Chapter Eighteen
Eric:
These years have been the best of my one-thousand-plus years, and something that I will always treasure and carry dear to me.
Always.
Watching Sookie with our children will always be my most treasured memories. To be able to see my children grow up and be involved in the future they now have. There are no words.
Watching Pamela with her children was also a sight to behold. As always, my progeny tried to approach motherhood with the no-nonsense regular Pamela attitude, but she is fiercely protective of children as well as her brothers and sisters.
The diaper changes are not something I will ever be used to but we are all very efficient now. Sookie made sure that I was and am involved in everything the children did.
I almost felt sorry for Stackhouse because Pamela refused to change another diaper after Raven projectile defecated on her Gucci suit.
As much as I found humor in her misfortune, Pamela was truly livid. Of course, she blamed Jason Stackhouse stating that the girls were more attached to the men in their lives than the women who gave them life.
The time finally came within a month exactly when the children started to answer Sookie with their thoughts. We were all amazed even though she has had this gift her entire life.
Sookie didn't waste any time training the children. She read countless books to all of the children from the time that she knew from their thoughts that they could understand her.
They all have vampiric abilities so they remember everything down to the very speck of dust floating in the air.
Pamela started with dictionaries so that they would understand the books being read to them. I was impressed watching her approach to training. "Knowledge is power" she keeps saying to me as I huff in annoyance.
Pamela not only read each definition but she also gave examples as did Sookie when my child gave an inappropriate example.
Such as the time she used Jason as the example of a moron. Even the fairy cleaning her Gucci suit wasn't an apology enough for Pamela.
All of this reading seems ridiculous to me when I believe that you learn from experience. "Fuck Dear Abby," I think as I watch Sookie and Pamela teach in what Niall set up as an actual classroom.
"Patience" she reminds me as Pamela smiles and continues with "Yes, Eric you shall have your turn".
Knowing that I trained her on my very own!
Brat!
We had been here for 6 months in the human realm. I had watched the children learn more things from books than I had read in my thousand years it seemed. From different languages and the background of their heritage to sex education thanks to Pamela and her memory of how isolated Arya had been before she mated with Lucien.
Stackhouse and I were both against this but both women took over teaching their education lessons daily.
They also put together what was deemed as family night, but movie night with children is tricky in this day of age. The night we watched the Twilight Marathon is a favorable memory.
Even though the movies aren't realistic or to my taste, the commentary is always humorous.
Pamela raised the question "If he was ice-cold and hard like a diamond wouldn't he be a popsicle that you can fuck?"
Stackhouse laughed, I laughed and Sookie wanted to laugh but held herself back.
She knows Pam and her antics well.
The same night when Pamela saw Edward sniffing Bella she yelled loudly oh no she has fleas, as we all laughed, but when Stackhouse yelled out during the birthing scene that ain't my baby, you have puppies" Sookie laughed so hard she snorted from her nose.
The children all mimicked the jokes for months so movie nights were considered a gift for acting appropriately. The children did both. They mastered studies quickly and then moved on to mischief and most shockingly, with Niall more times than not.
He seems a younger man with children in his home. He must love them and for that I am grateful. They all are treated the same. Even though he spent two timelines with Aryk and Arya, he loves them all.
He frequently brings Hadley with her family as well as the rest of the Brigant clan. Especially since Hunter and Sookie share a bond.
Hadley's children are going through separate training from her fae relatives as well as Karin with Merlin.
The whole Brigant family has visited and helped with the children in some way. I am assured that everything is on track at Valhalla and the castle has already been decorated with each Child's personality in mind.
Aryk, Alexander, and Arthur as well as Andrew behaved as brothers. Although my sons look like me, they all have varying personalities. Aryk is still very much like his Uncle Stackhouse, but he still has my protective nature.
Alexander looks the same as Aryk with the color blue as his mother's eyes. He is fierce just like the conqueror that he is named after. He takes a special interest in each lesson.
He is a master tactician. Better than any other being that I have known in my long years.
I have noticed that he puts total concentration into each lesson. Total focus on whatever the lesson is.
