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Ro's adoption of Shadow Silverleaf.
Arlsyn was a little confusing to someone that didn’t live there, but fortunately, Ro could always find his way to the BayLeaf. It had been awhile since his last visit, and he was looking for someone in particular. Namely, Shadow. He had a little something for her, and he was feeling a little nervous.
Poking his head in the door, he eyed Kayne as he approached, then took a seat and smiled, “Brandy please. I don’t suppose you have seen Shadow, have you?”
Kayne looked up from polishing the glass in his hand, there really wasn’t much else for him to do sometimes. The forest elf eyed Y’Roden for a second. It wasn’t uncommon for strangers to come around, but it wasn’t common either. But then again, from what he had learned the last time this one was here, he wasn’t actually a stranger. But still, what did he want with the Elder?
The bar keep pulled a bottle of Brandy from under the counter and set the glass he’d been polishing in front of Ro.
“Out back sitting by the river. She’ll be the one sitting under the tree with the books about her.”
Y’Roden nodded to the fellow, then spilled out a few gold coins on the counter, “Keep the glass, I’ll take the bottle,” he said with a grin. After a moment’s thought, he tossed another coin onto the pile, “Maybe you should give me a bottle of Whiskey too.”
He waited patiently for the second bottle, hooked the necks of the bottles between his fingers, and started towards the door. “By the river you said? Ok…”
It was a pleasant day; Ro could see why Shadow was spending it out of doors. A flash of silver caught his eye as he neared the river, and the half-elf smiled to himself. “Suilad,” he called out to her, “Have a moment for you Daro? I come bearing gives even.” He waggled the Whisky bottle at her and winked.
She’d been chewing on the end of her pencil as she stared at the columns of figures. She hated doing books, and she hated doing math even more, so it was a welcomed relief when someone called out to her, even it if did cause her to jump as if she’d been shot.
“Fa’ilte! I always have moments for my favourite Daro! Hours even! Gifts? Oooo!” Shadow grinned up at Ro, then the whiskey bottle. “You know me entirely too well sometimes. Grinning at him again, she shoved the scattered leather bound books away to make room.
Grinning, Ro leaned over to kiss Shadow on the forehead in greeting, then settled in beside her, opening the bottle before he handed it over. “Cheers,” he chuckled, clicking his bottle off hers. “I do try, I like to make my favourite Ladies happy you know. Hours hmmm? Well good, the way I run off at the mouth you’ll need hours. Looks like you’ve been busy,” he observed, poking at a book with the toe of his boot. There was an impish look in his eye, and a grin kept twitching his lip. Tipping up the brandy, he took a long slow drink, then sighed in a content fashion. “Its nice here… peaceful, I like that.”
Shadow wrinkled her nose and eyed the books with open distaste, “Inventory. Kayne doesn’t like doing it, so I do it along with the books for the village and the guilds.” She eyed her Uncle, then sighed happily, leaning back against the tree more after the bottles clinked.
Taking a swig, she stared off at the river as it sleepily meandered its way along its bed as though it had all the time in the world. Belying the rapids up further.
“Thank you,” she smiled as if he’d just complimented her on one of her children, “I’m glad you like it. It’s home.”
Y’Roden smiled, peace seemed to be a difficult thing to come by these days, so he enjoyed it while he could. “Well, you know me and water,” he chuckled, “It’s a magnetic attraction. Don’t worry; I’ll keep my clothes on. I think you’ve seen enough of me naked to last you a lifetime.” He went a little crimson and cleared his throat. It was going to take Ro a long time to get over that one. “I owe you my life… again. You are becoming a bit of a mainstay in my world, you know.”
Shadow shrugged slightly, “Uncle Porkchop, I’ve seen Galain naked more times than I care to think about.” That in itself was a good statement that explained away the naked comment.
The forest elf smiled, reaching out she squeezed Ro’s hand. “You are the only uncle I’ve ever known and been close too, why wouldn’t I help you when you needed it? That’s what family does. There are some that seem to forget that though.” Yes, she was talking about Galain, and no, she wasn’t going to explain herself. She often found herself on the edge of a knife between hating the Elen and loving him.
Leaning over, she kissed him on the cheek.
Ro smiled softly and squeezed Shadow’s hand in return, “I don’t deserve you, you know that, right? Though now we are even, cause I have a picture of Galain naked in my head and it isn’t pretty.” The half-elf shuddered, though his eyes held a look of wild amusement.
“You’re right though, that IS what family does. And yes… some do seem to forget that.” He had his own opinions of Galain, but he filed those away.
“I don’t give total trust to many. There are things that you know about me that most of the D’Riel clan do not. Things that only Ghet and Arianne know.” Ro smiled, though it was a little off when Ghet’s name crossed his lips. “You’ve become like a daughter to me, I certainly love you like I would one of my own. Which is why I brought you this>”
The half-elf fished a scroll out of his doublet and held it out to her. “You don’t have to accept it, but it is meant from the heart.”
Shadow grinned rather impishly at the mention of mental images, though she kept any comments to herself for the moment. She grew rather silent as she listened, her curiosity pricked. Tilting her head she accepted the scroll and unrolled it.
