So because A) it's been so long since I posted, and B) baby Tathor is just too adorable, here's a cute thing I wrote a while ago in addition to the chapter I uploaded last night.

"ADA!"

"Galion, I think you're needed in here," Caliel called to her husband over the sound of a crying toddler.

Galion came running in and took the distraught elfling from his wife. "Ada's here now, Tathor," he told the child, bouncing him up and down.

The tears immediately stopped. "Yay!" Tathor cheered, wrapping his chubby little arms around Galion's neck.

"Did he stop?" Firith uncovered his ears and blinked. "How did you do that, Ada?"

"I guess he just wanted to see me," Galion said, feeling rather flattered.

Caliel reached over to fluff Tathor's pinkish-blond hair, so much like her own. "He's different from his brother, isn't he?"

"We've known that since he was born," Galion pointed out. While Firith had immediately started screaming his head off after birth, apparently hating the changes that had come over his tiny world with all his heart, Tathor's first reaction had been to blink at his new surroundings with obvious curiosity before letting out a few halfhearted cries until the healer gave him to his mother. Galion had almost panicked, certain that babies weren't supposed to be that quiet, but the little one's dark green eyes were too bright for anything to be wrong with him.

Galion was drawn back to the present as Tathor wriggled in his arms. "Fiwif!" the elfling cried excitedly, holding his arms out toward his brother.

Firith offered his finger for his little brother to grab, which was appreciated. "Hi, Tathor. Goodness, you're getting better at talking... but take as long as you want learning to run, okay?"

Galion held back his grin, because Firith following Legolas around the house herding him away from anything that could possibly cut, poke, or smudge him was something too adorable to forget. The young elf was going to have his hands full when Tathor became more mobile; based on Galion's previous experience with children, they might both be needed to keep an eye on Tathor and Legolas when the elflings had playdates. Not that it wouldn't be worth it.

"Ow!" Firith yelped, and Galion realized some of his older son's hair was clenched in Tathor's fist. "NO, Tathor. Let go!"

Tathor immediately released his brother, eyes brimming with tears.

Firith took a step back.

Tathor sniffled.

"I didn't mean to—" Firith started to say.

Tathor started to cry. It wasn't an angry cry like his brother's would have been at that age, but a truly heartbroken sound. "Fiwif MAD!" he told Galion, hiding his face in his father's shoulder.

"I'm not mad," Firith protested. "Tathor, I'm not mad, I just didn't want you to pull my hair..."

Galion tried to help. "Tathor. Hey." He adjusted his grip so the toddler had to look at him. "Firith isn't mad. He just wanted to let you know that he didn't want his hair pulled."

"He YELL," Tathor disagreed. It actually came out as "He YEW", but the others knew what he meant.

Galion decided to adjust his tactics. "Firith, will you forgive Tathor if he says sorry?"

"I'm not mad!" Firith repeated, holding his arms out to ask why that point was being ignored.

"I know, Firith. But Tathor, would it make you feel better to apologize?"

Tathor nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Ada, yes!"

Firith was beyond confused, but if that was what his brother wanted... "Okay, Tathor, you can apologize, I guess."

"I SOWWY!" Tathor announced. "I sowwy, Fiwif. I sowwy."

"I think he means 'sorry'," Caliel translated.

"Ah," said Firith.

"I sowwy!" Tathor repeated, as if to remind them that he was still there.

"Okay, Tathor," Firith said, turning to go.

"FIWIF MAD!" Tathor wailed.

Firith spun around. "I'm not! I'm not mad at you, Tathor!" He looked to his parents for help.

"Maybe you need to accept his apology?" Galion suggested, while Caliel just shrugged helplessly.

"He won't know what I'm saying," Firith pointed out, but he tried anyway. "Tathor, I accept your apology," he said seriously.

That did it. "Fiwif NO mad!" Tathor told Galion.

"Yay!" Galion cheered.

"YAY!" Tathor agreed.

Firith and his mother looked at each other and shook their heads.