The rush of stepping though the gate that took him from Wyllmochvar made Drae inhale deeply on the other side. The smell of earth, of the flowers and all that grew in the gardens brought waves of nostalgia. Gods, he had been gone too long. He adjusted the bag on his side, which bumped his left side, and he winced visibly. The damn thing still still hadn't healed properly. He couldn't complain though, most men didn't face off with a ballista and live to tell the tale. 

The half-elf adjusted his scarf nervously. He had left without letting Angela know where he was going, or when he would be back. He hadn't meant to be gone as long as he was (and it had been several months). It was supposed to have been a simple little trade jaunt from Wyllmochvar to a nearby island, to trade some spices. Turned out what should have been a mere three week stint had become nearly that long in months, and most of that had been spent on a ship trying to heal. 

Still, it didn't bring him any comfort. Those months spent on the ocean had separated him from Angela, and from the children he had almost come to see as his own, and had let him with absolutely no way of letting them know that he was alive and trying to make it home. He both wanted to see Angela, and was terrified of what her reaction would be to him suddenly returning to the shrine. There was also the slight apprehension that maybe she had moved on. He wasn't sure if he could handle something like that. 

He squared his shoulders and began walking up the garden path. There was no use being timid in this manner. She would either be upset, or happy, and taking his time getting there would not change that outcome. His boots clicked over the smooth stones that lined the pathway to the shrine and moved up to the main doors that would take him inside. He ran his hands over the intricate designs before he slowly pushed the door open and entered the main hall almost silently.

“Mommy, I am going to count to twenty and you gotta go hide okay?” Iva giggled as she turned around and put her hands on her eyes.


Angela gave a smile and nodded to her. “Whatever you want dear, my time is yours.” Her words let off as she heard the clicking on the floor. Her green eyes looked up and a smile came to her lips. She mouthed his name. “New plan, remember what mommy told you about being good for school?”


Iva kept her eyes closed and Angela put her hands over Iva’s. She turned the child towards Drae and took their hands off. Iva’s eyes lit up and she squealed running towards him. “Drae! You’re back! Mommy said you would be back if I was good,” Iva launched herself up onto him. “You were gone for so long!”



Angela came behind the child and stroked her red hair. “It’s about time you came home… I couldn’t feel you so I got really concerned.” She frowned a bit. “I hope everything is alright.”

Drae felt his heart soar when Angela looked at him as he entered the shrine. She was as beautiful as the last time he saw her. Then there was the little imp he had thought about almost as much as her mother, squealing with delight and flying towards him. Drae dropped his bag with thump on the floor of the main hall and swept Iva up into his arms and held the child so close to him. 

"I know, Princess. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be gone so long," Drae said as he ran his fingers through her mass of red curls. "Gods, look at you. You've gotten so big while I was gone," he said as he pulled back to look at the youngest of Angela's children. "Have you been staying out of trouble?" he asked her as Angela came up and stroked Iva's hair. Drae looked sheepishly at Angela as she frowned at him. 

"Everything is fine now that I am finally home," Drae replied. "It was a long journey, that lasted a lot longer than it was supposed to…" he said softly. He looked at Iva. "Can you forgive me for being gone for so long without a word?" he asked her, a sincere pleading look on his face, meant for both the child and her mother. 

Iva kissed his cheek and smiled at him. “I got really big! Mommy says that I got maybe a foot taller since you last seen me! I’m really tall now,” even though her voice was excited Angela’s eyes rolled a bit. She was still really tiny. “No, lots of trouble. Though Mommy said if I was good you would come home and you did!”

“She scared off her other teacher,” Angela was blunt as the child screamed and turned to looked at her.

“MOM.”

“Oh? I thought you called me Mommy.”

“Nuh uh, not now because you are in trouble Missy.” Oh the sass was real with this child.

“Who’s the Mommy and who is  the child?” Iva stuck her tongue out at her mother and Angela sighed. “Well it is good that you are home. At least she behaves for you.”

Iva looked at him and hummed a bit before nodded. “You owe me five hundred and fifty tea party.” She held up ten fingers and smiled more. 

Angela came in to give Drae a hug and Iva got between them so she could be in the middle. Kissing the top of the child’s head she kept them all close.  “You will have to tell me where you’ve been when child is asleep.”

Drae couldn't help but laugh heartily at the exchange between Angela and her daughter. Truly, she was her mother's daughter. 

"Five hundred and fifty tea parties?!" he gasped, in fake shock, "oh boy, I've got my work cut out for me," he chuckled as Angela came to hug him. It was rather difficult to attempt to kiss Angela with Iva between, but Drae knew he would get a chance later. Unless he could distract the child. He winked at Angela when she mentioned him telling her what had happened and looked back at Iva. 

"Hmmmm… maybe I can find a way to whittle down that number?" he asked Iva. He released Angela long enough to set Iva down before he reached into his pack. He pulled out a small package wrapped in plain brown paper and string and proffered it to the child. 
"I, of course, did not come home empty-handed," he smiled, and glanced up at Angela. "Even if you did scare off your teacher, you were still good enough to be able to bring me home, were you not? And I always bring home presents to good little Princesses like you when I am gone for a long time," Drae told Iva and he ruffled her hair. 

