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Jun 1, 2020

Dumpling ch 34

She awoke to the sound of Lolly entering their room carrying a tray and Nenani sat up slowly, bleary eyed and yawned widely. The sound of the tray being sat down drew her eyes to the Matron who was idly shifting the items on the tray about, but as they were so small compared to the tray, she could not see what was there. Her mother was already up and having been so for some time, she was occupying herself with sitting on the window sill and looking out onto the calm morning.

“Did you sleep well?” Lolly asked Oira.

“Better than I have in a very long time,” the woman said mildly and in a soft voice. “Thank you.”

“Well, I find that very encouraging,” said Lolly, pleased. “Gods above know you all need some good rest after all that’s happened. Now, I’ve brought you a few different things to choose from for your breakfast. I wasn’t sure if you felt up to eating something solid yet or what you would like. I have some porridge, some eggs, bread, and some jam. And some tea, of course.”

Nenani was startled to alertness when Haiyer, who had been sound asleep just moments before, practically leapt up from the nest of his bed and scrambled gracelessly over to the edge of the platform just behind Lolly. “I want jam!” he said with great delight, hopping up and down, and then paused to add a belated, “...please.”

Lolly turned to look down the little boy with an affectionate smile. “Well, thank you for remembering your manners, young sir.” She turned back to the tray to grab something before presenting Haiyer with a small bowl of porridge; a generous glob of black currant jam adorning the middle. It looked hilariously small in her hands, but she held it out to him with with same grace as she would someone of her own size. The little boy squealed with joy as he took ownership of his breakfast and promptly found a place to sit and eat.

“Ah-ah-ah. Use your spoon,” Lolly reminded him sternly when he made as though to dig his fingers in. Haiyer frowned, but obligingly reached for the wooden utensil sitting just inside the bowl. He wasn’t very graceful at eating with a spoon, but his stubborn conviction saw him through and continued to shove careful spoonfuls into his mouth. A fat glob of porridge, streaked with purple, fell from his spoon just as he opened his mouth and it landed on the front of his tunic with a wet splat.

“Uh-oh...”

Lolly had just handed Nenani her own bowl and they both looked to Haiyer who was then trying to scoop the spilled porridge back onto his spoon. Nenani started to laugh and Lolly merely shook her head.

“Little man, you are just a mess,” she said, but her eyes sparkled with humor, bringing up her apron in her hands to carefully wipe clean the front of his little shirt.

“Do you think I might be granted some fabric?” Oira asked as she watched. “I’d like to make him some proper clothes. He grew out of his old shirt and trousers nearly two months ago and that was all I was able to make with what we had with us.”

Lolly shook her head. “No need. I’ve already set some of my girls working on some for him. He’s a good bit smaller than Jae was when he first came to us, but with a little alterations it should do just fine. They’re taking in a few of his oldest clothes. In fact, I believe I may even have some shoes for him. I’ll go fetch them now while you all eat.” Lolly said the last portion with a pointed look to Oira who nodded.

“Eggs and some bread sound very good, thank you.” Once Lolly had been thoroughly pacified, she left them to their breakfasts and went to collect whatever clothing was ready for Haiyer.

Oira picked at her food without much enthusiasm once Lolly had left and Nenani felt a twinge of concern. “Mama?”

“Hm?” she said, snapping from her own thoughts to turn to her daughter. “Yes, baby?”

“Are you all right?”

“Oh, yes. I am...I’m fine,” she said, looking down at her plate. She had been left with a hearty plate of eggs and a piece of the flatbread and Oira had settled down next to her children to eat. “You were right, Nenani. This place is very lovely. Reminds me of how I remember it before the war. I use to love coming here as a girl.”

“To see the prince?” Nenani asked.

“Yes,” her mother replied. “But more than that. I was always treated so kindly. It’s strange to think on it now. How one can hold all images of this place; the before and after and the now. I know I should feel safe, but...I can’t. Not wholly.”

Nenani ate a new bite of porridge quietly as she considered. Swallowing, he looked back her mother and asked, “Because of Aidus?”

