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“Headed home to the ol’ battle axe, huh?” the vendor said to a traveling merchant.
“Yup, she’ll have words for me, I’m sure. But when she sees how much I’ve brought home, she should sweeten up.”
The two men laughed and Alphen listened in as he examined some gemstones for sale. He and Shionne had taken to crafting accessories together, as he liked the metal work and she enjoyed designing. They were getting pretty good, and he was looking for some new jewels they could use. The two looked at him and the merchant chimed in, “How’s married life treating you, Blazing Sword? The Renan Vision of Beauty turn into a ball an’ chain yet?”
Alphen looked confused, tilting his head curiously. He wasn’t familiar with the phrase, but between ‘battle axe’ and ‘ball and chain’ his mind’s eye saw Balseph, the Lord of Fire that he and Shionne had taken out years ago. “Not at all,” he answered. She had far more grace than the wild swinging of a battle axe, and none of the brute savagery that the ball and chain had been used for, so surely the words wouldn’t apply to her. At least, not so far as he inferred, and he was almost afraid to ask more. Sometimes his true age of over three hundred came out in the strangest ways, and he didn’t like the stares or questions it could bring up.
“Ah, well, good on you, then. Enjoy it while it lasts.” The merchant tipped his hat and left, presumably to begin his travels home.
The jewel vendor laughed and brought out a few other items he had tucked away for special customers. Alphen admired the stones and picked out a small handful, wincing internally at the prices. At least when they sold their accessories, they made it back and then some, and were doing well enough now that it wasn’t so big a deal. Still, some habits were hard to break, and it hurt to part with so much money. However, he just knew Shionne would adore these ones, and her joy would make it all worth it at the end, even if they didn’t turn a profit on whatever she decided to make from them. She was likely to keep what they made as much as to sell it, and he never quite knew which would happen.
As he walked up to his home on Trasilda Highway, Shionne stepped out and waved to him enthusiastically. He smiled brightly at the greeting, the way she would always come out if she noticed his return. Coming home was a wonderful feeling, even if he had been gone for barely an hour. The fresh washed laundry blew in the wind that carried his wife’s laughter to his ears. “Anything happen while I was out?” he asked, as he always did.
“Well, I finished the laundry,” she motioned, and he grinned in returned. “And Law dropped in on his way into the city with a basket of apples. I think we should have a pie ready for when he comes back.”
“Especially if he brings Rinwell with him,” Alphen chuckled. “We must’ve missed each other when he got in. The city is getting busier every day it seems.”
“As long as that’s a good thing.”
He nodded his agreement and leaned in for a gentle kiss. Wind carried the sweet scents of flowers over them as they enjoyed their reunion as if it had been far longer. Humming happily, Shionne finally pulled back and looked up at him with excitement, “So, what did you find today?”
“Here,” he pulled out a plush pouch that held the gems he had purchased. She jumped happily and took it from him before heading inside where she could safely inspect his findings.
Laying them out on the kitchen table, she nodded with approval, picking each one up in turn and holding them up to the sunlight filtering in through the windows. “These are lovely. I’m going to have fun designing something with these. Are any of those new golds coming into Viscint yet?”
“Not that I’ve seen, but I’ll make sure to ask. If we request something, you know they’ll make it happen.”
“Mm, being famous has some advantages,” she agreed, and carefully put the stones away for safe keeping until she was ready for them. “Now! Let’s get that pie made! You’ll help, right?”
He grinned and opened up a pantry to start pulling ingredients out. “Absolutely. What do you want me to work on?”
“I think I want to try something for the dough today, so why don’t you simmer the apples?”
“Will do.”
They worked well in the kitchen together, stepping around one another like practiced dance partners as they each went about their tasks. Shionne hummed happily and Alphen picked up the tune from hearing her so often, the small room filled with the sound of their voices and their work in perfect harmony. Some time later the house carried the warm scent of baking pie, and the couple were in each other’s arms, whispering softly and peppering each other with featherlight kisses.
A knock at the door interrupted them, and they grinned as they came apart, Alphen getting the door. “Hey, there you are!” Law’s voice carried in.
“Geez, do you always have to yell? I think the neighbors can hear you!” Rinwell admonished, and the words were followed by a yelp as she elbowed Law under the ribs.
Alphen laughed and stepped aside, waving them in. “It’s alright, it livens things up.”
“Mm, something smells good!” Rinwell exclaimed to Shionne, and looked over to the oven. “What is it?”
“We’re making a pie with the apples Law brought for us. It should be ready in another, oh, twenty minutes?”
“Do you have ice cream?” Without waiting for an answer, Rinwell went rummaging in their Renan icebox for the treat.