He will be a force to be reckoned with.
Arthur looks like his brothers as well but he is very shy and keeps to himself. He is wise, as it should be considering whom he has been named after. He also has the worst temperament of all of the children when angered.
Stackhouse was right when he saw Arthur's temper one time as a child. "It's always the quiet ones that will whip your ass the most," he said. Arthur is different in the way that Lies anger him. It's his gift. He always knows.
Andrew is the spitting image of his father Jason Stackhouse except for inheriting the height of Pamela's human father. Making him as tall as my son's.
All blonde hair and blue eyes. I don't think that Jason Stackhouse or I could ever deny that these are our blood.
Where Sookie taught with patience and understanding, Pamela taught with a no-nonsense policy and no mercy. Which caused many disagreements with my wife.
The girls were another story. They had Stackhouse and myself wrapped around their beautiful fingers.
Arya is much the same as before her Rebirth except for having her father now. She isn't as wary and she acts like a normal girl instead of the closed-off grown woman she was when I first saw her.
Being one of the few women not to mention a royal Princess in the fae must have been suffocating. She was pure in mind and body and also the fiercest warrior, other than Sookie.
Astrid, as well as Guinevere, look like Arya except for Sookie's eye color. A beautiful almost sky blue.
Astrid is the shy daughter and always seems to have one foot here and the other foot in the heavens. She's what's called a pure soul.
Although she is pure of heart and the most celestial of all of the children even though she always participated in the mischievous deeds they all performed and there were many. I shudder in remembrance. She has always maintained her gentle spirit.
Guinevere was the opposite of her sisters and seemed to always be the leader when the band of hoodlums was caught. A term that Sookie began to call them and was fully supported by her brother.
The girls were extremely competitive with the boys. Especially when Raven and Rhiannon were involved.
They might look like my Sookie but they act exactly like their mother. Jason adores his children but when it comes to his daughters even Jason has dubbed them "double trouble".
More times than not Guinevere was also involved in the double trouble. As well as Aryk.
I believe that Pamela got her wish for two miniature Sookie dolls because both of her daughters look like my wife and have the same spirit.
Throughout all of the times and realms we traveled, I watched all of the children put everything into each lesson and I couldn't be prouder.
Niall seemed to be having the time of his life with all of the children occupying the palace. His training was a sight to behold.
I had never witnessed the full wrath of the unicorn but watching him train the children on the beasts was magical indeed.
They are exceptionally drawn to the children. Niall said that they would all be able to call forth any beast that they bond with. Unicorns are deadly. They aren't the sparkly magical things of human children's dreams. They are loyal, majestic, and without a doubt the beginning of a true war horse.
If you have the Brigant bloodline a unicorn will choose you. So far even Jason has a bonded beast he has named Buttercup even though his name is Lighting. Jason does this just to anger the unicorn. They are much alike I suppose because he would be dead if his beast didn't have a sense of humor.
Astrid was claimed by a Pegasus which made Niall proud as a peach as Sookie and Jason like to say. A midnight black, beautiful Pegasus landed on the ground in front of her one day and he touched his head to hers and the bond was forged.
Niall explained that Orion was the king of the Pegasus and had chosen Astrid. He also had no idea that they were alive and thriving in the fae above the clouds.
Since Orion has watched the children from afar he decided to bond himself to Astrid because of her pure heart and her fierce attitude toward peace. He considers her the wisest warrior he's ever seen in his very long life. All of the children ended up being spirit-bound to the mighty Pegasus.
The war horse of the Valkyrie.
We had been in the fae realm for almost a year in human time when Arya screamed out during training. Sookie rushed to her before I could move.
"Help" she screamed as she held her chest completely unaware of the bond effects. I knew immediately that Lucien was in some sort of trouble.
Niall popped out and was back within minutes with Merlin who was so angry that his aura had us all pinned to the floor except for Sookie and Jason. The heirs to Avalon. Along with the group of warriors that we call children.
"Morgana has taken my son," he says as Aryk steps forward and whispers remember to his sister and I now recognize the daughter I lost.