“Always because of him,” her mother, her voice bringing with it a tinge of ire. “But also...” She paused and shook her head. “Never mind. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t trouble you with all this.”

“I want you to, though,” Nenani pressed. “I want to help you. I don’t like seeing you so sad.”

Oira pulled her daughter to her and pressed her forehead to her own. “You’re more than enough help just by being here with me, my sweet. More than you know. I just...need to sort myself out a bit. I’ve spent a long time twisted up. It’s hard to untangle.”

“Alright. But you still need to eat, though,” Nenani told her mother firmly. “Please.”

Oira regarded her child with some surprise. “I will. I just get lost in my own head and sometimes...it’s awfully hard to find my way out again.”

“There’s nothing hard about it,” Nenani said, reaching to her mother’s plate and grabbed up the spoon to scoop up an egg and brought it to her mother’s face. “You just put the egg on the spoon and then ahhhh...”

Oira was giggling, leaning away from the approaching egg. “Nenani, stop...I can feed myself.”

Nenani wiggled up to sit onto her knees in order get better leverage and pressed the spoon closer to her mother. Shaking with suppressed laughter, Oira obediently opened her mouth and took in the rather large egg. She pressed her hand to her mouth as she chewed, snorting unladylike as Nenani scooped up another egg and brought it back up. Waving Nenani off and shaking her head, Oira tried to say something, but it was simply gibberish when spoken through half chewed eggs. She finished her bite, swallowing hard and then said with breathless amusement, “Alright, fine! I’ll eat.”

“All of it,” Nenani demanded.

“Yes, ma’am,” her mother replied, reclaiming her spoon. She paused for a moment, looking at Nenani was an odd expression. Gratitude, amusement, surprise...love.

“What?” Nenani asked.

“You’re so much like him,” her mother said.

“Who?”

“Your father...”

Lolly returned close to a quarter hour later with a small bundle, looking very pleased with herself. “I have a little something for you both,” she said, looking to Haiyer and Oira. “First, let’s see if these fit.”

She sat the bundle down and plucked up a small red shirt and brown trousers and handed them both to Oira who took a moment to admire them. She looked to Lolly and said, “These are quite fine...”

“Yes. The King was always spoiling Jae,” Lolly replied. “Especially when he was very young and skiddish. Of course, you’d never suspect that looking at him now. But these were the first set of clothes the King had made for him when first arrived.”

Oira pulled the soiled tunic off of her son and helped him slip into the red shirt, admiring it as he stood there, feeling the fabric between her fingers. “It’s still a bit big, but that’s perfect. He’s been growing so fast of late. It’ll fit perfectly by next week.” Next came the trousers. They fit well enough, but were overly long so the bottoms were scrunched up over his feet and they made use of the draw string along the top to cinch it snugly around Haiyer’s waist. Oira admired her son for a moment, smoothing his hair down. “Well, you look very handsome, I think.”

Then Lolly produced a pair of tiny shoes. They were big on the little boy, but were deemed close enough of a fit. After all, it seemed better to have him wear too large of a shoe than have him continue on barefooted.

“And this one is from Ginger,” Lolly said, pulling out a swathe of sea-foam blue fabric and as it unrolled through her fingers, a dress took shape. Oira starred at it, quite taken aback. Lolly was grinning excitedly. “They cleaned out one of the storage houses last winter and there was a box of human items from before the war and this was one of the dresses inside. Most of the others were too damaged to salvage, but Ginger’s been restoring this one as practice for her embroidery. She’d be very honored if you might try it on.”

Oira didn’t say anything for a long while as she inspected the fine embroidered flowers and doves along the dress’s bottom hem, the neckline, and cuffs. It was a gorgeous thing to behold and even Nenani starred at it with a mingling of awe and jealousy. The threads were far larger than one done by human hands, but it did not tarnish the imagery in any way.

“It’s beautiful...” Oira said and let the sleeve she had been inspecting fall away. “I’d hate to ruin it or...”

“Nonsense,” Lolly said cheerily. “I’ll help you into it. And I won’t hear any protestations. Besides, if it fits, it’ll give me a chance to mend the one you’re wearing.”

