It was just before dawn, Rayla awoke to the soft sounds of birds as they too were waking up for the day. She sat up on the edge of the bed, stretched her arms up above her while tilting her head to the side. She looked back at Callum, sound sleep with a mop of brown bed head.
What did I do to deserve him? She thought to herself as she slightly blushed. She ran her hand gently across his cheek. He stirred a bit. "you okay love?" He asked sleepily looking up at her. "mmhmm go back tae sleep, a'm just admiring a handsom' man" She replied warmly. He snickered, nodded and rolled over going back to his dreams.
She got up and made her way to Luna's crib. Peeking in on her, she realized how much she has grown these past 18 months. Much like her father, her hair was brown, with cute rounded ears. She, however, has her mother's non-pinko hands, with sprouting horns nubs. Although the way she sleeps is just like Callum. She smiled and shook her head.
After checking on Luna she got herself dressed, grabbed her double blades, and placed them in their holsters on her back. Next, she would check on Sarai. She walked over to her bed and pulled the covers back up. She had her mother's snow-white hair, but at the moment it looked as though it had been struck by lighting with the way it laid all over the pillow. Little elven ears stuck out of this crazy bed head. Her 5 little fingers clutched a stuffie that resembled a glittery pink and teal Bait. Rayla gently moved a few strands of hair from Sarai's face. Why do all my children sleep like their father? She asked herself as she shook her head once again. Rayla then left the room and made her way to Soren's room.
The day is just getting started and he is still not awake. She thought to herself, as she walked into Soren's room she threw back the curtains. Turning to Soren who was curled up sound asleep she placed her hands on her hips for a moment. "Time tae get up ma brave warrior" whispering as she then threw his covers back. Soren rolled onto his side in protest. "Mum... why..." he pleaded as he shivered a bit realizing his covers were no longer there. But he did as he was told. Grumbling he sat up, rubbed the sleep crusties from his eyes and yawn."mornin' mum" He said as he stretched. "mornin' " She replied.
Soren was a carbon copy of his mother but with brown hair and abounded ears. He like his baby sister had his mother's non-pinko hands and horns protruding out from his hair. He looked up at her with similar violet eyes. "Go do yer hygiene and get ready, th' sun is coming up faster than ya ar' ," she said with a smirk. "Aye ma'am" Soren shuffled to the bathroom and got ready. Rayla then left the house and was great with the crisp morning air. The critters of the forest began to stir and wake with their morning tunes.
By the time Soren left the house, he found his mother sitting Indian style on rather large stone awaiting him. "Ther' ya ar', ar' yer ready for today's lessons?" She asked with a smile. "Aye ma'am!" He replied sounding a bit more eagerly than he was when he first got up. "Good", Rayla then tossed him a small pair of sticks. Soren caught them and looked them over with a slight bit of confusion. "Today ah will teach ya how tae apply the skills ye'v learned with weaponry". Soren's eyes lit up like the stary night sky. Rayla just smiled. "alright let's get stairted" She stood up and began to show him the stances and moves that she was once taught by Runaan.
By this time the sun was now just showing through the trees and there was a stir in the house. Callum exited the front door with Luna in his arms. "ah weapons training!, I can't wait until you start to my little moonbug" He said as he sat a distance from Rayla and Soren. Luna giggled in excitement and flapped her arms around. They sat and watched Soren and Rayla train. After a while, Luna began to look around for something. It wasn't long before she found exactly what she was looking for, alone adoraburr! Her eyes brightened as she slowly walked over to it and picked it up. "fuzzy!" She squealed. The green striped fuzz ball chirped as Luna then stuck it in her mouth. "Oh Luna no sweetheart. Don't eat that" Callum laughed as he picked her up and plucked the now soggy wet creature from her hands. It chirped an angry chirp. "sorry about that, she doesn't know any better" Callum chuckled as he set the creature back on the ground and watched it bounce away. "no.. Fuzzy! ah want FUZZY!" Luna then threw herself into a fit.
This Caused Soren and Rayla to halt their practices for a moment and look at the commotion. Soren winced at the site. "yer alright ther'? need a hand? Rayla asked in amusement. "nope! fine.. totally fine!" He replied struggling to hold a now fidgeting screaming toddler. "let's get some breakfast going for everyone" He said in an attempt to distract his daughter. She immediately stopped and looked at him. "Pancake!" She demanded. Rayla placed a hand above her mouth in an attempt to hide her giggle. She and Soren walked with up to them. "smooth save sad prince" She gestured to take Luna. Callum handed Luna over. "Let's get ya cleaned up ya?" She said as the four of them walked into the house.
"So Sarai and I were thinking of running to the market and grabbing a few items, plus another glow-shroom" Callum said as he winked at his daughter with a big smile. Sarai couldn't help but smile back. "yeah! we needed a few things" She repeated. Rayla looked to Callum, she knew exactly what they were getting at. It was a big surprise that only the three of them knew. "May I go with you da?" Soren asked looking up at his father with puppy dog eyes. Callum looked up at Rayla. "Next time Soren, besides you have to finish your training with your mother, Weapons training is a bit harder than one might think." He replied as he ruffled his hair. "oh alright" Soren groaned a bit disappointed but understood.
