Echoes of a Memory (Mature)

Hikaru smiled confidently, "Ii l'gra ehis shar dout skriiod." ((I fear nothing but your wrath.))

Emilyn sat contentedly in her father's lap, keeping an eye on Raden in case he decided to kill any more butterflies. Raden seemed entertained by his sister's bare toes, almost massaging them with his hands, watching her wriggle them in response to his touch.

She raised an eyebrow at him, smirking and stepping even closer, pressed up against him, uncaring about the other elves. They would care not about their affections. "Ehis? tT tangis dout ancestors? Si jikahshi wux ti, Hikaru?" (Nothing? Not even your ancestors? I believe you not, Hikaru.)


Lathai chuckled, holding her so that she faced her brother. Even he was tickling the little girl, enjoying them actually getting along for once.

"Sia ancestors re loex vur gethrisja. Svabol tepoha si ekess l'gra de astahi?" Hikaru smiled coyly, the gears in his mind turning. ((My ancestors are dead and gone. What have I to fear from them?))

Emilyn giggled, smiling, her finger still in her mouth. She kicked her feet a bit, which of course made Raden hold on much more, wriggling his fingers with a smile, watching her laugh.

She chuckled, sliding his finger up and down the side of his neck, grinning at him. "Vur zyak wux l'gra dout moxt kaldra svern nomenes wux faestir? Svabol tir wux tepoha ekess l'gra de ve?"


Lathai chuckled, sliding her fingers from her mouth and pointing at Raden. "Why don't you tickle him back?"

(And so you fear your little fox over those you serve? What do you have to fear from me?)

Hikaru caressed her cheek, looking very serious very suddenly, "Si l'gra wux nomag ehtah voga throdenilt xihuuliup di dout kornari loupon si."

((I fear you may find another more worthy of your heart than I.))

Emilyn seemed to understand, leaning forward to try and get Raden back. Raden simply curled into a ball, impenetrable, and gummed gently at her toes. She giggled, kicking a bit.

She met his seriousness with her own, eyes tearing up slightly as she went on her toes and kissed him with her whole heart. "Mobi ui ehs throdenilt xihuuliup." Mairi said, nuzzling as she leaned her forehead against his. "Si itov wux throdenilt loupon sia zi tobor. Wux re sia kornari; wux kurjh sia sepa, ricin, vur mamiss. Wux re sini, lae si mi douta. Malrak." She kissed his lips tenderly, smiling softly, almost terrified. "Si ornla ti slathalin zyak kiarf sjek si tira ti tuor wux. Si l'gra ergriff batobot wux geou thirku dout ricin, dout kornari. Nomeno ui dout okarthel, vur si svaust ui vekik." Her voice was slightly strangled, her heart clenching painfully in her chest as tears welled up in her eyes once more.


{There is none more worthy. I love you more than my very life. You are my heart; you own my soul, mind, and body. You are mine, as I am yours. Forever. I would not fight so much if I did not want you. I fear only that you will change your mind, your heart. This is your home, and I who is foreign.}


Lathai laughed, setting her on the bench and kneeling in front of them, watching them proudly. "Are you going to let him win, baby girl?"

"Mobi ui kiarf si shilta ti majak wux. Coi pains ve ekess ocuir wer iteshk persvek dout saurivic. Si ornla forsake wer ssifisv di wer treskri sjek coi meant si tiliw remain ini dout symba till wer sulta di tairais. Shar sjek mobi ui ehis batobot shilta qe authot, vur si shilta ti majak wux wer vrak dout kornari longs ihk..." he looked down unable to meet her eyes with the sadness in his own, "Si ornla ti siofme tikil nuri di wux sjek wux chose ekess tepoha dout vraktor mrith voga di dout cirau. Si ornla jihai coi lae sia kurjh, vur coi ornla qe onureth sia doege lae kiarf lae tikil vrak di sini. Si swear nomeno ekess wux.

((There is much I cannot give you. It pains me to see the sorrow in your eyes. I would forsake the rest of the world if it meant I could remain by your side till the end of time. But if there is nothing that can be done, and I cannot give you the child your heart longs for... I would not think any less of you if you chose to have your children with another of your kind. I would accept it as my own, and it would be under my care as much as any child of mine. I swear this to you.))

