Summoner 20, page 27
“I think she’ll enjoy it, too,” Freya mused. “I have grown to love it.”
“Erin, Cyra?” I prompted my other lovers. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s a good idea.” Erin nodded in agreement. “If we have the capability to keep Vahla safe, we should do it.”
“Thank you.” I offered her a small smile, and then I shifted my focus to Cyra.
“She’s the sister of my sister-wife,” Cyra said simply. “I’d do anything to keep her safe. If you and Fenrir think taking her back to Varle for a while is the right call, I’ll back you on it. Besides, I think it would be good for Vahla, and not to mention, pretty fun for us.”
Her chocolate eyes sparkled as they darted over to Freya, and my women shared an amused smile.
“It’s decided, then,” I confirmed. “I’ll tell Vahla the news this evening. Fenrir and Ratreya want us to dine with them.”
“Perfect.” Freya smiled at the group. “Thank you all for your generosity. I appreciate your willingness to open up our home to my sister.”
That evening, after we shared the news with Vahla, our large family sat down and enjoyed a simple meal of fish and root vegetables. Fenrir and Ratreya confirmed their consent of the plan, and while Ratreya seemed saddened by the idea of her youngest child leaving home, I knew the hawk queen wanted the best for Vahla.
“This will not be forever,” Fenrir insisted to his wife gently. “Vahla will return to us as soon as it is safe for her to do so.”
“I know.” Ratreya nodded at her husband, and she rested her hand on his arm. “This is all for the best, and I know Vahla will be taken care of by Gryff and his family. Thank you, Gryff, for helping our family in their time of need.”
“That’s what family is for,” I insisted.
Even though the Moose Clan surprise attack was an awful situation, I was glad some good came from it. I had a feeling Vahla was going to adapt well to Enclave life just as her sister had.
“Enough talk of departure,” Fenrir proposed. “Let us enjoy this evening together and put all thought of Moose Clan and other enemies behind us.”
We did just that, and after another wonderful evening of food, conversation, and cooing over our adorable babies, we retired again to our chambers.
The next morning, I woke with a start and was surprised to see a pair of bright yellow eyes staring at me.
“Sera?” I frowned as I took in the sight of the Archon. “What’s going on? Did you get word from Mistral?”
The dark-winged goddess’ appearance was not as pristine as usual. Her raven-black hair was wind-tangled as if she’d been running, and her yellow eyes were frantic as they bored into mine.
“Gryff, you must return at once,” Sera insisted. “The mistwolves have returned to Mistral, and they’re closing in quickly.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Fuck,” I cursed, and I ran my hands through my hair. I couldn’t be too surprised Hunnah’s monsters had resurfaced in my absence, especially since I’d sent Sera to investigate in the first place, but that didn’t keep my brain from launching into a panicked frenzy.
Cyra, Erin, and Freya stirred but thankfully didn’t wake at my sudden outburst. Sera raised a black eyebrow and tilted her head to the side curiously as she observed my sleeping lovers, but when I inclined my head toward the doorway, she followed my cue and floated into the living room area.
After I nimbly climbed around my women’s sleeping forms and crawled out of bed, I gently closed the bedroom door behind me and then turned my attention back to the Archon.
“Sera, I need you to tell me everything,” I urged the dark angelic goddess.
“There isn’t much to tell, to be perfectly honest,” Sera admitted reluctantly. “I’ll relay all I learned. When I reached your home, I was greeted by the sight of your silver-haired wife on her way out the door. My presence always sets her on edge, but when I appeared to her, she was already shaken up--”
“Is she okay?” I demanded. “I swear, if Hunnah and Quilla did anything to her or the others--”
“Patience, Gryff.” The dark-winged Archon raised her hands in reassurance. “Your family is perfectly fine. Once I calmed her down and explained why I was there in the mansion without you, Nia informed me that the mistwolves had been spotted just beyond the Enclave and in the surrounding villages and towns. She said their numbers have increased significantly, and she was on her way to join a team of mages from your Academy to further investigate.”