The look on her face broke my dead heart. Remembering your fated mate and the way she threw herself into Aryk's arms remembering the day they died.
Sookie was surprised but I had often wondered if my son remembered because he was more focused and very much a leader whenever there was a problem. It's as if he planned for this out of preparation.
"Aryk Jason Northman, where did you learn that? I mean tell me now" his mother yelled as he calmly faced her. Joining hands with the others he reminded me of the fates.
"They need to know what we face, Mother," he says calmly as he shows them all the past.
I am not surprised that he remembers.
Arya stands with a look of determination and snaps into her battle gear. I watch as the rest of the grown children do the same.
"Training is over now" Arya and Aryk announce as one. "That bitch will not harm my mate," Arya says as she straps her weapons on.
"Who has Lucien?" Pam asks in confusion as she just walked through the door. I speak as everyone answers "Morgana" simultaneously.
Pamela automatically dropped Fang.
I could feel her fury through our bond, but I also felt her worry for the children and fear of losing anyone again.
I watch as Aryk and Arya join hands and transfer skills and knowledge to the rest of the children. Each is glowing with a celestial light as wings extend from each of the children.
Each has wings that are special only unto themselves. I am in awe but as I glance around I see that Sookie, Jason, and Pamela are also stunned.
"Mother," Aryk says to my wife as she tries to understand what is happening. "I was born a seer and I was born with my memories. Although I suspect Arya hasn't remembered because she is missing her other half". Aryk says to us all as he contemplates.
" Mother, you have always been my center and the person that I looked up to the most" Aryk tells his mother in earnest. "Arya and I both love you so very much and we could not ask for a better mother," he says as he holds my weeping wife.
"Coming back has changed things" Aryk explains as we listen. Although the children all seem to be aware. "You will not fight Morgana in this timeline Mother" he explains as I feel Sookie's anger start to grow through our bond.
"Arya will be the one to fight her but she won't be alone. Since we share blood we will dream walk with Arya. She doesn't need us to win, but we are born to fight the darkness so this is our duty".
"Are you still as powerful as your mother"? I questioned as my children and grandchildren smiled at me with wings outstretched.
"We are Pendragon," they all say in unison.
"Well, looks like we go home earlier than expected," I say as Arya hugs me and steps back. "I won't wait, Father," she says as she glares into my eyes. As she quickly kissed my cheek, she popped out, and "Absolutely never plans" is heard muttered, I heard Alexander across the room in frustration as they all popped out at once.
"Let's go now," Sookie says with fear and anger. She has snapped battle gear onto us all as Niall does the same. The difference is he's riding his pure-white beast with the silver horn.
The portal was opened at the gates to Valhalla as we all stepped through. We didn't expect the Pegasus or Unicorns to come through with us.
"They follow the kids" I heard Sookie say as everyone stopped to gawk at the sight before them.
Everyone was dressed in battle gear with herds of unicorns and Pegasus stomping about.
What caught my eye were my children and their cousins in the lookout towers with wings outspread.
"Master they just marched inside and laughed at our efforts to get them to leave" I listened as Bobby Burnham started to grovel.
"You have no right to order my children or Pamela's children," I say as his face turns an ashen color.
"Did the big bright glowing wings not clue you in?" Jason asked in a mocking tone.
"You were left to do whatever Karin required yet here you stand daring to keep our children from home," Pamela said to Bobby with a deadly glare as he shrank back in fear.
"What have you done?" Sookie says as she looks at Bobby in horror. I immediately grab him, lifting him into the air.
"Master, she has never been good enough for you" he stutters as Pamela starts to laugh. "I could be a better companion" he continues as he is tossed aside with my purest disgust.
"WHAT DID YOU DO" I hear Astrid and for the first time, I see the authority within her. "She only wanted the vamp that master doesn't care for so I gave him to her" he sputtered as Astrid set him on his feet only to roundhouse kick him unconscious.
"My sister will no longer suffer," she says with determination as she mounts Orion and takes to the sky before anyone can say or do anything.
As I see the rest of my young family following Astrid I know that everything will be fine. They are worthy and they are ready.