Forest green eyes widened, misting slightly, and she turned a huge grin towards her uncle. “From the heart, I accept it.” Her grin grew larger, if it was possible, and she jumped up to hug him tightly.
Ro grinned just as brightly, and didn’t even notice when his brand bottle tipped over. Hugging Shadow back, the half-elf chuckled. “Wonderful! Oh! Oooo… breathing would be good.” Laughing, he kissed her on the cheek. “It just need your signature, and then its official. I don’t know if Galain will mind… oh heck, I don’t really care if he does. As long as Air is ok with it, that’s all that matters.”
“Breath? What? Oh!” Giggling she sat on her knees. Shadow frowned slightly. “Oh screw Galain.” Her eyes went rather wide in surprise that she had actually said that, even out loud.
“Oh gods, don’t say that, you might called her out of hiding.” The distinct scent of cedar and the ocean wafted through with what sounded like an airy laugh. Rolling her eyes at the breeze.
”Sign?” she suddenly asked, blinking again before it dawned on her and she looked around. “There’s a quill and ink pot around here somewhere.”
“Screw Galain? I’d rather not,” Y’Roden said impishly. His senses perked at the scent of… well, Air, and the half-elf just grinned to himself. “Awk!” He’d finally noticed his Brandy. Fortunately, only a little had spilled out. Setting it back upright he stared searching for the inkpot. “Here’s the quill! No, wait… just a feather.”
“Oooh, I didn’t mean that.” Taking the feather she started to throw it at him but paused. Looking from it to Ro she frowned slightly. “Your hair is too short.” Her brow wrinkled as her mind headed into problem solving mode and then was wrenched out of it.
Looking around again she spotted the inkpot, and her whiskey. “It has whiskey in it… Oh I give up.” Snorting in exasperation at herself, she reached into a shadow and pulled out a pen she had picked up somewhere, laid the scroll out flat on one of the books and signed her name.
“You know,” she started, looking back up at Ro, “you’ve been closer than he has been. I’ve told you everything, or just about, and I think that’s only because it’s never come up.” Shadow shifted, so that one leg was folded under her, and her chin rested on the knee of the other. “Only Da has ever been that close.”
“My hair is too short for what?” Ro asked, “and not all of it is.” He tugged a small braid from behind one pointed ear. “Saliyah,” he explained, “It’s a Mornay thing.”
The half-elf watched as Shadow signed her name to the scroll, a soft smile on his face. “Well, it’s official,” he said with a grin, “My yeldë.” He paused to listen to her, dropping his head into his hand as he rested his elbow on his thigh. “I’m sorry Shadow, a Father should be more than that to a daughter. It’s good you had your Da though. Something solid in your life.” The edge of his lip quirked slightly. “I’m always here to listen Shady. Whenever you need someone.”
“I’m use to it,” she shrugged and looked up at him, “I walked into this world already grown. She looked back down at what she was doing. We are both very set into our ways, and I spent the first few years determined to prove that I didn’t need a father because I’d been so long without one. When I finally figured out hat I needed one, it was too late, and we parted company over a difference of opinion.
Shadow paused in her work and looked up at Ro with a mixture of determination and absentminded thoughtfulness. “You wouldn’t happen to have a silver coin on hand, would you??
The half-elf had been watching Shadow intently, wondering what she was up to. “Silver? Oh likely.” He opened his coin purse and shook out a handful of coins. “Gold… copper… aha, here we are.” Plucking a silver coin out of the lot he flipped it over to his newly adopted daughter. “Everyone needs a Father… or at least someone they can absolutely rely on that doesn’t involve a romantic tie.”
Shadow grinned and caught the coin, and began rubbing it between her fingers. “Oh, I know, but try telling that to me when I was one-hundred and eight and thinking that getting close to anyone was a drastic error because it meant they were going to die, and I probably would have slugged you.”
She looked down at the now melted coin in her hand and began rolling a small bead between her fingers, rather like a weaver rolling yard, until she was satisfied with the now silver wire. “I didn’t know Aya until she was pregnant with Anelain and was bonded to Elyen.” Deftly, her fingers began wrapping the growing length of silver wire around the leather. I think that was outside of an Inn called the Phoenix? I can’t really remember. I don’t think I stayed there for very long”.
Finished with the wrapping, copper fingers gently smoothed the silver together in a knot like a single bead. Sitting up on her knees she tilted her head. “May I?” Without waiting, she leaned forward and tied the feather to the braid, easily weaving the small bit of leather amongst the plaits of hair. Grinning, she leaned back. “Now, you’re one of us, Desh’ketai.” The corner of her lips quirked up slightly when she realised he didn’t quite understand the word. “It’s Father, in the rather warped Elven that I grew up with…
“Well, I’m use to being slugged,” Ro said with a chuckle, “but I suppose you are right. You met her then? Really? Where was I then… oh yes, the Crystal Keep. It took Arminiea more than a few centuries to straighten out my head.” His eyes were following Shadow’s movements, utterly fascinated, and utterly baffled. Until she moved towards him, and he finally found a clue.
