Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2023 10:57 AM, Post Subject: Children and the Journey Home [P/R]

Olvar listened along to the conversation, letting Gaea and Angela do most of the talking and offering an occasional nod or muttered word. Though friendly and welcoming, Gaea's family was huge, and the shifter sometimes had difficulty keeping track of them all, but he knew these names he heard would eventually prompt familiarity more than curiosity. All it would take is time. And in this place, they were plenty safe enough to take as much time as they needed, for whatever task.

His attention perked at the mention of Nissa and Sam, and possible opportunities for their futures. In his lifetime he had learned the value of having knowledge as well as skills, and how much easier life was with a trick or two up your sleeve. Any chance to improve Sam or Nissa's lives would be worth it. "Sam would do great at an academy," Olvar agreed. "And Nissa… I certainly can't train her. Not in the ways of a knight. But Toya… I'm confident she could handle her." Rarely had Olvar met anyone who so immediately demanded respect, simply with her presence. An excellent mentor for his fiery daughter.

As the day wore on into the evening, Angela eventually herded all of the little ones back together so they could head out. Both parties bid their farewells before Olvar sank into the couch with a deep sigh, soon joined by each of his children. He sat with them for a few moments as Gaea went to begin prepping for dinner, finally scooping them both up and carrying them up to the rooms they'd each chosen. Sam settled in quickly, snuggling into bed and getting comfy without a second thought. Nissa was telling Olvar about the exploits she had enjoyed while playing, no doubt embellishing certain details. There was no doubt they had had a wonderful day meeting the others. When finally Nissa was interrupted by her own yawn, Olvar got her tucked in and convinced to try napping, even if she didn't feel tired. Her head was on the pillow by the time he went back downstairs.

With savory smells drifting through the house, he went to retrieve the wargs' meals before heading out to the stable. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he promised Gaea. "Might take a quick look around." The evening breeze felt cool on his face as he approached the stables, hearing one warg snoring already. Probably Ojuk. "Dinnertime, pack." He passed out the chunks of meat that had been prepped for them, giving Ojuk his first and working down the hierarchy. Gunter was skittish as always, but didn't shy away from his food lest Lofe or Forrest steal it. Olvar gave each of them a scratch on their broad shoulders before refilling their water trough and turning their hay. "You'll all get a good run tomorrow, I promise. We have work to do." One final pat on the head for Ojuk, and then he headed out to take a few small laps around the immediate property. Plenty of space, room for the kids to grow, and no obvious signs of danger. It was so perfect, and Olvar couldn't help but feel almost out of place. How had a poor farmer's son ended up here?

The shifter took one more breath of the clear fresh air before wandering back inside to the wonderful warm smells of the kitchen. "Wargs are all set," he informed Gaea. "When is dinner? It smells delicious." Careful to stay out of her way, he found a spot to lean against an open counter and wait with a growling stomach.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Thu Feb 9, 2023 2:58 PM, Post Subject: Children and the Journey Home [P/R]

Gaea smiled over at Olvar who seemed to be struggling. They had gotten better at knowing when the other was off. It helped a lot with the children especially. No one was always at the top of their game and having a partner certainly made it easier.

“You don’t need to worry about the long term for right now… Anything long-term could be thrown out the window by the children. Trust me I know,” Angela spoke with sincerity in her voice. “Focus on what you can do in the now.” She approved of what he said so far.

A red-haired male popped up in the big window the living room had and was pounding on the door. “Mama ANG. MAMA ANG,” he was crying as children pounced him down.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Angela got up and opened the window. “Play with them Ivan. I asked Celeste if I could borrow you.”

“This isn’t fun,” the grown man was crying. “Mama Celeste would never do something so cruel.”

“Well… She knew you would be subjected to the children… So she did.” Angela closed the window after telling the children they were doing a marvelous job playing.

“Mama Ang?” Gaea tilted her head. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

“Me? Nemesis has two wives. Celeste is his first wife.”

“I never thought you would settle for second,” Gaea seemed amused.

