Author's Note: Surprise, new chapter! I really like this one, as I'm a sucker for some good hurt/comfort. As always, the chapter title comes from "Father to Son" by Phil Collins, and a million thanks to my sister for editing. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Six:
you're learning to be strong
Ordon was touched, deeply, when the group of young gelfling had their ceremony for the All-Maudra. Brea had given a beautiful eulogy, the Spriton had started the song, and the seven gelfling and one podling had united in harmony to laud the fallen All-Maudra.
Now it is early morning, and after a fitful sleep Ordon sits on a large, flat-topped boulder, deep in thought and staring out at the still-moonlit Crystal Desert. He has a dull headache—he had insisted Naia save her energy and only partially heal his head wound before bandaging it, so the pain persists some. He is thinking of the All-Maudra—the fallen Mayrin, but also Seladon. How much damage would be done with that young, obstinate gelfling on the throne?
Why couldn't he have been faster in that throne room? Years of experience have taught him to dismiss this sort of question—what is done is done, and that had to be all. Seeing Princess Brea sobbing in Deet's arms keeps coming to mind, however, as do his companions' terrified cries as they were dragged out of the All-Maudra's throne room and into the Skeksis' carriage. The current moment of respite has given him the time to process what has happened, he thinks. The same thing happened at times of quiet during the Arathim War.
The shuffle of a footstep on stone has him turning his head to see the source too quickly—a sharp pain stabs through his skull, and he winces.
It is only his son. "Are you alright?" Rian murmurs, mindful of the sleeping gelfling around them.
Ordon sighs, massaging his temple. "Yes. Just achy."
"Can I sit with you?"
"Of course."
Rian does, and they sit in silence for a few minutes, gazing at the first few beams of the eldest brother beginning to stream over the horizon, dappled gold light on burnt ochre desert. Ordon glances at his son's profile, and pride swells in his chest. He had been surprised and proud when he had heard Rian standing in front of the Skeksis' carriage to rescue them, and prouder still when his son had persuaded the paladins to dreamfast. It was very brave. The thought makes him realize he doesn't actually know what has happened to his son since the last time they had seen each other.
"Rian. What happened after you were taken by the Hunter? How did you come to be with Naia, Kylan, and Gurjin?"
Rian's eyes widen in surprise a little at the question, but he complies and tells the story. Ordon winces at the part about the Hunter attempting to take Rian's tongue as a trophy, and he squeezes his son's shoulder when the young gelfling's voice shakes, describing how the Chamberlain took the vial of Mira's essence and drank it. He burns with anger as Rian outlines skekSil's speech about evil.
This is when his son becomes hesitant. "He—he said I've been running away. That I've been weak. I don't know. Maybe he's right somehow. I'm not brave. I have been running. I left Gurjin behind. I didn't even do anything when they killed Mira—" Here he cuts off, voice shaking.
Ordon is overcome with emotion. He gently clasps the back of his son's neck and presses their foreheads together—a gesture he realizes he has not done since Rian was a childling.
"You are not running," he says, voice firm and fierce. "You are making a stand. If you have had to run, it is only because others have failed you—because I failed you. You have been so brave, doing all of this alone, and…I could not be prouder of you, son. "
He feels Rian's hand come around to grasp his arm. "Father, I—"
And suddenly Ordon's son is weeping. Heaving sobs shake his frame, and he clutches to Ordon like he did when he was a young childling. Ordon wraps his arms around his son and holds him, shedding a few tears himself. He strokes Rian's hair and rocks him and whispers nonsense words of comfort.
Processing in a moment of respite, he thinks to himself.
Finally, when the eldest brother is well above the horizon, and the second is just beginning to peak into view, Rian has calmed, though father and son are still loosely embraced. Their companions are evidently too exhausted to be woken by Rian's grief or the sunlight.
Rian sniffs once before gently shifting out of Ordon's hold, though he stays close. He asks, voice a little raw, "I haven't asked what you have been up to since I've seen you last."
Ordon smiles. "I traveled with Deet and Hup to Ha'rar. I knew I wouldn't be able to follow skekMal, and I couldn't very well leave them to fend for themselves."
Rian chuckles a little. "Now that sounds like quite the adventure."
Ordon laughs too. "It was probably the oddest traveling group I've had. But they have become good friends. Hup is quite the friendly fellow, and Deethra is a sweet girl."
Rian looks away, toward the horizon."Hm."
"You two seem to get along well."
Rian looks at his father and blinks owlishly. "...what?"
"You and Deet."
"We just met, really." Rian tries to be dismissive, but he is avoiding Ordon's gaze.
Ordon knows that Rian just lost Mira a few months previously, but his gut tells him to just come out and say what's on his mind. "Son, I saw you staring at her across the fire last night."
Rian jerks to face his father and sputters. "I didn't—"
"She did seem to be staring back, though. Thought you might want to know that, if you didn't already." The sly grin that is slowly growing on Ordon's face strains as-of-recently underused muscles, but Rian's blush convinces him he has hit the nail on the head.
"Father!" Rian protests.
Ordon laughs and tosses an arm back around his son's shoulders. "Alright, I'll leave you alone. She is a lovely girl, though."
Rian doesn't disagree, and their attention is soon caught by the shadow of a massive creature flying toward their campsite.