“Of course, he answered, then grinned, seeing as she was already weaving the leather into his hair. He was suddenly thankful he had kept the braid, it was a reminded of Sal that he had retained to honour her, and now it had twice the meaning. A bewildered look crossed his face at her words, followed by a soft smile after Shady’s explanation. “Desh’ketai,” he repeated, his natural gift for language letting the word flow off his tongue, “I like that.”
Ro paused, “What is the word for daughter? While yeldë is a perfectly functional word…” It was what Galain had called her; he was thinking something else would be a little more appropriate. Reaching up he touched the feather with curious fingers. “And you don’t owe me anything, what you’ve just given me is priceless.”
Shadow giggled and nodded, “I’ve been around longer than one might realize.” The forest elf tilted her head and smiled, a thought drifted through her mind and she wonder what happened to Ro and Sal’s baby, but it was soon gone again as her mind was tugged elsewhere.
“You’d rather have a word you use rather than one someone else used for me,” she finished with a soft laugh, “Desh’iel. Desh means that the person you are speaking to is part of your family, the latter part tells what the family member’s roll is.” Smiling she kissed Ro on the cheek. “Amin mela ile, Desh’ketai,” she said with a grin.
“She’s finishing my sentences,” Ro chuckled, “I should be worried but I’m not.” He had called her his little kindred spirit for good reason. They were very much alike. “Desh’iel… Desh’iel… that is a very lyrical language. You are going to have to teach me how to speak it fluently, I’m a very good student.”
Y’Roden’s entire face brightened and he hugged Shadow warmly, “Aminmela ile ana, Desh’iel.” The half-elf found an incomparable joy in being a Father, and even if she wasn’t his biological daughter, he had the same feeling for the Forest Elf. He loved her, he was proud of her, and he would guard her with his life.
Settling back, Ro tilted his head, quite sure he had read something in her expression a moment before. “You were wondering about my son, yes?” he asked, “He’s fine, he just turned what… twenty-six? I named him Imoreki, which means ‘The Land’s Heart’ in Mornay. He is very quiet, a little traumatized from the circumstances of his birth. No S’Hean elf is happy if they weren’t born in the water. He and Anelain both seem to have issues with it. You should come visit me in Corn, the kids would be delighted to see you.”<
HE rolled another silver piece between his fingers and grinned at her, “Now, show me how to do that really nifty trick with the silver.”
Shadow smiled mysteriously, “I’m good at finishing sentences.” The forest elf let out a laugh. “Actually, it wasn’t that hard to finish, one can really blame you. It’s when I start predicting what your next move will be before you even know it, that is when you start worrying. Hell, that’s when I start worrying.” Grinning, she rocked backwards until she was back on her rump and leaning against the tree.
“I’d like to,” the Forest Elf paused and chewed on her lower lip, a little unsure of what would happen if she went. She’d always been insecure, despite the front she put up, and she wasn’t going to bother hiding the fact from Ro. Galain certainly didn’t know, as well as a majority of others in the usual circles, she wasn’t sure if An’Thaya knew or not. Shadow focused on other things.
“Only twenty-six?” She blinked a couple of times before the light bulb came on in her head. “Goddess so many things have come to pass since then,” she murmured, “I’d like to meet him.” Shadow smiled, then grinned.
“I’m not sure if I can, I’ve done it for so long.’ Laughing she plucked the silver from his fingers. “Grandmother and Mother taught me, now let’s see if I can do this…” Placing the coin on the tips of her fingers, palm up, she began rubbing it with her thumb in a circular motion. “You work it a little bit like you would a worry stone,” Shadow paused to show Ro, lifting her thumb to show the thumbprint left behind. “You simply keep rubbing it until it’s a liquid in your hand, or a rough liquid, it feels kind of like, well… here, feel.” Smiling, she held her hand out.
“Oh I don’t know, I think I’m fairly predictable anyway,” Ro said with a chuckle, “my life is pretty simple. Wife, Children, Brandy… not necessarily in that order all of the time.” He smiled softly at the look on Shadow’s face, “Desh’iel, you are one of my children now, one of my family.” He bit his tongue, just stopping himself from commenting on the differences between the D’Riel and Alcarin clans. “Everyone is an equal in our household,” he said finally, “you’ll always have a place among us, and you’ll always be wanted there.”
Y’Roden had never tolerated dissension among his offspring. He made it clear that he loved them all equally, no matter how his legal heir happened to be. Valin… in time had come to accept that. He couldn’t deny that Y’Roden was always there when he was needed, there are been one failure… the on that had cost him Summerlin. Ro didn’t repeat those types of mistakes. Family was far too important.
His eyes were intent on what Shadow was doing, and he reached out as bidden, his eyes lighting with curiosity when he felt the heat of the metal. “That… is amazing,” he muttered half to himself.
Shadow smiled up at Ro, the thought of never having to feel like she was always having to fight her siblings for her father’s love was a welcoming thought. Sometimes, by the end of the day, she had just felt like it wasn’t worth it, and she really wanted to be the orphan she once had been. It had been easier than, thinking that you were on your own, you were never disappointed, never felt unwanted or uncared for. You weren’t just another number.
