hand against the wound, trying to stem the flow. Tarma smoothed the hair off Kero's forehead and gently brushed away tears.
"I have given you what you want. You are dying. Right now, that man of yours is standing back against a wall, watching Healers trying to save you when they have no idea what is killing you. There is a child standing next to him, and your betrayal of her is stabbing her just as surely as I've stabbed you."
"I've betrayed no one but Ianthe," Kero whispered. "I saved them from myself."
Tarma lay on the ground next to her and turned Kero's face so they were once again eye to eye. "He waited ten years for you; he followed you in your dreams to all the places he could not go, when he knew you were not yet ready to face the life you were meant to lead. She saved her sisters, traveled thousands of leagues through weather most seasoned mercenaries would not test, to bring them to the person she knew would be the best."
"They were wrong."
"They were right."
Kero's strength was weakening fast and she felt her heart begin to stutter. "They are better off without me."
"They are here only for you. Without you, they are nothing but the remains of what could have been."
The tears were increasing in speed, and Kero became desperate as Tarma's patient logic began to sink in where everyone's desperate pleas had fallen short. "I killed her."
"You saved the others. The lives of the many weigh more than the lives of the few. Simple logic, Captain."
"She deserved better. I should have protected her."
"She was sent to you to make your life brighter. Life is not just about what you do for the people around you, ke'a'char. Think of what she did for you. Then think of what you still need to do for the others, think of what they still need to do for you."
Kero's heart stuttered again and her breathing slowed. She was struggling to breathe again, but she did not understand why. It would be so easy to let go… Tarma's eyes bored into hers, and she felt her heart begin to ache for the little girl that should have been, and for those that still were.
"I miss her so much." Her breathing hitched again, but this time it was from the tears. "I miss all of them. Send me back. I want to go back."
Tarma closed her eyes in relief, then laced her fingers through Kero's over the wound. As the practice ring began to shrink around them, Tarma moved closer. "Listen closely, little hawk. Not all is what it seems. Look for the truth in all things, in all people, in all events. Through this, you will find what you have always been looking for."
Kero's body jerked under the hands of the Healers, and she abruptly began fighting them, hands sweeping wide in a reflexive defensive gesture, and she gasped for breath. Sweet air poured into her lungs then left in a hissing exhale as the pain swept back through her.
"Easy, Captain." The senior Healer pressed his hand to shoulder and eased her pain as she struggled for another breath. Gradually, she forced herself to relax and her labored breathing eased, settling into a smooth, healthy rhythm.
When she opened her eyes, Eldan felt his world center once more, and the tension left his shoulders. Acacia stepped away from him and ran towards the bed. She stopped a few scant inches away and planted her hands on her hips, her shoulders squared and her feet planted firmly on the tile floor.
"What did you think you were doing?"
Kero smiled weakly at the indignation in Acacia's voice. "Taking a nap."
"Take a nap some other time. You're busy, right now."
"I am?"
Acacia nodded decisively in a way Eldan recognized as pure Kero. "You are. You're taking care of us."
Kero met Eldan's eyes over Acacia's head, and she recognized his love for her, felt it warming the depths of her soul. "I guess I am."
"I thought you were going to die." Acacia's comment dragged Kero's attention back to her. Eldan stepped forward and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Acacia, you should know by now that mercenaries don't die." Eldan's comment drew a weak grin from Kero.
"They don't? Then what do they do?"
"Ask me again in a few years."
"I mean it, Kero! Sit down and stay there!" Eldan's voice was stern as he stood in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing his favorite soft shirt and breeches, today, and his hair had been pulled back in a tail in deference to the physical activity he was doing this day. Behind him, Alberich walked in through the door, Dami attached to one leg and Ianthe the other.
He was carrying the baby's new cradle, which, in all actuality, was an old family cradle that had been in Eldan's family for generations. The wood gleamed in the sunlight falling through the windows of their new home, which was quite a bit bigger than the suite they had been in previously. Their new home, however, was not a suite. It was actually a cottage that had been built over the past two weeks by an army of Heralds, Bolts and artisans in a gesture that had stunned Kero. She supposed it was probably at least partially driven by survival instinct. After all, when Ianthe's Gift went Rogue, it took out a large portion of the Herald's wing.
