Word of the Raptor Squad's success had spread amongst the Othánas. The boys were regarded as heroes, to be sure, particularly Jareth. He had rapidly gained an almost mythical reputation as a leader and a warrior. At first, Vesryn had thought that such veneration might cause some friction between the three of them, but Garthan and Randel seemed to share the same admiration for Jareth that the rest of the populace did. Jareth, for his part, made sure to credit his successes to his two comrades, pointing out (rightly) that the only reason he could perform these wonders was because he had two such stalwarts to guard his back. As a result, even the most battle-hardened veterans gave the Raptor Squad a high level of respect.
One interesting tidbit that arose from the various missions that the boys performed was their enlisting the Ughlánas for many of their operations. Jareth had remarked that their little brethren could transport to him wherever he was… somehow being able to get a 'fix' on him. Vesryn never mentioned it, but they were able to do the same with Konrad, back in Ardalon. It was how he had coordinated the Revolt, using the ability of the Ughlánas to find him and relay information. As far as he knew, the Ughlánas could not pinpoint Vesryn's location the same way. Whether this had something to do with the magical power level of Konrad and Jareth, he didn't know, as the Ughlánas were just as affectionate to him as they were to his son and were themselves a bit frustrated at their inability to 'fix' on him.
The hardest part of all of this was his natural desire to keep the boys safe. They were still so young… despite having crossed well into the changes that would turn them from boys into men. It was only five years ago that they'd created their medallions, only ten years ago that they were able to master polymorphing (and to Vesryn's relief, this was one power that Jareth had acquired at the normal pace). Even that had its oddity… as Jareth's owl form had luminescent white feathers and was larger than the average Othánas bird body.
Garthan and Randel had just started to learn transporting, while Jareth had employed that skill since his early childhood. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or chagrined that they were displaying a normal power level for their age. He was so used to Jareth turning all of his magical knowledge on its head, that it wouldn't have surprised him at this point to see them wielding a similarly large power. They did not, although they certainly made the most of what they did have.
What really warmed his heart was how close the three boys were. Closer than brothers. They operated together like a well-oiled machine, each of them contributing their own unique strengths. Randel was the tactician, able to scan a situation and immediately come up with a plan of action. Garthan was the analytical one, able to see the big picture and piece together bits of information to form a whole. And Jareth… he had some of Randel's tactical brilliance along with some of Garthan's intuition, topped off with an immensely strong magical gift.
When he'd first started assigning them missions, he tried to keep them at relatively low risk. They performed their duties flawlessly, but Vesryn could tell that they were restless… they wanted to make a difference. This led them to get a bit more creative with their assignments than he had bargained for. Just two years ago, when he'd assigned them to a foraging mission, they'd come upon a dragon's cave. Jareth, in what Vesryn characterized as a supreme act of stupidity, decided to see if there was anything in the cave that the Goblins could use. He hadn't counted on the resident dragon actually being in residence when he'd intruded.
Not only did Jareth have to deal with Vesryn's cold anger when he'd gotten a look at his smoldering son, but he'd had to endure one of the few episodes where Helayne had lost her normally sweet temper. As she shaved the unburnt side of his head and Healed the other, she treated all of their sons to a tongue-lashing of mythological proportions. Having never seen their mother angry before, to say that all three boys were absolutely cowed would have been an understatement. Vesryn himself had stared at this virago he had married with openmouthed awe and wonder.
It might have been merciful to forego giving them a lecture himself after Helayne's ferocious outburst, but this was too important. He sat the boys down, castigating them for their carelessness, and reminding them that they were too vital to their people to fritter away their lives so foolishly. They absorbed the lecture humbly, but then Jareth had quietly insisted that they needed to do more. They were losing their warriors much too frequently, something needed to be done to turn the tide. He'd agreed that his actions were foolish, but they were driven by a sense of desperation.
As much as Vesryn wanted to say otherwise, deep down, he understood. Slowly, he started assigning them more missions, the danger level going up with the importance of the task. And while his heart was frozen in his chest from the moment they flew off to the moment they transported back… he didn't see that they had much choice.
Thus, he bent his efforts into utilizing their skills where they were needed most. Garthan had started to organize the Ughlánas into little spies, popping undetected near the Fae to listen in on what they were talking about and report what they'd heard back to him. In this way, he was able to find out many of their plans with enough time to counter them. It would never have occurred to Vesryn to utilize the Ughlánas in this way, and to his surprise, their little brethren were not only flattered to be asked, but actually enjoyed the subterfuge.