Rayla then signed, 'please do not forget to tell Ethari what time to be here'. Callum was still amazed that his aunt had gone ahead and taught Rayla sign language, and that she actually retained the Katolian form so well. Callum walked over to her and embraced her gently "I won't". He replied as he kissed her softly. "EEEWWWW!" Soren and Sarai screeched at the same time while making a grossed out face at their parents. Rayla rolled her eyes and smiled, while Callum ran over to the two and started to chase them around the kitchen. "Oh No! the tickle monster is going to get you!" He said grabbing Sarai and lifting her into the air. She snorted loudly, causing everyone to laugh. "alright moonbug go get ready," He said as he put her down.
Rayla went and put Luna down for a nap and returned to the kitchen to clean up. "Ma we are heading out now!" Sarai exclaimed as she gave her mother a hug. "alright you two be careful now yer hear?" She replied hugging her back. Callum was already waiting outside. Rayla watched as Sarai ran up to her father. "ready?" he asked as he held out his arms. Sarai nodded with a smile, and did the same. "Manus. Pluma. Volantus" Their mage wings formed and then they were off. "by mum!" Rayla smiled and waved, she then stepped out into the meadow.
The adoraburrs were bouncing and chirping excited at her presence. A few hopped onto her hand. "hello wee ones " she greeted as they chirped over one another expecting her to understand a word they were saying. Soren peaked his head out of the front door and crept to a nearby tree. "hey mum!, think fast!" Soren shouted as he threw one of his 'weapon sticks' at his mother. Rayla turned quickly and caught it with one hand while gently placing the adoraburrs down. "Really? shouting will not help ye if yer intending tae stealthfully sneak up on someone" She replied as she ran up and swept Sorens feet out from under him. He regained his footing and flipped back a few feet away.
Soren grinned and charged at his mother. Rayla quickly jumped up into a nearby tree. Soren slid to a halt and looked up. "hey son! think fast" as she threw down the stick he had thrown at her. Soren picked it up and leaped at the trunk of the tree and then jumped to the lower branch. Rayla sat for a moment on a high branch. "ye always need tae remember tae have some sort o' weaponry on ye, anythin' around ye can be used as a weapon" She lectured. She then flipped to another branch and swung herself onto another tree grabbing a few acorns. Soren followed her movements with his eyes trying to calculate what she was doing. She stood on the branch and then threw the acorns at him. "lik' these". Soren threw his hands up not anticipating that. Rayla took the opportunity to flip down and land in front of him. This caused Soren to stumble and lose his footing. Rayla grabbed his hand and swung him up, as she did she noticed his smirk. He then pushed himself against a limb and propel himself at his mother. "didn't expect that did ya!" He shouted. "always with forwarding advances? Ya need tae watch 'n' follow yer opponent, otherwise, this might happen" She said as she grabbed him again and threw him towards the ground. "ah! mum!" Soren screeched. This caught Rayla off guard and she quickly jumped down from the tree catching him. She put him down and looked at him for a moment as to why he didn't recover himself.
As quickly as his feet were on the ground he quickly spun around kicking the dirt up into his mother's face. "ah!" She covered her face. Soren smiled as he dashed as quickly and quietly as he could around her backside. "Good! now yer are getting mah young warrior" Rayla noted as she was now temporarily blinded, or so Soren thought. Soren slowly crept up to a large log, while his mother stood motionless. She stood and listened and waited. Soren looked down at his makeshift weapon then back up at his mother. He thought of how he might get the element of surprise. He then jumped up into a tree as silently as possible. Rayla's left ear twitched while remaining still. She knew where he was. Soren sat there for a moment trying to calculate what his next move would be. "ye must always be at least three steps ahead waiting, watching, thinking of yer next move as well as yer opponent" His mother lectured again. Soren let that sink in, taking in everything he has been learning since the age of 3. He thought for a moment, smiled to himself, and threw his 'weapon' to the left. It hit the ground with a low thump. This caused Rayla's ears to again twitch but this time she turned to the sound. Soren then jumped and flipped to the roof of the house, landing on some moss that muffled his landing.
Rayla finally wiped away the rest of the dirt from her eyes and looked around. She arched an eyebrow and smiled to herself. 'he's gettin' better every day' She thought to herself. She sat on the log and reminisced for a moment on her training with Runaan. Oh, how she missed him and wished he were here. He would have loved the kids and to of helped train them. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. Soren popped his head from a corner of the roof. He saw her sitting there, and for a moment he thought it might be a trick, as he waited saw what looked like crystals fall from her face but realized they were tears. He wasn't sure if he should go and comfort his mother or leave her be. Maybe she needed a moment to herself? Maybe the spray of dirt hurt her?
** I lost my train of thought for a moment. I do Apologize. Realizing how much I miss my father **
He shook his head, hopped down and sprinted to his mother. "Mum? Are ye alright? Did ah hurt ya?" He ask with concern. Rayla shook her head. "No mah dear, not a' all, I jus' miss Runaan is all" She replied wiping the tears away. Soren hugged her as tightly as he could. Rayla returned his hug and smiled. She then look to the house as she heard a giggle. "Uh oh, sounds like ya sister is awake". She said changing the topic. She got up and held her hand out. Soren happily took it. "Hey mum, could ya tell me another story about Runaan?" He asked as they slowly walked back to the house. Rayla looked down at him and smiled. "I sure can"