Law shook his head, grinning, “And you say I’m the rude one. It’s not polite to go digging ‘round other people’s kitchens like that, y’know!”
The young mage closed the door and pointed at him, owl leaping from her hood to flap around his face. “It’s fine when you’re family! Isn’t that right, Shionne?”
“That’s right,” Shionne laughed, gently urging Rinwell aside so she could grab cold drinks for everyone. “We gave Rinwell permission to dig through our kitchen whenever she wants awhile ago, Law.”
Hootle had become far less aggressive towards Law, and did little more than flap his wings in the boy’s face, earning laughter rather than shouts of pain or fright. Law still waved a hand around defensively, looking towards Alphen and sounding offended, “Hey! What about me, why can’t I go looting your food? Aren’t I family, too?”
“Yeah, but you’re likely to eat us out of house and home if we let you at it unmonitored,” Alphen laughed, holding out an arm for Hootle to perch upon. The owl had grown up into a striking creature of waves of color. Amber was the strongest for how Rinwell had stayed in Viscint for so long, but the underside of its wings in particular were many different colors, showing off the travels of its youth. He gently scritched the bird under its beak, grinning at the way it cooed happily.
“Aw, c’mon! I’m not that inconsiderate!”
“It’s also impossible to get you to eat right if we don’t force you to have a sit down meal with us,” Shionne chided, hugging Rinwell from the side. The two loved to be close ever since she had been freed from the curse of her thorns, and though they looked nothing like each other, many people would ask if they were affectionate sisters.
“I’m not a kid anymore! I eat my vegetables!”
“Vegetable!” Rinwell teased, laughing, “You eat one vegetable! And potatoes don’t count!”
“I eat carrots and radishes too!”
“And what about your greens?” Shionne asked seriously.
“Well, that’s…”
Alphen laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “Give it up, Law. You know you’ll never win a fight against the women.”
Law slumped playfully and shook his head. “Man, so long as no one in Calaglia finds out. I’d never hear the end of it.”
“I’m pretty sure they already know. Besides, I can think of worse things than losing to them.”
The boy laughed and scratched at his shoulder, looking to Rinwell with a grin, “That’s true. ‘Sides, if I’m gonna lose to anyone, I’d rather they be some of the strongest people out there, like them.”
“Exactly.”
Laughter filled the kitchen and Hootle let out a call just before an unexpected knock came at the door before opening up. Kisara stood there in plainclothes, Dohalim just behind her, a toddler on her hip. “Hope it’s okay we popped in!”
“Kisara!” Rinwell squealed happily, running over to give the woman and her child a hug. “I haven’t seen you in so long! Migal’s gotten so big!” The toddler looked around fascinated, and Rinwell took his small hand and gave it a little shake, grinning at him. “I didn’t know you guys were in town! Please say you’ll be here for awhile?”
Dohalim answered as Kisara laughed at the torrent of words, a gentle smile turning up his lips. “Yes. Pelegion is finally stable enough to leave to its own devices, and we wanted to move to Viscint permanently.”
“It’s home, Do. And it’s where our family is.” Kisara handed her child over to Shionne as the woman held out her arms for him. “What smells so good?”
“Apple pie,” Alphen answered, grabbing another pair of cups and setting them out. “Law was kind enough to bring us some apples before going into the city to see Rinwell.”
“Not that you were here. Where were you, anyways? Why didn’t I see you in the city?”
“I was there, buying gemstones. It was busy today, wasn’t it?”
“That’s true. Even if I passed you, I must’ve missed you. Getting easier and easier to do that, huh?”
“So trade is going well, then?” Dohalim asked.
Everyone took seats around the table, the room just big enough for the lot of them. They caught up with each other, for some they had seen more recently, for others it had been quite some time, yet the warmth and affection was the same as always. A timer went off, and Alphen got up to deal with it as Shionne continued to play with the toddler. Kisara watched her child squeal with delight as Shionne put on a small show with her artes that Hootle and Rinwell joined in with.
“Are you and Alphen going to have kids of your own? You’d make wonderful parents.”
They shared a look, and Shionne flushed happily as she smiled. “We are. All goes well, we’ll have our own little one come winter.”
“What!?” Rinwell jumped with joy and took Shionne’s hands in hers. “That’s great! Why didn’t you tell me sooner!? I’m so happy for you guys!”
“Well, I wasn’t sure until recently,” she blushed as everyone gave their well wishes in their own unique fashions. “A-Alphen, how much longer until we can serve the pie?”
He smiled, leaning against the counter and watching as Shionne was suddenly fussed over. “A few more minutes, if we don’t want to eat lava.”
“Lava sounds like just the kind of thing you’d eat,” Law teased.
“Do they serve it with flatbread?” he asked with a grin.
“Hm, maybe with a spicy mango chutney,” Dohalim offered.