The sight of Ianthe still startled Kero, even after two weeks of recovery and knowing that Ianthe was alive and had only suffered a bad Reaction. When Kero had opened her eyes the next morning to see her, she thought for sure she was being haunted by the child's ghost. When Talia had entered the room and greeted the girl, Kero had almost stopped breathing again. A few minutes of reassurances later, Kero had gladly accepted the fact that Ianthe was alive and kicking.
The sound of Eldan clearing his voice dragged her back from her woolgathering. "I'm not an invalid, Eldan. At least let me do something." Her voice was still a bit hoarse from the smoke she had breathed, and her hands and arms were still lightly bandaged, but other than that, she considered herself completely recovered.
"Really? Then who is the Healer over to see every day? Because it certainly isn't me."
Kero rolled her eyes before she thought about it, then crossed her own arms over her chest, albeit a bit more gently than Eldan had. "I'm fine, Eldan."
"Then why are you limping?"
"My boots are rubbing." Kero had been dismayed to discover that the burns had taken away all of the calluses she had spent years building up on her hands and on her right foot. That was why her hands and arms were still bandaged. The skin was extraordinarily sensitive, and she was embarrassed that her hands were as smooth as the baby's pink fists. Her right foot was not as bad as her hands, so she was now permitted to wear soft boots with thick socks. That, however, did not seem to be preventing the blister that appeared to be forming on her heel. "Eldan, if I do not do something soon, I am going to go crazy."
"Here." Eldan plucked the baby from his mother, who had entered the cottage behind Alberich. The baby was awake and looking for food, kicking her tiny feet and demonstrating her latest trick, smiling. He dumped the baby in Kero's arms. "Someone is hungry. Go sit in the bedroom and feed her and play with her. Then get her to go to sleep."
"Something other than BD, Eldan."
"Baby Duty not exciting enough?"
Kero squirmed. "Really, Eldan-"
"Eldan." Eldan's mother was a formidable woman who had the capacity to make even Kero squirm. Now she leveled her dark gaze on her younger son. "I was enjoying that baby perfectly well. You will give her back to me and let your woman do what she very well pleases. She's a fully fledged mercenary, you know."
Eldan squirmed for a moment, then removed the baby from Kero's arms and transferred her back to his mother's arms.
"At least try to go easy on yourself, Kero. Let someone else do the lifting. You've got Bolts and other Heralds to help with all of that. Maybe just some unpacking."
Kero knew a compromise when she heard one and knew it was the best she was going to get.
"Fine, no heavy lifting." That did not mean she could not do some "light" lifting.
"No light lifting either."
"Eldan-"
"Kero." Eldan stepped forward and stopped her protests with a light kiss. "Indulge me. Please."
Kero growled in exasperation. "Fine. I'll be in Caia and Ianthe's room, helping Talia and Jeri."
The cottage was everything Kero had ever hoped for in a home of her own. It was situated on the edge of Companion's Field, with a view of a grove out the back windows and view of the palace and salle from the front. The floors were smooth wood, and the price of that alone boggled Kero's mind. However, much to Kero's dismay, she found that the cottage had been ordered built by the Queen and all of the materials and labor had been donated by friends and artisans. While the stone walls of the cottage might not offer much in the way of cutting down drafts, thick draperies strategically placed over windows and tapestries on walls more than made up for the stone. The glass in the windows was of much higher quality than Kero had ever expected to be able to afford, and she had been as delighted as the girls were that Talia had personally picked out drapes and blankets to follow a color scheme for each of the bedrooms. While building a cottage big enough for each of the girls to have their own bedroom was impossible, there were enough bedrooms so that each girl only had to share with one sibling. Acacia, being the oldest, had her own room, though it was smaller than the rooms the other girls shared. While Acacia, Caia and Ianthe's rooms were on one side of the cottage, the nursery and Kero and Eldan's room were on the other side. The nursery connected to the bedroom through a wooden door that could be firmly shut when the girls became older and were ready to not have the instant access that door afforded for Kero and Eldan. Situated between the two sets of rooms was a common area and cooking area. While Kero had already determined that floor cushions and chairs would be grouped around the fireplace in the common area, which was the forward most area, she had yet to figure out what to do with the cooking area in the back of the cottage.
