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‘Please?’
It was one word, and it was the tipping point in the discussion, or possibly the argument, the pair was having.
On one side, Darius desperately wanted to spend midwinter with his mother, eating warm food and cuddling around a fire.
On the other, Eberwolf wanted to go to the Knee and see his family, and participate in the Wintermourn.
“You won’t even explain to us what the whole thing is.” Protested Darius as he brushed out the chaotic mess of hair his partner had. “I’ve seen you talk about it in chat, about the talking and the singing. But what was the whole thing about having seeds ready? And marking the ground?”
Eberwolf groaned a little.
‘It’s a tradition of remembrance and renewal. We sing songs and we plant things. It’s important to me. And to Sibs, this is the first one we’ve been able to have since everything happened.’
“I don’t see why you want me to go, though. I’m not exactly popular among your family.”
It was true, the whole incident where they’d had to “betray” Raine Whispers hadn’t exactly been forgotten, even if it wasn’t spoken of. Somehow he had it worse than his mate on the “people blaming you” front, even though Eber took as much culpability. Pody still didn’t really talk to him much, and what he did say was often jibes.
‘I know, but it’s still important to me. Please?’
And there it was, the one word everything hinged on. Darius teetered, then sighed.
“We’ll need transport to the Knee. I’m not going to translocate the three of us.”
Eber perked up.
‘Mason owes me a few favours. If you can make the envelope, I can get us a gondola.’
“Hot air ballooning? Seriously?”
‘Quickest way up, not to mention it means we can take accommodation, otherwise we’d have to either take tents, or risk staying in one of the family homes.’
Suddenly Darius was on board with a hot air balloon too, even if it meant a decent amount of work for him creating the skin.
~
Two days later, Mason was grumpily showing them around the little house-boat he’d made for them. Two bedrooms, so Hunter could sleep away from his parents, a little bathroom, mostly a toilet but a cramped shower too, and the tiny lounge/kitchen, where they could feed the fire that kept the ship airborne, and also get nice and warm. The water was stored near the pipes to stop it freezing in the Knee. All in all, there were worse ways to travel.
While Darius wrestled with the balloon, Eber and Hunter stocked up on fuel and food. The “basement” of the boat was basically a supply room for the more in-depth craft.
Before they were ready to go, Eber surprised both mate and child with a gift, a beautifully woven scarf. Darius’s was purple and green, with silver accents, and a wonky abomination creation stitched into the pattern. Hunter got green and black, accented with red and blue, with those two colours concentrated on the ends, done as cardinals. He got tears from his boy in response.
“|I’ll give you the other things up there, but those, those are yours now.|”
“How long have you been planning this?” Asked Darius as he pulled on his new scarf, showing Hunter a neat way to tie it to have it sit snug, leaving the ends visible.
“|I’ve been making those scarves for two years, if that’s what you mean|”
Darius kissed his forehead and showed him the hats his mother had given him. Eber’s even included little ear-cosies. He beamed.
The trip in the balloon wasn’t nearly as bad as Darius had been direly warning it would be. The winds were mild, despite the time of year, and at night Eber had been able to point out travel-camps that told him other members of the family were coming. They landed on the outskirts of Palletion with a day to spare, and were greeted by a young hybrid with gorgeous tufted ears. Their fur, where present, was a velvety black, and their eyes were deep brown.
“Unka Eber!”
He caught the hug, squeezing the youngling.
“[Hunter, this is your cousin Goldie]”
“Hi” Hunter flushed shyly. “Dad says they’re name is Goldie, and they’re my cousin.”
“[He’s one of Joy’s kids.]”
“I kin speak English.” Goldie scowled.
“[I can’t though butterpup.]”
“Dad had his throat hurt when he was a kid” mumbled Hunter “He speaks Beast Tongue aloud, and sign language by hand. English through text.”
“But that’s so boring!” Goldie moaned.
“Titan, how old are you?” Darius asked, the paragon of good manners.
