It was a business that he never desired to be in nor was it one that he wanted to remain in. But as he made his way through the crowded streets of Mamlak, Dalyor kept reminding himself that he was doing this for Keya over and over again in his mind. It was a common ritual he had adapted to in order to keep his focus and drive going. Being a vigilante wasn’t something he loved do but it the coin was too much to pass up and he needed it for the two of them. Despite being young, he had been in this sort of business for a while now and would disappear for days on end while he was “working”. Fortunately he did have help in having Keya being watched over and he made sure to spend his free with her at every waking moment. Today marked the third day since he had last saw her, stalking his latest job. A greedy little bastard by the name of Daz was a ringleader of arms dealers that apparently specialized in magically blessed weapons. Such things were becoming a plague amongst the cities in Northern Canelux as more misguided people used them for nefarious schemes. Daz didn’t care though, he simply saw the amount of possible coin he could gather, not the lives of the innocent. Daylor may have blood on his hands, but at least he had only accept jobs that had him kill those that willingly hurt others for their own pleasures, greed and power.

His client had mentioned that Daz was stashed up in a well off inn and for the last two days he watched and waited, studying his quarry and hatching a plan of approach. The man didn’t go out often, preferring to stay in the inn and he was rarely without his guards nearby. The best approach would be to get him when he came downstairs to eat. He would need something to distract his men long enough to get him alone, even for a brief moment and then finish him. Chestnut colored eyes fell into the dining room immediately once he entered.

From his studying, Daz typically had his first meal just before noon, and would guarded by just two men taking a table right next to his. Everything had to be precise and perfectly timed; to the common eye he looked to be just another face in the crowd. He bore no weapon other than the dagger that was resting in his sleeve and the action would be performed cleanly as he walked passed him. A silt to the throat as quickly as possible would buy him some time before Daz’s body would have time to react and fall and he would take his leave right before the concept registered in the minds of his guards. As he made his way inside the dining quarters, he located Daz just as he always was, enjoying a hot meal and some wine while his men paid half mind to him and played cards. Holding out a small smile, he couldn’t wait to get this all over and leave this city so that he could catch with Keya and likely take her to a beach and picnic once he made it back home. His heart quickened as it always did before the kill with each step taken, inching closer to Daz’s seat.

He pretended to go behind him to pass over to the bar and even asked the barmaid for a drink so that it would be ready by the time he got there. Of course the men only gave him a swift glance and saw no threat before going back to their game and their boss surely didn’t bat an eye on him. All he heard from him was some self gloating about his latest sell and the potential next one. Why did people like him exist? They made this realm toxic and unsafe for the innocent. Thoughts of Keya came back to his mind and it helped steeled himself to complete this. Walking by, he was at the point where he could unsheath and end the life of a murderous moneygrabber.  

When Torn disappeared from the Arena, it did not fall. She hadn’t the slightest clue where he was or where he had gone. Just that his retainers knew nothing, the arena knew nothing, and she was all alone. The twins were growing at a rapid rate now. Once the twin full moons had hit they began to age quite fast to come into their lupine blood. They looked four now and they were so active and so ready to shift and run with her. The problem became that they didn’t know their father. They knew he was important but he was just gone. With sadness in their eyes, Keira packed up all their things and moved back to Arri. She was able to snag two rooms for them at the White Rose manor. 

Her father Blaine was going off that he knew that Torn was no good in the other room. While her mother was trying to consul the young mother. Work had to continue and while she didn’t need to… she felt like she had to. An idle mind was dangerous. Her work, however, wasn’t. She packed up a bag and dressed the twins the best she could while they attempted to shift and run. Eventually, she got them ready. It was only then that she realized how much they looked like her parents.

Kite was a mock up of what Blaine looked up and Tempest had her hair growing darker every day. It made her happy that she could place their looks on them, at least that would keep her mind off her missing husband. She took a rather large sigh as she sat the twins on the bed and explained to them where they were going.

“Mamlak?” They answered together as they took each other’s hands and stared at Keira. “Where’s that?”