:You cook in it, loon.:
:Easy enough for you to say, hayburner. You don't have to cook. I wonder if I can get Eldan to do the cooking. He's much better at it than I am.;
These musings brought her into Caia and Ianthe's room, where Caia was holding court from her bed, leisurely directing Talia and Jeri in the placement of a tapestry on the far wall. Kero had solved part of the problem of losing their belongings in the fire by bringing Tarma and Kethry's belongings out of storage. That was where the tapestries came from, and also where the gown Caia was currently wrapped in came from. The gown was one of Kethry's, and Kero almost grinned as she realized it was the gown she had used to make Daren see the light all those years ago. The sleeves of the gown hung well past the little girl's fingertips while the hem of the skirt flowed over little toes to pool on the floor next to the bed. Someone, most likely Jeri, had piled Caia's blonde hair on top of her head a complicated twist that was currently in fashion at Court. The result made Caia look like an exact, if slightly out of date, replica of a Court butterfly, and Kero once again felt quite a bit of relief that the little girl would soon be buried up to her eyeballs in Healer texts and not have time to become fully involved at Court. Acacia curled her lip at any other child she saw dressed in current Court fashions, so Kero was sure she would not have to worry about her getting caught up in Court intrigue, and Ianthe was currently worshipping anyone who could tell her more about anything. Ianthe's current favorite topics included science and law, so Myste was the current favorite. Damini was only interested in her toys, pots and pans, but the amount of time she spent with Alberich was making Kero suspicious of another budding merc, as well as the fact that Damini only deemed it necessary to talk to Kero when food or fighting were in the offing. The baby, being a baby, had completely stumped Kero, but she figured a few more years would bring clues of future talents.
"There!" Caia rose up to jump on the bed in her excitement, then stopped when she saw Kero leaning against the door frame. She cast a guilty look, then carefully gathered the gown up around her and assumed a very ladylike seat on the bed. "Thank you, Aunt Talia and Aunt Jeri. It looks very pretty."
Kero smiled and straightened, then wandered over to sit on the bed next to Caia. Once settled, she looked around the room. While the color scheme, pink, might not appeal to her, Kero knew it was Caia's favorite color and Ianthe did not care what color the drapes on her window was, just as long as they kept the cold out. Talia appeared to have gone overboard on the pink. Pink drapes, of course, but Talia had also managed to procure pink blankets and rugs. Kero also spied pink slippers underneath Ianthe's bed and pink ribbons in Caia's hair. There were feminine frills everywhere and Kero once again thanked every god and goddess she could think of that she had the other Heralds to rely upon when it came to things like this. As she looked around, Caia leaned companionably against her, and Kero's hand rose automatically to stroke soft blonde hair. Since she no longer had enough hair to occupy her hands with, Kero often found herself fiddling with a lock of hair of the girl nearest her.
A yawn from Caia interrupted her thoughts, and Kero realized that Caia had worn herself out this afternoon. At the ripe age of six, Caia stoutly reminded Kero that she did not need a nap, but Kero had discovered that an afternoon quiet time made life amazingly simpler for her family.
"I think it's quiet time."
"Me, too." Caia nodded emphatically, then kicked off her own pink slippers while yawning again. Alberich appeared in the doorway while Caia pulled back her blanket, then snuggled under it so Kero could tuck her in. Damini was sound asleep against his shoulder, drooling a bit on his dark grey leathers, while Ianthe drooped against one of his legs.
"Come on, Te. Quiet time."
Ianthe pulled herself away from Alberich's leg and climbed into the other bed to be tucked in by Kero as well. Talia and Jeri slipped past Alberich to help Eldan and the rest move other pieces of furniture into the cottage while Kero, Caia and Ianthe went through their routine, pulling Alberich with them and gently closing the door. Caia and Ianthe were asleep within minutes, and Kero slipped out the door to round up the other girls. After a minor skirmish with Acacia, all of the girls were settled and the helpers were taking a break, lounging in the warmth of the early spring day. It was amazing to Kero that not too long ago they had been in the middle of a raging blizzard. Now, six weeks later, they were basking in the warmth of the sun and enjoying a lunch outside brought by the servants.
Kero stationed herself beneath a tree with Sayvel, Eldan and Ratha, leaning comfortably against Sayvel's sun-warmed shoulder and enjoying a light repast. When the edge had been taken off her hunger, she realized she was just as sleepy as the girls were and found herself dozing.
"Hey, sleepy head." Eldan's words and a gentle nudge brought her reluctantly back to real life.
"Mm?"
"I think Elspeth wants to talk with you."
"Talk later, sleep now."
"It's important, Kero." Elspeth's voice startled her back to full awareness. "It's about the girls."