“Top it with some seared salmon skin,” Kisara suggested.
“Or a taro mousse!” Rinwell giggled.
“Why is everyone trying to make my husband eat melted rocks?” Shionne asked, trying to sound exasperated through her humor.
Everyone laughed, joyous tones ringing through the comfortable home. The young Migal toddled around, giggling at the good humor of the adults, and went to stand by his father, gripping Do’s robes and sticking a fist in his mouth. He leaned down and picked up his child, setting him on his leg and bouncing him, much to the boy’s delight. Hootle landed on the table and flapped his wings to show off the colors to the toddler, earning another delighted shriek.
“Rinwell, will you get out the ice cream?” Alphen asked.
“Yes!” She jumped up, eager to help, and to eat.
“Make sure everyone sees the pie before you cut it, Alphen. I worked hard on that!”
He grinned at his wife and nodded, taking up mitts and carrying the pie over to the table, keeping it out of reach of tiny hands that could easily get burnt. Rinwell shoved through to get a peek and bounced with excitement. “It’s Hootle! You made a Hootle crust! It’s adorable!”
“It really looks great, Shionne. I think you’ve surpassed me,” Kisara complimented, instinctively reaching over to bar her child from possibly lunging for the dessert.
“Well, hopefully it tastes as good as it looks. Alphen made the filling.”
“Oh no.”
Alphen swatted Law with a mitt and laughed, “I didn’t add anything extra to it. I made it exactly how Shionne wanted.”
“That’s a relief,” Do said, sounding serious though his eyes twinkled with amusement and he winked to his friend.
Hours passed with good conversation among great company. Dohalim broke out a bottle of wine brought from Pelegion that was shared between the three eldest, then another, and eventually another. Migal napped in the next room with Hootle to watch over him as the night grew long. Rinwell eventually moved her chair next to Law’s and fell asleep on his shoulder, and he followed suit soon after.
Drowsy and tipsy, Alphen didn’t notice when he started staring at Shionne, lost in thought, conversation slipping away from him. The others noticed but said nothing, until finally Shionne grew uncomfortable, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “Alphen? What is it?”
“Mm…. You’re more of an, an estoc…”
“...What?” she asked, scowling with confusion more than irritation.
Dohalim nodded as though he understood, holding out a hand as he composed poetry on the spot. “A gleaming blade, sharp of wit, precise of point, she stabs…”
“That has to be the worst poem you’ve ever come up with, Do,” Kisara slurred, laughing.
Alphen’s face scrunched as he tried to concentrate, to think on what he was getting at. “Some of the men, in the market today… Called their wives… hmm, what was it… Balseph… Uh…”
“They called their wives ‘Balseph’?” She would be annoyed, if he weren’t clearly inebriated and struggling to make his point. Instead it was amusing, watching him flounder and blush.
“No, no, it, what they said reminded me of him… Battle-axe, and, and ball and chain… And I was thinking… I know, you use rifles, but if you were a weapon… I think, an estoc…”
Silence.
Then roaring laughter. The younger two woke up with a start as Kisara pounded on the table with her fist. Shionne shook her head and pinched her nose, clearly suffering on account of her husband’s thick-headedness. “Alphen! Alphen, you, you do know what they meant by that, right?” Kisara wheezed through howls of laughter.
“That, that their wives are… Strong?”
The laughter grew louder, even Dohalim laughing without restraint. Law and Rinwell looked around the table, and Law asked, “What’d we miss? What’s going on? Whose wives are strong? Or, aren’t strong…?”
Kisara waved at Alphen, struggling to breath as she recounted the last few moments of conversation, and then everyone was laughing, even Shionne. Alphen was the only one not, looking around with mounting irritation and confusion. “What’d I get wrong…?”
“Oh, Alphen!” Rinwell giggled. “Those weren’t compliments. They’re saying their wives hold them back.”
He looked even more annoyed. “Why would anyone say that about their wife? What’s funny about it?”
“Their insults aren’t the funny part, dear,” Shionne giggled, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “It’s the adorable way you just assumed that calling them weapons was a good thing.”
“But, but weapons are good things… So, why…?”
“Never change, Alphen,” Kisara laughed. Crying from the next room over got her attention, and she looked to her husband ruefully. “We should get going, it’s gotten so late. We’ll visit again soon. Thanks for the laugh.” She patted Alphen on the shoulder, still grinning.
Rinwell and Law made their own retreat, hand in hand, and the house became strangely quiet, though the warmth remained. There wasn’t much left to clean up, and Shionne exchanged Alphen’s empty wine glass with a mug of iced water. She noticed him frowning, and tilted her head with concern. “What is it, Alphen?”
“...I thought those were compliments…”