Jareth, for his part, was experimenting with his magical power for new ways to help their people. Recently, he'd figured out how to conjure items from Above… something that was untraceable and supplied the camps with a lot of their food and equipment. He conjured books, too, telling Vesryn that he was trying to get some idea of the local geography beyond Eire. This was something the Fae had gone to great lengths to keep from the Goblins, their thinking was that by keeping the Goblins confined to the home island, they avoided the uncomfortable questions the wider population of Fae would be asking and made it easier to eventually eliminate them. No Goblin was ever given any sort of education in geography back in Ardalon, and maps were jealously guarded and warded against theft and conjuring, all the better to hinder any sort of escape. When Jareth had learned of the Above, learned that it was said to be the first incarnation of their world, he had turned thoughtful. Vesryn had the feeling that Jareth was formulating a plan, something that could save their people from the current situation of attrition that they were losing.
It was this that left Vesryn torn. There were things that only Jareth and the boys could do… but at the same time, he couldn't escape the growing feeling that Jareth was the leader their people needed… the one who would save them in the end. He had to protect him, keep him safe long enough to fulfill his destiny, but… how to do that when every warrior was so desperately needed that even boys barely beginning puberty were fighting on the front lines?
It was for this reason that the Boys took over the combat lessons for the young Othánas. This freed up the veterans for other operations when the Boys were in camp. What surprised him was how good of a teacher Randel turned out to be. Endlessly patient, he was able to bring his students up in skill with a speed that shocked even Vesryn. But even more shocking… he included girls in the lessons.
As Vesryn watched him drilling his pupils, he had been utterly surprised to discover that half of them were female. Even more surprising, the girls did very well, their nimbleness a good counter to the greater strength of the males. Randel appeared to be teaching them to use those traits to their fullest. Right now, he was sparring with a young girl, two wooden long-knives in her hands, and Vesryn watched with admiration as she used her slighter form to literally dance away from Randel's sword swings. It took a while, but Randel finally scored a 'kill' on her.
"Very good, Laylah. I want you to work more with that left arm, though. We want both hands to have equal speed and strength."
The girl nodded, grinning. She moved off to the weapons rack around the training arena and stashed her practice knives. Randel turned and saw Vesryn standing at the perimeter. He walked over to him, a happy smile on his face. "They're doing rather well, don't you think?"
Vesryn nodded, "Indeed. But… I see you have girls in the lessons… you're not planning on putting them into fighting units, are you?"
Randel's face grew grim, the smile wiped from him like magic. "No, not exactly." Randel sighed, "Jareth and I were talking about it… Garthan too… and, well… it occurred to us that the girls are completely reliant on the men to defend them." Some of his puzzlement must have shown, since Randel rushed to explain. "Yes, it is our task to protect them, I'm not saying that it isn't. But… without us, they are defenseless."
"They do not have combat magic as we do," Vesryn said. "Because the majority of their magical power is tied up with Healing."
"True, but… that doesn't mean they don't have at least a little of it, especially when danger is present. Momma told me about… forgive me… your own mother. What she did to make sure Momma got away with Jareth. And when we thought about it, we realized that the girls should learn how to use what they have, even if it isn't at the same level as a warrior. It could make all the difference." He followed Vesryn's gaze toward another two young girls sparring together. "We figured we should teach them defensive tactics at the very least, but… also offensive. They don't have our physical strength, nor our large fangs and long claws, but they have some… and they should be able to use them if they have to."
"What Randel is trying to avoid saying is that there have been too many situations where we've lost women needlessly," said the voice behind him. Vesryn turned to see Garthan leaning up against one of the wooden pells that ringed the training ground. "The Fae are on to us, in a way. They wait until the men are otherwise occupied to conduct their raids, because they know the women can't fight back. And while yes… they cannot last long against a Fae warband and its magic… they might hold out long enough for the men to get to them. Hell, they might even catch the bastards by surprise and take a few of them out."
"And we all know what happens if they kill one of the women. We don't just lose her… which is an unmitigated tragedy itself. We also lose her man," said Randel, quietly.