“Farrrr away, but don’t worry we’ll come back to Arri once we’re done and you can play with Papa and Grandma all you want.” She kissed each of their foreheads and picked up on her hips after putting all of her bags on. “You both are a lot of weight.” She teased them as they laughed.

They had been in Mamlak for a few days at a local inn/tavern area. The twins were confined to the room most of the time as Keira worked. She knew it was boring for them but they had each other to play with. On this particular day, she had forgotten to hold the door firmly shut with the use of her magic. The twins were strategic in what they were doing. When she heard the door open her immediate reaction was to get up and see what was going on. Her surprise when the two of them were down the stairs and in the main room of the tavern.

She dashed down and watched as all mayhem was breaking loose. The two had managed to shift and run around many of the patrons. “DO NOT TOUCH THEM,” she yelled as she put her hands up. “Kite and Tempest. I swear to gods if you have ripped your clothes I’m going to beat your behinds!” She had luckily thought ahead and packed spares but they did not need to know that. They stopped dead in their tracks as they were practically mauling a man’s pant legs. 

Taking them by the loose skin of their necks she hoisted them up and stared at them. “One. Two.” She was about to make it to three when the twins shifted back and were squirming her arms. She was quick to cover them up. “What have I told you about doing that? This isn’t home and you aren’t allowed to do whatever you please.” The twins hugged the cloak to them and looked up at her as if they hadn’t done anything wrong.

“But Mama!” The twins giggled and Keira sighed. 

“But Mama nothing. You two know the rules!”

“But it’s boring and we wanna play. You work all day and don’t play with us.” They began to tug at her pant leg with their little hands. 

She took a sigh and shook her heads at them. “You both know I have to work. That’s why we’re here.” They groaned at her and she chuckled. A new set of clothes for each appeared in her hands and she was swift to dress them. She tied back Tempest’s hair and detangled Kite’s mess of blonde curls. “Well, we can have some food. I hope.” She moved them to the bar and sat them down. Looking back at the man she gave an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry they’ve been cooped up since we got here. I honestly don’t know what got into them.” They had glasses of juice up to their faces now as the barmaids doted on them. “Can I get you food as well to make up for it.”

Kite looked up at his mother and frowned, “We didn’t make you mess up Mama did we?”

Tempest was second to look up, “We didn’t mean to.”

Keira leaned down and kissed the tops of their heads. “No, you did not make me mess up. Making maps is like breathing. Try holding your breaths… Can’t do it can you?” They both tried and failed making Keira laugh. “Tell the man you are sorry.”

Big blues looked up at him as the words came from their mouths. "We're awfully sorry about your pants Mister. We did mean to do that." Well… at least they were honest.

Daylor was just inches away from finishing the mission and getting back home to Keya. The scum he was wiping off the face of the realm didn’t know what was coming and his guardsmen wouldn’t have been able to protect their boss. As his left hand started to dig into his right sleeve to retrieve the dagger, he could feel the steel his fingers ran into and was just a couple of moments away from the kill when an uproar amongst the dining burst out. Everyone’s attention was lifted by the commotion, including Daz and his men. Even Daylor himself wasn’t sure what was going on, all he noticed was a woman screaming at the patrons to not touch them. Them? Who in the world is them? He was too distracted now like the rest of them to complete the assassination, not that it would matter since his cover would be easily blown now. It wasn’t until he felt something tugging at the bottom of his pants that he look down and see the two bundles of fur that caused all this.

“Wolf pups?”, he muttered to himself before the young lady retrieved the duo, leaving him staring at her dumbfounded. Things didn’t get much better once they shifted; as a matter of fact, it only got more strange. All the while, Daz noticed the man behind him, and signaled his men to be weary of his presence. Having a target on his back wasn’t anything new to him and it made him slightly paranoid.

Daylor watched as the now two children were being dressed and scolded by their mother. She looked so young and yet she had not one but two little ones to deal with, something that he admired. And he felt at times that Keya was a handful, he couldn’t imagine having two of her and raising her by himself. Then again, he was just assuming that she was by herself since he didn’t see a father figure with her.