Kero sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes, then focused on Elspeth's face. Elspeth had grown up a lot in the past few years, and the impression of aging was not due to the bleaching effects of the magic she worked with. Her eyes showed the knowledge she had gained and the lessons she had learned, as well as the joy and sorrow she had experienced. Now Elspeth was addressing her from her position as Herald-Mage instead of just plain Elspeth.
"What's wrong with the girls?"
Elspeth sighed. "It's what is wrong with their Gifts that is worrying me. I'm sure you've noticed that their Gifts surfaced at incredibly young ages."
Kero leaned against Eldan and chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "I thought they were a bit young, but since no one said anything I didn't think anything of it. Was I wrong to think that?"
Elspeth quickly shook her head. "Since this last trouble with Ianthe is the only real trouble the girls have exhibited with controlling their Gifts, outside the usual trouble any young child can produce, no one thought to tell you there might be trouble. I, however, think there is trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" Eldan's voice was pitched low to keep those around them from overhearing the conversation.
"I think their Gifts were triggered early, on purpose, by a mage."
Kero raised an eyebrow, and Elspeth recognized it as the first stage of anger. "Are you saying that someone is using them?"
Elspeth was glad that she was not the target of the anger that was about to erupt from Kero as she nodded her head. "I think someone, some mage, specifically, is using them."
"Why?" Eldan's voice was calm and collected, a direct reciprocal of outraged protectiveness that was clouding Kero's mind.
"Who cares about why, I want to know who it is!"
"Kero." Eldan tried to calm Kero with his voice, but he knew she would not calm until she had worked through her initial anger. The previously cold, almost emotionless mercenary had retreated in the face of aroused protective instincts. "We need to know why before who, so that we can go to the source of the problem. You know that, you and Alberich taught us that."
Kero growled. "I still want whoever it is."
Elspeth bit back a smile. "You'll get the person. If anyone can, it's you." She sobered abruptly. "As for why, I think they're using the girls to get to you."
"Me? What have I done lately to make someone that mad?"
"Do we really need to get a Bard in here to remind you?" Eldan's voice held an intimate humor that told Elspeth it was an inside joke.
"No Bards, dammit." She muttered under her breath, and Elspeth caught something about bounties. "Other than our favorite enemies and the occasional terrorized Bard, I've been quiet the last few years. No personal enemies that I know of, only the enemies of Valdemar."
"Well, we had better get working on that. In the meantime, I want to put shields on all of the girls. They'll be able to use their Gifts, but there can be no outside influence. It will make training them interesting, but if we need to I'll figure out something to let their teachers access their Gifts."
Kero nodded, past her initial anger and into thinking mode. "Is there something we can do trace where this outside influence was coming from?"
"Leave that to me." With that, Elspeth rose and stalked across the grass back towards the palace.
They left a window open in their bedroom, that night. Ever since the fire, Kero had been unable to sleep without a window or door open. Talia had assured her that the irrational fear would pass, but Kero occasionally had doubts as to whether or not she and Eldan would ever be able to sleep without waking up freezing in the morning or with a passel of little girls and one large dog that had crept into their bed through the open door during the night.
The girls were all tucked into their beds, and Eldan was banking the fire in the common area while Kero worked with a practice stave off to one side. She was going through some easy pattern dances, working to build up calluses on her palms and reteach her muscles the nimble flexibility they had possessed before the fire. When she stepped back into her original position after going through a full pattern, Eldan stepped before her and gently drew the stave from her hands. The skin was pink with irritation, but no blisters were forming.
"I think you're done for the night."
"Really?" Kero grinned at him, feeling suddenly flirtatious. "But I'm wide awake."
Eldan's grin matched hers. "Well, then, we'll have to do something about that."
He placed the stave on top of the mantle, where the girls could not get to it, then lightly clasped her hand and led her to their bedroom. A few kisses and a few snorts of laughter as Kero's fingers, which had yet to regain their original dexterity, tangled in the laces of Eldan's shirt later, they made it to the bed and had the door closed. Eldan's was nibbling his way along her jaw when there was a light knocking at the door.
"Hold that thought."
With that, he was up and at the door like lightening, opening it to reveal Ianthe, one thumb in her mouth and the other snuggling a soft blanket against her cheek.
"What's wrong, Te?" Eldan's previous blame of the girl had been soothed away by Talia and a solid smack upside the head by Kero.