"I've already spoken to Hiran about making weapons more suited to the women. Daggers, long knives, lighter swords… and women are well able to draw a bow when taught," said the third voice behind him. He turned to see Jareth walking toward them. "To be honest, I'd stack Rilanna over there against any of the men in the Goblin Army when it comes to archery," he said as he pointed over at a young Othánas woman. Vesryn followed his gesture, watching in fascination as the girl planted arrow after arrow into the center of the target. "She's phenomenal when standing still… but she can also strike nine out of ten targets while running. I've asked her to start training the women and the little ones in basic archery," at this, Jareth laughed. "The men have even come to her for pointers on how to improve their shots. As they should."
"And… what does your mother say about all of this?" Vesryn asked, curious.
Garthan smiled, "She asked me to start teaching her, too."
Vesryn shook his head in bewilderment, then moved over to one of the log benches and sat. He looked at all three boys, then at the children practicing, and back at Randel. "Truth be told… I am ashamed that I didn't think of such a thing sooner. You are absolutely right. How many of our women might have lived if…"
All three boys stepped toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. Jareth looked at him anxiously, "No, Papa. Don't blame yourself. Goblins have never trained their girls to fight before… there was no way of doing it in Ardalon, and out here… well, basic survival has been the focus, as it should." He squeezed Vesryn's shoulder, "To be honest, it didn't occur to us either until Momma told us about the Elves. How their women are the ones who do the bulk of their defense, as they are stronger magically. But… their men still know how to swing a sword and use a bow. It got us to thinking, our situation is reversed, but why not have the girls able to at least defend themselves if the worst happens?"
"And… you have met no resistance? If you have, I will issue a command…" he started.
Garthan chuckled, "Momma already did. But honestly, she didn't have to. The girls were all enthusiastic… the grown women, too. And the men, well… they all seemed to feel a sense of relief that their women will have one more tool at their disposal to keep themselves safe and were encouraging them to learn."
Vesryn gave them each a smile of admiration. "I agree… and I'm proud of you all for thinking on how to improve our chances of survival. Best you go see to your students, then," he said with a nod toward the training arena. The boys grinned happily, moving over to where the young ones were practicing.
He sat on the log, shaking his head in wonder. All three of them had come so far… and their skills and strengths complemented each other seamlessly. And now… innovation. In a very real sense, they weren't restricted by 'how things are done' because they had no real idea of how things used to be. They looked toward how they should be and took steps to make it happen. They were the future of the Goblin people, Vesryn could feel it, and as he watched them laughing and sparring together with their pupils, he wished with all his heart that he could know that they would prevail… that they would be all right in the end… that they…
He felt the tingling deep in his mind, spreading outward and causing his vision to swirl into chaos. Curiously, this didn't alarm him… somehow, he knew that he would come to no harm. The swirls of color slowed, coalesced, until he was gazing at a scene before him. The vision was a little distorted, almost as if he was viewing it through thick glass, but he could see it all the same.
Outdoors… he was outdoors in what looked like a park, but like no park he'd ever seen before. It was… plain, unornamented. A span of closely clipped grass with some trees and a path. His gaze was drawn to a girl, an adolescent girl with long, dark hair, piled on her head and crowned with false flowers. She was wearing some sort of costume and playing with a rather fluffy animal. Human… she was human. And this… was Above.
The girl had fiery green eyes, and a spirit that shined out of her like sunlight. There was something almost magical about her… and the longer Vesryn looked at her, the more he knew of her… her strength, her imagination, her loyalty… he liked this girl, liked her immensely…
His attention was caught by a movement beyond the girl… a luminous white barn owl… Jareth… he'd come to perch in the tree near the girl. As Vesryn watched, the girl noticed Jareth in the tree… walked over to talk to him. He couldn't hear what was said, but he knew what was happening… this human girl was his son's heart-bonded mate…
Daughter…Vesryn thought to himself, smiling softly…
His vision swirled again and merged into a room inside a castle… a bedroom. In the bed was a dark-haired woman, clad in a night dress and sipping something from a drinking vessel. He looked at this woman closely, realizing she was an older version of the girl in the park. She was propped up in the bed, smiling at the man who paced nearby. Vesryn turned his attention to the man and his breath caught.
