Book 4

Siha: Rise of Rakhana

Part II

Casnar looks at her and smiles, "…What shall we name him?"

"Jaspin," she tiredly looks at them together, Casnar with his first son by the window on a bench lining the wall, "…Jaspin."

He chuckles, "…Jaspin it is…Hey there, Jaspin Soterios…" He looks up as Ylyssus enters the convalescence room to check on them.

( "She okay?" )

( "She's worn out," ) Casnar cradles the small bundle, a sight for a grown drell like himself to be holding something so precious, ( "…but she'll be better after she sees this little guy," ) Casnar holds up the bundle and Ylyssus takes it from his hands, ( "…He handsome or what…Look, he has speckles." )

( "Like his mother," ) Ylyssus replies, remembering Little Behe in Braith's arms as he gazes upon the smooth face, eyes slowly opening up at his, ( "…He's here at last, Master…and he looks like the father…" ) He chuckles, admiring the golden skin. Casnar grins broadly as a humbled drell does when his first child comes into the world, breathing the same air with him…A miracle…Ylyssus brings the baby over to Braith, "…Here, your child…" He bends to hand the bundle to her lap and Braith shifts a little to become more comfortable, given she is still aching from the delivery. Ylyssus waits until she is ready, then lowers the infant into her arms. "There you are," he straightens and steps back to watch his and Casnar's wife hold their first son, "…Truly a miracle, to be sure."

Braith brushes back the blanket trim and looks down into the gray eyes of her boy, "…He's gorgeous," she whispers, taking a finger to trace along the opaque eyefolds that have yet to fully open…She glances up at Casnar, a smile from ear to ear and wetness in her eyes, ( "…He has your mouth." )

Ylyssus passes Casnar a mug of drink meant for the mother, who has her own mug on a table next to the recovery bed, "…For strength, Sered…You look like you need it as much as she does." Casnar accepts this and drinks, then sets the mug aside.

"We calling him Jaspin Soterios," Casnar asks, "…or are you keeping your last name on him too?"

"I think a Shepard suffix would suit him," Braith winks.

A sigh. "I don't know how to write Shepard in Rakhïken, but there is a close translation we could use if you would be okay with that…"

She nods, engrossed in her son…Braith plucks the blanket apart to see the small curled hand tucked under the infant's chin, and remarks at how translucent the fingers are, "…Why are you so small," she says in a teasingly maternal way to the resting infant, his eyes closed, but her tone makes the folds open again, and wider this time.

Casnar nods to Ylyssus, "…I'll go tell the others…It's time." He stands from the bench, crosses to his wife and kisses her on the brow. "Great work." He leaves a parting squeeze on her arm, and a caress of the bundle among her hands.

Casnar goes to the door to the outer rooms, opens it to call outside. "It's a boy! His name is Jaspin Soterios-Shepard." He backs up into the room towards the bed as Kasumi and Tetonbaum are first to appear, brightness in their expressions. His half-brother gives Casnar a warm embrace.

"Mehardai ( Congratulations ), Brother," Tetonbaum says, "…Now perhaps it will work for us."

"You think you'll be next before Ylyssus and Braith…"

Tetonbaum gives him a dead-serious stare, "…Of course."

Moving to Braith's bedside, Tetonbaum joins Kasumi and Thane, who is there with Kolyat. Braith sighs at all of the attention. She seeks Casnar's gaze, then Ylyssus's own, "…I'm afraid I can't keep my eyes from closing…" Casnar takes the baby from her, passing Jaspin to Thane who holds the bundle with a wonder between himself, Kasumi, Tetonbaum, and his son...

Thane looks long and hard at the infant in his hands. "You are the evil that will one day conquer everyone…"

"Casnar!"

Third Path…

I hold onto something…I'm holding onto a memory in my hand…I keep turning it over and over with my fingers, thinking about it like the shard but the shard it is not…It is my grief…my sin…my mistake…