"Can't sleep."
"Why not?"
"Monster."
Eldan almost growled under his breath, but stopped himself. "Where's the monster?"
"Closet."
"All right." Eldan grabbed up his sword from the weapons rack that had been installed high off the floor to prevent little hands from grabbing sharp objects. Then he followed Ianthe to her and Caia's room. Caia's light snores reassured him that the "monster" in no way affected her, so he proceeded right to the closet, opened, and began to systematically search it. When his searched turned up nothing more than clothes, toys and shoes he demonstrated the lack of monsters to Ianthe, tucked her back into bed, then fairly sprinted across the common area and back to Kero. She chuckled as he closed the door, then jumped back onto the bed, quickly assuming his previous position.
"Now. Where were we? Aha."
He resumed his previous ministrations, and had managed to relieve Kero of her tunic, leaving her in her shirt and breeches, before another knock at the door interrupted them. Eldan cast Kero a glare as she muffled a laugh, then rose once again to answer the door. This time, it was Caia.
"What's wrong, Ky?"
"Can't sleep."
"Why not?"
"Monster."
That stopped him for a moment. "Ky, I just checked your closet for Te. There were not monsters in there."
Caia looked devastated. "But it's making sounds and moaning and scratching! Te was too scared to get out of bed, but it's really scary, Uncle Eldan!"
"Want me to rout this one, Eldan?" Kero's voice shook with laughter, and he cast her another look of exasperation.
"You stay right where you are and remember where I left off. I'll be right back."
Once again he grabbed his sword and followed Caia back to her room. When Eldan reentered their bedroom, looking somewhat sheepish, Kero began to chuckle again in amusement. "What happened?"
"There really was a monster in their closet."
"Oh?"
"The dog had snuck in there when I wasn't looking after the last search and got stuck in there when I closed the door."
Kero grinned and opened her arms to him. "Well, then Hero, come get your reward."
Eldan grinned back, more than willing to comply, but his headlong dive back into bed was stopped by another knock. This time, Kero was beginning to look a bit frustrated as he headed back for the door. This time, it was Damini.
"What is it, Dami?"
"No sleep!"
:At least it's a variation.: Kero commented.
"Why don't you want to sleep."
"Sleep with Auntie Kero."
"I'm sleeping with Auntie Kero tonight."
That stopped her for a second. "All sleep with Auntie Kero!" With that happy pronouncement, Damini toddled around Eldan, heaved herself up on the bed and settled herself against Kero. Before Eldan could say anything, the other girls poured in and assumed their favorite positions on the bed, much to Eldan's consternation, since they took over his half. When the dog ambled in and took over his pillow, he realized he'd had enough. Even Acacia was in bed with Kero, snuggled up, happy as a clam. After all, where her sisters went, she went.
"This is not going to work. Every go back to your own beds."
The girls ignored Eldan and went about their business of settling down. Kero was doing her best not to laugh at the growing frustration on Eldan's face.
"Girls, I think Uncle Eldan wants me to himself tonight. You've had me for the last six weeks."
Acacia snorted. "He's had you for the last ten years. We're sleeping with you."
"Everyone, go to your beds."
Everyone ignored her, except for Eldan. Conceding defeat, he began to shuffle the girls around and kick the dog off the bed. When he was settled, with only Damini managing to wriggle back between them, he growled in her ear, "We have other ways."
The sun was warm and Kero was amused that once again, she had long hair. The grass was long and golden, and a new addition to their dream, a gurgling stream, provided soothing sounds. Eldan rested on one elbow next to her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she lay on her back, basking in the warmth.
"How's this?"
"Mm." Kero all but purred in contentment. "Much better."
"Good." Eldan grinned and resumed his previously interrupted attack. Things were progressing quite nicely until Kero abruptly put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him back.
"I can't."
Eldan was perplexed. "Can't what?"
"We can't do this, Eldan!"
"Why not? We're in our own heads!"
"There are four little girls snuggled in bed with our bodies right now. This isn't right!"
"I say again, we're in our heads."
"What if we talk in our sleep?"
"Kero, neither of us talks. You snore-"
"I do not snore!"
"How would you know?"
"Because I'm up all night with your snoring."
"Unlikely, since-"
"Stop trying to change the subject."
"All right." Eldan rolled off her and onto his own back, steepling his hands on his chest. They lay like that for a few minutes, then Eldan sighed.
"So. How are you?"