Still working on those rewritten chapters. Please enjoy!

Family Ties

Chapter Two

"Papa!"

The breath whooshed suddenly out of his lungs as a weight was suddenly dropped onto his chest. Lyude sat up with a gasp, finding himself face to face with Jyenka. Her vividly colored eyes sparkled in the morning light. She bounced on his chest energetically. "Come on, Papa!"

"I'm not –" Lyude pulled himself up short. He knew that he should explain to Jyenka who he really was, but…he just didn't have the heart to do it yet. "I'm not ready yet," he finished, attempting to lift Jyenka off of him. But she threw her arms around his neck and delivered a shower of wet, childish kisses. Lyude couldn't help but laugh, his voice filled with mirth. "All right, I'm up," he surrendered, and she climbed off of the bed, waiting for him expectantly.

As Lyude got out of bed and straightened his mussed hair, he couldn't help but notice that Jyenka was wearing the same smock as the previous day. It was less than clean, now, no doubt from being stuck in the Ancient Library for days on end with the other children. "Come on," he said, "let's get you changed out of that into something cleaner."

She made a silly face at him. "Well, I'm gunna clean it," she said, throwing her hands up in the air. "This is my favorite!"

"Jyenka," called her grandmother. "Where are you? Not bothering our guests, are you?"

"G'morrin, Gramma!" Jyenka responded, trundling into the main living area. Lyude followed her to see Synthis cooking something in a steaming ceramic pot. It must have been made of the exotic vegetation of the Holoholo Jungle, because it had a peculiar though enticing aroma.

"There you are. Oh, bother, Jyenka! Still wearing that dirty thing! And none of your others are clean. What a washing you need!"

Jyenka giggled, tugging on Synthis's dust-edged skirt. "Take me bath, Gramma?"

"No, no, Jyenka. I'm making breakfast." She glanced at Lyude. "Could you do a tremendous favor, Lyude, and take her for a bath? I'd appreciate it. She's filthy."

"Oh – of course. Ah, where, exactly?"

"Don't worry, Jyenka knows the way. Jyenka, get your bathing things!"

Jyenka scuttled off behind the curtain and returned with a bag that looked to be made of rough-hewn canvas from the jungle canopy. "C'mon, Papa! Bath time!" She took hold of Lyude's hand and pulled him towards the front curtain. "Let's go! Let's go!"

Lyude couldn't help but laugh. She was just so full of energy. "All right, all right!" He allowed himself to be pulled out of the hut and onto the beaten dirt path.

The little red-haired girl padded through the village in her bare feet, pulling her uncle along with her. He couldn't resist a smile at her brightness. He was so glad that she had been able to be born and grow in such a free place, even if it wasn't as wealthy as the life he'd lived. Had she been born a child of the Empire, back in Mintaka, her childhood sense of wonder and happy-go-luckiness would have already been crushed by the militarism of the Alfard Empire.

Jyenka stopped at a languid river that flowed past the village and deep into the jungle – interestingly enough, the river was flowing south to north, something the likes of which Lyude had never seen. Jyenka dropped the bag and took off the yellow band of cloth tied around her head, depositing it sternly into Lyude's hands. "You know it's special," she said seriously. "Mama gave it to me." Lyude turned it over in his hands. He remembered seeing it on Aurelia's head in the photograph. Jyenka pulled off her dirty smock, revealing a pair of undershorts underneath, and picked up a sturdy stick from the ground. She stuck the stick through the collar of her smock and ran it through the water. "Clean, clean," she yelled, her voice muffled by the nearby foliage. She took it out of the water and held it out to Lyude.

"Papa clean it for me?" she asked. "Gramma say, I'm not allowed to use the soap by myself! I try to eat it once."

Lyude chuckled and took it from her, rolling up his sleeves. He fished out the cake of soap from the bag and began scrubbing the filth from the smock. In his younger years, he might have cringed at the thought of such work – bathing a five year old girl and washing her clothes in a river? What an odd task for him. But oddly enough, he felt at peace taking care of her, as if he belonged in this very moment.