Emilyn toppled forward on top of her brother, the two of them too uncoordinated to do anything further besides waving their arms and legs around furiously.

"Thric!" The word escaped her with a determined hiss as she coaxed his gaze back to hers. "Si mi douta, ergriff douta, vur si geou ti tir mishun vi youwe." There was a desperation in her silky voice, all the passion and painnof her heart falling forward without restraint. "Si itov wux, ergriff wux, vur vi vrak xurwka ios batobot itov ornla ti truly qe hesini." Her pale eyes lowered as the tears finally fell, dropping to the ground and steaming just slightly, her restraint on her gift slightly faded. "Yth... yth geou. Sjek wux tir ti ricin wer itheik, sjek wux tir ti ricin sia..." She struggled to find the word, realizing that there was no draconic translation, and continued. "...Inability ekess guyya ir thus karif. Yth geou... Si inglata wux."
{No! I am yours, only yours, and I will not do such a thing. I love you, only you, and a child made without that love would not truly be ours. We... We will. If you do not mind the wait, if you do not mind my... Inability to bear one thus far. We will... I promise you.}


He laughed, unaware of the pained moment his sister and brother-in-law were having, his entire focus on his kids. Gently, he separated them, smiling as he sat them both up. "You are not ready to call, my little ones."

Hikaru caressed her cheek, wiping tears with his thumb, "Si ergriff huven ekess ocuir lotocra persvek dout saurivic."

((I only wish to see happiness in your eyes.))

Emilyn clung to his robes, Radin, not quite finished bothering his sister, reached for her toes once more, not minding how it had ended previously.

She reached up and kissed him once more, "Wux re sia lotocra vur sia tobor." Mairi smiled, looking up at him with pure love in her eyes. "I do not want a child that is not yours." She admitted, smiling still. Her voice went softer though and she looked down, blushing dark enough that it blended with some of the lighter shades of the fire in her hair. "I only want you."


(You are my happiness and my life.)


He sighed, shaking his head and booping his son's nose. "Hey, little man, that's not going to get you anywhere."

Hikaru smiled coyly, "I think that were you to take me now, your brother's wife may strike me dead." he chuckled, "I might not mind it."
 
Raden wriggled his nose, thinking the sensation odd, then reached over to smack at his sister. Instead of the sound of his hand on her leg, sharp white lines blazed on Emilyn's skin and his hand passed directly through her. She screamed in pain, jerking her leg up to her chest as the lines faded, tears rolling down her eyes.

Lathai practically screamed, pulling his daughter away and interupting the couple before Mairi was forced to respond. She whirled, flame-colored hair flying as she turned to see the fading of her niece's own markings. Her heart began thudding in her ears, likely the same speed as her brother's. The man's body was trembling as he held his daughter close, almost terrified that the world would take her from him. Still, he stared down at his son, knowing that he would burst into tears any second. Aoi had returned to them by now, protectively wrapping around herself, coiled and setting him on her back, nuzzling him to calm Raden before he had the chance to cry.

Raden looked to his sister, then back to his father, confused. But he knew the sound of pain, and he knew she hurt. Tears welled in his eyes and he began crying as well. Hikaru rushed over, holding Raden and Aoi both in his arms as he bounced them and tried to calm them.
Emilyn's tears did not subside, nor did the pain she felt. She didn't understand what happened, nor why her body refused to stop the burning, blistering pain. She screamed between sobs, her cheeks flushed pink, and her body trembling in his arms. Her tears soaked through the collar on her kimono.

Lathai's body trembled as he held her, crying himself as he tried to calm her. He knew better than to touch the afflicted area, knew better than to try to physically dull the pain. His sister's hands trembled as she pulled off her satchel and began rummaging through it. She had effortlessly taken on the role of babysitter, and had grown accustomed for over preparing for everything, since her brother no longer prepared for himself. "This," she said, hand shaking as she pulled out a salve she had created from nearly a dozen local and Aldudenie plants. Since her brother had such a strong grasp on his abilities and rarely had to use them, she had yet to try out the latest concoction her and the other elves (bored housewives, as the dragon-kin called them) had created. Gently, she pulled back her niece's kimono, gently sliding the cooling, numbing creation along her leg. "I am sorry, Emilyn. I am so sorry."