The forest elf was staring back down at the coin, rubbing It again in a steady motion, bringing it back to the substance that was needed, opening her hand she showed it to Ro, watching as the metal heated more and a drop trickled down her index finger, leaving a trail for other beads to follow. Gently, she began twirling it between her fingers. “Have you ever watched a weaver spinning yard? You’re doing that with your fingers, the first process is like a black smith’s forge, the second is like spinning.” Grinning, she held up her hand, her fingers began to twirling the silver faster, and soon a stead thread like wire was stretching towards the ground. Shadow broke it off with her nail, then blew on what was left of the coin in her hand. With a grin, she flipped it towards Ro.
“You try it, Desh’ketai.”
Ro couldn’t help smiling a little stupidly whenever she called him that, it just felt… right. Catching the coin he regarded it like a foe for a moment. He would conquer the metal! Grinning to himself he mimicked the process Shadow had performed, furrowing his brow in concentration. “Blacksmith,” he murmured,” Ok… that makes sense.” He felt the metal heat up between his fingers, and his eyebrows shot up. “Oh hey…”
Well, he managed to melt it, but his fingers were not as small as Shady’s, so he wasn’t quite as good at the spinning part. “Oh… well, that’s a little wobbly looking, isn’t it? An artisan I am not.” The half-elf laughed good-naturedly at himself and winked at his daughter. “I guess I’ll have to stick to weaving the Aethyr, at least it co-operates.”
Shadow laughed, suddenly feeling very light hearted despite what her previous musings were. “ It takes practice, everything takes practice. Ok, so not exactly everything.” The forest elf grinned, “Try it again, this time melt it a little more so that the beads are larger, it’s easier to start with making it larger, the small er will come later. The forest elf nodded and took up what she had already done, closed her eyes, thought for a moment before opening them. Copper fingers began working the wire as if it was nothing more than thread.
“I’m serious, you should try it again, it gets easier.”
“No, not everything,” Ro said with a grin, but some things are just more fun the more you practice them.” He stared at the metal in his hands again, then watched Shady work the silver between her fingers. “Ok… as long as you are laughing with me, not at me here,” he snickered.
The half-elf bent to the task again, using a more delicate touch this time. It took infinite patience, and it still wasn’t quite straight. “Ok, so you’re right. I’ll likely improve with time. Lots and lots of time.” Emerald eyes sparkled impishly as he looked up at her, “Speaking of practice, have you been working with your magic at all?”
A mock hurtful expression crossed her face, “I’ve never laughed at you!” she paused, then laughed, “Okay, so once in awhile I do, but it certainly isn’t very often.” Actually, she couldn’t think of a moment when she’d laughed at him that he hadn’t ended up laughing as well.
“You have all the time in the world, unless you plan on dying anytime soon, which isn’t an option.” Okay, so that had been made rather clear. She was playing with the silver in her hands when his next question hit her. “Ummm… errmmm… No.” Shadow looked up at Ro rather like a puppy that knew it had been caught doing something it shouldn’t, or in this case, not doing something in should.
“Look! I got it straight!” Ro crowed, displaying the silver thread proudly, “Oh heck, people laugh at me all the time, and me along with them. I’m just plain goofy, which is a durn sight better than being downright terrifying.” He could be both… and definitely preferred one to the other.
A grin lit the half-elf’s features and he chuckled, thinking Shadow looked very much like that cat who had eaten the canary. “Well you should, I’ll be a nice Desh’ketai and not insist that you go to the Crystal Keep like the rest of my children,” he teased, “but practice makes… safer.” Perfect was so the wrong word, magic was never perfect.
Shadow grinned, laughing. “Very good! And I know quite a few people that wouldn’t’ have you any other way.
“Yes Desh’ketai,” she grinned sheepishly at him before tilting her head. “Well, actually… It sounds interesting, though I don’t think I could be away from the children for very long,” she laughed softly, “I was away from Rel too much, I can’t do that to Raven and the twins. I won’t do that to them.”
Y’Roden was looking all too proud of himself and his silver wife. His gaze intent on it, the half-elf started twisting the thin round metal in loop sand spirals, his brow furrowed with concentration.
”Well, I certainly can’t fault you for that. The well being of your children comes before anything else. It’s the way it should be. I can help you with the basics at least, but some of the more… explosive magics should be done with Arminiea. You being female, and I being male… well, my conduit reacts to feminine magic. The two of us could split a planet in half without meaning to.” He looked up briefly and smiled, “I’m proud of you, you know. You’ve come through a world of hell in your relatively short lifetime and come out on the other side a beautiful, strong-willed, and intelligent woman.”
She was giggling madly; Y’Roden was making her think of a little boy with a new toy. She really was toying with the idea of going to Arminiea for help.
”I know, I was an idiot.” The forest elf sighed; her daughter really didn’t need a suicidal mother around. Shrugging she just chuckled, her cheeks going a few darker shades of copper. “I’ve just done what I’ve had to survive. I’m lucky I have people like you that support me. Okay, what basics? And I could probably split a planet in half as it is. I think that was one reason why Suriel insisted that I rein my temper in, either that or he was just trying to scare me… Which he seemed to like to do, the feather head.”