“No, I can do it myself,” Oira said, suddenly very apprehensive.

Lolly clicked her tongue. “No protestation, I said.”

“No, it’s just...” Oira swallowed nervously, not able to meet Lolly’s eyes.

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” Lolly continued in her firm commanding way. “Now off with it.”

Oira looked crestfallen as she slowly pulled her arms from her sleeves and slipped her shoulders out from her dress. Lolly gasped. Oira’s neck had been marred by scaring, but her shoulders were far more gruesome. Long claw like scratches and discolored scar tissue all long healed, covered her from the nape of her neck to her biceps and further down still. Her upper back was similarity marked and Lolly found herself all at once horrified by the sight and her own carelessness.

“Did he do this?” Lolly asked quietly, gently running the tip of her finger down the poor woman’s back. “That mage?”

Oira couldn’t speak passed the lump in her throat so she settled for a nod. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Oh, you poor woman,” Lolly said, her own voice choked with emotion. “I’m so sorry. I...I didn’t know...come now, let’s get this back on. You don’t have to wear the dress if you don’t want to.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to...” Oira managed to say at last. “I just...seems a waste for me to wear something so lovely looking as I do.”

Lolly’s soft sympathy abruptly sharpened into indignation and she snorted. “It isn’t for anyone else’s benefit but your own. You’re not a doll, Oira. And if I hear one criticism about how you look, I’ll throttle the lot of ‘em and send them weeping to their mothers to learn some manners. So now I’ve changed my mind. You’re wearing the dress and we’re going to do you up proper.” Lolly turned to Nenani. “Help your mother into the dress, sweetie. I’m going to fetch Ginger. We’re going to make your mother feel as beautiful as she is.”

Before Oira gathered enough of her senses to strike up a protest, Lolly was already closing the door behind her. Nenani picked the dress up from where Lolly had left it and walked over to her mother. She had pulled her tattered dress around her bosom, but her shoulders and arms were bare to the world and Nenani couldn’t help but look at the lines etched into her mother’s skin with a growing sense of rage.

Oira looked over her shoulders and caught her daughter’s eyes. “Baby, you’re catching...”

Her arms were open flames and it was sneaking up her shoulders. “I don’t care anymore,” she replied, not bothering to suppress the feeling. “I hate him.”

“They’re not painful anymore,” her mother said, a paltry offering of comfort. But it only made Nenani all the feel more wretched. She walked up to her mother’s back and to plant a kiss on her back and then pressed her forehead against her skin. Her mother reached back to pat her head. They said nothing for a long moment before parting. Oira allowed Nenani to help her into the new drew dress, pulling the thicker, stiff fabric up over her thin and pale frame. It slipped onto her easily and once the back and had been laced and fastened up, Nenani stepped back.

The dress fit beautifully everywhere except the bust. Oira did not have a large chest and her malnourished state left the top of the dress fall forward in a depressed sag. She pressed the excess fabric to her and looked down at the flowing skirt. “It’s so pretty,” she murmured appreciatively.

When Lolly returned with Ginger in tow, both ladies immediately began to praise the dress and Oira for looking so fine in it. The neckline was wide and showed off her neck and sternum, but Ginger grinned as she held up a swathe of cream fabric. “It won’t be a problem at all if we’re a bit creative with a shawl.”

Oira’s face colored and nodded to the ladies, giving them her consent. They pleated the cream colored fabric and tucked the edge down into the dress’s front to not only push out the rest of the bodice, but so it covered much if not all the scars. The rest of it was draped across her head much in the same way Lolly’s was and once they were done, both Oira’s scars and short hair were all but invisible.

“You look lovely!” Ginger said, clapping excitedly. “And the frock fits you so well! Oh, I am just pleased a punch!”

Their moment of levity was abruptly interrupted by a firm knock at the door. “Who is it?” Lolly asked.

“It’s Donal, Miss Lolly,” came the muffled response. Nenani did not recognize the voice. “I am terribly sorry for intruding, but I have a message for her royal highness.”

Oira winced at the honorific, breathing slowly through her nose as though to keep herself from saying something unkind.

