The first week of nightval passed peacefully. The half elf awoke in the m and worked out lightly along with the children, practising far more harshly alongside Taygak, who joihe half elf during his proper workouts. After breakfast he would take a walk, and sneak away to work lightly, using his spells to create items, as he had done so with the various ons and armours he had gifted away.

  “How you do this to your daddy?” Adam cried, blowing a raspberry into his you daughter’s neck. “You! You are always with mummy, but you don’t want to spend time with me?”

  “Mama!” Virot squealed, before beginning to groan, reag out for her mother, who hoisted her up with ease and quietened her down in an instant.

  Adam huffed, before his head darted down to Damrot, who gnced up towards his uhe boy blinking. “At least you adore pying with me, your father, don’t you, my Damrot?”

  The boy blinked once more, before smiling shtly, stopping as Adam lifted him up. He squirmed lightly, before g his hands together as his uncle kissed his ned cheek all over, the boy giggling.

  Xarot and Monarot remaio one side, uhe watchful eye of Pam, who knitted a pair of scarves. She sometimes stopped to look down at the pair. They had grown so mu so few months, and the pair smiled whehey saw her. Her eyes fell to the boy’s ears, so small and leaf shaped, and then to her daughter, whose features were rouhe childre so peacefully. She looked around the shared estate, her eyes falling to the figures all around, mostly the young children, and a handful of the adults, the teenagers from the extended families, and then, of course, the likes of Adam.

  ‘Iyrmen.’ Pam looked down to the children. It was then she realised why the two felt so different to Virot and Damrot. It was because Xarot, sihe day he was born, was sidered an Iyrman. The air around Virot had still been slightly awkward, but now, that awkwardness had disappeared. It was a thought that had appeared randomly, all because Pam had challenged herself to admire the babes for a few moments each time she thought of them, to engrave them into her memory.

  Even then, she did not know what it meant to be an Iyrman’s child, or rather, a child of the Iyr.

  Then, a rge form sauntered her way to the babes, her arms tied behind her back. She stood so tall, so firm, like the statues in front of the Main Iyr. She gred down at the children, taking in the sights of the babes. Her eyes darted to the woman who knitted beside the babes. The girl reached out a hand and held up a thumbs up, nodding her head firmly.

  Pam returned a nod to Kavgak, whose hands returo her back, crossed once more, and watched as the girl sauntered off again, deep within whatever thoughts she held. Then she gnced aside, realising she hadn’t seen Jaygak sihe festival, though Kitool remained with the children, watg over them.

  “Mama,” Damrot called, reag out a hand, while Adam held the boy close.

  “Damrot,” Pam called.

  The boy bli his mother, before hiding within his uncle’s chest, giggling to himself.

  “Damrot, you little troublemaker,” Adam whispered, nuzzling against the boy’s ear, which caused him to squeal again.

  It was during the sed week when it happened.

  It was finally nightval, the harvest season all but over, so many within the fort had begun the preparations to rex. However, some were unable, as withiate, which had been cleared out by the Iyrmen, it was happening.

  The tiny red skinned girl hacked and coughed, while the Iyrmen swiftly ed her, before handing the girl to her mother. Amira’s eyes narrowed from exhaustion as she held the tiny form within her arms. The girl was so small, her skin mostly red, slightly darker thaypical devilkin, her horns still tiny nubs at the ers of her forehead, unlike her elder sister’s, which had grown slightly. The girl’s eyes remained shut tight, as though refusing to allow the outside world to bother her.

  “Ranya, look,” Dunes said, holding his daughter close, as she stood upon his p, staring at her mother, and the new red skinned babe. “Enisa.”

  “Neah?” Ranya asked.

  “Enisa,” Dunes firmed. “That is your little sister.”

  Ranya’s eyes darted to the babe, furrowing her brows slightly, before the girl gnced back to her father, who smiled so delightfully. The girl smiled too, revealioothy smile to the world, her eyes taking in the sight of her younger sister.

  “What-,” Dunes began, only to be cut off.

  “Damn it,” said the voice from the doorway. “I should have brought a magical sword!”

  The eyes darted to the doorway towards the young man with leaf shaped ears, who held a bde within his hand, which was finely made, as if by magic, but not ented, apparently.