“You were not an idiot,” Ro said firmly, “Sometimes life is just a little too much to take is all.” He cast a smile up at her, his fingers still working the metal. “The basics… well, we could start with the S’Hean Runic system. It is an easy to use tool that allows you to channel the power of the elements safely. It was one of the first things I learned. I’ve taught a few people over the years.”
“Like Ghet…”
He winced rather visibly, then pushed on, “Then there are the basic magics that can be channelled straight through your body in a relatively small form that doesn’t pose a danger. Like… handfire, and portals.” He grinned and shook his head, “I have no doubt you could crack a planet all on your own, and that is without the magic. Your temper is quite enough to get the job done. Featherhead? I never did get to meet Suriel.”
Shadow blinked, “I’ve never worked with Runes, well, I’ve written with them, it was something the Dragon Teachers insisted on, but never with magic.” Reaching out she squeezed Ro’s hand when he winced before tilting her head. “Channelling I’ve done, I think.” A befuddled look crossed her face for a moment before she giggled madly.
“Cubby always use to call him feather head, or feather quilt. I always called him flyboy, unless he did something stupid. Just like every time he went to the Haven with Michael and Azzy, somehow Nathanael always ended up there and they’d get into fights.” The forest elf shook her head, a wry smile on her face. “Azzy would always take Nate back to his home, and Michael would bring Suriel back here, he looked like the walking dead with this wings shredded and broken. They always went for the wings, there’s nothing worse than an Ederoi that can’t fly and has to be helped around. It was the only time he had to sleep and eat, he slept like the dead, and sometimes I felt like just sticking a funnel in his mouth and pouring sugar down it.
She looked up, a mixture of laughter and deep sadness in her eyes. “He was the best Guardian I ever had, he watched me grow up.” Shadow smiled softly, “I remember him being there when I was born now, the sweet scent of new roses and fresh rain. He was a great father to the boys; the wards were going on when Rel was little so he wasn’t there quite so often. Sometimes he made a good husband, when he was around and after the first wave of wars, the few years after he started off.” She chuckled softly, “Cubby never liked him because he was always gone. I knew what I was getting into before we were married, but it grew worse and I felt like I was drowning most of the time.”<
Smiling fondly at the memories, she pushed a silver lock behind her ear. “He was gentle, Riel looks a lot like him.”
“A relationship just can’t work when the other person isn’t there. I think Summerlin tried to tell me that… but I wasn’t very willing to listen at the time. It all worked out for the best though, she’s happy with Reece. That’s all that matters. Riel… him I think I’ve seen… at your wedding.” He gave her a sheepish look, “Sorry about that, but the way, I shouldn’t have let anyone get under my skin like that. The wounds were just too fresh I suppose.”
Ro had taken one of his small throwing daggers out of the brace on his chest and was putting a little detailing on a tiny silver leaf on his little masterpiece. “Here we go,” he said with a grin, “you are the proud new owner of my first successful silver melting project.” Stretching out his hand, palm up, he balance a tiny silver pinkie ring in his palm.
Shadow nodded, she remember having one of those talks with Suriel, correction, one talk with him, and she remembered the pain she felt then, and the pain that was written on his face. “He came to the Green Heart just after the boys were born, I think you were gone by then.” It was actually pretty surprising that she could remember the day period, with the pain from the birth. She smiled, “Aye, Riel was wandering around with Jaret, Lhach and Railen, which is surprising since Riel inherited his father’s hatred for him.” She shrugged a little helplessly as she rolled her eyes, “Don’t worry about it.”
Shady tilted her head and watched him as he worked, thinking that he was doing rather good. “Huh? Oh! That’s beautiful!” Putting on her best serious face, she took the ring and began examining it closely, making small sounds of approval. “Very good!”
“I think I went to sleep for awhile after that,” Ro mused. That time was a little fuzzy in his head. “I do recall wondering why Suriel wasn’t there. It is a basic instinct for S’Hean males to assist with the birth of their children. We have no Midwives, and the Healers only help if something goes wrong. At a healthy birth, on the Ammah and Addah are present, any one else is considered an intrusion.”
The half-elf carefully diverted his thoughts from Ghetsuhm… he wasn’t quite ready to tell anyone about the child… yet. Silverthorn knew, but that was as far as it went. Instead, he concentrated on his Desh’iel’s reaction to the ring. “You think so?” Ro grinned and ran a hand through the fringe of hair that kept falling into his eyes, “ See you ARE a good teacher.”
Shadow chuckled, “He was, well, I don’t really remember where he said he was at the time, I don’t think I really cared.” She gave a snort, it was odd, or at least it was to her, that he had been dead all this time and she was still able to get mad at him for not being around then. “He wasn’t around for Relainia’s birth either, actually, no one was.” She blinked a couple of times. “I correct myself, there was a vampire there by the name of Gabrielle, and another, I don’t remember her name.” The forest elf rubbed her forehead as she tried to remember. All she could remember from then was pain and fear, and how her oldest adopted son had watched over her. It had been the first time he had ever shown that he cared.
“Healers are here for us sometimes, most of our healers are women, but our ways really aren’t that different than yours. The Healer is normally there for the first time mothers though.”
Grinning, Shadow slipped the ring on her pinkie and admired it. “I do think so, and you mean I’m actually good at something that doesn’t include thieving and bad tempers?” Forest green eyes went rather wide at that thought, she’d never thought of herself as a teacher.
