A/N: Here is the thirdstory of my trilogy, Flickering Flames! This centers on Kayla's children, and if you are new to my stories, I suggest you look at the prequels to this: Whispering Winds and Silence and Shadows. For those of you who know my stories, read on!
Disclaimer: This is Tamora's world. I'm just borrowing it.
Summary: Having a mother who's the Chosen of the Trickster god and one of the most controversial women in Tortall can be interesting, to say the least. But even in their mother's shadow, can twins Shyam and Danika of Wolf's Peak discover their place in the world?
Flickering Flames: The Prologue
"Another bandit attack?" A man around the age of twenty-seven watched his wife move stiffly around the room, finally settling on the large chair next to him. She nodded wordlessly, wincing as her feet made contact with the floor. Pulling her feet underneath her body, she glared at her husband, but her blue-green eyes were gleaming with good humor.
"Why do we have to live on the one fief that has bandits?" Kayla moaned, burying her head in her husband's shoulder. Derek stroked her raven-black hair in comfort. Kayla lifted her head as childish shrieks reached their ears. As the sound grew louder, Derek grinned.
"Here they come," he warmed, and the next second, two energized five-year olds burst into the room.
The first, a boy with hazel eyes and dark chestnut hair, scrambled for his mother's lap. In hot pursuit was a girl with raven-black hair and startling ice-blue eyes. She glared at her twin, her eyes suddenly shifting to a deeper blue, then clambered into Derek's lap.
"Mama," she complained, "Shyam won't play with me!" Kayla looked at the little boy in her lap, smiling.
Shyam stared up at her. "Mama," he pleaded with large hazel eyes, "Dani's being mean!" Dani stuck her tongue out at her brother from the refuge of her father's lap, and Shyam did the same after a moment.
"Dani," Kayla drew her daughter's attention with her strong blue-green gaze. "Were you being mean to your brother?"
Dani shook her head vehemently. "No, Mama, I wasn't," she said, with all the five year-old confidence she could muster. "I wanted him to play with me, that's all."
Kayla turned to her son, who was curled up in her lap. "Shyam, what happened?" She asked softly.
"Dani was being mean," the boy repeated indignantly.
Kayla's gaze softened, and her lips twitched in the beginnings of a smile. "Shyam," she said gently, "what happened? Did you and Dani get in a fight?"
Shyam's bottom lip quivered, and he nodded emphatically. "Yes," he whispered, ducking his head at his twin's ice-blue glare.
"About what?" Kayla's voice was tinged with amusement, and she was smiling gently.
Encouraged by his father's nod and his mother's smile, Shyam raised his head. "I wanted to play mage," he told them, "and Dani wanted to play Shang." He continued, "I said no, and she got mad at me."
Kayla looked at her daughter. "Dani, is that true?"
The girl hung her head, her blue eyes taking a bright blue shade. "Yes, Mama," she murmured, "it's true."
Kayla shook her head, then lifted Shyam off her lap and onto the floor. She watched as Dani scrambled down from Derek's lap to stand by her twin. She smiled at them, then promised, "If you two can stop fighting, I'll show you how to use your Gifts."
Dani's eyes grew wide, and Shyam gasped with wonder. "Yes, Mama," they said reverently in unison. Dani turned to her twin.
She grinned happily. "Catch me if you can." Shyam gave chase, and they raced out of the room, their giggles quickly fading. Kayla glanced at her husband, leaning over to kiss him softly.
Derek stared at her, hazel eyes warm. "Well, lass," he murmured, "are you happy?" Kayla's reply was to snuggle deeper into his embrace, but their snuggling was interrupted by Dani racing back into the room.
"Mama!" She cried, running up to them, her hands cupped around something. Her face shone in wonder as she unveiled what she was holding. "Look what I did!"
Sitting in the palm of her hand was a tiny ice-blue ball of fire, tinged with white. Kayla's grin was all the approval the girl needed, and she confided, "Shyam has one too," she pausedfor a moment, then saidwith the slightest distasted,"but his is a different color."
Sure enough, Shyam entered the room slowly, staring in awe at the copper ball of flame in his hand. He looked at his parents, and then at his sister, a slow smile slowly unfurling on his face.
A wind suddenly rushed into the room, causing the balls of light to flicker and almost die. Watching her children stare inawe at their Gifts, seeing their faces lit with wonder, Kayla wondered what the future had in store for her twins.
A/N: Well, that is the prologue! Good, bad, should I even continue? Please tell me what you think, and if I get enough reviews, I will continue. If I don't, I will probably delete it! Please review, and no flames please!