“Uh…it's no trouble at all, really”, he spoke to her with a faint smile, though he could feel the eyes of the guardsmen behind him. It was time to change tactics and use this moment to try and collect himself. Daz was more mindful now thanks to that commotion and he would have to find another time to do this. “They were just being children, I got used to it from one of mine own.” That much was quite true as he watched the two of them being tended to. “It’s a generous offer my lady, but…” Daylor thought about it for a moment before his small smile grew. “How about this, I get you and your little ones some food on me?” He quickly moved over to a table far away from his target and pulled out the seats for the three of them.

“It’s alright. It’s good that you both are honest- that’s a good trait that your mother had taught you. That’s a big thing and proud thing to do.” He looked back to their mother, “I understand quite well- I have a little one myself back home. She’s not much older than they are. Please, order anything you’d like.”

Keira chuckled at the man and tilted her head. “Trust me, if you knew them then you would be all over them as well. They brought down an entire sculpture that one of my cousins was working on and well it’s ruined now.” The twins held a grin as Keira threw them a look so they knew they were still very much in trouble for that. 

Before Keira could insist on being the one to pay for the food the twins had a mind of their own as they got down and ran over to the chairs. “Honestly you two.” She chuckled and shook her head as she came over and sat down in the chair. She helped them pick out food and drinks and before long they were talking to each other in idle chatter about birds of all things.

“Believe it or not they are only a few months old. Well by a few I mean they are at least 10 months. The full moons had a lot of power. It made them grow up fast.” She seemed sad as she watched them closely. “Why don’t you two introduce yourself?” They ignored her for the chatter about birds, something about orange glowy ones. “Fine, my name is Keira Wintercrest and these little troublesome ones are my children Kite and Tempest.”

Kite smiled a bit at his name. “Kite is a type of predator bird!” It must have fit their chatter about birds because Tempest was eying the man as well now. 

“Tempest is a storm,” the little dark haired girl giggled with her brother and Keira smiled.

“Their father was a bit of poet. He wanted their names to be able to rhyme into anything should they become grandmasters of something. We spent months picking out their names.” She chuckled a bit more as they got their drinks. The twins were handed smaller glasses which fit their hands quite well. “Thank you.” She smiled up at the barmaid.

The door almost slammed open as Keira visibly jumped. Her blonde curls nearly leaped into the air with her as she chuckled more. “Not use to these noises much,” She brought her glass up.

“Wintercrest, the map you were designing for us. We need it today.” Keira put the cup down and looked up at the big man. He was in armor and obviously a soldier. “We didn’t bring you all the way here so you could lounge about-”

Keira was fast and smooth as she flipped the man with ease and pulled out a dagger she too had hidden. It was up to his neck. “I’m not here because you ordered me. I am not here because I owe anyone anything. If you want to discuss why I’m here talk to your nobleman. Then you can have a good discussion with my mother why you came in here talking to me like that. Let me clue you in, your boss and my mother are good friends. Would be a shame if she didn’t give him maps anymore for free now wouldn’t it?” The man was stunned, mainly because of how small Keira was. She was so strong in such a small frame. “Friend, can you watch them for a moment. Your map is upstairs. Let me finish it and I’ll bring it down.”

She was nimble as she hopped up the stairs and finished the map quickly. It was a set of four, the man probably didn’t even know. She rolled them up and brought them down with her. “Each map has the name on it. You can read can’t you?” She shoved the maps into the man’s hands. “Tell Bal that my mother will be in contact with him soon about the situation we need help with.”

After the man had left she hopped back in her chair and the twins were giddy. “Mama, you flipped him like he was a table!” They were giggling and Keira shook her head.

“It’s called hierarchy. Never let anyone make you feel less than you are. We’re here as guests of the city. We’re not hired work. Therefore we shouldn’t be talked to like we are.” 

The twins listened intently. “Grandma would grab them by the jewels and make them say they were sorry!” Tempest giggled out and Keira was quite dumbfounded.