“Oh! Master Donal, of course,” Lolly went to the door quickly and opened the door and stepping aside. “Please, come in, sir. We’re all quite decent I assure you.”

A giant Nenani had never met before stepped through and blushed at Lolly’s remark. He cleared his throat and set his mouth back into firm placidity; a true herald of decorum. “Ah, yes. Very good, ma’am.”

Donal was at least as tall as Yale and lankier still, wearing a plain, but finely made doublet and jerkin with trousers, all black, and he wore a green cap on his head; a single large white ploom jetting up like the tail of a peacock. He was an older man and his cheeks were somewhat gaunt, but not in an unhealthy way. His silver hair was trimmed in a bowl cut along his scalp and the ends of it peeked out from under his cap. Large, intelligent brown eyes took in the room and its occupants and settled onto Oira. He gave a short bow and said, “I apologize for the intrusion, m’lady. His Majesty extends an invitation to you to join him in the great hall this morning to discuss matters at hand.”

Oira looked very uncomfortable, but managed to wrestle her nerves enough to nod and speak, “I would be happy to, sir. When will he be expecting me, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Not at all, m’lady. Within the next hour, if it pleases you.”

“Ah, well...” Oira looked torn as he looked back to Haiyer who was happily playing with the strings on his new trousers. “I will need someone to watch Haiyer...”

“He can come with me to the kitchen camp,” Nenani offered quickly. “He can help me make tonics.”

Donal’s attention was drawn to Nenani and he fumbled with his words for a moment, the flash of displeasure quickly fading back into polite neutrality. “Oh, I beg your pardon, Princess, but I don’t feel it quite right that you would occupy yourselves with such things. Given your new positions, it wouldn’t be proper...”

Whatever misgivings Oira may have had with her youngest child spending the day with a group of rough cooks, close to knives and fire and all sorts of possible dangers, Donal’s claim that such a thing would not be proper seemed to set her mind for her and she suppressed a grim frown. Straighteneing her back and inclining her head deftly towards the Stewart, she replied in a sweet voice, “Thank you for your concern, sir. But I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Farris and I’m fully confidant he is more than capable of watching the children. And I am delighted that Nenani is learning such a useful skill. If you would tell the King that I would be most honored to meet with him, I would be endlessly grateful, sir.”

Donal looked as though he wished to press the issue, but conceded with a nod. “Very good, m’lady. I will do so immediately.”

When Donal departed the room, Lolly was pinching her lips closed as though trying very hard not to smile. “You handled that man with more grace than I have seen in a very long time, Oria. Bravo.”

“Master Donal is...” Ginger considered her words. “Well, he likes things done properly and done right.”

“He’s not a bad man, mind you,” Lolly added. “He’s a very gentle soul. But he isn’t ones to not say his opinion.”

“Of which there are many,” Ginger added with a giggle. “You should have seen his face when they told him Jae was to be his assistant! The poor man looked ready to quit on the spot, but nope! He accepted the assignment with dignity. Though I must say, Jae had been doing a fine job of it. I think even Donal might’ve been a bit impressed.”

“Yes, but enough of all that,” Lolly said and looked to Oira. “When did you meet Farris?”

“He came to see Nenani last night,” she replied. “We were all asleep actually, but I suppose she heard him and was banging on the door, demanding to be let out.”

Lolly looked to Nenani as though to admonish her, but she just shook her head.

“He asked if I had any objections against Nenani continuing to learn under him,” Oira explained. “But whatever hesitations I might have had, when I saw him with her...I couldn’t say no. And I wasn’t lying to Donal just now. It’s very useful to know how to use plants and herbs properly. My limited knowledge saved us plenty of times in the wilds.”

“Well, though I am tempted to agree with Master Donal on the matter,” Lolly replied. “I know a losing battle when I see one. And she’s spent the last few months with the boys, I don’t see it doing much hard letting it continue. But Haiyer is awfully little to be around them. They are good boys, but they are...rough.”

“Compared to Aidus,” Oira said, looking at both her children. “I’m sure they’re as gentle as lambs.”

…………………………………………….

