23: Meet the Family

Annhilda returned to Hoelbrak a few days later, looking forward to boasting to her family and drinking with them until the dawn crept over the horizon. However, the moment she stepped foot through the Asura Gate everyone turned to look at her, and then point at her, and then rush towards her with cheers and shouts. "Annhilda! Annhilda! Slayer of Issormir and Zhaitan!" In very little time she was borne up on the shoulders of the flash mob and carried towards the Great Lodge with a cacophonous noise as they chanted her name and sang several conflicting songs at once.

"Raven's beak, I hope the others have an easier time of it," she muttered under her breath, but she suspected that they were not. Rhyoll might be all right, with the discipline of the Charr… and maybe Phiadi with her confident arrogance… but she could just imagine Damara buried under an avalanche of confetti in Divinity's Reach.

She saw Eir and Garm in the doorway of the Great Lodge and waved urgently at her. Eir gave her a rather sheepish smile. "Sorry, Annhilda! I couldn't resist spreading your legend early-"

Knut Whitebear, clearly having hurried down from his high seat, stepped past Eir, opening his arms in welcome. "Slayer of Zhaitan! Welcome home! What can we get for you? Are you here to break the Fang?"

"Spirits, no!" Annhilda tried to say, but she was overridden by a huge cheer from the crowd, who rushed forward into the hall. She kicked and struggled, suplexing the bear of a man carrying her. Now that she was on her own two feet, she managed to punch her way through the mob until she reached the edge, aiming for a side door where she could sneak out to the Raven Lodge. "Damn, I'm not nearly drunk enough for this…"

She could hear them chanting behind her. "Break the Fang! Break the Fang! Break the Fang!" She wondered with a chuckle how long it would take them to notice she'd escaped, and headed back out into the wintry cold. Ah, there was the Raven Lodge, with its beautiful sculptures out front. She stepped inside and brightened to see the familiar figure of Havroun Wiebe at the far end. She moved closer, intending to pay her respects to Raven and lay down the arm-length fragment of bone she'd recovered from Zhaitan as offering.

Havroun Wiebe heard her approach, turned, and smiled. "Hail, Annhilda, Slayer of Zhaitan! Are you going to break the Fang?"

Annhilda screamed in frustration.

Four weeks after Zhaitan's destruction, after an incredible amount of activity restructuring the Pact and drawing up an agenda for its continuance, the Pact Marshal took a weekend to return to the Grove for… personal reasons.

Caoilfhionn exited the Asura Gate and was assaulted by his close siblings – at least he wasn't in danger of being mobbed this time, he'd already been through all that on previous visits. "My brother!" cried Ruadhan, seizing him by the shoulders. "Look at you! A Valiant and a hero, all grown up!"

"He certainly has not grown in stature at all," Eithne said, putting a hand on his head.

"You haven't been back in so long, I thought you'd never pick up your next outfit," Blathnat said.

"Welcome home," Cathaoir said. "And to you, Firstborn."

Trahearne bowed to the four of them, a little shyly. "It is good to meet you. Caoilfhionn has often told me of you…"

"But Blathnat, I like this one," Caoilfhionn said, indicating his asymmetrical violet and floral garb. "It truly makes me feel like an Orchid Prince; I've scarcely worn anything else since you gave it to me-"

"Hush! You're coming to my arbour this instant so I can make sure the new one fits well on you!"

"Blathnat-" Caoilfhionn could not get another word out before his sister grabbed his arm and dragged him bodily away.

Trahearne watched them go. "Is… is she…"

"Always like that? Yes indeed," Ruadhan said. "Our Tulip Countess has a way about her. But never mind them. Only be thankful that she probably won't insist you join them…"

"I must tell her how much I appreciate her work," Trahearne said. "Caoilfhionn has never been aught but splendidly dressed, no matter when I've seen him."

"She's simply happy to have a vict- sibling who fully appreciates her skills," Eithne said. "Would you like to come and eat with us while they're busy, Firstborn Trahearne?"

"Please, just Trahearne," he said, and followed them. How different they all were, for all that they were born on the same day as Caoilfhionn! It should not have been a surprise after all this time and yet he still often found wonder in it.