“I didn’t. We have equality. Both Celeste and I are bookworms so we get along fantastically. Ivan is her sired. He takes her word as law so I asked Celeste if I could have him for the day. He’s very good with the children. He won’t hurt them because Nemesis would break his neck,” the goddess seemed amused as she thought of Ivan’s predicament.

“I recall Nemesis being a colorful man,” Gaea seemed worried for only a moment, “and he’s safe?”

“Safe as can be. He loves you kids. Even if he has a tough exterior. He runs part of the underground in Kurayo so not many people try to make enemies of him. The children are safe and happy. Though… because Kurayo isn’t in the sunlight… Lehya constantly complains about his eyes when we’re here. He’s mine when he’s whiny.” She rolled her eyes. “Always come get your son he’s being Lehya again. Speaking of your brother… You should go see Lucian too. I dumped this whole place on him so I could have more time to myself not that it worked.”

“We’ll make time to go see Lucian, the beach, and all of Sularia.” Gaea nodded and looked up at Olvar. “At least we know we’re in a very safe place.”

“The safest…” Angela reassured them both. “Nissa might benefit from Toya and well Sam seems like he wants to follow in your steps. I’ve been somewhat watching when I can but that’s all that’s been in my power. We might be able to get Sam lessons at the academy if he really wants to.”

Gaea’s eyes lit up a bit, “I would like to teach him what I know first but… if he wants… I think that’s a really good opportunity. And… When it comes to Nissa… If she really wants to be a knight… Aunt Toya would be the way to go.”

“She might be a pain in the ass but Toya has never hurt a child before. Kicked them screaming across the city but never hurt them. Tempest blew up the port and since the child is hard headed Toya resorted to kicking her down the beach until she apologized. I’m so thankful that Shiloh is married into the family now. Thanks to her being Belen’s mother she was well aware of what her daughter in law did. She fixed the port up and now its fire proof. We like to call it Tempest proof.”

–

An hour of small talk later and Angela was scooping Lehya up in her arms. He was complaining. “Yes, yes my love.” She kissed the small boy. “Roman. Tamara… Say your byes to Nissa and Sam.”

“Aw…” It was a collective from all the children.

“We’ll be back another day. We have to get Ivan home to Mama Celeste now.” The vaewolf looked worse for the wear as he stumbled into the door. His hair had been pulled and he looked less pristine than before. “Have a good night.”

Gaea stretched and smiled up at Olvar, “Coming home was a good idea.” Nissa had come in and climbed into Olvar’s lap. The excitement had wiped her out as she grumped in his arms. Sam came over and piled onto Olvar as well.

“You take care of them and I’ll cook us dinner,” she kissed all three of them before excusing herself to the kitchen. “You shouldn’t let them nap too long though. Nissa will raise hell all night if we do.” It was a gentle reminder that no matter how cute she was currently… She was an absolute animal normally. She was sure that Olvar didn't need the reminding. "You should take care of the wargs before dinner. I got their food all ready," Gaea spoke up once more from the kitchen after a bit.

The smell of stew was heavy in the air. The smell of fresh bread wasn't that far behind it. The sooner she could get the children's bellies full the sooner they would be really out for the night. A good hearty meal was just what they needed to round off the day.

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Sun Feb 5, 2023 12:16 PM, Post Subject: Children and the Journey Home [P/R]

As Gaea leaned back into him, Olvar let his arms fall loosely around her, smirking at her reminder. "And yours before moonrise," he replied. The child could be described as a menace, but between the two of them they had managed to keep her alive and mostly out of major trouble. Hopefully being settled in one place would make that job easier, no longer needing to account for unexpected happenings on the road. "I look forward to all of us getting a good rest."

He regarded his youngest with quiet amusement as she hunted through the kitchen for a snack, letting Gaea decide on what she would get to satisfy her growing appetite. No doubt a side effect of having a wolfish half, if you ask him. As Nissa ran off with her snack, Olvar gave her an odd look. "'Ma'am'?" he mumbled to Gaea, then shook his head, immediately agreeing. "We can't afford to be outnumbered."

The knock at the door was almost jarring. Having been on the road for so long, it was unusual being back in a house again, and Olvar found his instincts were still on edge. It would likely take him a few days, possibly longer to fully untrain the tension that had settled into his shoulders over the last few years. Allowing Gaea to lead the way, he joined her at the front door to greet their newest visitor, none other than Angela. Plus a few little ones he didn't recognize.

