Reign of Embers

Chapter 17 - "Let us eat cake and chocolate all day."

Aedion

It's been 19 hours and 37 minutes since Lysandra left, and now everyone else is leaving. Dorian and Manon are off to Ardalan and the witch kingdom, Lorcan to set up report points, and Fenrys off around the country to check up on towns and villages. I may leave for the day every so often in the next three weeks, but that will only be if the army can't sort itself out.

The sun is high in the sky as I sit in the children's common room, gazing up through the huge glass dome towards the vast expanse of blue sky sprinkled with a small scattering of snow white clouds. Today is a nice day to go outside; the sun is warm and bright yet there's still a mild spring breeze in the air that rustles the broad leaves of the trees every so often. I tried to do some training a few hours ago, but got called inside by Zephyr. My 3 year old son sleeps soundly curled up on the sofa next to me, his tiny head resting on my lap. He misses his mum, he keeps asking where Lysandra is but seems happy enough with our responses that she'll be back soon, she's just gone away for a few weeks. At least we thought he was happy. Turns out that the moment I left him for some peace and quiet, he started having a meltdown. When I found him he was sat on a pillow by the fire pit, staring into the flames with tears staining his flushed cheeks. Aelin was sat comforting him, while the other kids sat and listened to a story read by Rowan. Fleetfoot was sprawled out as close to the fire as Aelin would let her, Asterin patting her silky head and murmuring "good dog dog".

Lorcan left this morning after breakfast. Elide and Yrene had explained to the children just before about what was happening and who was leaving, but Lorcan's son Orion didn't listen, meaning that there were a lot of tears when he was trying to leave. Orion forgot very quickly that he was supposed to be sad once his mother took him to make cookies with the other children. It had been a huge mess, but the cooks didn't mind. More cookie dough was eaten than was actually made into cookies but they had fun, and the gooey mess of a final product was delicious.

Dorian and Manon are leaving soon, I should probably go and see if they have returned and say goodbye, but I don't want to risk waking my son, not that that is likely to happen - he sleeps like the dead. Right now Manon, Dorian and Asterin are flying round the surrounding mountains and lakes on Abraxos, spending some quality time together before they are separated. Asterin originally wanted to go with them, but then couldn't decide which parent to go with, so then chose to just stay here with the rest of the children.

I tear my gaze away from the bright blue sky and find myself face to face with a grinning Aisinn. Her smile is infectious, not to mention adorable. Last night she lost her first tooth, so now her huge toothy smile has a gap right at the front. Her gappy smile matched with her unbrushed, usually straight, brown hair, golden brown skin, and bronze eyes, makes her look like a wild child from some book in the library. She is wearing a black pinafore dress with a pale yellow blouse underneath - her current favourite outfit.

" Hello! " she cries.

"Hello trouble." I say to her quietly.

"Did you know that I have been stood here for ages." She says matter of factly . "And you have only just noticed."

" Were you now. " I try and be quiet but it seems that Aislinn cannot take a hint.

"Yes. What were you thinking about?"

" Well let me see. I was thinking about how since lots of people are going away, I'm going to have to look after you all. I think that should just throw you into a cauldron and eat you all for my dinner! " I tease, reaching out and tickling the six year old with one hand .

"Nooooo!" She giggles. " that's just mean! "

"Ok well what do you think I should do?"

" Ummmmm. " she stands and puts one hand on her hip, while making a thinking face. "Let us eat cake and chocolate all day."

" I would love to do that, but your mummy and daddy are still here. "

"We don't have to tell them."

" I suppose not. Maybe go and ask aunty Aelin, I'm sure she'd love to let you eat cake all day. "

"No she wouldn't because she's pregnant."

"What does that have to do with anything? "

"Everything!" She swings her arms in emphasis . "She will be trying to be sensible and trying to prove she can be a good mummy. And, she doesn't like much sweet stuff right now. "

"How do you know she doesn't like sweet foods?"

"Number 1: I'm a healer. Number 2: she had to force herself to eat the cookies earlier. Number 3: we still haven't gone to her favourite chocolate shop. We always go to Mr Marsbury's shop. "

"Ok you have a point."

"Obviously." She says sassily while rolling her eyes, both hands on hips.

"Ok miss sassy pants."

She starts goofing around while laughing, I join in with the laughter. To avoid disturbing my son I carefully remove him from my lap.

Just then Josie comes storming into the room, the distant door of the common room slamming shut behind her.

"Someone's in a strop" I whisper to her sister, Aislinn giggles.

"Fenrys is leaving." She states then leaves the room.

Me and Aislinn look at each other, her trying to hold on her laughter.

I wonder why Fenrys is leaving so soon, he isn't supposed to leave until tonight so we don't have to deal with the moods and tears of the children- The downsides of being their favourite uncle. Oh well, I guess he has changed his mind.

"Come on rascal lets go say goodbye to the boyo."

" Who? "

"Fenrys. Rowan always calls him that." I suppress a smile at the memory of the first time I heard it, over 10 years ago.

"Ohhhhhh."

" Yeah. Let's go. "

So we do. She takes hold of my hand, I pick Zephyr up while he's still asleep, and we make our way towards the departure of yet another one of our friends.