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Aurin holds his mother's hand as she leads him from the street to his aunt and uncle's house. He's been here only a couple of times, and can't remember most of them distinctly; they're sort of awkwardly related, his dead father's half-brother and the wife thereof. But now they have a baby parunia, and that means there is a dragon related to Aurin who is not too far from his age, only thirty-one years younger. This is apparently the sort of relation that it will be particularly enriching for Aurin to meet. They can do this now instead of waiting a month, because parunias don't die when they're babies; this one is safe, unlike the miscellaneous cousins on his mother's side he's never met because they are all in too much danger to get attached to (and have all succumbed to that danger). So here they are. Even though it was a very long flight and he couldn't ride his mother for takeoff and landing when she had to be a heron, only for the middle part.
Alys knocks on the door.
Finnah's patience for this activity is not infinite, but she goes and brings him some of her latest penly before she returns to playing with clay. It's chocolate sesame.
greatcomposure
Miles eats his candy and cries. He finishes the candy before he finishes the crying. His mother continues to hug him until he falls asleep in her lap, and then she puts him to bed.
The next morning he does not emerge from his room. Koridaar brings him his breakfast. He is pretending to sleep, so she leaves it next to his bed. When she brings him his lunch, some of the breakfast is gone. She judges this a moderately good sign. But it's about the only good sign available. He continues to stay curled up in bed, refusing to open his eyes or talk to anyone, eating only halfheartedly and only when there is no one in the room so he can go on pretending he is never awake.
The next morning he does not emerge from his room. Koridaar brings him his breakfast. He is pretending to sleep, so she leaves it next to his bed. When she brings him his lunch, some of the breakfast is gone. She judges this a moderately good sign. But it's about the only good sign available. He continues to stay curled up in bed, refusing to open his eyes or talk to anyone, eating only halfheartedly and only when there is no one in the room so he can go on pretending he is never awake.
"Cause - cause she was a dragon and I'm a shren and what if she was awful about it - but then she was scared. And I really wanted to yell at her but she was scared."
"You have to come to my flag dance performance next week at least. We're opening for the gymnastics show."
"Or you could just come. Instead of trying to argue about whether you're old enough to be home alone."