“Yes, and that’s precisely why your grandmother doesn’t have you right now. Stop saying such vulgar things who taught that?” Their food came and she set into cutting their food up and smiled over at their new friend. “My mother is just as wild as they are. She is the tactician for Arri. Among other things.”

Finally after much thought from Tempest she smiled, "Grandma!" Keira groaned a bit.

“Well, aren’t they just full of surprises?” Daylor smiled brightly. He hadn’t ever encountered lycantrope children before, but he had heard that such a thing existed. Did that mean the woman herself was one too? At least one of their parents had to have wolven blood in them. In any case, children were children all the same and they were known for causing trouble for the sake of fun. The children beat their mother over to the table and climbed into the chairs, and she did as well before he took his own. A swift, nonchalant glance was given over to Daz’s direction, noticing that the group wasn’t paying them any mind again before he shifted back to his new tablemates. “Ten months? I’ve heard that such children like your grow at an exceptionally quick rate, but they looked to be like four. I have a daughter that will be turning five this coming Ignius.”

“Mine is name Keya. Her name means flower, and she’s a pretty one too. Perhaps one day you both will get to meet her.” Their drinks came, and he had gotten himself a Clear Lotus Wine and was about to down it when the door flung openned. Keira didn’t take too well to it, nor did Daz as he kept a good eye onto the knight that approached their table. Some business about maps was what he heard before the tables had turned, no pun intended and Keira was able to subdue him with clearly little effort on her part. He figured that again it was due to her heritage, but was still surprised to see it with his own eyes. Had she not, then he would have gladly disarmed this situation. There was no point in ordering her around like she was a common soldier, especially with her youth right there.

Once everything was cleared up, he rose the drink to his lips and watched the knight take his leave. “A mapmaker? You all must be far from home then.” His thoughts were interrupted by Tempest’s words, though he wasn’t too shocked to hear something vulgar come out of the mouth of a child that didn’t know better. Still, a stifled laugh came out of him. He was starting to really miss his own daughter due to this interaction and it wouldn’t be long before he had to carry out his mission. But it was nice to not have to worry about his job at the moment as their food came. “Well, it doesn’t seem so bad. It must run in the family”, he stated as he cut himself a piece of the cooked deer meat. 

Keira stifled a laugh. “According to my parents we didn’t grow like weeds. These two are supposedly a rare exception to the halfling rule. I have five siblings but only three are half lycan. My mother was married once before.” It came to no shock to anyone that Toya was hard to get along with and the amount of stress that Blaine went through on occasion was enough to make her question whether or not he was sane.

“Keya sounds like a pretty name. Also a name that we would have back in Arri.” She chuckled a bit as she kept a watchful eye on her diabolical twins. Soon the business for why she even came to Mamlak was finished and she was sighing at the table. Giving a smile to her new friend she nodded. “We’re from The Desert Rose up north. That’s where my twins were born and where my parents live. Though my father is more use to the woods.”

Keira chuckled a bit. “You have no idea. My mother is a force to be reckon with. My father once tied her up to the bed because she thought diving off a dragon to take a Pegasus down was a good idea. She is completely a wild force.”

The twins were back in their idle chatter when suddenly people began to scream outside. Something about dragons. Keira took one look and laughed. “Oh boy this should be good.” She gave a smile back to Dalyor. “Would you like to go watch the spectacle outside? The twins would love to see their grandmother.” She got up and offered her hand to him. He took her hand and soon the twins were in between them. They knew what dragons met too.

“Grandma. Grandma.” They chanted happily as they moved around the city. There were twenty some dragons in the skies. Each of them had a rider and she could spot her mother. A gold dragon broke from the formation as it landed in the city. Her mother’s small form hopped off the dragon. “Grandma!” The twins parted from them and ran to her. The woman was quick to pick them up. By all rights Toya looked the same age as Keira. Her green eyes had landed on the two of them. 

“Mother what are you doing in Mamlak?” Keira tilted her head as Toya brought the twins back over to them.