Jyenka pulled out the ties holding her hair up in pigtails and shook out her hair. With a squeal, she jumped into the shallow part of the stream and splashed around, sending water flying at Lyude. He started, shielding himself with his arms. "Hey – you're splashing water everywhere, Jyenka!"

Jyenka only laughed, wading knee-deep into the river. She dunked her head under the water and came back up shivering. "Water's cold, Papa!"

Lyude smiled as he rinsed her smock in the water and hung it up on a tree branch to dry in the strong sun. Jyenka waded over to him, hands outstretched. "Soapy time, Papa!" She splashed out of the river, dripping water. "Hair," she demanded, and Lyude complied, running the cake of soap through her hair. "Scrub, scrub," she sang, leaping away, and she danced around in her undershorts, lathering her hair. She rubbed the lather from her hair all over her body and kicked off her undershorts to use the rest of the soap on them. Soon after, she jumped back into the river, completely naked, and ducked under the water to get all of the soap off.

"Cold!" she squeaked. "Papa, towel!"

Lyude pulled the well-worn towel from the bag, and Jyenka came bounding over to him, droplets of clear water flying from her body. He wrapped her shivering body in the towel and took the wet undershorts from her to hang them up with the smock.

"Is my clothes dry yet?"

"No…not yet." Lyude sat back down on the drier part of the riverbank, and Jyenka hopped into his lap. "In a little while." He fondly stroked her wet head, imagining Garrell in his place. Garrell must have done this often before he'd died…

Jyenka made small shivering noises. "Brr…I'm cold, Papa." She curled into a little ball on his lap. "Papa?"

"Yes, Jyenka?"

"You're not really my papa, are you?"

Lyude was taken by surprise. He'd figured that somewhere in her mind, Jyenka knew the truth, but he hadn't expected her to confront it on her own. Still, he was privately relieved. "No, Jyenka…I'm not."

"Papa's dead. And dead people don't come back."

"No…no, they don't."

Jyenka sighed. "It's all right, Jyenka," Lyude said, cradling her head in his hands. "I'm not your father, but…I knew him."

She looked up at him with wet green eyes. "You did?"

"Yes. He...was my brother." He smiled at Jyenka's solemn face, trying to bring the brightness back to her. "I'm not your father, Jyenka, but I am your uncle. Your uncle Lyude."

Jyenka's eyes grew wider, and sure enough, some of the sparkle of excitement was already returning. "Really?"

"Yes, really. And even though your father isn't here…I am." He touched her face, and her eyes brightened. She threw her arms around his neck and planted a wet kiss right on his lips. Lyude smiled, chuckling, and Jyenka took off the towel and began drawing her hair.

"I'm not cold anymore!" she declared, picking up her hair ties. "Uncle Lyude, will you put my hair?"

Hearing 'Uncle Lyude' instead of 'Papa' brought a wave of relief to Lyude. "Of course," he said. "Sit still now…"

After he had fixed her hair into the pigtails – a little lopsided, perhaps; Lyude had never done a little girl's hair before – Jyenka dashed over to the tree and pulled her smock and undershorts on, despite the fact that they were still damp. "Let's go, Uncle Lyude!" She picked up her headband and put it on, grabbing the bag.

"Here, I'll carry it," Lyude offered, taking the bag from her. "This must be heavy for you."

"But Gramma say, I got to get big and strong. Make my muscles big like Papa's!"

"Don't worry, your muscles can rest for a bit."

"Can I hold your hand, Uncle Lyude?"

Smiling, Lyude held his hand out to Jyenka, and she clasped it in her own small one, still damp from the bath. She laughed gleefully as they trekked back to her home in Ihe. Jyenka was loudly singing an Anuenue folk song when she and Lyude walked in through the front curtain.

Synthis and Gibari looked up as Lyude lowered Jyenka from his shoulders. "My, my," Synthis said, "look how clean you are! Did Papa give you a nice bath?"

"That's not Papa, Gramma," Jyenka said, rolling her eyes. "It's Uncle Lyude!"