The shifter smiled as the children all ran off to play, watching after Sam for a moment longer to make sure he wasn't left behind by his sister. His watch was interrupted by a hug from Angela, which he readily, if a bit awkwardly returned. It was unusual to be out of sight of the kids, but he knew this was something he would have to adjust to. The dangers of the unknown weren't here, and with Ivan keeping watch it was as good a time as any to let them wander a bit.

As they settled down to relax and catch up, the man seemed distracted, his thumb absently running back and forth across the back of Gaea's hand. Likely tired from the journey, he told himself, doing his best to rein in his scattered thoughts. "We'll have some settling in here of course. Check the grounds to be sure there isn't anything that Nissa might get into. I haven't thought much beyond that. There are a few people I'd like to seek out, but only when all is well here." Simon immediately came to mind, part of him wondering if the knight even still lived. And did he still travel with Raphael? He thought back on how he and the noble's son had butted heads so immediately and resolutely. Perhaps time had changed them both enough to have an easier coexistence.

"I think Nissa and Sam might enjoy a trip to the beach in the near future as well. Or a tour through Sularia. There's plenty for them to see here." And he wouldn't mind getting reacquainted with the city as well. He looked to Angela curiously. "Have we missed anything of note during our time gone?"

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Fri Feb 3, 2023 8:48 PM, Post Subject: Children and the Journey Home [P/R]

Nissa wasn’t about to challenge her mother for what was probably the twentieth time that day. There were limits even to her madness. Gaea tried to be fair though and not use her mom voice when she didn’t have to. It caused the girl to push the envelope until the voice was forced. She found the day’s limit with her jump.

In the kitchen, Gaea was going through the cutlery and seeing everything they had. Once Olvar was by her side she backed up into him. She tilted her head up to get a good look at her lover giving him a smirk. “Remember she is your child before morning light,” it was a simple teasing that she did. Hopefully, Nissa was tired enough from the day’s excitement to sleep all night but she had surprised them before with her perseverance.

“It’s going to be nice to have a bed for just the two of us,” she chuckled up as she kissed his cheek.

A small body came into the kitchen, “Ew, gross.” It was Nissa who was going through their extra food.

“Hey, you know we’re going to have dinner somewhat soon right?” Gaea was comfortable on Olvar not really wanting to move to confront Nissa directly.

“Can’t I have just one snack?” The girl could eat them out of house and home if they let her and Gaea simply sighed and nodded.

“Give me an apple…” Holding out her hands the young girl gave one to her and the nymph went to work cutting it up for her on a plate. “Bring the plate back down after you are done… Alright?”

“Yes ma’am,” Nissa squeaked up as she carefully carried the plate up the stairs to her new base.

“That… That was suspicious,” Gaea chuckled a bit at the use of ma’am. “I can’t tell sometimes if that child is coming or going.” She was whispering up to Olvar. “No more children,” it left Gaea’s lips with a smirk up at him, “the next one is liable to actually run us over.” She thought of saying it could kill her but after the struggle with Nissa she decided it was better not to dredge it up. “We would never be able to sleep.”

There was a knock on the door and before Gaea could even move Nissa had flung herself down the stairs and opened the door. “It’s a lady with a big chest,” Nissa yelled.

“A big…” Gaea gave Olvar a look. Their poor child could never meet Simon… She was bound to kill the man with her words. Managing to actually not be able to find the words to scold her child Gaea took Olvar’s hand so they could go to the foyer.

“I’m so sorry Mother,” the words left Gaea’s mouth fast.

“Mother…” Nissa looked between Gaea and Angela for a moment before the color drained from her face.

“That’s right little one,” Angela bent over to speak to Nissa directly. “I’m your Grandma.”

“Oh… Well… You have pretty red hair,” Nissa tried to save herself and Gaea simply stroked the girl’s wild brown locks.

“Thank you,” Angela smirked as she stood up and looked up at Sam who was spying on them from the banister upstairs. “What cute little ones you have.” Three little redheads peeked out from around Angela at their niece and nephew.