“I’m going to need their help a bit sooner than I thought. Lily was attacked in the garden by an assassin. Most likely someone still loyal to that dumbass sister of mine. I’ve been told to keep my personal guard on me at all times but I don’t think that was the point of attacking our weakest. Lily can’t defend herself, with the oath she took it puts her in great pain to even use offensive magics or a weapon. She is the perfect target to start a war. Kill her and pin it on one of the others. That I believe was their goal. So I’m getting more guards for Arri.”

Keira chewed on her lip for a moment. “Why are you telling me this?”

Toya immediately picked both of the twins up and put them up onto the saddle of her dragon. “Because it’s no longer safe for the twins outside of Arri. You aren’t strong enough to defend yourself and the twins. If they were to go for the twins you would gladly die. Call me selfish for wanting my children to live. So I’m taking them home with me while you stay here.” She strapped the two of them to the saddle and pet Karith’s scales. 

“I don’t get a choice in this? I’m stron-”

Toya caught her off. “No, you aren’t. You are still learning and that makes it a liability that I’m not willing to take.” There was a burning look in the youngest queen’s eyes. She wanted blood on the wall but she couldn’t do it while worrying. “Return home the soonest you can. My arrival here was all that was needed.” Taking a look at Keira’s new friend she took a sly smile. “Can you bring her home? I’ll pay you a hefty sum. The forces we’re up against now are too great. The weapons on you should be fine for the trip.” There was a smirk as the rose queen hopped up onto the dragon.

“I’m not a child.” Keira yelled up. There was a stern look on Toya’s face that made Keira jump out of her skin. “Fine!” Toya was adjusting the children as she pulled the reigns just enough. 

“I knew you would see things my way. It will make your father stop fussing as well.”

As soon as Toya had left the ground Keira was making aggravated noises. “Now do you see why she is so agitating?” Though there was a troubling look in her eyes. “She has never gone out of her way before like this. I wonder if it’s as bad as she said.” Turning to Daylor she gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry that she didn’t really give you a choice. Giving people choices isn’t one of her strong suits.”

Dalyor was content on listening to Keira while also watching the children with her. Even now, he found it hard to believe that just a few brief moments ago that they had been running around like puppies and were chewing on his pants legs. His smile saddened a little when she mentioned his daughter. “Yes, it was her mother’s idea. It came to her when she first saw her before she passed away in childbirth.” It had been five years and still he couldn’t get that image out of his head of her giving birth and the strain had been too great. Since then, it had just been the two of them on their own. “Arri? Think I have heard of that place in passing once or twice. Some sort of oasis paradise, right?” It was through random overhearing that he was aware of its presence.

“Gee, sounds like your mother is a bit of a wildfire.”

Oh if only he knew of how well those words suited her, but he would have an idea once the sounds of screams came rolling from outside. Daz and his men immediately stood up and ventured out while Dalyor watched with keen interest. Taking a hard gulp, he attempted to figure out what was going on, but Keira was confident in knowing what was happening. “Their grandmother?” That was her out there? “Uh…sure?” Without knowing it, he took her offered hand and the four ventured outside. The sight of numerous dragon flying about made the assassin’s mouth drop to the ground. What sort of madness was this? Upon closer inspection, he could eventually see people on them, riding them. One of the dragon, beautifully coated in gold landed nearby and another woman had joined them. The children knew immediately who it was- it was indeed Keira’s mother and their grandmother, and they ran over to her with glee. “That’s your mother?!”

Apparently she had been here for business, not sightseeing. Daz and his guards were nowhere to be seen and Dalyor silently cursed himself for failing in his mission. But the situation grew more dire for his new friend, something about another woman being attacked. A relative, perhaps? The point to her mother’s visit came and he could see that she wasn’t too happy about it. Scratching at the back of his head, the half elf looked to her when she addressed him. The offer seemed generous and though he would normally not get involved with family affairs, it seemed like he was truly needed. That, and the offer was too tempting to pass up, especially since he had lost his target and had no idea where Daz was nor what he was up to. “I suppose I can. She will be safe, I’d assure you.” Heavens knew how long this would take and he felt bad that Keya would have to possibly go a few more days without seeing her father.