Synthis smiled at Lyude knowingly. "Of course. My mistake. What a smart girl you are." She took two carved wooden bowls from a cupboard. "Please, have a seat. Neither of you have eaten breakfast yet."

"It's tasty," Gibari added enthusiastically.

"Yes, your friend Gibari here seems to have quite the appetite for it," Synthis said wryly, setting a bowl down in front of Lyude. It was filled with a steaming liquid with odd-looking vegetables floating in it, some sort of stew. Lyude sipped at it a bit with his spoon and found it tangy and sweet – peculiar, but delicious.

"Savyna left already while you were out," Gibari said. "She went with Migur to bring back the kids from other villages."

"Good to know. I'm sure she'll be back by the end of the day," Lyude said, spooning more of the unusual soup into his mouth. Jyenka, on the other hand, was practically devouring hers, leaving her spoon untouched on the table.

"Jyenka!" Synthis scolded her. "Use your spoon. You just had a bath!"

"Sorry, Gramma," Jyenka mumbled around a mouthful, picking up her spoon, though she didn't look particularly chastised.

"Yeah, she said she'd be back by nightfall," Gibari said. "We're to report to Queen Corellia tomorrow."

"Yes, I know…" Lyude finished the rest of his meal. "Thank you, Synthis. This was delicious. I've never tasted anything like it."

"Yeah, Gramma makes good food!" Jyenka chirped, licking her spoon. "All done, Gramma! Can I go play with Uncle Lyude now?"

"Of course, Jyenka," Synthis said. Jyenka clapped her hands and started pulling Lyude toward the front curtain again.

"Come on, Uncle Lyude, I'mma show you the village!"

Gibari grinned, collecting the bowls from the table. "Maybe I can get the grand tour too, kiddo, when I'm done helping your grandma clean up here."

Lyude stopped, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh, ah, I'll help too – "

"Forget about it, Lyude. You've got an awful lot of catching up to do, I'd say. I'll meet up with you later."

Lyude thanked him and allowed himself to be dragged outside by Jyenka, under the bright sunlight. "Did you ever come to Anuenue before, Uncle Lyude?"

"Yes, I did…a couple of years ago. It was during the Thirty-Year Festival for the Celestial Tree."

"The tree!" Jyenka clapped her hands in glee. "I was only three then!" She held out three fingers.

He nodded, smiling fondly at the memory. "I remember seeing the Celestial Tree bloom. It was beautiful…one of the most moving things I've ever seen."

"Where do you live now, Uncle Lyude?"

"In Diadem. I work for King Ladekahn, the ruler."

"Diadem," Jyenka repeated, a look of concentration on her face. "That's…the cloud place, right? Lots of clouds everywhere!"

"Yes, that's right."

"And, and, and you work for the king?"

"I do." Lyude smiled down at her. "I'm in charge of making sure everything works the way it's supposed to, so that everyone's happy."

"Wow!" she exclaimed, clearly impressed. "People says, the king is even more prettier than Queen Corellia! Is it true?"

Lyude couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Well, I don't know about that," he chuckled. "I guess it's all a matter of opinion."

"Was Papa from the cloud place too? Did he work for the king?"

Lyude shook his head. Their brisk walk had slowed down to a leisurely pace, and Jyenka had since clasped her little hand in his again. She was a very touch-friendly little girl – it seemed to be characteristic of this place. "No…your father and I were born in Alfard."

"Alfard?"

"Yes. It's in the north – they call it the Empire of the Flame."

"Well, why did Papa come here? And why are you in the cloud place?"

"That's…well…" Lyude hesitated. "You aren't really old enough to know yet," he said finally, shaking his head. "I'll tell you one day, when you're older."

Jyenka pursed her little pink lips in thought, and it looked as if she were about to argue – but her young mind flitted from one thing to another, too busy to waste time dwelling on one subject. "Can I go to Diadem one day too, Uncle Lyude?"

"Of course. Someday I'll take you and your grandmother with me." He smiled at the thought. "And then you can see how pretty King Ladekahn is for yourself!"