Ro shook his head, a baffled expression on his face, “I’ll never understand men that don’t participate in the birthing process. How do they expect to bond with their child otherwise? I can’t imagine not being there to greet them, to help them take their first breath,” he smiled softly, “to witness that first contact between mother and child. It’s amazing.”
Suddenly realizing he was babbling on about it, the half-elf actually blushed a little. “Sorry… the S’Hean elf in me just has to make itself heard sometimes.”
“Yes, you are a wonderful teacher, which isn’t really surprising considering the number of adopted and biological children you have. The most important part of being a parent, besides unconditional love, is teaching your offspring. You don’t even really realize you are doing it, but everything you do and say sets an example, guides the steps… the path your child will take in life.” Ro winked at her, “You are one step ahead of the game without even realizing it.”
Shadow laughed, a grin seemed to be permanently stuck on her face. “It’s alright, Dakien was there, I think Aaron has always considering him his father. Riel on the other hand, he and Suriel were bonded in the Anaisi way. It was his destiny to take his father’s place when the time came for Suriel to pass on. I just wish it hadn’t been my fault that he passed.” She smiled a little sadly, but quickly changed. “There’s no reason for you to apologize, I like learning about other cultures, Da always encouraged us to do so. I use to think it was Shroudling blood that always had me curios and eager to learn, now I don’t know.”
The forest elf grinned, “And here all this time, I thought it was my duty to take in my pack mate’s children as my own.” Shadow winked, then grinned, “Children are the future, and not just a way of showing how much love there is between to people. I’ve seen some who don’t seem to think that way.” Chuckling the forest elf dropped her eyes to the half finished project she had in her hands, “I never thought I’d be a mother, or be married, and I know there are some that thought the same way.” She shrugged slightly before looking back up. “What were those runes?”
“I like Dak,” Ro told her, “He is a good man. Curious hmm? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a S’Hean. And yes, children are most definitely the future, a hope for a better life.” He seemed to be rambling from one subject to another rather incoherently. “Runes… do you have some paper to go with that pencil? Or we could just drawn in the dirt I suppose. It’s best to use something non-magical to draw them until you get the hang of it.”
Her lips curled up into their usual impish grin. “I really, really like Dak too.” Laughing, she shook her head. “No, not S’Hean, just a mix breed raised in the Shroudling ways.” Smiling, she shifted slightly, “They have this huge library in Sha’Dar, and they are constantly cataloguing anything and everything they can get their hands on from different worlds, races, cultures. Some are still around and some aren’t.” To say she was proud of the heritage she was raised with would probably have been a drastic understatement.
“Paper. Paper, paper, paper,” she muttered as she looked at the books around them. Now one of them was fairly new and had little to no use. She’d learned over time it was always good to have a rather empty one around. Frowning briefly she eyed the leather bound tomes. There were the village books, the guild, the inns… “Oh! There it is!” Grinning she pulled the book from the others and flipped it open. “Will this work?”
“I’d like to get a look at that library,” the half-elf admitted, “Yes, this will do perfectly.” Accepting the book he settled in beside Shadow so they could both see the page. “Now let’s see… what to start with… well, in honour of you mother, how about Air?” Ro drew a small spiral rune on the page and wrote the label down beside it. “Now, in this form it has no power, it is a combination of movement and will that activates it.” He placed the pencil in the crease of the pages and traced the rune with his finger, smiling as the green glow of Aethyr lit up the paper.
“I’ll be happy to take you there,” she said with a grin, making mental note to do that, and not tell Xavyer at the same time. The last thing she wanted was her usual escort to go into protective mode, but then again, that’s usually when she had the most fun with the Admiral, it meant she was able to outrank him and tell him where to go… which, if the truth be told, nothing had changed in that department since she was six.
Attention to the lesson!
Shadow watched, laughing as the rune glowed, her eyes were shining when she looked up at Ro, then back at the paper. “What all does that rune do? Are there different levels to it? What do you normally use it for? There was one on the floating ship the first time Dak and I went to S’Hea, someone pushed it… I think and it started going gin circles. The ship I mean, not the rune. Why did it do that?”
“Good! It’s a date the,” Ro chuckled, then grinned as Shadow launched into full babble mode. “It has several uses, and yes, one of them is directional. One the compass rose it would be known as East, on a ship… either starboard or port, depending on which way you were facing. If the ship was going in circles, someone must have pressed it hard enough to make it stick,” The half-elf’s eyes glittered with amusement, “I don’t suppose you had Galain with you?”
“It also has applications directly related to its element. Like this.” The elf lifted his fingers from the paper and drew the rune directly into the air in front of them. The Aethyr left a glowing green trail, leaving the image sketching… hanging against the scenery. Ro softly blew on it, and a small gale gusted up, rustling the trees and dancing through Shadow’s long dark hair. “Control of the wind on different levels,” he explained, “The runes can be sued in conjunction with one another as well to achieve different effects. For instance, using Air and Fire together results in Balefire. Or, using Air, Water and Aethyr, results in Electric Balefire.”