Suddenly shy, Goldie hid in Eber’s shoulder.
“[He and his sibling are seven. Goldie, that’s my mate, Darius.]”
“Hi.” Mumbled the boy.
“Hello.” Darius flushed back.
“Where’s auntie Joy?”
A hand pointed back at one of the lit houses. Eber hefted the boy and climbed out of the boat. He could hear Hunter updating their dad as they moved.
“Joy was the one who had triplets, one died in, everything.”
“My brother Koda.” Goldie mumbled.
“[I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you all again before we lost him]” Eber told him gently, rubbing his back. He hoped his voice would last a while tonight.
Joy opened the door as they approached. Given Goldie, Darius had expected a hybrid, but no, she was a full demon, one of Eber’s direct kin, with the same black fur and tufted ears as her child, though her eyes were golden rather than brown. That most likely came from the witch who emerged behind her, peering out.
“I still don’t believe how much crap they give you for dating me.” Darius murmured to mate.
Hunter hadn’t actually met the others in person, though he had been memorising the pictures and photos Eber had been showing him. Hunter loved the organisation.
“H-Hi Aunt Joy. I’m Hunter, this is my dad Darius.”
Joy’s eyes jumped from her nephew to the two witches. She offered her hands to them, huffing a greeting in beast tongue. Even more surprising was her witch-mate doing the same.
“Dad, this is Joy and her mate Conner. Conner? Conner.” Hunter hesitated a little over the translation, only confirming properly once he got a nod. “And the missing kid, Bailey.”
A second hybrid, slightly smaller, but with identical black fur and tufting, poked their head out of another room, then vanished just as fast.
“Bailey is shy.” Conner’s voice in English was slow and deep, and sounded a little uncertain. “They will not greet, not until later.”
“[Come sit yourselves. I have snacks.]”
Even without understanding the words, the open gesture lead them into the lounge, the centralised hub of the home. The fire was burning steadily in the rounded stove, and a variety of finger foods were set out for them.
Soon Hunter was exchanging shy comments with Goldie, and Darius was engaged with Conner. Eber pulled his aunt close and pressed forehead to forehead.
“[Have you managed to explain everything?]”
“[Barely a fraction.]” Eber rubbed his throat a little “[I’ll take my throat meds soon, and go voiceless for a bit after that]”
Joy nodded, watching her family interact with her nephew’s.
“[Thank you for coming, Smallpaw.]”
“[I’m so glad Darktree organised it.]”
His throat itched. He took his medicine, pulling out his scroll instead.
‘Do the kids know the light spell yet?’
Joy took a moment to read, then chuckled and shook her head.
“[Goldie?]” Her pup looked up. “[I am going to teach you a spell for tomorrow.]”
The boy practically jumped at the chance. Joy settled in front of him, and cast a small light spell. Instead of the usual golden glow, it had a soft, rippling colour.
“Should I be learning this too?” Hunter asked.
Eber nodded at him, pleased with his son’s awareness, then paused, tilting his ears questioningly and miming a staff.
“I didn’t bring Waffle.” He admitted, embarrassed.
Eber shook his head then, and moved to hug his boy.
‘I’ll show it to you anyhow. Watch.’
There was a delicacy to the spell to get it to go the strange colours. They both watched as Goldie attempted to replicate it, until finally he had a chain of orbs that glowed various colours.
‘This is normal and expected. You don’t master the spell until later, but teaching it before your first Wintermourn is important.’
Hunter smiled at that.
“Does dad get to learn it too?”
They both looked at Darius, who was too involved to notice the spell-casting.
‘Adult mates don’t have to learn, though it’s fun to see them do so.’
“What’s it for?”
‘Guidance. We use them to get to the Mourn. Guess you two will have to stick with me’
Hunter was about to say something when he realised his father was grinning lovingly. He grumbled and pushed him lightly.
Bailey snuck out from their room, coiling against their mother, and sitting to learn too, then fled when Darius turned towards them.