The grandmother drove the point home to Keira and made her way back into the skies on her dragon with the twins, leaving the two to remain watching from the ground. “That was something”, he found himself muttering before scratching the back of his head again. He felt bad that Keira had to deal with that, and now she was practically stuck with a complete stranger. “It’s fine. I’ve had worse hands dealt to me in my years. Do you still have business to conduct here?” Heavens knew what he had gotten himself into this time. He continued to watch the show of dragons, the drink he had was still in his hand and he took a quick sip. “Such is life. We just have to play with the hands that were given to us. Hopefully we will fare a lot better when the time comes.” 

Keira smiled at him and nodded. “Their father named them as well. Torn has… I don’t quite know where he’s gone. He’s just gone. So I packed us up and went back to Arri. That’s when they started to grow a lot. They don’t know him and they ask a lot of questions. I’m sure it’s the same for Keya.” She nodded and laughed. “Yes, the oasis paradise. It’s hard to hear that and not realize it’s talking about the same place.” It was ran by her family after all and they could be rather funny to watch.

When he found out who her mother was Keira just laughed. “She’s a dragon knight, tactician, and a queen. Also, a loon if tempted. She about gives my father panic attacks every time she does something. Wildfire? She’s a fire elemental. You have no idea how close you hit it. The Queen of Flames. The Wildfire of Arri. These are the names she has made for herself. She is the least reliable of all five queens but she does her job well. She never wanted the job to begin with but it was dictated that she would do it anyways and she would like it. My father was an assassin for a long time after they met. Now he just tries to keep my mother alive.” She chuckled.

Once Toya had left Keira smiled. “Well if you think that was something.. every damn day living with that woman is like that. Now you know why my father has a hard time dealing with her. He used to tell me that when Mother was pregnant he wouldn’t dare leave her alone because she was so big that she could tumble. Not that she cared she attempted it anyways. She is a woman with no restraint. She shook her head. “I just have to finalize the payment if my mother’s arrival hasn’t already.”

Tilting her head she smiled a bit more. “I had an idea that maybe you could bring Keya if you wanted. Arri is going to be the safest place in the whole world. She could play with the twins while you worked. Normally my mother is watching them so they don’t get lost in the city. If not her, then my Aunt Lily but from the sounds of it she was hurt pretty bad.”

Keira felt bad but she could only ask if he wanted to bring his daughter. “I imagine the job isn’t going to end with just getting to Arri. We can find out more when we get there, though. I can only imagine what my Aunt Angela thinks of everything right now.” She took him back into the inn and upstairs so she could pack things. She delicately put all of her quills, ink pots, and brushes away. The room looked like a disaster.

“If you think this looks bad, you should see their playroom. I’ve given up trying to keep up with it.”

Thinking back, he knew how hard it must have been for her to start off raising the two children on her own. It was rough having to be a single parent, but he was sure that the rest of her family were helping out, at least some of the time. It wasn’t something that he’d wish on anyone, especially the children that were going through that. Keya seemed to be faring but sometimes he worried about when they would get to the point where she is asking about her mother and he was unsure of how he would be able to handle that situation. It would be even more difficult because she looked exactly like her mother with those chocolate locks and hazel eyes of hers.

Dalyor wasn’t sure what to make of this showing of might from her mother, the sky filled with dragons part in particular. But it did seem as though her intentions were good, albeit a little scary. “If this is your mother, then what is your father like?” From the looks of things, he had to be someone compatible with her mother, and he could only imagine that he was just as unorthodox as she was. “Sounds like a match made in heaven…”, he spoke before hearing the bit about what her father was. “Hm…interesting. But you said “was”. I take it he’s been out of that business for a while now?”

Looking to Keira, he thought for a moment at the proposal. If this wasn’t going to be a short term job, then he’d rather have his daughter some place he could trust. He worried that leaving her in the custody of strangers and even a trusted few individuals he knew all over wasn’t doing her any good. “Well, I suppose that’s alright. At least she would be around children her age. It’d be good for her to have a friend or two.” Besides, Arri sounded like a wonderful place from what he’d heard and he and Keya could share the experience together.

