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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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Tea brews. Alys gets out honey and milk.
"When my cousin has a name will he stop being sick?" Aurin asks.
"No, dear," murmurs Alys. "That isn't how it works."
"When my cousin has a name will he stop being sick?" Aurin asks.
"No, dear," murmurs Alys. "That isn't how it works."
on-my-word
"Unfortunately," Avar agrees. "But he'll learn to talk. Which I'm sure will be an adventure..."
"How is talking an adventure?" wonders Aurin.
Aurin snuggles into the fire and sighs golden flames.
Tea is ready. Alys passes Avar a cup and sips her own.
Tea is ready. Alys passes Avar a cup and sips her own.
"You're entirely welcome."
Three weeks and one day later, Alys and Aurin get nicely dressed up and accept a teleport to the new house, at which the silver baby is to be named.
Three weeks and one day later, Alys and Aurin get nicely dressed up and accept a teleport to the new house, at which the silver baby is to be named.
on-my-word
Other invitees include Colla and her baby, and Koridaar's mother.
They did not bother inviting Piro. Avar felt it would just be twisting the knife. It certainly wouldn't result in Piro showing up.
It's a small circle. But, well, quality over quantity, right?
Avar sits, and holds his son in his lap, and names him: "Mialavar."
Round the circle goes little Mial.
They did not bother inviting Piro. Avar felt it would just be twisting the knife. It certainly wouldn't result in Piro showing up.
It's a small circle. But, well, quality over quantity, right?
Avar sits, and holds his son in his lap, and names him: "Mialavar."
Round the circle goes little Mial.
Alys receives Mial and ratifies the name.
So does Aurin, who has a little bit of trouble picking up his cousin but not too much to pass him on to Colla. (Colla's baby does not get to participate because she cannot talk yet.)
So does Aurin, who has a little bit of trouble picking up his cousin but not too much to pass him on to Colla. (Colla's baby does not get to participate because she cannot talk yet.)
greatcomposure
And then Koridaar's mother, and then Koridaar herself.
"Mial," she says, cuddling her son. He cuddles back.
He's not having such a bad time of it, yet.
"Mial," she says, cuddling her son. He cuddles back.
He's not having such a bad time of it, yet.
The red baby, meanwhile, falls asleep almost immediately after the mildly interesting thing is over. She's very tired. Soon she'll wish she was tired.
"Soon" comes a couple of weeks later, at the quinoa farm. Koridaar and Avar and little Mial are invited to the red baby's naming ceremony likewise. Colla calls her Finnahdiam and passes her around - a few of Colla's friends, and some of her descendants from previous marriages, turn up to the ceremony too.
"Soon" comes a couple of weeks later, at the quinoa farm. Koridaar and Avar and little Mial are invited to the red baby's naming ceremony likewise. Colla calls her Finnahdiam and passes her around - a few of Colla's friends, and some of her descendants from previous marriages, turn up to the ceremony too.
greatcomposure
Little Mial is capable of affirming Finnah's name as she is passed around, and he is intensely proud of this. He hugs her on her way past his mother's lap. (He can't pick her up, but Koridaar can do the receiving and passing parts for him.)
Finnah accepts hugs. She accepts them with biting, but she doesn't try to escape, and that's the important part.
greatcomposure
Finnah is just a very bitey baby, isn't she. Well, Mial (to his mother's relief) doesn't complain.
She is a bitey baby with a name.
Time passes. No one experiences a radical change of heart in any direction about shrens in general or Mial in particular - accordingly, his cousin makes routine visits, carefully in human form the entire time but not particularly ginger about interacting with Mial.
Aurin has learned a bird form so as to gain and lose altitude around the house in Esmaar safely. He and his mother descend, her as a heron and him as a shiny-gold booted eagle.
When they have landed Aurin is a gold-eyed little human instead. He goes looking for Mial.
Time passes. No one experiences a radical change of heart in any direction about shrens in general or Mial in particular - accordingly, his cousin makes routine visits, carefully in human form the entire time but not particularly ginger about interacting with Mial.
Aurin has learned a bird form so as to gain and lose altitude around the house in Esmaar safely. He and his mother descend, her as a heron and him as a shiny-gold booted eagle.
When they have landed Aurin is a gold-eyed little human instead. He goes looking for Mial.
on-my-word
Mial is playing a simple board game against his father, and, not to put too fine a point on it, kicking his ass.
"Hello, Aurin," says Avar.
"Hi, Aurin!" says Mial. "I'm wiiiiinning!"
"Hello, Aurin," says Avar.
"Hi, Aurin!" says Mial. "I'm wiiiiinning!"
Aurin plops down next to the board game. "Is it a two person game?" he asks.
on-my-word
"Yes, but I'm going to lose it on the next turn and I am only too happy to let you take my place."
Avar takes his turn. Mial takes his. Mial wins! Mial is insufferably smug!
"Do you want to try?" inquires Avar.
Avar takes his turn. Mial takes his. Mial wins! Mial is insufferably smug!
"Do you want to try?" inquires Avar.
"Okay." Aurin peers at the pieces. "I don't know this one."
Mial launches into an explanation.
Aurin listens, and then helps set up the board for a new game, and proceeds to do very poorly at it.
Mial will take even this easy victory!
Aurin is willing to play again. He is only a little better at it the second time.
Mial trounces him ruthlessly.
Aurin has run out of patience for this game. "Let's do something else?"