“These little ones are your brothers and sister,” Angela scouted the small children in front of her. “Roman, Lehya, and Tamara.” Each one had red eyes and red hair. They each gave their hellos as Nissa and Sam also gave them a greeting in exchange. It was Nissa and Sam’s first time being with children their age instead of the split second with Sparrow.

Nissa began to bounce as she looked up at her mother and father, “CAN I TAKE THEM AND GO PLAY?!”

“I don’t see why not… as long as you behave. No climbing. No drowning… and please don’t torment the wargs.”

“Be good,” Angela warned her three as the four ran off to play.

“Sam, do you want to go play with them as well?” Gaea looked up at her boy who was slowly making his way down. He nodded up at her and Gaea ruffled his hair. “Keep your sister out of trouble if you can.”

“Yes, Mother,” Sam nodded as he finally ran off after the other kids.

“Welcome home you two,” Angela approached both of them and hugged them. “It’s been a long trip, hasn’t it? You two look like you haven’t slept well in ages. Come, come I’ll make us some tea and we can relax. I brought Ivan with me so the triplets will probably just torment him with the kids. They are in good hands I promise.” There was yelling outside but it was followed by childish laughter. “See? They are fine.”

Gaea was hesitant but soon they were seated in the family room where Angela was boiling water and making them each a cup of tea. “You got remarried? They don’t look like Drae,” Gaea was quick to call her mother out.

“Aye, Drae and I had a bit of a falling out. He left for a time and it wasn’t fair to the kids. Lucian and Nerezza’s father is my husband now.”

“Wow,” Gaea seemed sort of impressed by her mother.

“I brought you some meat and vegetables for tonight to make dinner,” Angela sighed a bit, “It was the most I could do for tonight but I’ll think of some more things. I was going to bring cute dresses for Nissa but I see that would have been wasted.” It wasn’t said in a negative light.

“No… That was definitely the right call. That child would have them ripped,” Gaea chuckled up to Olvar and took his hand in hers. “She’s definitely Olvar’s child.”

Angela smirked a bit and tilted her head as she sipped on her tea, “So what are your plans now that you are home?”

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Fri Feb 3, 2023 5:56 PM, Post Subject: Children and the Journey Home [P/R]

Nissa's boundless spirit in full force, they made their way to the house as the little ones introduced themselves. Sam was as soft-spoken as ever, receiving an approving pat on the shoulder from Olvar after offering his name. Nissa was not so soft-spoken, and had unfortunately picked up a little more than Gaea would have liked in terms of vocabulary. In his opinion, words were just words, but he wouldn't undermine Gaea's discipline. She had the prevailing track record for keeping Nissa safe and out of trouble, which was quite a feat by itself.

Upon arrival, Olvar took the wargs back to the stables to settle in and rest after such a long trip. Lofe and Forrest took off to stretch their legs, Lofe loping along and Forrest darting along on either side of him. The remaining three all got comfortable in their new "den", Gunther curling up near Shade while Ojuk drained half the water trough before finally relaxing. He would have to come out with the little ones later to refill it. Those kids had boundless energy despite the travel. The shifter felt like he could sleep for days the next time his head finally hit a pillow.

With the wargs drifting into a hearty slumber, Olvar went to rejoin Gaea. He thanked Toya once more before she left with Sparrow, then headed inside to explore their new dwelling. It was a sturdy build, and felt warm and dry inside. A fine house, and especially luxurious compared to the last few years. A soft voice caught his ear, and he had just turned to face Sam when a weight from above dropped onto his back. He stumbled, but managed to catch himself before he could fall. Nissa clung to his back a moment before dropping gracefully to the floor. He was startled by a boom from Gaea in the other room, but the fire was for his daughter, not him. While he did not incriminate her, he showed clear disapproval for her attempted lie in his expression. "She already knows the answer, you know. It's a test of honor. Best to always offer the truth to your mother," he advised quietly. Nissa sighed, but didn't press the matter.