“Maker,” I cursed again, and I tried to force my heart to calm down. “This isn’t good.”
My hands had begun to shake at the idea of Nia and the rest of my women going up against the Archon’s pack of supposedly hard-to-kill monsters.
Not that Nia Kenefick couldn’t handle herself, of course. The multi-elementalist was a prodigy in her own right, and she possessed some of the strongest magic of any mage alive. I’d witnessed the intensity of her power for myself on numerous occasions, but still, I couldn’t help worrying about my wife. Nia meant the world to me, and I would do everything in my power to keep her safe.
“Master, take a deep breath,” Sera pressed, and the Archon rushed to my side and rested her hand on my shoulder.
I followed the Archon’s instruction and took a long, deep breath. Once I was calmer, I nodded my head as I considered the best course of action. This new onslaught of mistwolves presented a huge problem. Normally, in these circumstances, I would have pushed to teleport back to Mistral, but I wasn’t here alone. With my women, children, airship, and now Vahla to worry about, there was no way I could possibly teleport us all back home without wasting energy I might need when we returned.
“From what Nia said to me, the mistwolves have not made it to Varle just yet,” Sera soothed. “There’s still some time, but if you don’t leave as soon as possible…”
“I understand.” I nodded at her. “Well, it’s a good thing we were going to be leaving within the next couple of days anyway. It’s going to take three days to get back to Mistral. If we leave tomorrow morning, will we reach them in time?”
“From the information I’ve gathered, I’d say it’s just enough,” Sera replied. “But the morning must be the latest departure. Hunnah’s pack is ruthless, and from the sounds of it, they’ve got something in store for the human realm. You don’t want to arrive after the mistwolves do, because by then, it will be too late.”
“Sounds like I need to go find the others and let them know,” I murmured, and then I turned my attention back to the dark-winged Archon. “Thank you, Sera, I appreciate your help.”
“Of course, master.” Sera gave me a thin-lipped smile. “I’m sorry my news wasn’t more pleasant.”
With a wave of my will, I recalled the beautiful goddess back into my consciousness, and once her mark returned to its place on my back, I took a deep breath, turned on my heels, and walked back into the bedroom.
My women were wrapped up in blankets, and their bleary eyes betrayed their lingering sleepiness. When the door closed behind me, each of my beautiful lovers sat up and stared at me with concern.
“Gryff, what’s going on?” Cyra frowned.
“Sera just returned from Varle,” I revealed to the group as I crossed over to them and perched on the edge of the bed. “I sent her to check on everything back in Mistral because I had an anxious feeling the other day, and I just wanted some peace of mind. Unfortunately, it appears my fears were for a good reason. The mistwolves have made a reappearance, and they’re nearing the Enclave.”
“Fuck!” Cyra cursed.
“Oh, no,” Erin breathed as her face fell. “Please tell me they haven’t made it to Varle.”
“They haven’t yet,” I replied, and Erin let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Maker, Gryff, I swore you were about to tell me the mistwolves had invaded our home and you needed to teleport back or something,” the pilot sighed. “Not that this is the better alternative…”
“They aren’t at Varle yet, but Sera thinks that could change fairly quickly,” I continued on. “I know we’d planned on a couple more days, but we need to leave for Mistral tomorrow morning at the latest if we want to get back in time.”
“That should be simple enough,” Erin said, and the mimic nodded her head as she considered my words. “If we load up this evening, we should be able to take off early in the morning. Luckily, we didn’t bring much with us luggage-wise… ”
“Could Sera just… teleport us home?” Cyra wondered with a curious tilt of her head. “If immediacy is the concern, could she just open up a portal and pull us all through to Varle?”
“In theory, that’s a good idea, but that kind of travel is really taxing on Sera’s energy,” I replied. “And with so many people and the airship to worry about, the portal would have to be larger and stronger than the one she can open for herself.”
“Oh.” Cyra frowned. “That makes sense.”
