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The cabin was quiet, save for the soft huffing coming from Assan's nostrils as he lay by the fire. He had grown so big since the days of the Veilguard, his feathers had grown in thick and full, a shiny, almost rainbow sheen to them that delighted the entire family.
In the other corner of the room, Esha cradled a baby, six months old. She ran her fingers gently through his mop of curly white hair that looked far too similar to her own despite the color. She detangled the strands as he rested against her chest. Her eyes drooped with obvious weariness but yet her gaze was determined.
Violet, she and Davrin's daughter, was in her room, fast asleep in the bed Davrin had finished carving only 3 months ago. She had outgrown the crib, and well, they needed it for Oakley.
Oakley, their magical little baby boy. He had dropped into their life so unexpectedly, also three months ago. Arlathan had always been a magical place, but neither of them could have expected to find an abandoned baby in a hole not far from their home. It was strange from the start. Oakley was tanned, somewhere between Esha and Davrin's skintone. And he shared her smattering of freckles across his nose, also quite similar to hers. His eyes were Davrin's color, rich caramel, and his hair, what little there was for an approximately six month old, was a mess of curls like Esha's. It was almost like he was their child.
There were further oddities, though, that set him apart from the rest of the family. Black scleras that seemed to be endlessly deep. His hair was shock white. In that, he was strikingly similar to Esha's adoptive younger brother, the magical anomaly, Kal.
She didn't know what Kal was like as a baby. She should have, but those memories were long gone due to trauma and suppression. She could only hope that Oakley wouldn't grow up to be as…mischievous as his uncle.
“My sweet little blackbird…” Esha crooned softly, and Oakley sighed in response.
A sound came from outside, a dragging, thumping sound. But Esha wasn't worried. A moment later, the door swung open gently, as if the person was trying not to wake the inhabitants of the cottage.
Davrin entered, lugging a burlap bag. His eyes fell on Esha and a small grin spread across his face. He let go of the bag instantly, crossing the room in quick, confident strides and crouching next to her and the infant.
“Hello, Esh.” He said, a tad breathless.
“Hey babe. You get all your tanning and butchering done?”
“Yes. You didn't have to stay up and wait for me.” He pointed out, patting Oakley's head. “And Oakley needs sleep.” He leaned up to press the barest hint of a kiss on her cheek.
Esha hummed thoughtfully, finally removing her hand from Oakley's scalp long enough to grab her husband's chin and pull him in for a much more meaningful kiss. “I wanted to. I don't sleep as well without you. Besides, Oakley was too cute with Assan and I couldn't stop them.”
Davrin chuckled low and helped Esha to her feet. Oakley, sensing the shift, whined and buried his face further into Esha's cotton shift. Esha began to bounce him. “You're spoiling him.”
“You can't spoil a baby.” She quickly countered.
He raised his palms in mock defeat. “You're right. You were the same with Vi. I should know better by now.” He looked at Oakley fondly. “Still can't believe he's ours.”
“Me either.” Esha admitted quietly. “I keep waiting…for someone to come back for him. To tell us it was all a mistake, that he's their baby. And take it all away.”
“That's not gonna happen, Esh. I know we've been…avoiding it…and your siblings, for that matter, for three months now. But babies don't just appear in holes in Arlathan without some strange magic in play. Even as a Warden I've never seen anything like this, and I've seen a walking talking Nug.” He offered his arms, and Esha paused for a moment before gently shifting Oakley into them, gazing at his peaceful face.
She watched as Davrin carried him towards the bedroom, then started to quietly follow them. They passed the room belonging to Violet, and Esha took the opportunity to peek inside. It was an utter mess. Toys everywhere, stuffed animals piled high both in the corner and on her newly carved bed. Violet was hanging halfway off said bed, snoring loudly. Esha smiled contentedly and continued to follow Davrin into their own room.
The crib was set up in the corner of the room closest to Esha's side. As Davrin went to lay Oakley down, his eyes fluttered open and he cooed at his father, reaching for Davrin's hair twists. Davrin chuckled and let the infant wrap his fingers around his own, and he watched until those brown eyes closed again.
“You know, every time I see you like that I'm surprised.” Esha said as she sat down on her side of the bed and stretched languidly.
“What's that mean?” His eyebrow cocked up, and Esha paled as she realized the implication in her statement.
She quickly stood back up and crossed the room to him. “No, no. It's just, I never thought of a life like this. A Grey Warden and a Crow don't exactly make for a great…”
“Domestic pairing?”
“Yes.”
