THE SERPENT'S TOOTH, Part 22
When I finally got home, I was immediately swarmed by a small horde of my sons and daughters. After a while, Anna rescued me from their eager greetings and hauled me off to her room.
Several exhausting, but pleasant, hours later we took a break. Anna - barely covered by a light robe that she didn't bother to belt - opened the door of my chamber and yelled out an order for food and wine.
Then she threw away her robe and flopped back onto the bed. Anna is a skilled acrobat and can make something even that simple look graceful.
"Benjamin and Gant look like hell," she observed as she cuddled up next to me. The side of her head was resting on my chest. Her tail was coiled around one of my arms. Her feet were grasping my wrists. One hand was tangled in my hair, and the other was possessively toying with another part of my anatomy.
Don't bother trying to puzzle that out. Like all elves, Anna is very flexible. She naturally tends to tie herself into a knot, particularly during intimate moments.
I ran my hand down the length of her body, from shoulder to thigh. As always, I found the contrast of her blue skin against mine to be fascinating. Not to mention beautiful.
"There was a bad fight," I told her. "Benjamin and Gant almost didn't survive. We barely got a healer to them in time."
Anna frowned, but didn't dwell on my words. Anna tends to live in the moment. Benjamin and Gant were alive, that was enough for her. She'd sort out the details eventually.
"What are we going to do with that pair of half-breed girls?" she asked.
"Send them to school. They have a useful array of skills, but they need some polishing in terms of a more traditional education. After that, we'll find something for them to do. That might involve having them stay with a friend. I'll decide later."
"And just who is that pretty blonde Spider who can't seem to keep her eyes off of you?" Anna continued. This time there was a definite arch quality to her voice.
"Her name is Jessica. You and she will eventually need to talk. She's been hinting that she might wish to seek concubinage."
Anna made a noise half-way between a "hmm" and a growl.
"What's been happening while I was gone?" I said as neutrally as possible.
Anna smiled again. "Well, for one thing, I think Emma is hiding from you..."
*I am not!* Emma telepathed indignantly. Apparently Anna didn't "hear" that, but I saw no reason to make that into an issue.
"...and Olivia is on the Creed frontier. She and Lord Crowe are overseeing the pack of settlers and samurai who will establish the first of the vassal villages. They're going to move out the day after tomorrow. Oh, a Fire priestess, two Storm Hammers, and a band of Blade acolytes are going with them. Olivia talked to the mistress of the Nyagra temple, and its been agreed that the project has the blessings and support of the goddesses."
That was very good news. "Go on," I said.
Then Anna launched into a full report: the status of all the children - she spent just as much time talking about the children who weren't her's as she did about our's, political maneuvering by the nearby lords, military actions throughout the region, a summary of messages sent by various people, major events in the village, an update on recent marriages, births and deaths, and some particularly juicy gossip about who was currently sleeping with who among our vassals - along with Anna's personal opinion as to whether those relationships were good, bad, or simply funny.
"I'll have to join Olivia and Lord Crowe," I told Anna when she was done. Anna nodded in agreement. Since I was back in the area, it would be politically unwise to not became a part of that force. My presence should be known.
*I'm coming with you,* Emma mind-whispered to me.
*Very well,* I replied.
The next morning, I let Anna sleep in as I washed and got dressed in something suitable. Then I kissed Anna goodbye. She was asleep, but woke up and smiled as my lips brushed her ear and cheek.
Really, I hadn't got much rest. I envied Anna in that she would be able to take the morning off.
Outside my door, two of my children were eagerly waiting for me.
"We have to show you something!" May announced. She's my youngest by Anna. Her eyes were bright with glee, and her tail was excitedly lashing behind her.
As usual, Oliver said nothing. He and Sophie had a lot in common. He's the only child of Olivia and myself, and he's my youngest son.
The two of them dragged me to the nearest window. May leaped up onto the eave of the window and swung the shutters open. Then she leaned down and helped Oliver up. I put a steadying hand on their shoulders.
Through the window, we had a good view of the village below and the surrounding terrain. If it ever came to it, the window would make an excellent post for an archer or an energy-projecting Wilder. It was a beautiful morning, but nothing exceptional was happened. There was some traffic in the streets of the village. Farmers were working their fields. Off in the distance, some clouds were gathering into what I hoped would only be a light summer storm.
"Show him!" May told Oliver eagerly.
Oliver nodded and stared out at the horizon.
At first, nothing seemed to happen.
Then the distant rain clouds began coming together with greater and greater speed. And the brewing storm seemed to shift so that it was moving in our direction. The wind carried the scent of rain.