“So, we’ll need to accomplish a lot today if we want to leave in the morning,” Erin continued on. “There’s some things I have to handle on the airship…”
As the pilot carried on about all that needed to be done, my eyes fell to Freya, who’d been silent during this entire interaction.
“Freya, I’m so sorry we’re shortening our stay,” I apologized to my hawk wife. “I wish we didn’t have to leave so soon--”
“Don’t worry, my husband.” Freya shook her head, and her wild blonde waves fluttered with the motion. “I told you before we left that your duties to Mistral come before anything else. I have had more than enough time with my mother and father, and they will understand why we must return.”
“Thank you for being so understanding.” I reached out and gently touched her arm. “I’ll make it up to you once everything has settled down. Now, I’d suggest we all pack things up--”
“We can handle the packing,” Erin insisted. “Maybe you should go and find Fenrir and Ratreya and tell them what’s going on. It’d be easier for the official explanation to come from you since you know the story first-hand.”
“That’s a good idea,” I commended the orange-haired pilot. “Though it’s more like second-hand information.”
“Sera is a part of you,” the mimic reminded me with a raised eyebrow. “Whether or not you’d like to admit it or not, she’s basically an extension of your eyes and ears.”
“We shall need to tell Vahla as well,” Freya reminded me. “She will need to gather up her belongings and say her goodbyes to my parents and her friends in the Clan.”
“Would you go find her while I go talk to your father?” I asked the hawk shapeshifter, and she nodded vigorously.
“I was already planning on it before you asked me,” my blonde wife replied. “It would be best if the information came from me. I know she’s excited for Mistral, but she might not be happy that we have to leave early. I would rather give her the news myself.”
“She’s lucky to have a sister who cares so much.” I gave her a small smile, and then I rose from the bed and searched the floor for last night’s clothing. I dressed myself quickly and smoothed a few of the wrinkles in my button-down shirt. The leader of a foreign shapeshifter clan was unlikely to care about a rumpled shirt, but I wanted to show the chief my respect as I let him down.
“You look fine,” Cyra assured me, and I let out a small chuckle in response.
My curly-haired wife always knew what I was thinking before I even said it aloud.
“I’ll be back soon,” I addressed my women. I gave them one last look and then headed out of the bedroom and through the doorway.
My feet carried me to Chief’s Fenrir’s dwelling so fast, I felt like I was flying, and my breath was heavy in my chest as I practiced my words. I knew Fenrir was going to understand, but there was still a lingering feeling of dread within me.
“Gryff?” Chief Fenrir called out to me before I even stepped into the room. “Is that you?”
“It is,” I replied as I parted the curtains and then stepped through the threshold.
Chief Fenrir was seated on a large cushion, and he was surrounded by thick scrolls of a written language I didn’t recognize.
“Come sit, my son.” Fenrir inclined his head in front of him. “Is everything alright? You appear troubled.”
“Things aren’t exactly alright,” I admitted to the hawk leader, and I braced myself for his disappointment. “We’re going to be leaving in the morning. We received word from Mistral that the mistwolves have returned, and we need to be there before the situation gets dire.”
To my surprise, my father-in-law didn’t look disappointed, and his face remained even and calm.
“You have to do what is right for your homeland.” He nodded. “We’ve loved hosting you and your family, but we will be connected for the rest of our lives. The doors of Hawk Clan will always be open to you and your kin, and you may return whenever you wish. For now, defeating the monster goddesses is the top priority.”
“Thank you for understanding, Fenrir.” I smiled at the chief. “I’ve really appreciated your hospitality over the past week.”
“We are family,” Fenrir said simply. “We will always be here for you. Now, have you informed Vahla of your departure?”
“I believe Freya’s speaking with her now,” I replied.
“Good.” The hawk leader nodded again. “I believe Ratreya is in Vahla’s chambers as well, which spares me from having to tell my wife the news myself.”
“Is she going to be alright?” I asked. “Ratreya, I mean.”