Jyenka giggled, but their conversation was interrupted by the robust call of another woman. "Excuse me, sir!"

Lyude turned to see a woman heading towards them – he recognized her as one of the sorrow-faced mothers from the previous day. He was, perhaps, more surprised than he should have been, to see her hustling toward him like that. "Ah – may I help you, ma'am?"

She balanced a woven-reed basket full of exotic looking fruits on one hip, making her gait slightly lopsided. "You're one of the three who rescued our children last night, aren't you?" Lyude nodded, and she clasped her hands together. "Oh, bless your heart! We can't thank you enough for saving them…you've brought the light back into our lives. We can never repay you enough for something like that…"

"Please, please," Lyude said humbly, "we were only doing what was right. We were able to help, so…"

"Oh, if only there were more noble people like you in the world, sir," she went on. "And how kind of you, to spend time with some of the children! Jyenka seems so enamored of you."

Jyenka seemed impatient and bored of the woman's rambling thanks. No doubt she neither understood nor cared much. She tugged on her uncle's hand. "Uncle Lyude…"

A look of surprise chased away the thanks on the woman's face. "Uncle?" She glanced down at Jyenka. "You're…little Jyenka's uncle?"

Lyude suddenly felt uncomfortable, put on the spot. "Er…yes –"

"But I thought that old Synthis was her only living relative."

"I'm, ah, her father's brother –"

"Oh, you do look like Garrell!"

"You – knew him?"

The woman smiled beatifically. "Of course I did – we all did. It's a small village, Ihe. He was such a dear man." She smiled fondly. "We were all sad when he passed… He was an excellent shot with a hunting spear. We never knew of his past…we never even knew he had other family. He rarely spoke of himself."

Lyude shook his head. "I never knew he came here," he said. "I didn't even know he had a niece."

The mother's eyes sparkled. "What a wondrous twist of fate, then!" she cried. "Such a great thing, for Garrell's own brother to visit our very village…"

A young man passing by, whose clothes spoke not of a hunter's profession, but one of the village healers, stopped at the woman's words. "What? Garrell's brother?" He turned his eyes on Lyude, who once again felt unnecessarily put on the spot.

Then another passing villager stopped at the chatter, and another and then another, and before long Lyude was surrounded by curious villagers who had known Garrell – all of them had, it seemed. They were all buzzing with the new knowledge that Garrell had living family, swarming Lyude with their excitement.

It was Jyenka who finally pulled him away from the crowd, insistent on finishing the tour she'd started of the village. "Come on, I wanna show you the places!"

The people called their thanks and appreciation even as Lyude walked away. "They're very…earnest," he tried, a little stunned from the sudden attention. "It seems everyone here knew Garrell…"

"Everyone knows everyone!" Jyenka chirped. Lyude was fairly certain by know that that was no exaggeration.

"Jyenka!" squealed a little boy's voice. "Jyenka's back!"

A dirty little boy with blue-black hair flew at Jyenka, knocking her off her feet. They tumbled to the ground together, amidst shrieks and laughter.

"Tomon!" Jyenka exclaimed, scrambling to her feet once she'd disentangled herself from the boy. Lyude realized, to his dismay, that her once clean smock was now covered in dirt and dust.

"Jyenka! Glad you're back!" Tomon was grinning widely. "I had no one to play with when you were gone! Was it scary when you got took away? What happened?"

"It was really scary," Jyenka said seriously. "It was all dark and dusty in the place we got took to. But Uncle Lyude saved me!"

Lyude placed a hand on her head fondly. "It wasn't just me, Jyenka. Gibari and Savyna were there too, remember?"

"Oh yeah! Is Gibari the big man?"

Lyude chuckled to himself. "Yes, that's him."

Jyenka nodded earnestly. "Mister Gibari's real big, you know! Even bigger than Mister Migur! His muscles are this big!"

Tomon's eyes widened in awe, and Lyude watched over them as they chattered back and forth about the likelihood of Gibari winning an arm wrestling match against Migur. Lyude only half-listened, the rest of his attention wandering about the village in observation. It reminded him slightly of Azha, in a way – something about the largely simplistic, rustic lives the villagers lived here. It was so far removed from the majority of civilization, and no one here had any cares but the ones before their feet. Lyude thought he liked it quite a bit.