“Bailey doesn’t like strangers huh?”
Eber shook his head.
‘They weren’t very social before the DoU.’
Hunter winced a little.
“Do we need to sing?”
‘Not if you don’t want to. I’m going to sing for Nonna. Lots of others will sing for mama, but only me and Sib knew her.’
Hunter squeezed him lovingly.
~
Eber checked his men over before they set out, making sure they were wrapped up warm, huffing gently as he straightened Hunter’s collar. Finally, he stepped back, smiling tenderly. Slowly he stretched, and drew a spell circle. Multiple little lights rose. He looked outside, then doused the fire. They stood in utter darkness, barring the light spells, which hardly seemed to light anything at all.
Darius harrumphed, but any question he had was quickly hushed by his mate, who had his ears perked for something. Abruptly he opened the door and let the lights chain forward. In the deep darkness, they saw other trails light up, though not a single person was visible in the half-lightly. He reached his hands out to them, taking one in each, and started leading along the quiet path into the woods.
It was five minutes before the witches began to pick up on the signal sound. It was as rhythmic as a pulse, a double-beat of a large drum. Ta-DUM, ta-DUM.
They followed the lights towards it.
Something cut over the drum sound, a high, thin voice, sweet, but not trained. It was clearly singing something, but the words were still distant.
They continued walking.
The first voice ended, they heard more pulses of the beat. A new voice took up, a different tempo to the previous song. It was faster, like a running hare in the snow. Slowly it too faded back into the night.
They heard three more songs before Eber’s lights shifted without apparent command from him. They turned blue and circled the trio. Eber smiled and lifted his head.
The song he sang had no words, not as Hunter understood them, but something in it spoke to his soul. He heard the pain and love for a person he’d never met, felt the warmth of their care, the sharpness of their tongue and body, the gentle ticking of their life. He mopped his eyes as his father’s song ended in a soft whine, and pulled out the throat-soother. Eber smiled meekly, stopping to drink it, then turning to follow the now-blue lights.
They entered a wide clearing. Other groups were already there. More voices rang out, from two different directions this time, singing different songs.
Sibyl sat at the centre, head bowed. She was wearing furs, masking her body. Her ears sat flat to either side of her head. Offal sat at her feet like a statue.
Eber drew them over to the podium. More songs cut in. Hunter and Darius cuddled up to him, watching in awe as the forest around them seemed to light up. Blue lights led more people in, some still mid-song, others fading out.
They weren’t sure how long it had been, but Eberwolf raised his voice again, adding to the chorus. The songs, so multiple now that one could not pick them apart, began to blend and harmonise. Words that Hunter knew began to become distinct in the melange of sound. Hesitantly he looked at his father, who smiled encouragingly.
Hunter tilted his head back and tried to add to it. After a moment of shock, Darius did too.
They began to tear up, hearing their voices blend with the chorus, a sound of exultation of love, and simultaneously the deepest sadness. The sounds came to an abrupt halt.
Sibyl lifted her head. She drew the drum from beneath her, starting that steady thumping once more. Darius realised he hadn’t heard it stop.
“[Rosie]” She spoke
“[Rosie!]” chanted the crowd.
“[Odie]”
“[Odie!]”
“[Nonna]”
“[Nonna!]”
“[Koda]”
“[Koda!]”
It didn’t take the non-speakers long to recognise the pattern, and even Darius was calling out with the others. And he realised they must be names, from the ragged way his partner insisted on calling out each of them, even as his voice grew hoarse again. When it gave way to coughs, Darius took over, calling loudly for him as Hunter gave him his medicine again.
Finally the beat ended, and quiet settled.
A young voice rose.
“He was my brother, and I love him.”
“She was my mother, I love her”
“They were my mate, and I love them”
“He was my friend, and I love them.”
Darius cleared his throat.
“They were my mate’s links to his past, and I miss them all, and I love them.”
Eber burrowed into his chest and sobbed lovingly.