  “Adam?” Dunes called, his voice full of fusion, partly because it was the day before. “What are you doing here?”

  “The Iyr told me to e today, and I bought a sword, but now I regret that this sword is not a magical sword!” Adam pined, holding out a bde he had fed through his magic. “I should have known she was this cute!”

  After the fusion came the sighs which bmed themselves for having fotten what Adam was like, and finally, the pair left the mother and newborn baby be, Adam having fussed upon them enough.

  “Seriously, if I hear that you’ve worked at all in the month, I’ll definitely spoil her so much that you’ll want to run away,” Adam warned, stepping out with Dunes.

  “How did you know?”

  “The Iyr told me I should leave immediately,” Adam replied. “I panicked, but they said that no one had died. It wasn’t that hard to figure it out after that.”

  Dunes smiled, patting the half elf’s back. The Aswadian smiled, uo trol it, a patting Adam’s back gently. “You have left me speechless, Adam.”

  “Well, wait until you hear about this,” Adam whispered, leaning in slightly. “I did bring a magical sword.”

  “You lied?” Dunes replied, his brows shooting up in arm.

  “I didn’t say I didn’t bring a magical sword, just that the sword I was holding wasn’t magical,” Adam stated, smirking slightly. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but Amira kind of scares me, but you know that, that’s why you married her.”

  Duilted his head slightly, unsure of how to take that.

  “Anyway, I brought a magical sword.” Adam motioned his head to the carriage.

  Dunes narrowed his eyes at the magical bde. “Isn’t this…”

  “Bloodseeker.”

  “Is this not Taygak’s sword?”

  “I asked Taygak for it. I promised her a nicer sword.”

  ‘A nicer sword than Bloodseeker?’ Duhought. ‘Is he going to make a Greater Enhanced sword for her?’

  Adam smiled, uanding that Dunes hadn’t yet realised the depths of Adam’s depravity when it came to gifts for his adorable cousins and children. “When it’s her first birthday, I’d like you to tell her that it’s a gift from myself and my family. The Rot and the Gak.”

  Dunes could feel how heavy the bde became as he held it. He spied the beautiful red gem, the yellow cloth, and then it filled his mind. It was the image of an Iyrman holding off the Primrose Sword, the Grand ander of the Order of the Primrose.

  Adam wasn’t just gifting the little girl a sword, but something far greater.

  “It seems I’ll o work hard to gift her something so great too,” Dunes said, sighing i.

  “No. You’ll gift her something eveer than this sword.” Adam reached over to gently pat Dunes’ shoulder. “Also…” His eyes darted around, and he realised there were too many people around. The half elf winked. “Don’t worry about it for now. We’ll talk about it aime.”

  “What?”

  “Right now there’s something more important I need you to do. I know that Enisa was just boriful name by the way, but…”

  “It means good friend.”

  Adam held Dunes’ sight for a moment, his cheeks turning slightly red, a small smile appearing on his face. “It’s a good name.”

  Dunes smiled, slowly nodding his head. “It is.”

  Adam tio small, but it slowly twitched away. “I need a favour.”

  “What is it?”

  “Tomorrow… I want you to e with me.”

  Dunes inhaled deeply. If Adam was asking Duo leave his newborn child, and his wife who had gohrough bour, then it was important. “Okay.”

  “Thanks.”

  Before the half elf left, he picked up Ranya, ping her nose and huggiight, before she pined and reached out for her father. Adam fave her, of course, since she was so cute.

  ‘I o spoil her more often,’ Adam thought, feeling the ache within his heart. She had bee so big so quickly, and he had been so busy this year that he had been uo watch over her.

  Manager Jonn watched the carriage leave. Adam had apologised profusely to the half elf for not being able to take him, whily made Jonn feel sick to the stomach. Why did Adam apologise to him, when he was to bme?

  Dunes had always found the Iyr to be terrifying, but it was today, when they cleared the entire distao the Main Iyr, all for the sake of two children, that he realised the Iyr was clearly insane. His eyes turo Adam, whed Dunes with all the stories of his children.

  No, perhaps the Iyr retty normal after all?

  Dunes, don't worry about it. You won't uand, no one .