At first, Emilyn fliched back from Mairi, but the coolness on her leg caused it to relax. She stopped screaming, trying to put on a brave face. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her lower lip quivered. She looked up at Latahi, reaching for his face, "Atar n'uma nalla..." she spoke, though her voice trembled through the words.

Raden continued to cry, while Hikary tried to calm him.

((Father no cry))

He stroked her cheek, calming slowly, "My brave little baby..." He murmured, kissing her forehead. "All is well, I know it is scary. All will be well." He brushed back her hair, sliding the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. "It is okay to cry, my Emilyn. It is okay."

Mairi relaxed, exhaling slowly to calm her nerves before retrieving Raden, pushing back her hair, and laying his head on her exposed shoulder. "Shhhhhhh.... It is okay, little warrior. All is well now."

Emilyn rested her head on her father's chest, letting the last few tears fall freely.
Raden slowly calmed back down, seeing that his sister had ceased screaming. Aelwynn came running back up to the group, "I heard screaming. Is everything okay?" Panic was in her voice, and seeing the twins with tears in their eyes wasn't helping.

He looked up at her, smiling nervously. "Our daughter is a magus." Somehow, he knew that he would not have to explain any further. Lathai had very nearly, or more accuretly likely, doomed their daughter far more than Aelwynn ever could. He was terrified, knowing the pain that she felt far too easily. She would suffer for the very thing he had struggled with all his life.
Mairi looked between them both, setting her hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder, smiling sadly but trusting. "We have a working salve, seler." She held it out to her.

Aelwynn's face was unreadable. Perhaps it was pian, perhaps it was sadness, but she knew that Emilyn faced the same pain she had seen Lathai deal with far too often. Her heart ached knowing what she would have to endure, but she didn't blame Lathai for it. She took the salve from Mairi with a slight bow of thanks, her hands trembling ever so slightly. She knelt by Lathai and Emilyn, "Is she okay?" she asked, worry spilling through her words. Emilyn stuck her fingers in her mouth, sniffling a bit as she looked up at her mother through her hair, not wishing to be taken from her father.

He nodded slowly, pushing her hair back and looking into the eyes that were far too much like her mother's. "She's more scared than anything else. She does not understand." He chuckled softly at the irony, shaking his head. "For once, she does not understand."

Mairi started bouncing Raden on her hip a bit, sort of dancing around with him now that he had stopped crying. She smiled at him, holding him up at arm's length and spinning slowly, beaming at the small boy. Had they not known her so well, they would think she intended on stealing the child.

Aelwynn smiled faintly, "At least she had her atar here to hold her." She leaned forward, kissing Lathai's forehead, then Emilyn's.

Raden giggled in Mairi's arms, all his troubles suddenly forgotten about. Hikaru looked between the two, making sure everything was alright.

"Always," he whispered, a silent vow that would mean hell on Parthalan for any and every fool brave enough to lay a finger on her. He nuzzled his girls, smiling at his wife. "I will have to train her." He admitted, unsure of himself and nervous.

Mairi giggled, tossing him gently and catching him before cradling him and spinning once more. "See? Everything is all better now, amin tithen mael, sia moxt itov." ("My little love," elvish and draconic)

Aelwynn smiled, "Later. For now, she just needs love."

Raden giggled, blowing spit bubbles.

Lathai nodded, kissing his daughter and smiling at her. "She will always have that." He looked up at his sister and laughed. "You do know that he is still mine, correct?"

Mairi narrowed her eyes at him, acting possessive of Raden. "You already have one!" She laughed, handing him back to his mother before going over and nuzzling her husband. "Si tepoha ti forgotten svabol wux. Jahus batobot vin..." She cursed silently, not remembering the word in either language. "...offer?"

(I have not forgotten what you said. Was that an offer?)

Aelwynn smiled, taking Raden. Emilyn nuzzled close to Lathai, holding tightly onto his kimono.
Hikaru grinned, speaking Draconic, "You know you can have anything of me you desire."