Dalyor followed her upstairs as she prepared to pack up and finish her business here. The half elf didn’t mind the mess as he was careful to not step on top of anything other than the floor itself. The warning made him chuckle just as he reached her. “It’s quite alright. I’m not the neatest person in the world, nor is Keya. My bare feet have seen more pain walking over toys and things than I have in my whole time working. I’m just surprise you can concentrate as much as you can on your work.”

Keira chuckled at him and shook her head. “Dad’s actually a lot more calm and collected. He more so spends his time trying to get her not to do those things. They met when she dove off the backside of a dragon and landed on him. I’m pretty sure he said that she had managed to burn her clothes off… They got married when they conceived my brother. They are opposites.” She was rather amused by the odd coupling but shook her head again. “Mom has issues deep down. She’s not completely there most days but my aunt she helps keep her healthy and even if she is off the wall angry most of the time she is a good person. Mom was married before she met Dad and.. from what I know it didn’t go good. It went down hill when our older brother from that marriage got killed. She absolutely snapped.”

Thinking on her father’s time as an assassin she nodded. “I’m pretty sure he took it up again as a means to travel Revaliir and find my mother at one point. Well recently but other than that I don’t think he has since Jay was born. My parents have the second largest litter of the twins though it doesn’t compare to my aunt.” She would clue him in later on who she was but for now that was a fine place to leave it at.

Keira was glad that he accepted her offer to take Keya. “My mom while not completely there is great with children. It’s my aunts she isn’t good with. Though if I know my Aunt Lily she will be all over all of the children. She only has a few of her own so when little ones are born she loves on them.” She was reassuring him gently. 

Stopping while she cleaned she held onto a toy for a moment and looked up at Daylor. “I’m use to it because I was Torn, The Prince of Epic’s, wife. I use to have to sit in on the arena and attend all of the battles. I use to read while he watched. I’m sure you’ve wondered why the twins didn’t have a father around… I know about Keya’s mother but you not about their father. Torn just disappeared. Not a word and then the access to the Dream Arena cracked. Means the world tree deemed him gone. We were together before he got the spot but it was rather brief in the time we were together. Torn didn’t ever see himself a father and he said he would always leave on adventures. If he hadn’t become a god we would have barely seen him at all.” She frowned a bit as she had come to realize it wasn’t what she wanted as a father.

“I don’t know where he is now. The twins have grown so fast in the short time since we departed the Dream Arena. They don’t know anything about him and they ask so many questions. I don’t forget details be it the smallest etching on a button or the largest rune in a book. My memory has made me such a valuable asset. Yet, it hurts because I know unlike most people with long lives I will never forget his face, touch, smell. It kills because I know exactly the words to say to them about their father but I don’t want to bring myself to say it.”

She finished cleaning up after wiping a few tears. “I was the second in command for a small guild once upon a time. I stopped doing that as well to come home to a call. I serve my mother in helping her keep Arri at peace. Then I decided to travel. Went to Egjora to map out the cities and ended up running into trouble. I met him there and we stole a damn ship. Went all the way to Parvpora and ended up in Feeorin. That short amount of time was all that was needed to conceive the twins. So it wasn’t a grand love story but it was something.” She laughed a bit as her heart hurt. “I can’t even tell you what the look on his face was when we were told it was twins because I passed out.” She chuckled.

“Sorry it’s just hard to think about what should have been instead of what is. My twins they deserve better than what has happened. You can’t turn a wild and free man into a husband very well but Torn was trying. The rooms he made because of me in the Dream Arena… it showed he at least was trying. He always said he didn’t have a physical home because I was his home. That’s what hurts the most about him leaving.” She sealed the bags shut and gave a sad smile. “I can’t do it anymore. Not with the Dream Arena gone. Knowing I won’t ever see him or that the twins will have a hard time remembering his face while he’s gone. If that makes me a bad person then so be it.”

She slung the bags over her and gave a smile. “We should go get Keya and head to Arri.”