"Well, Tomon, I'll have to play with you later," Jyenka was saying, in quite a businesslike manner. "I gotta finish showing Uncle Lyude the village!" She took her uncle's hand and pulled him away abruptly, waving to Tomon. "Look, Uncle Lyude," she said, pointing now, "that's the chief man's house, and that's the place where Gramma buys meats, and there's the jungle! I wanna show you something up there!"

She let go of his hand and ran ahead of him, in the direction of the river in which she had bathed that morning. Thrown off by the sudden change of pace, Lyude ran after her.

"Jyenka, wait for me!"

She kept on running, though, up to the river and past the place where she'd bathed, and under the shade of the leafy trees that marked the edge of the Holoholo Jungle. Lyude quickened his pace, fearful that she would get lost in the jungle – but thankfully, she stopped just at its edge. Lyude soon caught up to her as she knelt in the soft ground beneath a gnarled tree. "Jyenka, what is it?"

Jyenka was patting the moist soil with her little hands determinedly. "It's around here somewhere…I promise, Uncle Lyude!" Her searching hands reached the base of the tee, and she began digging quickly. Lyude shielded his face from the sudden spray of dirt. "Be careful, Jyenka – you just had a bath –"

"Found it!" she said proudly, tugging a long, narrow object from its shallow grave in the ground. Jyenka's small hands grasped around its wooden shaft, and upon closer inspection, Lyude realized it was a hunting spear – a long one at that, taller than his own self. Jyenka lacked the height and leverage to life the spear, but she didn't take her hands off of it, beaming to herself.

"Jyenka…" Lyude knelt down and lifted the hefty spear out of the ground, the dirt falling away from it. He just didn't want his niece near it – he could see that the stone spearhead still had a sharp point. "You shouldn't be playing with this. It's a weapon – it's dangerous."

Jyenka shook her head furiously. "No, no, no," she said. "I don't play with it! Promise, Uncle Lyude." She reached out and touched the head of the spear. "Look. It was Papa's."

Lyude looked at the edge of the spearhead. There, etched into the carefully sharpened stone, was his brother's name. He traced his fingers over the rough engraving. "Where did you find this, Jyenka?"

"Last year. It floated down the river!" Jyenka made wave-like motions with her arms. "Gramma told me it says Papa's name, 'cause I can't read it." She absent-mindedly wiped her hands on her smock. "Gramma say, can't have it in the house, so I put it inna woods. It's Papa's…I couldn't throw it away."

Garrell had been a soldier in the Imperial Army, just like all of his family…Lyude could hardly picture him as a primal hunter. He must have been skilled, Lyude decided, for he'd been a renowned shot with the Imperial-issued rifle. "Here," Lyude said, laying the spear on the ground again, "let's put his back."

But Jyenka put her hands against the shaft and pushed it back toward Lyude. "No. You keep it."

"Me? But…" Lyude looked down at the spear. It seemed…so strange. "I can't keep this, Jyenka. You…"

"No, no! You know Papa too. You love him too. You miss him too, right?"

Lyude's fingers curled around the shaft of the spear. "Jyenka…" He laid the spear on the ground and leaned forward to embrace her. "Thank you, Jyenka. I'll keep it safe for you."

"Not for me," she said. "For Papa."

He smiled gently. "Of course. For Garrell."

The rest of the day passed all too quickly. Savyna returned to Ihe Village just before nightfall, having helped Migur bring the other children to their respective homes, and rejoined them at Synthis's home for dinner.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Savyna said, as she sat down with the others at the small table.

"No – thank you for bringing Jyenka back," Synthis replied humbly. "I suppose you'll all be leaving tomorrow…"

"Yes. We must report back to Queen Corellia." There was a hint of reluctance in the usually stoic woman's voice."

Jyenka looked at Lyude with large, doleful eyes. "You're leaving, Uncle Lyude?"