"We're going to let Sam choose his room first. He was the first to ask." Nissa huffed, but Olvar left no room for argument in his expression. He motioned for Sam to explore onward, and watched with a light smile as his eldest investigated each option. After he'd chosen, one of the rooms with a large window, Olvar gave Nissa the word and she took off to race through the remaining choices. Her selection was closest to the stairway, ready to run for whatever next adventure wait outside the front door. With the little ones occupied with unpacking their things, Olvar wandered back to Gaea. "We'll have to be mindful of aerial attacks from the stairway," he warned.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Fri Feb 3, 2023 4:55 PM, Post Subject: Children and the Journey Home [P/R]

“We’ve had a particularly hard time trusting Nissa to stay at the campsite,” Gaea said with exhaustion towards Toya.

“I could see how that is a problem… Do you like exploring little one?” Toya was gentle with the small girl who looked up from her father’s pant leg.

“EXPLORING IS THE BEST! You get to get in the mud, run free with no sho-”

“You used to run with no shoes,” Gaea corrected her.

“I’M GOING TO RUN WITH NO SHOES,” Nissa reaffirmed herself to her mother. “Just not around any briar bushes…”

“That’s right… We can have Daddy check out the area surrounding… and if he deems it safe… I GUESS you can run around with no shoes,” Gaea said with a slight edge in her voice. The once soft-spoken woman had found a thunderous boom hidden inside of her. It made even Olvar and the wargs stop in their tracks. Motherhood fit Gaea like a glove and she was quick on the uptake which saved them a lot with Nissa’s shenanigans.

“Let me show you to the house,” Toya had a set of keys on her as they wandered. “Sparrow say hello to your cousins.”

“Go ahead… introduce yourselves,” Gaea looked between her children as they walked.

“Sam,” the littlest voice popped out of their son… but…

“I’m NISSA. I’m going to be the best damn knight there ever wa–” Gaea lightly smacked the back side of the girl’s head and looked up at Olvar. Maybe that tavern wasn’t the best place to have stopped. “WHAT?! They got to say it… Can’t I?”

“No, those types of words are for adults like your daddy and I,” Gaea sighed a bit more. This girl was going to age Gaea at least another thirty years by the time she was six.

“Well… that sucks,” Nissa let go of her father to firmly cross her arms and look between her parents. “I want priv… priv…” The girl was thinking hard. “PRIVILEGES.”

“Nope… You got at least thirteen years before I even consider giving you those kinds of privileges… Do not cuss anymore or I’ll put soap in your mouth,” Gaea was looking for anything to get her child to think about not doing something.

“…That’s just… gross,” Nissa stuck her tongue out and finally behaved until they reached a nice Tudor style home.

“It’s four rooms… Giving you some much-needed privacy from well… Stable is in the back for the wargs.” Toya looked at the kids and smirked a bit.

“Privacy… That’s a word I haven’t thought of in four years…” Gaea chuckled a bit as the keys were handed over.

“If you need anything there’s always the bazaar. Gods know you haven’t had a lot on your travels so take the time to enjoy settling for a bit. If you need anything you know where to find me… Your mother will be around at some point. Probably bring the triplets with her… You’ll love them… They are menaces.”

Soon Toya left them to their own devices and Gaea was eager to be in a house after all that time. Nissa was exploring the house, running up and down the stairs repeatedly, opening rooms to look in, slamming doors… Sam was trying to account for his things.

“Father which room is mine? Can–”

Nissa let out a bellow as she tossed herself over the banister and onto Olvar, “DADDY CAN I PICK MY ROOM FIRST?!”

“NISSA OLIVIA TYRESUS,” Gaea’s voice boomed from the kitchen.

“WHAT?! I DIDN’T DO ANYTH–”

“Did I just hear you jumping from a high spot?” Gaea hadn’t seen it but she knew her daughter.

“Pfft… No,” Nissa refused to look her father in the eyes while lying to her mother.

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Fri Feb 3, 2023 4:34 PM, Post Subject: Children and the Journey Home [P/R]

It had been such a long journey. The years that had passed felt almost like a second lifetime. At first he had planned to take only himself and Ojuk, hoping the journey to be swift with only two. But when Gaea began packing alongside him, he did little to dissuade her, and in the end was thankful for the company, moreso than he’d expected.