Lolly sent along a note to Farris beforehand to let him know to expect both the Daelg children and that they would be accompanied by a guard and that she would not be swayed against it. The task went to one of the guards posted outside their door, a younger man named Peyton who was willing to spend his day standing around near the kitchen camp rather than standing around in the hallway.

“Sounds like an improvement to me, ma’am,” he said to Lolly with a cheeky grin and then seemed to recall himself and stumbled gracelessly over his words. “Not that I don’t like my postin’ ma’am, just that it’s quite here and down there might be a bit more...more.”

Lolly had it in her mind to send Peyton along with both Nenani and Haiyer, but decided last minute to accompany him down. Oira and Nenani had to spend some time explaining to Haiyer what they were going to do so as not to frighten him when he realized his mother would not be going with them. He did start to look as though he wanted to cry, but Nenani reached out and grabbed the blue rock she had given to him the other night and pressed it into his hand. “Remember to keep your magic rock with you,” she said. “It’ll make you brave.”

Haiyer looked down at the stone, sniffing. “Oh...okay.”

“Are you gonna be a good boy for mister Farris?” Oira asked, petting his hair.

Haiyer nodded glumly.

“Y’know,” Nenani said as sudden inspiration struck. “The kitchen is where they keep the jam.”

If ever there was a magic word, Nenani had just uttered it and Haiyer perked up, his eyes growing into saucers and smiling with glee.

“Could I have some?” he asked.

“If you ask really nicely,” Nenani replied, grinning in triumph. “But you have to be good and mind Farris. He doesn’t like it when you don’t mind him.”

“I can do that,” Haiyer assured her. “I can!”

…………………………………………………………..

Saen was waiting for them at the corner just before the camp and when he caught sight of Lolly carrying Nenani, he smirked and called out, “Yer late, Dumplin’!”

Nenani stuck her tongue out. “No, I’m not. Farris said after breakfast was okay.”

“Aye, it’s nearly an hour after breakfast,” he replied as Lolly came into range and he reached out to pluck Nenani from her arms. Lolly didn’t make a fuss this time, merely rolled her eyes. Saen held the little human up to his face, eyes narrowed in mock anger. “So yer late.”

Nenani reached out and pushed his nose. “Not late.”

He laughed and tucked her into the crook of his arm before turning to Lolly. “Now what’s all this about ye turnin’ the kitchens into a nursery, Lolly? We actually have work to do, lass.”

“It’s just for a little while,” Lolly replied. “The King wanted to speak with Oira –ah, the Princess and there was the question of who would watch Haiyer.”

“I’m sure ye have plenty of girls who’d love to play Mum fer a few hours,” he replied.

“That’s true enough and that’s precisely where my mind was set,” Lolly said with a suppressed grin and tilted her head to Nenani. “Then that one suggested he come with her for today and then she said the ‘J’ word and well...there was no swaying him after that.”

The cook tilted his head. “What’s the ‘J’ word?”

“Jam,” Nenani replied knowingly and sure enough, Haiyer’s little face popped out from the curl of Lolly’s arms where he’d been hiding. Saen blinked at the small boy and broke out into a fit of laughter.

“Gods above, Lolly!” he laughed and bent down to peer at the child. “Ye can’t be serious. He’s so small, we might actually lose the poor lad. Might have to tie a string ‘round ‘im to keep ‘im from wanderin’ off.”

“He’ll be with Nenani the whole time,” Lolly said and then added with a bit more bite to her tone, “And you better not lose him or you can explain to his mother – who is a fire mage by the by – just how it was that you lost her son.”

“I’ll watch him,” Nenani replied quickly. “I won’t lose him. Besides, he won’t wander off. He’s kind of a scardy-cat.”

“Am not!” Haiyer protested with great offense. “I am not a scardy-cat!” He then gave a startled yelp when Saen leaned towards him.

“Skiddish little lad, ain’t ye?” said the cook with a light chuckle.

“Where’s your rock?” she asked her brother hastily as Haiyer looked as though he might begin to cry. He dug into his shirt and held the bluish stone up.

“What’s that?” Saen asked.

