Chapter Text
Keagan helped Phile organize the refugee mages they’d escorted into Ostfold this time, his hand steadying the unexpected bundle that rested against his chest. He glanced over the people that watched and let a small smile spread over his face when he saw his wife, Ashira, in the audience carrying the youngest of their children and flanked by the two older ones. The two children grinned brightly and waved, but there was something sad in the smile that Ashira wore. He returned a gentle smile and nod, but did not yet go to them. Princess Rakel and Prince Farrin were only just arriving to welcome the new mages, and his place was here for the moment.
The princess gave her customary speech, and the mages were sorted into groups. Those that wished to stay, those that wished aid in returning home, and those who wished to learn versus those who felt confident in their abilities and only desired to get right into building new lives for themselves. Keagan lingered until his presence attracted the royals’ attention and they drifted closer to greet him and examine his cargo.
“Who is this?” Rakel asked with a mixture of pleasure and sadness. She likely had an idea what the answer would be.
“Not sure what her birth name is. Her mother didn’t make it.” Keagan answered softly. One of the slavers had decided if he was going down he was taking everyone he could with him. This child's mother had turned away from the sword thrust, taking it in the back in an attempt to protect her baby. Keagan thought now he'd always carry some guilt for not being fast enough to save that woman, but guilt was not what prompted him to care for the child. The simple fact that she needed it did. The infant in his arms shifted slightly, but didn’t wake. He was beginning to grow worried about the child, but there was little more he could do than what he already had. He’d bought a goat along their way up to try to feed her (Ashira was going to love that), but the baby didn’t seem to like goat’s milk.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” The princess murmured, reaching out to brush the tiny baby’s cheek. “What do you plan to do with her?”
“I’ll take her home for now. Ashira won’t mind for a few days. But… I don’t know that we can keep her.” Their own most recent baby had had a rough time. She’d been born premature, and the trips Ashira had taken to a healer or midwife to keep that child alive had burned through most of their savings. That aside, he wasn’t sure if another baby might be too much for his wife to handle during the longer trips he took to free mages.
The princess nodded. “I understand. Thank you for getting her here safely. I’ll see if I can find someone who would be willing to adopt her.”
Keagan glanced down at the little infant, so much like his own children. “Everyone deserves a chance to live, and live free.” He said.
“His family is waiting, Rakel.” Farrin murmured to his wife.
“Oh, of course. Let us know how she does.” The princess said, stepping back.
“Dismissed, soldier.” Farrin told Keagan with a slight smile when he looked to the prince.
“Yes, sir.” Keagan grinned, and turned to face his wife and children, still waiting though many of the other watchers had dissipated. She smiled and began to saunter his way when she saw he was done, and their two little girls rushed on ahead to embrace him. He knelt down and shifted the baby he held to one arm so he could catch his daughters with the other.
Both shrieked and giggled, hugging him and each other and then shoving each other as before turning their attention to the baby he held.
“Sister?” The younger of the two, Myrtle, asked while pointing.
“No, silly.” The older, Calla, said authoritatively. “Mommy has to get fat before we get another sister.”
Keagan bit back a chuckle. He’d learned in the past few years that children had a talent for saying humorous things no one else would dare. And why not? They got away with it.
Ashira had no such reservations about laughing. “Yes, mommy has to get fat before you get more sisters or brothers. So who is this you would like to introduce us to?”
Keagan glanced down at the child again, sadness touching his features again. “I don’t know what her name was. The rescue didn’t go quite as well as we hoped, and her mother didn’t make it. She’s all alone now.”
Myrtle didn’t look like she quite understood, but Calla’s eyes widened and her face grew despondent. “Can’t her daddy take care of her?” She asked, and her voice sounded like she might cry.
“We don’t know who he is.” Keagan answered gently. “But we’ll make sure someone takes care of her.”
“Uncle Dan and Aunt Emily can take care of her!” Calla’s face brightened as though that solved everything.
Keagan winced at that idea. When he’d left Dan’s wife had been very nearly due for their own baby, and he certainly wouldn’t have ever wanted to try to deal with two infants at once. He had a great deal of awe for his father in law for managing it with Ashira and her twin. He glanced up at Ashira, and his heart sank at the stricken expression that had come over her face. Dan and Emily had already suffered two miscarriages, but this baby had been so close to making it.
He stood. “Your Uncle Dan and Aunt Emily like kids, but you can’t volunteer anyone without their permission, okay?” He told the child. She nodded, but her face still said she thought she’d come up with the perfect solution.
“Go on, then.” He waved a hand as though to shoo them, and Calla tagged her little sister and darted on ahead.
“No fair!” The younger girl wailed in protest. “You’re too fast!”
He watched for a moment to make sure they didn’t go out of sight, then began to walk with Ashira towards their home. “What happened?” He asked quietly.
“The baby was born with the umbilical cord around his neck. He never got to take his first breath.”
He exhaled, partially grieved by this disaster that had befallen his brother in law and partially grateful he and Ashira had never had to face the same one.
“How are they handling it?” He asked softly, his grip on the child he carried tightening just a little in response to his emotions.
Ashira took a moment or two to answer. “I’m not sure. I stopped by once, but Dan stepped outside and asked that we give Emily some space for a while. He looked… He seemed so tired. Defeated. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that bad.”
Keagan nodded, then fell silent. He didn’t have anything to add on that topic, and it didn’t seem quite right to redirect to his own trip from there. He walked a little closer to Ashira, crowding her a little until she looked up with a knowing smirk. By then they were nearly home, and could hear Calla’s high pitched voice talking at a fast pace in their own small yard.
They made their way up to their door, and Myrtle immediately followed them to go inside. Calla waited outside, however. “I wanna play outside for a while.” She stated.
“Alright, but don’t go far.” Ashira answered.
“You trust her outside alone?”
“If she stays in the yard she’ll be fine.”
Keagan looked doubtful, but he trusted his wife’s judgement. This was Verglas, not Torrens. She wouldn’t be snatched the way his little brother had. She didn’t have magic anyway, not yet at least. So he followed her in and was greeted by their mountain dog, Bernie. The dog was older than any of their children, barely, and was starting to slow down. With her size, she might not last more than a couple more years.
He reached down to pet the friendly dog, then let her outside. On the off chance anyone did try to snatch his daughter, the dog would bark, growl, or possibly even fight. Bernie wasn’t aggressive, but the girls were her girls.
Ashira set down their own baby into a little penned off play area, then turned to take this new baby and examine her more closely. She immediately frowned. “How old is she? She seems… light.”
“We think a month and a half, maybe two? It’s hard to tell. And she doesn’t seem to like the goats’ milk I’ve tried to feed her.” Keagan answered.
Ashira’s lips pressed together in a worried expression. “That’s not good. And I don’t like that she didn’t make a sound or move much even though she wasn’t sleeping on the way back. I… can try to feed her, but I was almost finished weaning Rose.”
“I can go find some cow milk and see if she likes that better.” Keagan offered.
“You might have to.” Ashira sighed. “But I’ll see what I can do first. I know you just got back, but could you start on dinner?”
He reached out to put a hand on his wife’s waist and drew her closer for a moment. Then he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Of course. Did you have anything planned, or should I just start throwing things in a pot?”
She grimaced. “There are potatoes set aside for a stew. Please do not start throwing things in a pot. I had enough of that when Dan and Simon were learning to cook.”
He chuckled. “I heard. Myrtle, want to come help me with dinner?”
“Okay.” The little girl agreed. “Can I taste?”
“There’s nothing to taste yet.”
“Oh.” No one can quite convey complete disappointment quite like a small child.