The road traveled was long, and oftentimes a difficult path riddled with challenges that Olvar could never have imagined. It pulled them all across Canelux, chasing rumors and ghosts, even dragging them to the distant shores of Parvpora in hopes of a cure. They tracked covens that practiced similar types of baneful magic to what had cursed him so long ago, but none of their rituals held the answers. He wondered one night if the magic that had cursed him simply came from another land; one lost to time and space. Perhaps there simply was no cure to be found for his particular ailment. Not here. It didn’t stop trying on their part however. Gaea’s herbal inclinations found all manner of concoctions to try, but the results were always negligible at best, uncomfortable at worst. The results for many tried alternatives were the same.

Despite the hardship and disappointment, he had seen many things during their time on the road, both incredible and devastating. From brilliant sights to sorrowful expanses, to glittering cities and meek hovels. It was certainly a much bigger world than a farmboy from MoonCrest could ever have imagined as a child. And while he and Gaea had proven they could handle this world quite well, especially with a small warg pack at their backs, that confidence changed to caution when Sam entered the world. The boy was easily comforted and a hardy young traveler, so they remained in their search, although much more slowly now with a child. It was Nissa that halted their journey and turned them home. Though a healthy child, her spirit was nearly fatal to Gaea, and assistance from a local shaman was necessary to save her life. To this day, Olvar holds a sliver of blame that the magic used then is what catalyzed his daughter’s vibrant inner flame, but he would never wish it undone in fear of the alternative.

The children grew quickly as they traveled homeward, Olvar wondering what would be waiting for them when they returned. He had no family per se, but he had certainly said his goodbyes before leaving, wondering if there would ever be another hello.

It was on this returning journey through the great plain that Olvar found yet another surprise while out hunting with Ojuk. A lone warg pup, skittish and flashing nervous white teeth, caught his attention from its hiding place in the shrubbery. After a few pieces of a caught rabbit, the pup followed along after them, but remained wary of being touched. He named the new addition Gunther and brought him back to join the rest of the pack as the fifth member.

In order to bypass the desert with the little ones, they elected to spend some extra coin to hire a private vessel, one willing and large enough to carry them and the wargs. It was an unnerving final leg of the journey for Olvar, who remained close to his beasts for the majority of the voyage. Only when they neared port did he venture close to the rails, more to watch Nissa than anything. Twice already she had nearly toppled overboard, and Olvar had no interest at all in braving the waters below.

As they finally neared the dock, Olvar let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll get the wargs unloaded,” he told Gaea. “Don’t want a sailor losing a finger. Or a hand.” The wargs were eager to get off of the ship, Gunther thankfully having taken to following Shade around, so there was no worry of him scurrying off into the city. It took a few minutes to calm Forrest and Lofe after being cooped up, but Ojuk was a great help in keeping them in line. Once confident they would behave, he went to meet back up with Gaea.

Nissa came running to meet him, and he smiled as she clutched at his leg, already giddy about her next adventure. “We’ll definitely go for a swim. The wargs need bathes,” he promised with a chuckle. He escorted his youngest back to where Gaea and Toya stood with Sam and another youngster. He regarded Toya with a respectful nod. “That sounds perfect, it’s much appreciated. I feel as though I’ve barely slept since leaving.” And it felt almost unreal to be back.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Thu Feb 2, 2023 3:34 PM, Post Subject: Children and the Journey Home [P/R]

It had been a long journey over the past few years. They had left the safety of the cabin they had borrowed in the highlands for a chance, a small chance, that they could find a cure for Olvar. The years had dragged on and along with them came new challenges along the way.

They fought witches, participated in magic rituals, and tried strange and new herbal remedies. All of it had yielded nothing to them but still, they had carried on. Their first major setback was the realization that Gaea had gotten pregnant. The pregnancy was easy, and Olvar managed to deliver his own son alone. Sam was a good baby, he was quiet and easily satisfied. Still, they were more careful about how they went about their search for the cure.

