Coming Home

“We’ll meet again. Soon.” Kaer patted Elian’s horse. “Then we’ll practice some more.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Elian said, and despite his aching muscles, he meant it. He might have his fire back, stronger than ever, but there was still something appealing to swordplay. Not for the first time he wondered if it would be possible to combine the two…

“I’ll be back in the spring.” Kaia tied her bedroll to the back of her saddle.

“I might come visit before that. I’ve never seen the mines, and hunting in them sounds like good sport,” Kaen grinned. “We should all help the dwarves make sure every last bug is a dead bug, right?”

“You never were one to sit quietly around the fire, mending your gear during the cold dark months,” Kaia laughed, then put a hand on his arm. “And we’ll be happy to have you. Not only for bug hunting.”

“Be prepared to give the pups some lessons as soon as they see you,” Elian added, swinging himself on top of his horse. It danced to the side, but he easily found his balance.

“I will,” Kaer said. “You’ve learned enough that you can show them some things too.”

Kaia leaped onto her horse and looked back at the camp.

“I’ll miss you, brother. May your hunting skill guide you until we meet again.”

“It’s been too many goodbyes lately,” Elian said as they rode along a dwindling path, probably made by countless deer. “Lucen, Brinja, Lior…”

Saying farewell to him had been hard, but they were both free to visit and had already made plans for the summer. The Nareth summer camp wasn’t far from Azinth, and just the mention of the lake had made Lior’s eyes light up.

“That sounds so pretty,” he’d said. “And I really miss the forest. Cliffs and beaches are great too, but it’s not quite the same.”

“And when I come visit you, Elowen promised she’d arrange for us to go on a boat…” He couldn’t wait. There was so much he wanted to do… but first… first he needed to make sure his family was okay.

“They weren’t really goodbyes,” Kaia said. “We’ll meet everyone before the next winter.”

“You’re right. And I can’t wait to get home and see everyone again.”

They rode on in silence, the forest still quiet as if nature was still holding its breath, relieved to have survived annihilation. They didn’t bother to hunt; the Kharun had sent plenty of food with them, so all they needed to do was find fresh water and comfortable places to spend the nights.

Even with the horses, it took them the better part of two short moons before the dense forest opened up and they could make better speed. They chose to continue straight east until they reached the river and then followed it north.

“I believe we’re being ambushed,” Kaia said, sniffing the air and smiling as they caught sight of the giant oak tree, towering over the glade.

“Ambushed?”

She didn’t seem worried, but he still stayed vigilant as they continued. The babbling water hid any sound from these would-be ambushers, but he also didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. They’d just turned around a group of large rocks when the trap sprang. Something small and soft shot from the bushes and landed on his back.

“Elian-teacher. You took so long!” Myan’s arms tightened around his neck as he tried to turn his head enough to see her. “Kaia-auntie too.”

“Sorry about that. We had to take a detour.”

“I missed you. Meow too.”

“Me too! Me too!” The other pups emerged from the shrubs, and Lyko was practically bouncing next to Elian’s horse. “We knew you were coming. We could smell you from really far away.”

“Really far away,” Myan added. “You should go and take a bath today.”

“Will do. We’ve been travelling for a while now.”

“Mhm, you know, I can ride a horse too,” Myan said proudly, climbing around him and trying to take the reins. “Beohr-uncle taught me.”

“He taught all of us,” Lyco corrected her. “And Jenna-auntie forced us to practice human.”

“Good, I asked her to do that. Are they still here?”

“Yes. Their horses too. They said they wanted to see you before they left.”

“I want to see them too.”

As soon as they reached the camp, Roahr was the first to greet them, catching Elian in a rough embrace.

“I understand you did well. We’ll have talks later, but today is for enjoying. We’re happy to have you back.”

“The pups ordered apple pie for you,” Ryn said, pulling him into another hug.

“That sounds wonderful. I missed your cooking. And you.”

“Glad to hear it. Why don’t you put those horses with the others so they don’t steal my apples?”

“Of course.”

Myan and Lyco naturally took charge and showed them to a small, fenced-in area where four horses were grazing. They all had intricately braided manes and tails.

“I guess that’s your doing?” Elian asked Myan, who nodded proudly.

“It makes them even prettier, don’t you think?”

“It does. You have clearly practiced a lot.”

“Practising is fun.”

“Practising speaking human too?” He asked with a smile. “Classes start tomorrow.”

“Noooooo.” The pups looked up at him with pleading eyes. “But you need to tell us everything about your adventures. Please.”

“Of course,” Elian said with a straight face. “But I could tell you the story in human…”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Maybe… maybe not,” he laughed, handing the reins of the horse to Myan. “Why don’t you handle this, and I'll go take that bath. Then we eat and tell stories.”

“Yay. That’s a deal. But… not in human, right…?”

“Okay. Not tonight at least.” He ruffled her hair and went in search of his things.

Once Elian had finished his bath and changed into clean clothes, he was feeling refreshed, but shivering both from the freezing water and the crisp air.

“Can you really light fires with your hand?” Myan asked as he was hanging his towel to dry on a branch.

“It’s true.”

“Really, really true?”

“Yes.”

“Can you show us?” Picking a yelping Meow up in one hand, she took Elian’s hand and half-dragged him to one of the fireplaces. It was stacked high with dry wood. The other pups and a few of the adults watched him expectantly, and he nodded.

It wasn’t a secret anymore.

He squatted next to it and placed his hand on a thick log. His mark flared - it wasn’t as ugly as he remembered it - and the fire spread fast. He smiled, a bit embarrassed by the impressed gasps coming from his audience, and quickly found a comfortable spot, leaning against a tall tree stump, stretching his feet toward the fire. The air still bore the scents of grilled meat and apple pies. Myan snuggled down next to him, telling him about all the adventures she had while he was away.

“You look like you’ve sprouted roots,” Kaia said, taking the place on his other side. Her hair was still wet from her bath, and she smelled of soapy leaves. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and sighed happily when he put an arm around her. “But that’s not a bad thing. I think I will too. This is a good place to put down roots.”

“You’re right. It is.” He smiled happily, warm and relaxed, idly petting Meow, who’d taken the opportunity to claim his lap.

It was good to be home.

The End