It was Jareth. He was older… maybe by a few hundred years or so, but clearly still a young man in his prime. He was wearing finely made clothing, his hair neatly braided, his face serene and happy. He looked so much like Helayne in this moment… and in his arms… he held an infant. He appeared to be singing to the child… Vesryn's grandson…
The room morphed into another scene, a young, golden-haired man with green eyes stood beside Jareth, looking out the window as they were talking together… and although his facial features resembled Jareth's wife more, Vesryn could still see some of his own reflected back from this man… Jareth's son. A sharp one, this lad. He had his mother's strength of character…
The scene swirled away, to come into focus again outdoors. This time, it was a garden… full of Spring flowers. Before him was probably the loveliest Othánas woman he'd ever seen… she could rival the Fae in terms of beauty… she sat on a blanket, a book in her hand. Like before, he could see into this woman's soul… her spirit. Gentle, she was. And a bottomless well of love and compassion… she looked up, past Vesryn… her features glowing with delight. He watched as a grown-up Garthan walked over to her… sat beside her. Watched as Garthan offered her his token… watched as he struggled with the words… watched as a look of utter love suffused the woman's face as she kissed him…
The vision swirled over yet again. This time, it focused on another dark-haired girl… this one an Othánas. She looked familiar… ah… his granddaughter. Her spirit… so like his son's… and as he watched, she looked to the man standing at the far side of the room… Randel… the love in her eyes was palpable. He saw Randel's expression of fear… of refusal… of love. He was fighting it…
The scene changed… a ballroom. He could see Jareth and his wife… sitting on thrones. He saw Garthan and his lady dancing… then a hush come over the room… saw Randel stalk in… kiss his granddaughter passionately and then carry her off, to the amusement of the throng around them…
Another change… swirling and focusing… another young woman… riotous golden curls spilling down her back… her brow raised as she gazed at the young man before her… he greatly resembled Garthan… but with a roguish, flirtatious smile he'd never seen Garthan give… and she… she was the very image of Helayne… of Jareth… another granddaughter, then. An iron will, this one had… some sharp edges… and yet a tender heart. As he watched, the young man swept her into his arms and kissed her while she laughed with joy…
Swirling… floating… the scene came before him… the final scene, he could sense it… Jareth. Young… just as he was now. Standing before a crowd of Othánas and Ughlánas… Garthan and Randel behind him… pain and grief engraved in every line of their faces… the people… they were acclaiming him… calling out to him… King of the Goblins…
The scene vanished. The tingling stopped. Vesryn's vision cleared, his surroundings melded back to what he knew as reality.
He felt a numbness in his limbs… and his mind slowly began to process what he'd seen. What it meant. Taking a deep breath, he nodded to himself in resignation.
He'd better gather the boys. He had a lot to teach them, and not much time to do so.
Vesryn nodded in satisfaction at Randel, "Good… very good. You have a gift, Randel. You're a natural fighter. But you need to work more on your defense. You are so focused on wounding your opponent that you're letting your guard down too much."
He turned to Garthan, "You do very well with defense, not much will slip under your guard, but you can be too cautious… you can't let an opportunity slip by you when it presents itself." Garthan nodded in acceptance, his gaze focused inward, already analyzing his own performance.
He turned to look at Jareth with a smile, "You are also doing well, but I want you to do more without magic. Your tricks are fearsome, to be sure… but as I've told you before… you must be prepared for a time when you don't have magic at your disposal and must rely on your own physical skill." At Jareth's skeptical look, he continued. "Oh yes… magic can be interfered with. You do it to the Fae yourself, do you not? You think your own can't be countered? I assure you, it can." Jareth's expression turned contemplative, then accepting.
"Enough for now. Put your weapons away, then gather around me." He watched the boys as they cleaned their practice weapons and racked them, trudging back to him quietly and sitting on the ground in a loose semi-circle.
"You boys have come far… and grown… so much. I am proud of you." The boys exchanged happy grins. "Yes… you have grown. And with growth comes many changes… and the wonders of girls."
Randel's expression turned a bit roguish, a slight smile on his lips. He'd certainly noticed the older girls in camp. Jareth's expression became impassive… he'd noticed them too but didn't want to show it, although the sparkle in his eyes gave him away. Garthan blushed, but his lips twitched with a smile. It was funny, while training them in the practice ring, the boys were all business… seeing them strictly as students and not as individuals. Outside of the practice ring, however…
Vesryn knew about the river incident… that the boys hadn't meant to spy on the older girls bathing yesterday… but had been transfixed at the sight… a bit bemused at the feelings it evoked, before running off. Helayne had relayed the events to him with a mix of exasperation and amusement, which was why this discussion was needed.
"You are apparently already aware that there are differences between males and females," he said with a smirk. Randel outright chuckled, and the tips of Jareth's ears turned pink, although his expression didn't change. Garthan's blush deepened. "You have seen enough of the animal kingdom to understand what parts go where. But what you don't know… is the emotions that come with mating. And what those emotions will mean to you as Othánas."