“It’s my magic rock,” Haiyer replied, eyeing Saen with trepidation. But no tears. Nenani privately patted herself on the back.

“Magic, eh?” he asked, sounding impressed. “What’s it do?”

“Ellis said...she said,” Haiyer stammered over his words as he became more nervous. “That it would protect me...from the bad stuff.”

“Ellis?” Saen asked looking up at Lolly. “And who would that be?”

But Lolly shook her head, smiling.

“Ellis is my friend,” Haiyer answered. “She’s a fairy.”

Saen’s eyebrows rose as understanding struck and he nodded and smiled indulgently. “Ah, so yer friends with fairies are ye, lad?”

“Just Ellis...”

“Ye know what they say about fairies don’t ye?”

“Well, yeah,” said the little boy. “But she says she can’t take me to the fairy kingdom because she’s not allowed there no more because she did a bad thing.”

“A bad thing? Like what?”

“She won’t tell me...”

Saen laughed and looked to Lolly, nodding. “Fine then, hand ‘im here. We’ll play nursemaids. Just don’t be expectin’ any a’ us to be puttin’ on no frock.”

Lolly carefully sat Hiayer into the crook of Saen’s other arm and regarded the cook seriously. “Do be gentle with him, Saen. He’s a dear little thing.”

He took a moment to study Lolly’s face before nodding. “Ah, ye worry too much, lass. He’ll be fine. Promise. We’re not so heartless as all that.”

“You all had a good laugh at me when I thought you wanted to eat me,” Nenani replied contrarily and eyed the giant.

“Aye,” he said with a twinkling amusement in his eyes. “But ye were a different matter. This one hasn’t stolen from the King, has he?”

Nenani pursed her lips in a defeated frown and only shrugged noncommittally.

“Leave him alone near a jam pot and that will change,” Lolly said with a twittering laugh. “Oh, and before I forget. Peyton is going to be stationed here for the day.”

Seeming to just now notice the armed guard standing just behind Lolly, Saen looked at her quizzically. “What fer?”

“Just extra precautions.”

“Suit yerself,” Saen shrugged, not seeming all that bothered at the idea. “This way, then. Peyton, ye said?”

“Yes,” the guard said and obligingly followed Saen into the cook camp.

“The masons are makin’ quick work of the kitchen,” Saen said to Nenani as the rounded the bend and down the small path that had been worn into the grass over time. “We’ll be able to move back into the barracks soon and the ovens only need another day or so for the repairs to set proper like. So we’ll be havin’ proper bread again.”

“And sweet rolls!” Nenani said excitedly and the cook laughed.

“Aye, that too,” he agreed and turned to look at Peyton over his shoulder. “How ‘bout ye Peyton? Looking forward to proper bread again?”

“Certainly,” said the guard. “But I don’t mind the flat stuff. My Gran’s from Ibronia and she use to make bread like that when I was a boy.”

As they entered the camp proper, a curious sound drew their focus; the straining of several voices and the creaking of wood. Nenani could see Bart and Farris standing near the lean-to tent with the lipper barrels and passed them, Herit and Gjerk were trying to pry the lid off of one such barrel. By all appearances, they seemed to be having a rough time of it.

“Come on! Put yer backs into it, lads!” Bart barked with a loud laugh. Gjerk had a prybar wedged under the lid and was pushing down with all his strength with Herit just below him, holding onto another portion of the bar and using his full weight to help pull it down. But still the lid did not move. Avery had a hold of the barrel, steadying it as the tenderfoots worked. Both younger giants were red in the face with exertion. Their strength gave out all at once and both boys released their hold on the prybar, sinking into the grass.

“I think I pulled somethin’...” Gjerk said, wincing as he stretched his back.

“Fuckin’ hells,” Herit panted. “How tight did ye make it?”

“As tight as it needs t’be,” Farris laughed. “Won’t do much good fer the whole damn thing to spoil ‘cause ye didn’t bother t’seal it proper like. Avery, go on and show ‘em how it’s done.”

