'It seems he's waking up,' she told Nessa, settling the baby more securely against her.
'Yes, his brain is back in activity,' Nessa responded.
The baby cooed at that exact moment, his miniature fists stretching and flexing as though testing the air, his eyelids fluttering before slowly lifting in a drowsy attempt to take in the world. He blinked up at her in a fog of confusion.
"You are awake, hmm?" she whispered with a gentle smile, leaning in to smoosh his cheek with a soft kiss. He rewarded her with a barely formed babble—more sound than word—and she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her.
But the sound of her own amusement jolted her back to awareness. She froze, scanning her surroundings to make sure none of the beastmen around them had woken up from her noise. When she confirmed that everyone remained asleep, she let out a slow, relieved breath and returned her focus to the baby, who had dropped his gaze to her shirt and begun absentmindedly patting it.