“Um, yeah, but he and Dak were fighting over the controls.” Shadow blushed slightly, she had actually gotten air sick out of it and Dak had to talk her into setting foot on one of them again. A laugh escaped her as the gust caused her hair to dance around her.
She tilted her head and frowned slightly. “Desh’ketai? What exactly is Balefire? I never heard of it until I stepped foot onto Berelath. And I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I? I mean, this is something that has to be taken in baby steps…” She never had been a very patient student at times.
Ro snorted, then laughed, “Why doesn’t that surprise me, I knew there had to be a reason B’Rodyn banned him from the Quarter Decks.” His expression sobered, taking Shadow’s next question in stride. “Balefire is spirit energy that results in the absence of matter. It can go through just about anything and decimates whatever lies in its path. Normally it can only be cast in a straight line, but the Electric form can be cast in an arch.”
Turning around he lifted his shirt to reveal a scar in the middle of his back. “That is all that is left of a particularily nasty bolt. I was hit directly, but fortunately I had a shield up at the time. Silverthorn was pregnant, I had to put something between it and her… and I was the most convenient solid object. Most of the energy was burned up in the shield, but a whisper of it got through. It started eating my skin, boiling me alive I guess you’d say. If it hadn’t been fore Meylor, I would have been a crispy critter. And no, you aren’t getting ahead of yourself, the best students ask questions when they come to mind. Learning isn’t always a process from point A to point B… there are a lot of deviations along the way.”
“Oooh, right. So its kinda like Cubby when he shifts, only smaller and more destructive.” She thought about that for a second then shrugged it off. Frowning slightly she ran a finger down the scar.
“I’m glad Meylor is paying attention to her lessons and learning, I wish her grandfather would do the same. I’m glad she was there, I think I probably would have tanned her hide if something happened to you, well, that’s if Silverthorn had left anything.” The forest elf chuckled and tilted her head. “I’m not? That’s refreshing, my teachers always told me I was as bad to teach as watching a worn on a hot plate. I wouldn’t sit still unless it had something to do with music. I was interested in learning magic when I first went to Draelond, but a situation kind of deterred me from the task.
She shook her head and grinned. “Can I try? Are there different ways to do it? I mean when controlling the currents of air when it is cast.”
“I’m rather grateful she has kept up on her studies as well,” Ro chuckled, “Seeing as my lifeline is tied to Silverthorn’s, and she was pregnant with Fechine at the time. Technically, Meylor saved three lives, not one.”
He gazed at Shadow thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. “Here, try tracing the drawing with your finger a few times to get a feel for it… then draw in the air. Usually blowing on a rune is the best way to activate it. Especially Air. What happens after that depends on your will power, what you want to make it do. Don’t panic if it doesn’t glow green, the Aethyr is actually purple in its pure form. It reacts to the soul channelling it, so it always comes out Emerald for a D’Riel.
The corner of her mouth curled up in her usual strange grin, “Is it just me? Or do Silverleafs have a habit of saving those around them?” Winking at him, she focused on the drawing.
“Okay,” Carefully taking the book from him, she traced the spiral with a copper digit. It reminded her of the drawings she had made as a child playing in the secret cave with her pack members.
Focus…
Diligently, she traced the Rune several more times before she took a deep breath. “Okay,” she muttered, eyeing the air before her. She suddenly had butterflies in her stomach, and it wasn’t helping her much in the control department. She fears magic to a T, but if she couldn’t do this, Ro wouldn’t be teaching her… right?”
Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and drew the Rune in the air, blinking, as it appeared to be a swirling misty from of silver and forest green that seemed to shift like the birthmark on her shoulder blade. Shadow sat there for a little while longer, tilting her head one way, then another as she studied it before looking at Ro with a grin. Eyeing the Run again, she blew a puff of air at it and laughed when a gust flipped the pages to open books lying around them.
”Well my sorry behind has been saved by Silverleafs many times, so yes, I believe so,” Ro chuckled, “I should really stop being so fatalistic I suppose. One of these days my luck is going to run out, and there isn’t going to be a Silverleaf around to save my hide.”
Settling back on his elbows, the half-elf watched while she traced out the rune, smiling in approval as it was executed in graceful and proper fashion. The Prince’s hair ruffled in the resulting breeze, and he chuckled, “Very well done Desh’iel.”
Ro rather enjoyed the roll of teacher. He spends endless hours with each of his children, making sure their lessons were progressing properly. Soon there would be another… one more son in his rapidly expanding family. Looking over at Shady he realize he was going to have to tell her. Ghet wasn’t going to be able to hide it much longer, and since the Forest Elf had been there…
“Shady… I have to tell you something. It is going to come out soon enough, and you are one of the few people that know the truth of what happened.”
She was still admiring her hand work, well, more like being grateful she hadn’t done something wrong and blew to somewhere in the nine hells… she didn’t really feel like going there again.
“I know many truths that have yet to…” Shadow turned and stopped herself, the playful comment dying on her lips at the look on Ro’s face. “What is it Desh’ketai?” Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement and she set the book down on the ground, turning her full attention to him.