Davrin reached out and gripped Esha's hips, guiding her backwards until her knees hit the edge of the bed. “First of all, I'm a reserve Grey Warden. Without any foreseeable blight, I'm free to do as I desire. And what I desire.” His thumb traced her lips. “Is a life right here, free from judgement and war, with the beautiful, sexy, kind mother of my children. And a griffon who's becoming far too big for the doorway.” He leaned in and took her breath from her with a hungry press, one of his hands migrating from her waist to her hand to clasp their hands together tight.
Esha giggled against his lips. “Don't start right now, Dav, it's late.”
In turn, he grinned. “Yea, you're right. I've got all the time I could want with–”
Suddenly, from the living room, there was the sound of someone knocking on the front door. It wasn't insistent, just a casual knock. Oakley fussed from the crib, disturbed by the noise. Esha and Davrin shared a quizzical look.
“Who would come visit this late?” She gently pushed Davrin off of her and stepped towards the door. “Can you settle Oak? I'll go check who it is.”
Davrin nodded, and Esha closed the bedroom door behind her and glanced curiously at the door. It was so late, who could possibly be visiting at this hour?
But as she opened the door, there was no one there. Confused, she peered out around the cottage. There were fresh footprints in the dirt, and a smell that she recognized, a faint one, but it was there.
“Shit.” Esha grabbed the closest shoes she could find, rushing to jam them onto her feet. There was only one person who would visit at the dead of night, leaving behind the smell of ozone and sugar.
Right as she managed to pull on the first boot, there was a crashing sound in the bedroom, followed by Oakley crying. She sighed and pulled off the shoe. Too late.
“Kalias de Riva!” Esha burst into the bedroom. Oakley was already awake, so there was no point in maintaining the peace. It was only a matter of time before Violet woke up anyway.
Sure enough, on the floor, holding an immaculate honey cake in the air, was Kal. He looked up and grinned at her. “I saved the cake!” He announced proudly, as Davrin helped him to his feet, earning a light punch to the stomach. Looks like he still wasn't fully over what Davrin had said about Lucanis.
Esha glanced briefly at the beautiful honey cake. Her favorite decadent treat, and she hadn't had one in a while…no! She needed to focus! “Kal, you couldn't wait at the door for five seconds? What are you doing here?”
Kal jumped up with supernatural speed, using his lightning to propel him slightly when he almost stumbled. He handed the cake off to a very confused and disoriented Davrin, then turned to Esha. “You took too long.”
“It was five seconds?”
“Exactly! Too long.” He brushed off his kilt. “You need to lock your windows.”
Esha rolled her eyes. “Kal, we live in the middle of Arlathan forest. We don't particularly need to lock our windows.”
Kal looked around, seeing the splinters of the shutters he'd broken on the way in, the crumpled carpet he'd landed on, and then, the crib, with Oakley inside, bawling.
“When did you give birth?! And why wasn't I told?” He rushed over to the crib and stared at Oakley with his scrunched up face.
“I didn't…give birth, Kal.” Esha walked over and lifted Oakley into her arms, Shushing him soothingly and tucking him against her shoulder.
Kal looked like he was in thought for a moment, which was surprising. “Surrogate, then? Like Teo?” He paused. “He doesn't look adopted…”
She shook her head, looking at him. “This is Oakley. We…found him.” She pursed her lips, conflicted. This wasn't how she wanted her introducing Oakley to her siblings to go. “Not far from here, actually.”
His eyes narrowed in suspicion, looking between Davrin and Esha. “Where?”
“In…a…a crater.” Esha said quietly, bouncing Oakley gently to get him to stop fussing.
Kal's face went through a myriad of emotions, very fast. From slight surprise, to confusion, to a sudden glazed look in his eyes. “Hmm…that seems familiar…” He shook his head. “Anyway, why wouldn't you tell me you got a new baby?” He asked, excited.
As Esha started to speak, Oakley's face scrunched up and he whined and grumbled. A small swirl of clouds began to form over Esha and Kal's heads.
“Uh oh, Kal–” She barely had time to push him out of the way before an absolute torrent of water cascaded from the cloud, drenching Esha and Oakley. This seemed to amuse the infant, as a giggle gurgled up, and Esha shook her head to cast off stray droplets. “Yea. That's why.”
“Wild magic?”
“Mhm.” Esha sighed. “Started happening not long after we picked him up. It seems to amuse him.” She sat the baby down and grabbed a towel from the laundry pile nearby, wiping herself and the baby down as quickly as possible, and changing Oakley into dry clothes.
Kal looked at the baby with awe and delight. “Another mage? This is great! And he looks just like you and Davrin somehow.”