With a grin, Avery stepped bodily over the tenderfoots and grabbed up the prybar. He cheekily twirled it around in his hand and with a single thrust, jammed it under the lid. He turned to look down at Gjerk and Herit and with a single firm jerk, the lid popped off and flew over their heads to land harmlessly in the grass behind them all. Both younger workers growled and collapsed onto the ground, muttering curses and whatnot.

It was then that Saen caught Farris’s eye and the cook looked pointedly down at the two human children in his arms. Nenani sat placidly and was grinning down at the tenderfoots as they nursed their bruised prides, but the smaller lump that was supposedly the other child seemed to be trying to bury themselves under the bulk of Saen’s arm.

Farris glanced down at the tenderfoots. “All right ye two, get to rinsin’ them lippers and then ye can get to the rhotas in a bit. Bart,” he said turning to the butcher. “Do ye know if there’s anymore of that redweed powder left?”

“Not but a pinch,” Bart replied gruffly as he helped Gjerk onto his feet. “Yaesha’s grabbed up most a’ the rest of it, but there’s that blue jar still with a bit left.”

“Make sure they remember to put some into the brat’s food,” Farris said. “They’re wakin’ ‘im up today and I’ll bet he’s gonna have a decent appetite.”

“Will do,” Bart said and went off into the storage tent to presumably acquire the aforementioned redweed powder. With everyone knowing their work, they all dispersed and Farris walked over to meet Saen as he approached.

“Yer late,” Farris said to Nenani with a look. “Not sure what time yer keepin’ lass, but it’s more than an hour passed breakfast.”

Nenani opened her mouth to defend herself, but the look Farris was giving her silenced her protest so she simply said, “Sorry...”

Farris grunted in reply, but then turned his attention to the small boy gazing up at him warily who turned away as soon as his green eyes were set upon him. Nenani privately sympathized. She had found Farris to be downright terrifying when she first met him. For his part, Farris merely snorted when Haiyer turned away and glanced at Nenani. “Suppose this is yer brother then?”

Nenani nodded with a smile. “Yup.”

Haiyer had curled in on himself and was pressing his face into Saen’s shirt as though meaning to disappear and the cook could not help but laugh mildly. “He’s a wee bit on th’ skiddish side, boss.”

“Aye, we do ‘ave that effect on the lil’ buggars, don’t we? All right. Let’s see this lil’ prince then,” Farris said as he carefully scooped Haiyer up into his cupped hands. The little boy whined with uncertainty, little hands reaching out for purchase on the spice master’s fingers. But Farris shushed him gently. “Oh, none of that mess now. Yer all right.”

Farris held him up and studied the little human as Haiyer clutched at the large fingers around him, looking even smaller in Farris’s larger hands. His eyes roamed around, unable to meet the spice master’s stare. Farris huffed a small laugh and looked to Nenani with a smirk. “I can tell he’s yer kin, that’s fer sure.”

Nenani looked between her brother and Farris, titling her head curiously. “You can? How?”

“Aye,” he said returning to studying the boy. “Ye both have th’same face, same nose. Different hair and eye colorin’, but yer assuredly kin. What’s yer name, lad?”

Haiyer fidgeted and in a nervous little voice said, “H-haiyer...”

“Alright then, Haiyer,” Farris said, slipping into a firm tone. “Ye Mum’s set me with ye today so I’m gonna be puttin’ ye and yer sister to mixing some tonics and yer gonna behave yerself, understand?”

Haiyer blinked, a little confused, but nodded. “Nenani said I have to mind you...”

“Aye,” Farris replied with a grin. “And she’d be right.”

“And she also...also said...” Haiyer battled against his own nervousness to as he tried to talk. He looked away, seeming bashful. “...I could...I could have some jam, too.”

“Tell ye what, son,” Farris said, amused. “Ye behave and mind me well an’ I’ll see that ye get some jam later. How’s that sound?”

An excitable glimmer lite up the boy’s face and he nodded fervently, his fear suddenly forgotten. “I can do that!”

#Dumpling #G/t story #Giant/tiny #Nenani #Haiyer #Farris #Avery #Saen #Lolly #Donal #Ginger #Oira #Haiyer loves him some jam #food motivated

diddlesanddoodles