Ro smiled a little ruefully, a faint sparkle in his eye resulting from the beginning of Shadow’s quip. It died just as quickly though, and the half-elf sat up, running a hand through his sort chestnut colored hair. “This isn’t easy for me to tell… anymore. You were there… at Riker’s, you saw… well, I’m sure you got he gist of what happened.”
He shifted uncomfortably, a shiver running up his spine. “The Demon is a horrific thing… if I had known what it had in mind to do, I would have just… died in the Wilds of S’Hea. The fact that I caused someone I love so much pain… is just too much for me. Not just one person either, what happens affects Silverthorn as well, and others.”
“Gods… Shady, you remember when Samara came? When I asked Ghet to use the dagger on me? She drank my blood afterwards. I don’t know why, I never asked her to explain it. It was a strange thing to do, and the consequences have been… well, she becomes more and more D’Riel with each day that passes. The blood has power, it brought Galain back from the undead, it regenerates living tissues… it thought Ghet was broken, so it fixed her.”
Emerald met Forest green and Y’Roden sighed heavily, “I knew, I new about a year ago. You remember the day I left the Dryad with Galain, Silverthorn and Ghet? I knew then, and didn’t tell her. The blood regenerated her reproductive system.” A tear scaled his cheek and he brushed it away in irritation, “If I had told her then… but I didn’t. When the Demon… oh hells, who am I trying to fool? In that last second, it was me, it was too late to stop it. Ghet is carrying my son.”
The words been there, done that floated through her mind as she listened. She saw what happened; a blind man would have known what happened. It had taken her awhile to get the smell of blood from her nose. The moment she had gotten home she had Jaret bring her a change of clothes, and Riel burnt the bloody ones. The forest elf pulled herself from her brief thoughts and blinked at him.
Shadow opened her mouth to say something and stopped, her teeth clicking together as she closed her mouth. The forest elf sat still for a moment and simply blinked at him. To say she was shocked would have been an understatement. Her shock quickly wore off though, and her face darkened.
”Y’Roden D’Riel! Stop it this instant!” Shady crossed her arms and glared at her adopted-father. “Biologically, yes, the child she carries is your son, but you just contradicted yourself. The Demon had already started the process and didn’t give in until HE knew it was too late. YOU had no choice in the matter, so stop beating yourself up! A few more moments passed before her face softened once again. It might not have mattered if you had told her sooner. The Demon might have attacked anyway.
The expression on Y’Roden’s face was properly chastised. Hew as silent for a moment, only nodding mutely in response. One an intelligent level of thought, the Prince could understand the logic of what Shadow was saying. On a deeper, more primal level… he would always be horrified by what the Demon had done. Nothing could change that, no logic, no amount of forgiveness, or love. The scars ran deep, threading back to a frightened and very young elf that had been tortured beyond sanity.
“You are right,” he finally said, drawing a deep breath that turned into a sigh, “I can’t keep dwelling on the what ifs. Things are a mess enough as it is. I don’t want him to ever know how he was conceived, I love him Shady, I love him already, I’ve touched his soul. I’ll do anything to protect him, even let everyone think I cheated on Silverthorn. Which is how it is going to have to be. The fewer people that know the truth, the better.”
The half-elf buried his face in his hands and shuddered, “I’m just so grateful he survived, that Ghet survived. Do you have any idea how many of my children died on Tenobrous? The curse of a S’Hean elf… you can feel the conception, but He always killed the women afterwards…. Ghet is luck… so very luck, and she has no idea. Seconds away from death. I had to fight so bloody hard for her life in those last few moments… Gods, I’m sorry, you don’t need to know all this. I just… there isn’t really anyone else I can say all this too. You know?”
Now there was something she wasn’t quite sure how to answer. She had never heard much of what happened in Tenobrous, all she knew is that it left him with a side she’d rather not see too often.
There’s no need to apologize Desh’ketai,” the corner of her mouth curled up, “I told you I had moments to listen to you, hours even. Hell, if it came down to it, I’d be happy to listen to you for the rest of our lives.” Reaching over she pulled his hands from his face and squeezed them. “He’ll never find out what happened, and you know I’ll not speak of it to anyone. And if it makes you feel better, you can tell me anything you want. And that wasn’t you, that was him, you would never do that, and he probably did it just to get to you.
Y’Roden managed a smile for his adopted daughter, then closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. “You’re right… Gods… I know you are.” He laughed softly, “I guess I have to knock off the self pity thing. I’m going to be a father… again… and that is the important part.”
“Sometimes its good to have self pity, it grounds you… but too much just makes people want to beat you over the head with a cast iron skillet.” The later was said with the very sweetest of impish smiles. Chuckling, she squeezed his hand again. “Don’t tell me you never wanted a child with Ghet. At one time it was written so plainly on your face that it would have been difficult not to have seen it.” She felt a pang in her heart at a memory that float up and she swiftly locked it away before she went on.
“Now you have a child with her, it doesn’t matter how he came into being, what matters is that you both love him and will take care of him.” She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “And everyone who knows the truth, you can trust.” She wasn’t sure if he knew of the connection between she and her twin or not, and she wasn’t quite sure as to whether she should tell him now. But she had Gent’s word that he would never speak of it.
A grin curled up her lips, “What is the symbol for fire?”
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