Part 4
“I know Grandfather.” Helemia told him. “I feel bad about Vanakit Lamitkeze. I hurt him before I knew what I was doing, and now he hates me a lot. He hates what I did to him, and he hates that the others had to come and get him, and he hates that he was helpless for a week while he healed up. And I’m aware of him all the time, and he can feel that, and he hates that most of all. He thinks about killing me all the time, but he doesn’t even know what I look like, or which one of us I am. He sure doesn’t think I’m a baby. So he kind of hates all of us here in the settlement, because he doesn’t know which one of us is me. He’s too far away for me to know where he is or what he’s thinking exactly, but I can sure feel all of that, all the time.”
That brought an awkward silence for a moment, during which Mark met Talia’s eyes and found them narrowed with the same expression of determined protectiveness that his own face wore. They exchanged a few private thoughts.
From somewhere outside the house they all heard Stripe’s roar and Scout’s shrill cry, and Mark opened the front door with Movement. “It’s time for you kids to meet Stripe and Scout.” he announced as he Moved the table out of the way to make room.
Scout swooped down from a treetop, gave two powerful wing beats in the front yard to level out, one more to achieve a fast, shallow arc, and folded his wings completely as he darted through the door. He immediately spread his wings to their full span of more than three and a half meters and back-winged hard for three beats with enough strength to blow the napkins off the tables and ruffle everyone’s hair, brought himself to a stop in mid-air, and settled straight down a meter to land on Mark’s outstretched wrist. He waved his wings once to finalize his balance before he gripped Mark’s wrist, fussily folded his wings, and cocked his head to the side as his crest rose.
Though everyone there knew the great Serminaki King Eagle, his entrance was still a startling and intimidating display of expert flying that had everyone ducking, and Mandri squealed a bit in excited startlement. Now he stood proudly, as if giving them a moment to admire his sleek black feathers and the shimmering silver on his crest and the edges of his wings and tail.
Stripe bounded in the door a moment later, and lay his huge tiger-like head on Talia’s lap. The thirty-centimeter long white whiskers on his muzzle and eyebrows tickled Helemia, who giggled in adorable delight. The horizontal stripes of his fur were vibrant and bright, ranging in color from dark red on the top of his head, neck, and back, down to light yellow on his belly and legs. Every gram of the gigantic six hundred and thirty-five kilogram Kletiukan Sleng Cat was a picture of feline health and vitality.
“Hello boys.” Mark said to their beloved pets as he and Talia gave them scratches and rubs with their free hands. “I know we haven’t had much time for you lately, but now that our children are born, you have two new friends to play with. Once they’re old enough that is. For now, you know your new duties, don’t you? Sure you do, you’re both such good boys!”
animals looked to the
set them to guarding us?”
explained. “Once they learned that, your safety became their highest priority. Gerticol’s training assures it, and all
invisible Sylvan anywhere near here.” Mark added. “With Stripe’s psionic sensitivity and their other incredibly acute senses, I doubt even the Sylvan God
twins awkwardly hugged each of the animals, then Stripe bounded back out the door with a low, rumbling growl. Scout stepped onto the palm of Mark’s hand, Mark drew his arm back, and threw the big bird toward the door with a motion like throwing a spear.
said to herself,
Reggie told them; “The unicorns are coming. Can we
clothes
said with a smile as she plucked Reggie from Mark’s arms
out in the brisk winter air the twins fell asleep, and their visitors took their leave. Mark went to retrieve his canoe, then spent a few minutes casting Wards around the small valley behind their house. Their gardens and animal pens were there, the children would probably play there often as
babies woke for feeding and changing about every four hours, then went right back to sleep, until morning
the morning. Sensing activity on the bed, he slowly cracked his eyes open, and smiled as he understood what he was seeing.
Reggie learn to localize sensation and control in his hands and fingers. Alilia held the palm of her hand against the sole of Helemia’s right foot as she helped
girls and the babies gave him smiles and nods of greeting, but