“Asides from looking like a mini you, what with the white hair and black scleras. But yea, he does oddly look like us. I pretend it's fate.”
“Why pretend? Just do what you want!” Kal said flippantly. “It's not like your kid has to look like you to be your kid. I've got four which don't!”
That was true. Esha sighed. “You're right. I just worry.”
“When do you not?”
“Shut up.”
Davrin cut in, moving to pick up the shattered wood from the windows. “Kal, not that I don't love you as a brother-in-law, but it's really late. You could have woken up Violet. You did wake up Oakley.”
Kal didn't look remorseful whatsoever. “It's still light out in Treviso. Plus you haven't visited in so long! Teo kept asking where Violet was. Just thought I'd pop in.”
The couple shared a look. Honestly they should have expected this with Kal. Kal did what he wanted after all.
“Can I hold him?” Kal made grabby hands at Oakley. Esha didn't even hesitate, Kal had always been an excellent father despite his eccentricities. Kal grinned down at Oakley, who looked up at him with a surprised expression, gurgling happily. “Hey little guy! So you're the next mage to give Esha trouble, huh? You gonna follow my legacy?”
Oakley babbled, reaching up and poking Kal in the cheek. Esha's hair on her arm raised in alarm as the room suddenly grew silent and charged. It wasn't the peaceful cool from the water earlier, this was something else.
“Kal.” She warned, but the magic beat her by mere seconds as a static bolt turned to lightning and zapped Kal's nose, leaving a black mark.
Kal wiped the mark off, laughing. “He's got some kick!”
“That didn't hurt?” Davrin asked, looking up.
“Meh. No more than a mosquito bite. I'm sure it'll get stronger as he grows up, though! You gonna have Emmrich teach ‘im?”
Esha hesitated this time. “Ehhh…I couldn't ask Emmrich to make the trip. There's a Veil Jumper named Sanara who offered to teach him the basics when he's old enough. We figured that would do.”
“Nonsense! With this wild magic, it's gonna take some heavy duty tutoring. You should let me do it!” Kal grinned wildly, most likely a million permutations running through his head of what he'd teach the kid.
“We'll…think about it.” Davrin said, chuckling low. “He's not quite old enough to really have any control over it.”
Kal finally handed the baby back to a now-dry Esha, who tossed the towel that she'd been using to the side and accepted her son with a smile. Oakley yawned heavily, his black eyes fluttering open and closed as he fussed.
“Kal, it's late. Would you like to spend the night? Violet, Oakley, and Assan will be much more playful in the morning. The little man needs sleep, as do I.” Esha offered, laying Oakley back down in the crib with gentle care.
He put his hands on his hips and tilted his head back and forth, clearly debating with himself. “I promised Luca it'd be quick.”
Tossing the broken shards of wood out the window, Davrin dusted his hands off. “So then come back later? It may be a weird hour for you, but better to come back when the household is actually awake.”
“Fine, but they better be ready to play when I get back!” Kal said, walking towards the window.
“Kal, use the front door.”
“But I came through the window.”
“Kal.”
He threw his hands up. “Fine, fine!” He walked out of the bedroom and crossed to the door, waving to Esha and Davrin as he left the door wide open.
Davrin quickly went to close it while Esha collapsed, tired, onto the bed and sighed into her pillow. Her muscles were screaming for relief, from taking care of the chickens that she had insisted on getting, and the little garden she grew their veggies and herbs in. It was rewarding, but tiring.
Re-entering the room, Davrin quickly pulled the covers up over Esha and chuckled. “He's never gonna mellow out, huh?”
That made her laugh, hard. “Oh, Dav. That was mellow. Trust me, he's calmed down a ton since he started dating Lucanis. He didn't break down the front door or kidnap Oakley. He was reserved.” She yawned.
“Really? Hmm. Well, I think we should think about it. Having him teach Oakley, I mean. It would be good for both of them.”
Esha's eyes snapped open and she eyed him suspiciously. “Since when did you care about what's good for my brother?”
“Oh, I'm not allowed to be kind to my brother-in-law?”
“Since when did you accept him as your brother-in-law?”
Davrin leaned down and kissed her cheek. “What can I say, I'm set in my ways till I'm proven otherwise. Kal's a good dad, and a good brother to you. Wish I'd had someone like him back when I left the clan.”
Esha groaned as she sat back up. “No you don't. Twenty-four hour babysitting, Dav. Regardless, thank you, and I agree. Now if we don't get some sleep, I may kill you.”
“As my wife commands.” Davrin pulled her in.
“I'll never tire of that.”
“Neither will I.”