Iva clung to him and smiled at him. “Yup! Five hundred and fifty tea parties! You must be there with Winston and I! All participants must dress up as well.” Iva looked up to see Drae kissing her mom and she giggled. “No touchy.” She got in between again and full expected the light slap against the back of her head.

“Maybe…” Iva extended and chuckled more. Her feet hit the ground and she smiled up at Drae. “You got a present?! For me?” She squealed as she began to jump excitedly. She looked at the paper which wasn’t even pretty like the last kind but that was fine. She took the paper and gently took it off. Looking at the box she tilted it. “It’s a box. Is it magic?” She flipped the box until the lid opened on it. There was a song coming out and she squealed more.

“IT’S MAGIC. IT’S MAGIC! IT’S MAKING NOISE.” She flipped it back up and the lid shut on it making the noise stop. “It stopped.” She looked disappointed as Angela lifted the lid. “Oh…” She blushed lightly and then kissed Drae’s cheek. “Can we dance to this Drae?” She giggled softly. “Okay, maybe I’ll cut the tea parties down to one hundred.”

Drae smiled as Iva carefully pulled the paper and string off the box and she looked at it, rather confused and almost as though she wasn't sure about the intricately carved wooden box. When she flipped it upside down and the box lid opened and the sweet lullaby tune, Drae was delighted to hear her squeal again about it being magic. Then the music stopped again when she held the box the right way, and again, the red-head looked confused and disappointed until her mother showed her how it worked. The child looked sheepish, but only smiled when she kissed his cheek and told him she would cut the required amount of tea parties down to only one hundred. 

"That's a number I can work with," he smiled and he stood up and offered Iva his hands. "Shall we dance, little Princess?" he asked her as he took the music box and set it on a pedestal. He bowed to Iva and took her hands in his and began twirling her around the main hall. He smiled at Angela as he danced with Iva. 

The goddess found a bench to sit on as the two danced around the room. Iva’s giggles filled the room and it made Angela realize just why she loved Drae to begin with. Each child he interacted with gained a father who loved the, not that Iva’s did not. She had a father she could talk with and that was healthy. Since Drae had left it worried Angela when Iva began to talk to the statue and seen how upset the girl was when no one answered. Drae was good for her.

Iva jumped down after a few minutes and pulled Angela up for her own turn to dance with Drae. “You dance with Drae now Mommy.” She offered a wide smile and Angela laughed.

“If I must.” She wrapped her arms around the warlock and twirled about with him. “You are very sweet. I am very glad that you are came home. Iva needs a father in her life and you are just the person she needs.” She leaned in and kissed Drae softly.

“I worried so much but I am glad you are home. You leaving the soil was what worried me the most. To lose you at sea and never know it was such a devastating thought.”

As the tinkling tune of the music box continued, Drae released Iva, who rushed off to grab Angela's hand, telling her it was her turn. Angela's words of mock reluctance made Drae chuckle softly and he bowed to the woman he loved and took her hand in his, and pulled her in. He smiled and twirled Angela around as she told him she was grateful he had finally come home, and how much Iva needed him in her life. The words made Drae incredibly happy to hear, more than he ever would have admitted some months ago. To be needed was something he had missed. He lifted a hand and caressed Angela's face as she leaned in and kissed him. He was sure he still tasted of ocean, and he hoped she didn't mind the salty tang that was sure to have lingered on his skin. 

"I never meant to cause you distress, my Love," Drae said softly. "You and the girls were always on my mind, and all I could think of was getting through each day just so that I could make it home to you… or at the very least set foot on land so that you would know where I was…" he told her as they swayed to the music box's tune. "But as it happened the only spit of land I found any sort of footing on was so waterlogged that I am surprise any sort of stone could still stand…" he told her honestly. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close so he could inhale the fragrance that he knew would be on her skin and in her hair. All he had wanted to do was come home to hold her and Iva, and now that he had the chance, he didn't want to let go. 

"I'm done traveling… whatever wanderlust I had is gone now… I just want to be here, with you and the children…"

She could taste the ocean on him. Gods he tasted like he just came out of the ocean and into the fryer. She put her forehead against his as they talked. “I know you didn’t. It’s not your fault that you got lost.” She found herself pulled tighter to him and snuggled closer to his skin. “Sounds awful to be honest. I really feel badly about the whole thing. I wish there was somewhere we could have gotten you home sooner.”


She was a goddess and yet, not divine enough to part the sea for him. She was no master of tides. She left her arms around him and stopped the dance. “You once told me that you would need your second place because you wanted to be free.” She chuckled at him. “Now look at you. You are telling me that you just want to be here with our children. You’ve earned the right for them to be yours.” She gave him a smile.


“Iva certainly thinks your her father even if she knows your not. When she has nightmares and crawls into bed she cries and asks for you the most. You who were able to comfort her more than I ever could.” She reached up and pushed his dark hair. “I’ve missed you as well. No one could ever feel my heart like you do. You who have felt my pain.”


Iva felt the adult moment and jumped off the bench. “I’m going to go to bed. You have good fun time okay?” She came over and gave them both a kiss and grabbed her music box before running off.



“God she knows when to leave at a good time..” Despite how she felt she just kept herself close to him. “I don’t even want to let you leave the temple ever again for fear you won’t come back.” She chuckled a bit. “I know that is weird but I can’t help but feel that way.”