"We're all glad you and Caoilfhionn found each other," Cathaoir said, as they settled around a table at the tavern. "When he was hardly a month old, he wanted someone to fall in love with, he told me, from seeing his friend Tiachren's love."

Trahearne frowned. "Did not Tiachren lose his love?" Caithe had said something to him about it at the time, in a letter – the first time he'd heard of Caoilfhionn, actually.

"Aye, but Caoilfhionn is the worst romantic you ever met, even by our standards," Eithne said. "As I'm sure you've noticed. Even that wasn't enough to deter him." She gave him a stern look. "But don't think that gives you leave to do as Tiacren's love did!"

"Eithne, I hardly think Trahearne one to fall to Nightmare," Cathaoir said.

"No indeed," Trahearne said drily. "I've seen too many nightmares to wish to become one."

Perhaps that hadn't been the right thing to say, because their smiles were a bit awkward for a moment – but he was saved by Caoilfhionn returning, still tugging on the cuffs of – by the Pale Tree, he was gorgeous.

"It's incredible, truly!" he was saying. "You've outdone yourself."

"You say that every time," Blathnat said. "Though I think you're probably right. That embroidery took me months, so you can expect I've enchanted it up a cuckoo's nest to protect it."

"I think this one ought to be more for special occasions, though," Caoilfhionn said, finally satisfied with his adjustments. "It's too resplendant for everyday, even for me." He turned and smiled at Trahearne, who had risen to his feet without knowing it. "What do you think?"

"I have no words," Trahearne said, staring. "It looks incredible on you." Exquisitely tailored violet patterned velvet and red silk were overlaid with the most intricate gold and silver threads; he really did look like human royalty. And this shining creature came to him and embraced him and kissed him.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, smiling sweetly.

He felt shabby next to him, in his ordinary garments of leaves that he'd worn all his life, and started to say so. "Caoilfhionn, should I-"

"No," Caoilfhionn said. "Unless you want to. I like you just as you are. I've always thought you were beautiful as you are, and your garb has always looked wonderful." And his sparkling coral eyes were so adoring, Trahearne found himself losing his heart to him all over again.

There was a cough, and they looked up to see Hope's Legacy arriving. "Good, we haven't missed anything," Annhilda said.

"Looking good, Caoilfhionn!" Damara said. "You've got yourself a nice catch, Marshal!"

"Mine's better," Caoilfhionn retorted, tightening his hold around Trahearne.

Trahearne felt his luminescence flush. "Whatever are you doing here? I thought I reduced your duties so you could go adventuring without concerning yourselves with Pact responsibilities?"

"You did indeed, and we're taking full advantage of that to follow you home and tease you in front of all your family," Phiadi said. Mabbran behind her rolled his eyes.

"It's tradition among Asura, anyway," Wegaff said.

"And Norn," Annhilda said.

"Definitely among Humans," Damara said.

"I came in case there was food," Rhyoll said.

"Just accept it," Caithe said, from another direction with Destiny's Edge. "Trahearne, you have been alone the longest of any of us. Now we want to wish you joy."

He wondered how hard that was for her to say; his closest sister, who had only known the joy of a good relationship for less than two years before it had turned on her, who still loved Faolain even as she was resolved to stop her cruelty, with death if necessary. "Thank you, Caithe."

"Is it possible for you to dress up any fancier, Caoilfhionn?" Rhyoll asked.

"Ask Blathnat," Caoilfhionn said, and Blathnat flushed with a pale blue hue under the scrutiny. "Ha! I didn't know you could be embarrassed, my sister!"

"Hush!" Blathnat protested. "H-he's a very good model, th-that's all!"

"You should go see Mother, and share your joy with her," Caithe urged them. "We'll be here when you come back."

He looked down at Caoilfhionn, at their firmly clasped hands. "Yes, let's," Caoilfhionn said.

"Fy gwawr fendigedig," Trahearne whispered to him, and saw his smile widen.

"Mo oíche álainn," Caoilfhionn said in return, and kissed him again.