It was her second surprise pregnancy that really did her in. It almost stopped them in their tracks. Filling Olvar with nothing but anxiety as he watched Gaea be extremely sick for hours on end. It was painful and it only got worse the longer the pregnancy went. Bringing their youngest into the world was the hardest thing they had ever done. Gaea had almost lost her life to a string of different problems they encountered. It was by luck that they had been near a village. It had taken everything to get help. Unlike her brother Nissa was screamer and she rarely seemed satisfied for long.

They thought maybe she would outgrow it but the moment the child understood she had legs was the moment their stress got even higher. She was the very visage of a wild animal. The spitting image of Olvar. Olvar swore up and down that it was karma for his attitude.

They finally made their way back to Sularia after a particularly bad stunt with poison ivy. Nissa had barreled her way through a briar patch of all things and straight into poison ivy getting stuck.

” Daddy I think I’m stuck!” The small voice cried out from the bushes.

”Dear Gods…” Olvar’s voice whispered, “I’m coming Nis.”

It had led to a week-long treatment for rashes and itching on both of them. They were lucky that Sam and Gaea weren’t really affected by the poison ivy. They had come to the rescue once they realized what was going on.

It was just a string of those occurrences that led to them being on a private ship bound for Sularia. They had caught it going up the coast. A week-long voyage was better than dragging all the wargs and their children through the hot desert.

“DADDY! DADDY!” Nissa’s voice squealed as she ran across the deck having chosen to throw her shoes somewhere on the ship. She climbed up and was leaning over board. “LOOK DADDY I CAN SEE IT!” Nissa was pointing and Olvar had to grab her by her collar as she almost slipped into the sea.

“Nissa… Where are your shoes…” Gaea put her hands on her hips as she joined by her lover’s side.

“Oh, I don’t need them,” the tiny child squeaked up at her with a hell of a smile.

“They are right here Mother,” the almost too quiet voice of Sam carried up. He had Gaea’s pink eyes but Olvar’s mouse-brown hair. It was almost down to his shoulder in loose curls. He held up the tiny boots and Gaea took them.

“Thanks, Love,” she bent down and kissed his forehead. “Sit Nis.” They wrangled the wild child to put her boots back on and she whined the entire time about how she wanted to be free. “We wear shoes in a civilized society you know… Especially you after the briar bushes.”

“It was one time,” Nissa whined.

“It was three times. You don’t get to discount the other two just because you didn’t get stuck,” Gaea chuckled at the small pouting child. She could hear the wargs getting restless once more. “We’re almost there…”

Once they were docked Olvar tasked himself with getting the wargs safely off. They had even added a new pup to the group. The new pup was probably Nissa’s perfect match if Gaea had to hazard a guess. Gaea held Nissa in her arms to keep the child from bolting into the city. Sam held her hand as they walked down the ramp. “Welcome to Sularia my babies,” Gaea let them look around at their motherland. Sam was quiet from his eyes were large.

“We saw the boat some time ago off the coast,” Toya was waiting for them with a six-year-old by her side. The wild blonde curls the boy had made it obvious he was the toddler they had met before. “Welcome home kids… and hello to your little ones… Gods, she looks like the knucklehead…” Toya bent over to get a look at Nissa. “Your mother is running a bit late. She’s still busy even though she handed everything over to Lucian here. She told me to tell you that they arranged for you and yours to have a small house to get your land legs back. A small vacation house on the lake. It has room for all the wargs too.”

Nissa fought her mother hard once she saw her father and Gaea sighed. “Okay but straight to your father don’t you dare run off.”

“OKAY,” Nissa promised nothing as she was let down and sped off to cling to her father’s leg. “Daddy! We get to live on a lake! We can go swimming just like the pond!”

“… That wasn’t swimming Nissa that was you almost killing your brother by holding him under…” Gaea sighed a bit. “Which we’re not doing again…”

“I didn’t know you needed to breathe,” Nissa pouted a bit more. By a three-year-old’s standards she was developed but being what she was… Gaea always figured they were destined to develop a lot faster than normal children.

Toya let out a hardy laugh, “My goodness she is a wild child.”

“No kidding,” Gaea sounded exhausted just thinking about it. Nissa gave even the hardened Olvar the worst type of anxiety. "Aunt Toya said that we can use the lake house for the time being until we're settled enough. Enough room even for the wargs to run about."