A/N: I'm on my annual week away in March, so trying to get some writing done! Even if it's just a little bit each day. Today I've got some snippets mostly from the past…
~~ Caspian and Aspen ~~
While Caspian tried hard to sleep, his thoughts only served to keep him awake. It was strange being back in the Faerie after so long, and he felt more alive than ever before, as if his body could sense the magic of the land. Aspen slept beside him, wrapped in his cloak. The night was cold, although Caspian didn't mind. The Unseelie had often been cold, the elements not tamed or designed to be nice or pleasant. They rested in a clearing with a few other faeries from the Hunt, having volunteered to scout the land further out from the Hunt's new residence. Getting a lay of the land was always useful, even if it was prone to changing in the future. While Caspian and Aspen rested a little way from the others, Caspian no longer really cared if the others saw them together. While once it would have harmed his reputation, he no longer cared much, figuring it was too far gone by now, anyway. Someone else had volunteered to keep watch, which left the rest to their own devices, seeking a chance to rest after their travels.
Feeling Aspen shift beside him, Caspian looked down to meet his gaze. "Can't sleep?" Aspen asked, and he made a sound of confirmation, shifting his gaze to look out at the horizon again. After a moment, Aspen sat up as well beside him, curling a finger in his cloak to draw him closer, which he didn't resist.
"What is it?" Aspen asked, tilting his head slightly. "What are you thinking of?"
"It's… nothing," Caspian replied unhelpfully, keeping his thoughts hidden. They both kept their voices low, to ensure they wouldn't be overheard.
"Cas," Aspen urged with a frown. "Come on. I can tell something's on your mind."
Sighing, Caspian forced his posture to relax slightly. "This is an important night for the Unseelie. The younger members undergo an initiation and must fight for their place. And the Unseelie King makes a speech."
Aspen was silent for a long moment. "How can you tell it's tonight?" he asked, finally.
"I can sense it," Caspian replied, glancing at the moon, before away again. The night was fresh with the anticipation, ready to witness both the rise and the falls.
There was a rustle, before Aspen shifted to rest his head on his arm. "It's okay if you miss it, you know. It doesn't mean you're weak."
Caspian hissed in a breath. "It sounds stupid, but there's some things I'll never forget. The smell of the smoke from the torches. The sting from the cuts from the thorny hedges. The old twisted trees that were somehow still alive. The loyalty and stubbornness of the horses."
Aspen listened, not interrupting or speaking until he was finished. "It's not stupid. We all hold onto some things in the past. Us more than others, probably." He moved his head to kiss Caspian's cheek, and Caspian inhaled quickly. He had always served as a good distraction.
"Lay with me for a bit," Aspen urged, moving to lay down again and tug at Caspian as well. He obliged, laying on his side so that he was facing Aspen. He looked tired from their travels, but his gaze was intent on him. "You can tell me more, if you'd like. But you don't have to."
"Laying with you helps," Caspian said, and he swallowed. "You are one thing that the Unseelie never held for me."
Aspen gave the hint of a smile, his fingers brushing away blonde strands of hair from his face. "I can't make up for everything you're missing, but at least I can offer something."
"That's enough for me," Caspian replied, blinking slowly as he stared at him in the dim lighting, his thoughts softening.
He may have lost many things when he left the Unseelie, but he had also gained things. It was a precarious balance that kept him afloat.
~~ Savannah and Nathan ~~
Savannah took her training seriously, despite only being nine years old. Shadowhunters had to start their training early, after all. Their family's manor was large enough to have a separate training room for her and her brother, which worked well when they had separate tutors. But it was late enough at night that their tutors had long since left.
Pulling her arrows from the target, Savannah then walked back over to the line on the ground and reset, getting ready to aim again. It wasn't good enough to be competent at her training – she wanted to be the best. The motions were effortless as she readied her bow, working smoothly as she aimed her next arrow and released it. It hit the bullseye, and she allowed herself a moment to smile, satisfied that she'd aimed perfectly for most of the night.
At a sound at the door, she spun around, aiming her next arrow towards the noise. It was her brother, no surprise, and she pretended to consider releasing the arrow. He merely grinned, leaning against the wall. "Seriously, Savannah, you've been training all night. Take a break."
"Like you ever take breaks," she pointed out, finally lowering her bow, a hint of stubbornness in her voice. "I can train until whenever I want."
