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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.
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"She's - well, she's going to live," shrugs Colla. "And at this point that seems - I'm sorry, it scarcely matters, does it. Erm, is your husband - all right about yours?"
greatcomposure
"He hasn't really had a chance to sit down and think about it yet," says Koridaar. "I don't... I don't expect him to be fine, but I expect him to at barest minimum remain married to me and visit occasionally if I end up raising the kid alone on a farm. I hope he'll take it better than that, though."
Colla nods. "I'm so sorry."
greatcomposure
She smiles sadly. "Thank you. I'll go get Avar and the kids now, shall I?"
Nod, nod.
greatcomposure
She teleports away, and returns holding Avar's hand and a silver baby.
Colla gathers her up. "Hello darling," she murmurs. "Welcome home." She looks up at Avar. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Colla. I'm so, so sorry about your baby."
on-my-word
"Ah - thank you," he says. "I'm Avar. It's... all been a bit of a whirlwind. I think I might finally have enough time to sit down and start reacting to things, though. Dear Magister, am I forgetting anything?"
greatcomposure
"You have your crystal in case Piro produces news. Alys and Aurin went home. I don't think you have anything else to deal with, no. Give me the crystal and go take a breather. Colla has kindly allowed us to keep the baby here until we find somewhere to move, so that's where I'll be."
on-my-word
"Thank you, love."
He hugs his wife, passes her the communication crystal, and teleports away.
He hugs his wife, passes her the communication crystal, and teleports away.
"Has she eaten anything since she hatched?" wonders Colla. "I have the kitchen partly unpacked, there's - what do I have - there's fruit and oatsnacks."
greatcomposure
"I think Avar managed to feed her at some point, but I can't promise it was very much. Let's see if anyone's hungry. Are you hungry, little—one—?" Her voice breaks a little. She cuddles her son and blinks away tears.
"I'll get some fruit and oatsnacks."
The red baby devours fruit and oatsnacks.
greatcomposure
So does the silver baby. Koridaar has composed herself by this time. She decides not to offer an explanation. Colla's baby never even had a chance to be called a little diving menace.
When the babies have been fed, Colla goes back to unpacking, her baby clinging to the back of her shirt and biting her red red hair.
"Oh - if you like - the movers got everything heavy but there are some things wrapped up in paper and those will be tedious -"
greatcomposure
"It's no trouble at all."
Koridaar helps unpack. She is very good at keeping little noses out of the way. (Her son has an extremely inquisitive little nose.)
Koridaar helps unpack. She is very good at keeping little noses out of the way. (Her son has an extremely inquisitive little nose.)
Eventually the red baby climbs down from her mother and investigates the silver baby.
"Naaaaar," she says, and she pounces on him, catlike.
He squawks and overbalances, still not used to his useless wings. Then he gives her his affronted look.
She's not impressed. She squirms backwards and then pounces again. Pouncing is fun!
Well then he'll just have to pounce back. So there.