"I have to," Lyude said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Jyenka…I have to go back to Diadem."

"No! You can't go!"

"Don't worry, Jyenka." He took her small hands in his. "I'll come back to visit, I promise. And in the meantime, I'll write letters to you. Your grandmother can read them to you."

"Will you come on my birthday?"

"Oh, yes – please do," Synthis agreed. "It's in the summertime. You'd be more than welcome, Lyude."

Lyude looked at Synthis, and then back at Jyenka. He could see the hope burning in the little girl's eyes. "Of course I'll come for your birthday," he promised. "Absolutely, Jyenka."

Jyenka let out a squeal of glee and threw herself into his arms, nearly kicking her chair over. Lyude placed a hand on her head, laughing quietly. "Don't worry, Jyenka," he said. "I'm not going away forever."

"Will you tuck me in, Uncle Lyude?" she asked, turning her eyes upwards at him. Lyude ruffled her pigtails affectionately.

"Sure. It's probably time for you to go to bed anyway, if you're all finished with dinner." A single glance at her empty plate confirmed it for him. He got to his feet, sweeping Jyenka up in his arms – she hardly weighed a thing – and brought her to her room behind the curtain. She climbed into the low cot that served as her bed, and brought the quilt over her chest. "You'll say bye before you go, right, Uncle Lyude?"

"Of course I will." He found himself with the sudden urge to stroke her forehead – such a fatherly gesture. The action seemed to soothe Jyenka, and her eyes grew sleepy. Looking at her face, Lyude was once again struck with the odd feeling of recognition. It was easy to see, just by looking at Jyenka's face, that she was beyond a shadow of a doubt Garrell's child. "And I'll come visit for your birthday."

"I'm really glad you came to Ihe, Uncle Lyude." She yawned and closed her eyes, settling down under the covers.

"So am I, Jyenka." He meant it much more than those few words conveyed – more than just meeting his niece, he was incredibly relieved to finally have the truth about Garrell's fate. That Garrell had not fallen to the will of the Empire was a strange comfort to Lyude. It made him feel as though things were a little more right in the world.

Jyenka shifted on the cot one more time. "Night-night, Uncle Lyude," she murmured drowsily.

Lyude tucked the covers around Jyenka's still form, and after a moment's hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Jyenka."

The following morning, Gibari, Savyna and Lyude arose early to get ready to leave for Komo Mai. It wasn't a long trek to the City of Flowers, but they all had their own places to be after that. It was best not to be late. Synthis, ever the early riser for such an elderly woman, prepared them a hearty breakfast made of similarly exotic ingredients, except this one had a kind of stringy meat in it. Lyude wondered from what beast it had come, but he thought it best not to ask.

In the middle of breakfast, little Jyenka awoke and bounded into the main living area where they all ate. "G'morrin, Gramma," she chirped, promptly climbing onto Lyude's lap. "G'morrin, Uncle Lyude."

"And what about our other guests, Jyenka?" Synthis chided her gently. "It's rude to ignore them."

"Sorry," Jyenka apologized, with a sheepish grin, "G'morrin, Miz Savyna and Mister Gibari."

Gibari chuckled. "No need to call me mister, kiddo. You can call me uncle too, if you want." He gave her a wink and a smile, and she giggled.

"Okay, Uncle Gibari!"

The sound of an old bell chiming reached their ears from just outside the hut. Putting down the ladle in her hands, Synthis bustled over to the front curtain and pulled it aside. "Oh, Chief Halget," she said, stepping aside so that the chief could enter. "So good to see you."

"You too, Synthis," he said respectfully, shuffling into the hut. "I came by to bid our guests goodbye." He bowed his head to Savyna, Gibari, and Lyude. "Thank you so much. I don't know how we can repay you…"

"It's not necessary, Chief Halget," Savyna said briskly. "We've no need of any payment from you or your people. If you ever have need of us again, just send word to Opu."

Halget bowed and thanked them profusely again before he exited the hut, leaving them to eat the rest of their meal in peace. Finally, Savyna set down her bowl and rose to her feet, glancing at Lyude and Gibari.