Nathan rolled his eyes. "I brought you some dinner, since you haven't had any yet. Just because Mum and Dad aren't here, doesn't mean you can skip it. Besides, Sarah made it for us," he said, referring to the mundane with the Sight who cooked for them.
"Yeah, yeah," she said, moving to set her arrows down and her bow back in place. Sliding her bracers off and adding them as well, she waved him over. "Let's just eat here."
Sitting down on one of the training mats, she waited as he brought the plates over. It was a healthy meal as always – some kind of chicken dish with salad. He set one of the plates on her lap with a knife and fork, before sitting down with one for himself. Admittedly, she was starving, knowing she should be eating more with all of her training, but she'd been too distracted. Digging in, she watched as his gaze scanned her training room. "Looks like your bow skills haven't dropped. Maybe you'll give me a run for my money," he remarked, before giving a cheeky grin. "But I bet I can beat you with closer range weapons."
"You just try," she challenged, pointing her fork at him. "I'll take you on anytime. Tomorrow, even."
"Okay," he said, drawing out the word. "If you're okay with losing."
"We'll see," she said, raising her chin. He often liked to tease her because he was older, but she did her best to ignore it. If anything, proving him wrong was her favourite thing.
They fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their food. It wouldn't be long until he turned twelve and he would be off to start at the Academy. The house would be quieter without him.
Once she finished eating, she set her plate down and tied her hair up again.
"I know I'm leaving soon, but you should know I'll always keep an eye out for you," Nathan said, glancing over at her. "You're my little sister after all, and we family have got to stick together."
"Don't get all soppy on me now," she protested. "I'd prefer you to be your usual annoying self. Besides, I can take care of myself."
Nathan laughed, moving to take both of their plates. "Of course you can. Anyway, I'll leave you to it. You need all the practice you can get if you're versing me tomorrow. Don't stay up too late though."
Savannah rolled her eyes, rising back to her feet as she watched him go. "Just because you're older, doesn't mean you can tell me what to do," she said, moving to go and pick up her bow again.
~~ Maeve and Mason ~~
Moving Institutes was enough of a task, let alone having to meet with the Head of the Institute during the day. It seemed Mason didn't do meetings at night, and Maeve had needed to agree to meeting him at nine am in the morning. Dublin was four hours ahead, but that didn't make it any better, still finding it was right in the middle of the time she was usually asleep. She knew she had to make an effort though, so she set multiple alarms, finally waking up at the third one. Still half asleep, it took her a while to get all her bags together, finally taking a Portal to get to New York.
Glancing at the time, she sighed, having little time to get a good look at the Institute, as she hurried up the stairs, pushing the door open. Mason was there waiting for her. He gave her a look that made it clear she was late.
"Sorry," she said, trying to blink away her tiredness. "I got here as quick as I could. It's tricky with the different timezones. Anyway, I'm Maeve. But I guess you already know that."
Mason gave a nod, gesturing for her to follow. "I won't have time to give you a full tour now, because I have a meeting soon. But we still have time to talk in my study."
"Sorry," she said again, feeling a little guilty. Following him up the stairs, she tugged her suitcase behind her, trying to glance around quickly.
"We have a busy Institute here," Mason said, glancing back at her briefly. "There's only a small number of free rooms, but we appreciate more Shadowhunter help."
"Well, I'm eager to help," she said, turning down the corridor after him, and following him into a study. Stopping her suitcase and setting her bags down beside it, she turned to face him.
He'd picked up a file, flicking through it. "I've read up on the notes on you," he remarked, straight to the point. "I know you were in the Academy for a short while in the year behind mine."
It was embarrassing to talk about such things, especially to someone who didn't know of her diagnosis. "Yeah, I know my results weren't the best-…"
"You failed multiple classes and were pulled out," Mason said bluntly, interrupting her. "It doesn't speak well of your abilities. But, luckily for you, we need all the hands we can get here. I just hope you'll take this job seriously."
"I just worked better at home," she said, her cheeks warming from his words. "I promise I'll work hard here. I can pick up a lot of the jobs others don't want."
"I do hope that you'll prove me wrong," he said, eyeing her for a moment longer, before setting down the file. "I'll show you to your room, then you can work out the rooms from there."
"That's fine," she said, picking up her bags again. "I'm good at finding my way around."
