Our all-night long really just lasted a few hours before the sun reminded us how late we had gone to bed.
"They're up..."
"...Yeah. Should we?"
"After."
He relentlessly moved my hips. I guess we both missed this.
After he finished in me the tenth time, we crawled under the cover. Our sleep was just about to start.
"Your training made you quite formidable."
I smiled, enjoying his compliments and this feeling of being whole once again after over 100 hours.
"Well, you still won, but I'm closer." 10-14 wasn't bad, respectable even.
"I'm glad to be home." His voice and breathing both calmed and evened out. "I hated those people. Worse than in Malai even. Treat others like livestock."
Well, Insatel was not really different, just... had more. And some even got paid. But once freed, they were free. No history, and there were definitely no marks on their flesh like actual cattle. What a barbaric practice.
"I'm glad you're home. Alexander is becoming over-enthusiastic, and Eli wants to create her own style of martial arts." I tried my best to help him catch up.
"Hmm. That sounds good."
He wasn't there anymore. "Sleep, my love."
"You..."
"No. I won't leave. Even if you wake up, don't leave without me."
"Promises, promises."
I had the first good morning sleep in days.
~
His arms almost suffocated me, and that was the only reason I woke up. My nose got smushed, and my husband was sleeping like a baby with his mouth open.
I removed his arm and rested on it.
The window told me it wasn't afternoon since it was still light outside. It took a second, but the buzzing from downstairs was actually pretty loud as well.
I rolled off the bed, landing on all fours like a cat.
I was debating waking him up, but he had a long journey behind him. He should rest.
Downstairs, even those previously missing in the morning, like Lucian and Alexander, were eating lunch huddled together with Carlos.
"Morning all. Carlos? Where is Mother?"
He looked up with a satisfied smile. Eww.
"She is resting. Her nerves the last few days and running the tavern really wore her down."
Riiiight.
"I see..." With the mental image already getting to me, I finished thinking about the topic.
Anna was running around inside, chasing non-existent butterflies Cintia made for her.
"You don't have to always entertain them." I felt bad sticking her with babysitter duties unintentionally.
She shook her head and kept those glowing eyes on her craft. "It's more like training. Please don't worry. I love kids."
She sounded sad at the end there. With her heart given to another woman, kids of their own were a dream. They could adopt, like Zephyr did with Ilianna, but those kinds of instant bonds didn't happen that often. Either way, her road towards a family of her own won't be as easy as others.
"...And they love you. You and Nifa will make wonderful parents one day."
Nifa walked behind her wife, stealing a kiss. "That's for sure."
Eleanor was missing, so I turned to my master brother-in-law.
"Where?"
He was getting sharper, proven by how fast he understood. "She practices with Demelza outside. She's really dedicated. Also wants to talk to Big Brother when he wakes up."
Ah, the Wold style about being born.
"Zephyr should be... he is up when he's up. No one disturbs him."
I walked over to Miranda and took some of her much improved cooking. "Have you two... hmm?"
"Yep, for hours. Thank you for the food."
I escaped her perverted smile. She needs a man as well. Too many women like her and my mother are still around, living harder lives than they deserve.
"It's insane to think more than a hundred people marching in this weather." I looked outside, followed Nifa's gaze, and agreed that even without the snow, the winds chilled you to the bone.
"Don't worry. Zeph and I have done everything humanly possible to make their journey comfortable and, most importantly, safe." Carlos reinstated what they told last night. "Almost a hundred soldiers, some with families of their own protecting them, plus another hundred of the finest holy archers who were warned by Zephyr to help if needed."
Well, still... as someone who traveled a lot lately in wagons much more comfortable than the norm, I understood somewhat how difficult they must have it.
"Is it true the infirmary is being used? Vistellia has a lot to do today, or so I was told by Seline that old man Metill went helping her along with her apprentice."
Carlos changed his tone now when saying Mother's name. He looked lighter, refreshed even. I will have to do my best later with my mother, retelling all about it. Eww.
We all looked at Lucian, the responsible one. He played it off. "It's nothing. They just have trouble adjusting to my ideas."
His damn ideas somehow involved people rolling on the ground a lot, and doing... well, kicks one shouldn't attempt unless an appropriate blessing like the ability to fly or at least hover was paired with them.
"You need to tone it down, young Lucian. It's injuring the men. Also..." Alexander was ready to push him over the edge. His fingers waved back and forth. "Leader's little brother won't like it."
Poor boy tried to disappear but not before attacking back. "You like to talk about things he won't like? How about injuring the men emotionally? You need to stop being so harsh on the others and their performance!"
"How the hell are we supposed to become a worthy fighting force if our soldiers can't take some light criticism!? HOW!?"
Their back and forth about passing blame intensified, spurred on by an innocent question.
"So yeah, thanks to that, people keep injuring themselves, light stuff, ankle sprains, bruises, and someone broke a toe. Enough to keep them from training for a few days." I took over the explanation while eating some pasta.
"I see a new style is hard to build, even from a solid foundation. How on earth does he know so much about that particular kind of combat?" Carlos shook his head.
Zephyr was just as baffled as it happened. Everyone felt amazed when they saw him performing his craft because, as far as kicking and kicking, knowing how came with very different results.
"Well..." I looked outside through our family portrait, where Eleanor's training was being conducted. "...He might not have to build it alone."
I finished my food and took my gear, heading outside for a few practice shots.