Randel's face became more subdued, while Jareth's eyes gained a faint gleam of interest. Garthan looked at Vesryn knowingly… he at least knew where this was going. "Mating with a woman can bring pleasure, at least some measure of it. You might see a girl and your body will react all by itself, in preparation. That's quite normal, and you will learn to control it with time. Sometimes, you might even feel something of a… buildup of pressure in your nether regions. This pressure can at times be released while you sleep. Or perhaps by more… direct means." All three boys had red cheeks and ears at this point and refused to look at him or at each other. Vesryn chuckled, "That too, is normal. Anyone who tells you differently is lying."
He schooled his face into a more serious expression, "Girls experience it too, although with them, it is less visually obvious. As you come closer to your majority, you will start to attract their attention and curiosity. A girl might even wish to mate with you for her own pleasure. That is also normal. You will learn what pleases them if you pay attention, and practice will go a long way in improving your skill. It might well become as common as eating and drinking is to you now." Vesryn leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "But that is only the beginning. Such mating, while it brings its own mild satisfaction, is a purely physical exercise, and nothing compared to the pleasure and joy you will experience when you take your heart-mate."
At this point, Garthan was nodding… he'd suspected this already. Jareth looked skeptical, while Randel's expression became almost mulish. "Some people, they mate as they please until they find the one their hearts bond to. Others prefer to wait, not content with obtaining shallow pleasures. Mating or not is a personal choice you will make to suit yourselves."
He sighed softly, "But the day will come… when you find a girl who means more to you than a casual tumble. You will feel her spirit… in your heart… in your mind. She will become your world, and you… hers. If she finds you to be worthy of her trust… you will wish to have her claim you as her own. And thus you are hers, and she becomes yours… yours to protect… yours to love." He picked up his medallion and showed it to the boys. "If she has faith in you, she will wear your sigil… proud to call you hers… and you will want no other. Nor will she. It will be you and her, forever."
He looked at all of them solemnly, "It is no small thing, to be claimed by a woman. To be worthy of one. This is why we make our sigils when we start to become men, in the hopes that someday a woman will find us worthy enough to trust her entire being to, to bear us children and continue our lines, to give us a stake in the future. And it will be your task to see to her comfort, to her happiness and to her protection. Because she trusts you with so much."
"So… if I find this girl… I have to stay with just her? Forever?" asked Jareth.
"Yes. But I promise you… you'll want to. What you gain by having a life-mate is worth more than all the variety in the world. And only when you have won her trust and made this commitment will you know the joy of fatherhood."
Randel didn't seem convinced. His eyes haunted, he shook his head. "I don't want a life-mate. I don't want… children. Ever."
"I do…" said Garthan. "Someday… I want what Mama and Papa had."
Randel snorted, "A quick death?" He seemed to realize that he'd been unnecessarily cruel and hastened to clasp Garthan's arm. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean that. It's just…"
"I know, Randel. And… yes… even if it means a quick death. Because the way they loved each other… it was worth it."
"Not for me," said Randel. "I won't be looking for love, not ever. Never."
"Ah, but love has a way of finding you, whether you will or no," said Vesryn, chuckling. "And when it does, it will overwhelm you, no matter how hard you try to fight it." He looked down at Garthan. "You… you'll get yourself a beauty with a gentle hand and a tender heart, who will be a balm to your spirit." He looked at Jareth, "Your mate will be the other half of your soul. What you lack, she will give you. She will stand beside you and be your true partner. And you will find her in an unlikely place, at an unlikely time."
The boys laughed, as well they might. He let them have their fun. They didn't need to know that he had already Seen their futures.
Just as he'd Seen his own.
Author's Notes:
You might recall in 'Kingdom' that Lily told Sarah that Jareth became King at the equivalent of 14 years old. That's… right about now.
Vesryn didn't See his own death, or the circumstances behind it. What he Saw was Jareth being acclaimed King of the Goblins… as an adolescent. He put two and two together and realized that he was going to die in the near future. He was content with his own fate because he was given the chance to see the legacy he was leaving behind in the three boys.
And… it's a small thing, but I love his reaction to Sarah as Jareth's future wife… calling her 'daughter' with affection. While she undoubtedly wondered from time-to-time what Jareth's parents would have thought of her, had they lived, we at least can see for certain that Vesryn embraced her as part of his family. You can be sure that Helayne would have as well.