Mason was quick to head off to his next meeting after he dropped her off at her room. Closing the door behind her, she looked around at it, finding it mostly simple and undecorated. He'd mentioned something about it being the former room of a murderer, which she wished she could have asked more about.
In any case, she was exhausted both from the travel and the time, and she tossed her bags on the ground, before flopping onto the bed. It was comfortable enough, and she adjusted a couple of the pillows, before soon falling asleep.
~~ Kellan ~~
Closing his eyes, Kellan found that it didn't take long to drift off to sleep. His dreams had been different lately, more vivid than in the past. In this one, he found himself near one of the familiar creeks in the Seelie. He paused however, when he saw someone sitting near the creek edge. Inhaling quickly, he stared at the man's back, the clothes and posture familiar. "…Dad?" he called out, hesitating for only a second, before he started to run over closer.
The man turned at his voice, giving a familiar comforting smile and he slowly rose to his feet. "Kellan, there you are."
"Dad, I can't believe you're here," Kellan exclaimed, clutching his Dad's clothes as he looked at him, before hugging him tightly, feeling his father return his embrace. It had been so long since he'd seen him, that Kellan had feared that he'd forget what he looked like. But he even smelled the same. His eyes grew watery, a number of emotions coming to the surface. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you as well, my son," he replied, as he finally drew away. "It is good to see you well."
Kellan could have said the same – to see his father on a day when he was alert and present, was a gift in itself. "The Seelie is just as beautiful as you always described," Kellan said, gesturing towards the scenery. "Better, even. I do not think words can do it justice."
"I'm glad you have been able to experience it too," his father replied, a content smile on the edge of his lips. "It is one of your homes."
"I-… Are Grace and Zach okay?" Kellan asked, feeling bad that he hadn't asked first.
"We are removed from each other, but you know they are strong," his father reminded him. "They will make their own way."
"Of course," Kellan agreed, his gaze still trying to memorise his features. He was too scared to look away, in case he would disappear. "So much has happened since I saw you last. After the Hunt I came here and the Queen claimed me – as crazy as that sounds – and I am trying to learn how to be a Prince. I have also fallen in love, but I am courting someone else to buy me some time - even though I am not good at lying or hiding things - and it is all a mess," he rambled, under to stop himself once he'd started. "I know it sounds crazy. But my life kind of is, now."
His Dad's voice had not changed, his words still as calm as ever. He placed a hand on his shoulder, and Kellan leaned into the touch slightly, able to feel how much he'd missed him. "Yet if anyone can handle it, it would be you, Kellan."
"Maybe," he said, although he didn't sound as sure. "I want to do the right thing, but sometimes it's hard to know what that is…" Kellan watched him for a moment. "I never realised who my mother was exactly – you never told me. I guess you would have struggled with all that had happened. What a secret you have kept for all these years. Did you… love her?" he asked, tentatively.
His father looked out at the water of the creek, a wistfulness to his expression. "You have met her now, so you have seen firsthand how incredible she is. How could one not love her?"
Kellan couldn't help a slight smile as he watched him. He had always been secretly sure that his father had cared for her.
His Dad turned back to him. "I am sorry that I was not always there for the three of you. This place… once it has you in its grip, it is hard to return to reality. I could never quite snap out of it, and for that, I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Kellan rushed to say. "I know the kind of fae magic and enchantments that the Seelie can hold, especially if you consumed some of the food or drinks. It is enough to drive some insane."
His father did not respond to confirm or deny his words, instead looking back, behind him. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay any longer. My time here has come to an end."
"Dad, wait," Kellan called, trying to reach for him, although he was fading for his view much too quickly, as if evaporating into the air. His fingers could not connect with anything, and he bit his tongue to keep from crying out. "Please-…"
His father's voice had turned hollow and quiet, as if carried on the wind. "I love you, Kellan. Keep well."
"I love you too," Kellan said, sinking to the ground, once his father had disappeared completely. He wished he could have talked to him for longer, for he had so much more to say and to ask.
Opening his eyes and inhaling, Kellan found he was back in his room, feeling hot and sweaty. The dream had felt so real, but it couldn't be… right? Raising a hand, he wiped away a tear from his cheek. Whether it had been or not, he had always wished for a chance to talk to his father again, even if it was just one more time.