They Are So Young

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 8th September 2009

Characters: Corowal, Erassa
Description: Corowal and Erassa talk about the children and his plans for them.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 5, day 4 of Turn 5

"Corofel, why would I buy you a runner, when there's whole stable full of runners you can ride, with master Aivorn's permission, of course?" Corowal asked rhetorically from his son and gestured him inside. They had been riding together and now came back to home.

"But, dad, I want my very own runner," the lad whined and Corowal rolled his eyes.

"Afternoon, Erassa," he greeted the fostermother instead of answering him.

She bobbed her head politely as she wiped the porridge off her son's face. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Go to clean up, you have dirt all over yourself," he said to Corofel and he sauntered off the the bathroom. "He is actually growing into a better rider than I am."

"I think he does it to please you," the fostermother said as she lifted her son from his high chair.

"I think he likes them. I wasn't never that fond of runner beasts, still aren't. They useful and the races are exciting but that's all," Corowal said.

"He does like them a lot," Erassa nodded. But she knew he liked having his father's attention and approval more. He was perhaps just of that age.

"How is the rest of the pack?" he asked.

"They're all doing fine except..." Erassa bit her lower lip for a brief second, wondering if this was really something worth mentioning or if it was just normal sibling rivalry. "Except I think Ofewal might be feeling a little left out."

"Hhmm," Corowal said thoughtfully. Ofewal was quiet, frail and bookworm, it was so easy to ignore him. "I have to do something about it."

"Maybe if he could go on a ride with you," she suggested. "Just the two of you. He'd like that, I think."

"I can always ask him," Corowal said. He went and picked up Wallia. "How is my baby? Any more words yet."

"Papa!" she cried happily.

"Just 'Papa' and 'Uh-oh' so far," Erassa said with a genuine smile as the little girl's face lit up in her father's embrace.

"Taking it slow, aren't you?" Corowal smiled at her and turned his head so she could feel his face.

"Beleran only says a few more words that she does. Of course, she crawled and walked sooner than he." It was amazing to her how they seemed to balance each other in that regard.

"Always thought it would be other way around, girls being more chatty and boys more athletic. Which just proves that the differences aren't as much to gender as to individuality."

Erassa nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure even without your own children there have been variations."

Corowal nodded and lowered Wallia to the floor, so she could go to play. "Speaking of other things, I've been in contact with other Lords about getting either Corofel or Ofewal fostered."

The cloth that was being wiped across the high chair stilled for just a moment. Was he serious? "Really?"

"Really. It's a common practice," Corowal said.

"I know," she muttered quietly, her face flushing slightly. She wasn't stupid. Just... a little shocked. "They're just so young. Not even out of Harper Classes yet."

"They are ten and eleven. Besides they can continue the classes elsewhere. Coral Bay's Lord Holder fostered his son at the age of nine," Corowal said and sighed. "And I don't really want to send one of them away. Which one I choose and no matter how I express it, it will no doubt be viewed as some sort of punishment from the boy's part. Exiled."

"Then, perhaps it's too soon," Erassa suggested, suddenly feeling the urge to busy herself by washing the dishes. She just couldn't look at him. If she didn't look at him, she couldn't see just how serious he was about the matter.

"It's is expected. Politics," he growled.

She bit her lip, not wanting to make him angry, but shards! How could she send either one of them away like that? Corofel was always so gentle and attentive to the little ones, despite all he tried to pretend to be the little Lord in waiting. And Ofewal was so thoughtful and sweet, always thinking deep thoughts and asking so many questions about the world. They were both so special. How could he even think of sending them away! "Don't you think... politics can wait? Just for a turn or two more? They're just so young..."

"I don't know," Corowal sighed and run his fingers thru his hair.

Her hands sank deep in the water, just gripping the dish she had intended to wash. "How long would they be gone?"

"Perhaps a turn, no longer," Corowal replied.

"A turn is long enough," she whispered quietly. Shards, those boys had become like family to her. A whole turn? She's hardly recognize them when they came back. They'd grow so much...

"Now, now," Corowal said soothingly. "You have grown very fond of them, aren't you?"

She shrugged a shoulder, scrubbing away at the dish once more. "It's not my place to be fond of them. They're not mine." For all that she had cooked for them, done their mending, helped them with their studied, bandaged their scrapes and bruises and held them as they cried.

She didn't fool him for a one second. Corowal just lifted his eyebrows sarcastically and touched briefly her shoulder.

Erassa stiffened slightly, annoyed that he would try yet again to comfort her, to _have_ her. It was an instinctual reaction that she was trying to fight down. She forced herself to relax. "I guess I am a little fond of them."

"That makes you the best fostermother around here," Corowal said with a smile.

"That's kind of you to say," she said softly, keeping her eyes on her dishes, not wanting to look at him. The involuntary look of gratitude in them might encourage his tenderness, and in this moment she was feeling much too vulnerable to not give into his strength.

Last updated on the September 8th 2009

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They Are So Young