Oliver held up his hands - and then closed them into fists.
A pair of particularly bright lightning bolts lanced down from the storm. A few heartbeats later, the crack and rumble of their thunder reached us.
That was very impressive. There were priestesses of Lady Ororo who couldn't command a storm with that degree of precision and power.
I touched my youngest son's head and smoothed down his hair. Oliver grinned at me proudly.
"That's very good," I told him, "but let's have some rain instead. The farmers need it. Oh, and make sure it's a light rain. They've just finished planting and you don't want to wash away their crops."
Oliver nodded and turned his gaze back to the window.
The most dangerous part of the storm began breaking apart. Then a line of rain formed up and began sweeping across the valley.
Oliver carries the blood of the Old One, the Hidden Lady, Thor, and the Lady of Storms. I often wonder what destiny has planned for him.
Emma was waiting by the open gate with a pair of horses. A half-dozen samurai were already mounted and waiting outside the gate. They were keeping to a discreet distance.
I missed having Benjamin and Gant with me, but they both needed a chance to recover. Over their loud objections, I told them to stay at the holding.
Jessica was with the samurai. She was wearing a light armor jacket and carrying a pair of short swords in a back rig. I think Benjamin loaned it to her.
Jarnbjorn was back to hanging in the study of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Jessica didn't seem to miss it. The last time I saw that weapon, just before Illyana teleported us all home, I had the definite impression that it was brooding angrily.
I'd told Benjamin and Gant that Jessica would act as my yojimbo until they recovered. They agreed without hesitation.
A light drizzle was falling. I took a moment to look up and enjoy the cool sensation of my son's rainfall.
"How angry are you?" Emma asked. Despite her question, she didn't look particularly abashed.
"Not at all," I replied.
That seemed to surprise her.
"I know why you and Olivia didn't tell me about Sigmund and his mother," I said. "It makes sense. And at the time there was really no good decision to be made. You and Olivia did what you felt you had to do."
Emma nodded slowly. "Dare sent me a message the day before yesterday. She said Dormammu attacked the Alban temple. And after that, you left Alban with Sigmund - and Illyana the Mad of all people. She also said you had picked up a small band of Widow assassins from somewhere. You were supposed to be on your way to Nyack."
Emma and Dare were friends and colleagues, it wasn't surprising that Dare had sent a report about me.
"That happened," I confirmed as I helped Emma onto her horse. She didn't need that - arguably she was the best horseman of us all since she could telepathically influence her animal - but I enjoyed the opportunity to put my hands on her. I let one hand wander over her backside as I boosted her up.
My samurai - including Jessica - flicked their eyes away. They were trying to hide smiles, but some were doing a better job than others.
"There's a story going around that Illyana is now the acting Sorceress Supreme," Emma added carefully. "Everyone is going berserk about that, but they say House Strange is supporting her."
"So I hear."
Emma gave me a moment to elaborate. When I said nothing, she gave me a quite disgruntled look.
"You know, I could just read your mind," she said tartly.
"What would be the fun in that?" I asked. "As is, you and Olivia will just have to spend the next few days - or weeks - teasing bits and pieces of information out of me with your feminine charms. And I expect you both to be most charming. After all, you owe me."
"What do you have in mind?" Emma asked. There was a slight smile on her face.
"Just before I left for Nyagra, I had a talk with Aunt Jubes. She made some suggestions."
Emma's smile suddenly turned into a wince. Then she sighed, leaned down from her horse, and kissed me.
"It's moments like this when I remember why I married you," she told me. "I find the playfully ruthless part of your personality to be deeply exciting."
"Really? I married you because you are an exhilarating, intelligent, and beautiful woman. I've never forgotten that for even a second."
Then I mounted my horse. Outside the gate, Jessica and my other samurai opened a path for us. After we passed through the gate, they would fall in on either side of us, forming an escort.
Emma gave Jessica a searching look. Jessica kept her face expressionless.
"She's an attractive youngster," Emma said thoughtfully.
"So are you."
"I'm at least a decade and a half older than her," Emma pointed out as she reined her horse around towards the gate.
"Don't be jealous, Emma - it's unseemingly. And remember who you're talking to. A decade and a half is just a blink of an eye."
Just before Emma and I rode out, I saw Oliver, Samantha, and Sophie standing in a sheltered corner of the courtyard. They had the shy smiles of children making new friends.
Samantha was watching in amazement as Oliver and Sophie eagerly spoke to each other.
And that's the conclusion of this story-arc. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be taking some time off to work on other projects, but I doubt that I'm done with "Wolverine's World". If nothing else, I really should deal with at least a few of the many plot elements that I've left dangling.