“My wife understands just as well as I,” he said quickly. “Though I know parting with Vahla is going to be a bit difficult on her, she knew the day would come when her daughters would grow from fledglings into adults.”
“I’ll keep Vahla safe,” I promised him. “I swear it.”
“I know you will,” Fenrir replied, and his dark eyes were sincere as they stared into mine. “Now, I know you probably have much to accomplish, so I won’t keep you any longer. We shall have one last meal together this evening, and then we’ll send you on your way in the morning. If there’s anything you need before then, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Chief Fenrir,” I said sincerely.
True to his word, Fenrir and Ratreya arranged an intimate and delicious dinner for us that evening after we’d finished packing and preparing for our departure.
Ratreya had prepared a spicy stew with vegetables and some unknown but succulent meat that fell apart in my mouth. Hawk Clan certainly had a way with cooking, and it was easy to tell where Freya got her skills from. We sipped on mead and nibbled on a thick, grainy bread while a fire roared in the background, and even though I was stressed out about the upcoming journey, I felt warm and content.
While Freya conversed with her father and sister, my mother-in-law held Lahrra in her arms. The hawk queen cooed at my daughter in softened tones and stroked her golden curls affectionately. Lahrra seemed to enjoy the tender touch and giggled as her grandmother played with her hair. Ratreya’s smile grew with every infant laugh, but suddenly, her face went slack as if she’d had a realization.
“Mother?” Freya frowned as she looked over at Ratreya. “Mother, what’s wrong?”
Ratreya parted Lahrra’s hair and stared at part of her scalp, and suddenly, tears streamed down her cheeks unexpectedly.
“Freya,” the older hawk woman breathed as she examined my daughter’s hair. “Oh, this is so wonderful. Once again, we have been blessed by the goddess…”
“Mother?” Freya followed the older hawk woman’s gaze. “What are you--”
My wife stood from her seat and rushed to the other side of the table to Ratreya’s chair, but her words halted in her throat as a smile broke across her face.
“What’s going on?” Erin whispered.
“I don’t know…” I trailed off as I tried to understand what had just happened. I peered over at my daughter, and Ratreya brought her closer so I could see what they were staring at.
There was a single feather, golden-brown in appearance, growing from my daughter’s scalp in between two golden ringlets, and my eyebrows furrowed as I tried to make sense of it.
“Is that a--”
“Hawk feather,” Freya breathed. “Yes.”
“What does that mean?” I wondered, though I was sure I knew the answer to the question.
“Our Lahrra is going to be a shapeshifter after all.” Freya teared up. “A hawk feather in the hair is the telltale sign. I’m surprised I didn’t even notice it until now.”
“This is wonderful news!” Fenrir exclaimed with a proud smile. “Our granddaughter is a shapeshifter after all!”
Cyra and Erin looked at me with confused expressions, so I quickly translated what had just happened to them, and once I concluded, the mages offered us excited expressions.
“That’s amazing!” Erin declared. “Oh, I’m so happy for you both!”
As I looked over at my young daughter, I tried to imagine her one day changing into a hawk just as her warrior mother did, and my heart swelled with pride. Ratreya was right. Lahrra would go on to do amazing things. I wondered if she’d inherit my magical power as a mage, but even if she didn’t, I wouldn’t mind. I was happy that my wife was able to pass on her heritage to our daughter.
Our departure the next morning was bittersweet, and while Freya’s mother and father were understanding, the hawk shifters were sad to see us leave. They helped us load our luggage into their boat and then ferried us out of the mountain and over to the landing pad we’d constructed.
“I wish we had more time together, my Freya,” Ratreya sighed as we lingered on the dock, and she took my wife’s hands in hers. “It’s been so wonderful to see you again.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Mother,” the warrior princess promised the older hawk woman. “We’ll need to bring Vahla back to the island, and hopefully by then, we’ll be able to have a longer stay.”
“I would like that quite a bit.” Freya’s mother smiled. “Now, Freya, I know I don’t have to explain the importance of Vahla’s safety to you, but I’ll say it anyway for peace of mind--”