"If you two are finished, it's about time we got going."

Jyenka clung to Lyude as tightly as her little arms would allow. "No," she said stubbornly.

"Jyenka…" Synthis shook her head and pried one of Jyenka's hands from around Lyude's waist.

"Come on, Jyenka," Lyude said, patting her back. "It's all right. I'll be back. You and your grandmother can walk with us to the edge of Ihe."

"Yeah! Can we, Gramma?"

"Of course, dear." Synthis collected the empty bowls and put them in the washbasin, wiping her hands on the front of her dress. Lyude and Gibari rose to join Savyna, Lyude carrying his little niece, and the five of them left the hut together. The morning was still young, and the sun shone strong and bright over the tiny village.

It was a regrettably short walk from the hut to the northern edge of Ihe, and Jyenka was reluctant to be put down. Lyude placed a hand on her head and bent down to face her.

"It's all right," he told her gently. "I'm coming back, remember? There's nothing to worry about."

Jyenka, however, didn't look very comforted. "I have something for you," Lyude said, reaching into his pocket. He produced a Magnus. "It's a battle Magnus," he explained. "I don't want you to use it, but keep it and think of me."

Jyenka took the Magnus from his extended hand, studying it with a furrowed brow. "What is it?"

"It's called the Bubble Shield," Lyude told her. "It's used to protect yourself."

"Will you protect me, Uncle Lyude?"

Lyude bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Always."

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him three times. Smiling – a bit sadly – he straightened up, placing a hand on Jyenka's head. "I'll come back. And I'll write to you."

"Thanks for everything," Gibari said, to Synthis. She only shook her head with a wizened smile.

"No, thank you all. You're all welcome in our home any time."

They bade the old woman and child goodbye as they walked away from Ihe Village. Jyenka clutched her grandmother's hand and waved to them energetically. "Bye-bye!" she called, and held the Bubble Shield Magnus close to her heart. She would take care of the Magnus, just as Lyude would take care of her father's spear.

Lyude couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as he and his friends walked the distance to Komo Mai. Part of him was glad – very glad, in fact – to be heading home to Diadem, but he was surprised to find how reluctant he was to leave Jyenka. She was a bright little girl, and she had endeared herself to him more quickly than he could have imagined. But even more than that, she was the only link to his eldest brother that he had left. Garrell had died before his time, Lyude was sure, and something inside of him yearned to pick up where he'd left off. Synthis only had so much life in her, Lyude could tell…it was only a matter before the old woman passed, too. When that day came, Jyenka would have no one else.

"Lyude?"

Gibari's voice shook him from his reverie. Lyude looked up, clearly a bit startled. "Ah – what?"

"We're here." Gibari nodded to the flower-adorned entrance to Komo Mai, which lay just ahead. "Come on – Queen Corellia's expecting us."

"Thank you all," Corellia said in her warm, smooth voice. "I think I speak for all of the people of Anuenue when I say that we are indebted to you for your help."

Savyna shook her head. "I wouldn't be thanking us too soon, Your Grace…the kidnapper got away."

The smile faded from Corellia's face, her rouged lips pursing slightly. "I see…." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "No matter. As long as the children are safe, there is no more action that we need to take." She turned her gaze to Lyude and Gibari. "You should return to Diadem and report back to King Ladekahn. Savyna will take care of things here. Please give my regards to the king."

"Yes, Your Grace." Lyude bowed, and Gibari inclined his head before they turned to leave the throne room in Corellia's palace. Lyude was holding the Magnus with his brother's spear tightly in one hand as they boarded the Mindeer at the Anuenue port just outside of Komo Mai. Gibari glanced at it, cocking an eyebrow.

"What's that?"

"Huh? Oh…" Lyude looked down at the Magnus in his hand. The wind rustled it as the Mindeer took off, and he moved to tuck it into his coat pocket. "Jyenka gave it to me. It was Garrell's."

"Yeah? Give it here." Gibari took the Magnus from Lyude's hand, and the red-haired statesman issued a startled protest, which Gibari glibly ignored. Summoning the Magnus into his hands, he inspected the spear with an appraising eye. "Looks nice," he commented. "Pretty well-made, if you ask me. Did he make it himself?"

"I don't know, actually," Lyude admitted, taking the spear back from Gibari and sealing it back into Magnus. "I told Jyenka I would keep it safe for her. It's more valuable than gold, to me…"

"And it should be," Gibari agreed, thumping Lyude on the back. Lyude winced slightly. "You oughta mount it on your wall at Elnath or something."

Slipping the Magnus into his pocket, Lyude smiled at thought. "I think I will, Gibari."

"You go on to Nashira," Lyude told Gibari after the Mindeer docked at the Castle Elnath port. "I can deliver the report to King Ladekahn, and I know that you were pulled away from your fishing without much notice."

Gibari chuckled, clapping Lyude soundly on the back once again. Lyude wondered when Gibari was going to realize that he nearly knocked the wind out of the smaller man every time he did that. "Alrighty then, Lyude. Give ol' King Kahn my regards, will you?"

"I will," Lyude promised, and parted ways with Gibari at the entrance to Castle Elnath. A few of the knights stopped to welcome him back – Lyude was more well-liked by the citizens and court of Diadem than he was ready to admit – and he returned their greetings warmly, fingering the Magnus in his pocket.

"Good day, Sir Lyude," said a senior knight by the name of Martello, nodding his head to Lyude outside the entrance to the throne room. "Back from Anuenue, I see. It went well, I trust?"

Lyude smiled at Martello. The old knight had softened up the hardships of his first days in Diadem, when he'd been a stranger to the outside world and the customs of the people there. "Yes, Sir Martello, thank you. Is King Ladekahn in?"

"Yes, go right in, son. You'll not be interrupting anything."

Lyude nodded and headed into the throne room, where Ladekahn was having an informal audience with two of the younger knights of Diadem. Lyude bowed respectfully to the king, his red hair falling over his face as he did so. "I have returned, Your Majesty."

King Ladekahn smiled, welcomingly. "And how did your assignment go, Lyude?"

"I…" Lyude hesitated. "I have good and bad news, sire."

"And?"

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to apprehend the one responsible for the kidnappings," Lyude reported regretfully. "He escaped, but…we recovered all of the missing children, and we saw to it that they were returned safely to their homes and families."

Ladekahn nodded sagely. "That is more than enough, Lyude. Of course, Queen Corellia and I would liked to have known who was responsible, but to know that all of the children are safe is enough for me. You've served Diadem well, Lyude. Thank you."

Lyude inclined his head. "It was the least I could do, sire. I'm glad I made the trip."

Ladekahn raised one eyebrow, catching the hint of something else behind Lyude's polite exterior. "Oh? Why's that, Lyude?"

Lyude smiled a little to himself. "I…I learned something important while I was in Anuenue. One of the children we rescued…it turns out she's my niece." He caught Ladekahn's faint look of puzzlement. "It's a little difficult to explain, Your Majesty. You see, I had another brother – older than Vallye or Skeed – but we'd been told he was executed for treason. I only recently found out that he escaped in secret to Anuenue, and started a family…both he and his wife have since passed, but his daughter is still there, living with her grandmother. It was…very strange, but I'm so happy to know he led a happy life outside of Alfard."

Ladekahn smiled gently. "Just like you, Lyude."

The king's remark caught him off guard, and Lyude thought deeply for a moment. Ladekahn was right; he really was taking after his eldest brother in more ways than one. It was strange how fate worked, sometimes.

"I, ah…I suppose that concludes my report, sire," Lyude finished. "Oh, and Gibari sends his regards."

Ladekahn chuckled a little to himself. "Of course he does. He hardly ever comes to court himself, just sends messages…ah, Gibari. He hasn't changed a bit." He shook his head. "Thank you for your hard work, Lyude. You may retire."

Lyude bowed once more and backed out of the throne room, one hand still in his pocket with his fingers on the Magnus of Garrell's spear.