“Hello,” the triplets greeted, their silver eyes full of gentle affection.

“Hello,” Tanagek replied, his eyes falling to the girl’s scar across her cheek, before his eyes darted to his father.

“Do you know who this is?” Tonagek asked.

“Baba’s son,” Konarot said, the girl sniffing the air, catching how Tanagek smelled so similar to Danagek and Dagek.

‘Baba?’ Tanagek thought.

“That is right,” Tonagek said, smiling slightly. “Tanagek is my eldest son. He is as old as your papo, and your father, they were born on the same day. He shares the same birthday as you.”

“Happy birthday, papo,” Konarot said, smiling up at him her uncle.

“It was my birthday earlier in the year, but thank you. I have brought you a gift.” Tanagek reached into his robes and held out three scales. “These are wyvern scales from Drakkenlan.”

“Drakkelan?”

“It is far to the north, beyond Aldland. It is ruled by Queen Silvari, a silver dragon.” Tanagek handed the scales to the children, who accepted the scales from their papo’s hands. He brushed their hair gently, before his eyes darted to the goblins to the side.

“Hello!” Jirot called, reaching up to shake Tanagek’s wrist. “I am Jirot! Daughter of Adam!”

“Hello.”

“This is my papa, Jarot.”

“Jarot?” Tanagek asked, reaching out to shake the boy’s wrist gently. “Were you named after the Mad Dog?”

“Yes! My papa is named after babo!”

‘Babo?’ Tanagek thought, his eyes darting between the children and the Iyrmen around.

“This is my little papa. His name is Larot. He does not speak, but he is my papa, and I love him so much.” Jirot hugged her red skinned brother, kissing his forehead. “Jazool always plays with Larot, but I always read to Larot, and I read to Virot, but not now, she is sleeping.”

“Is Virot your sister?”

“Yes! She is so small, she is one years old, she will turn two years old this year, and my youngest brother is Xarot, he will turn one years old, but he is so small, and he is at home with mummy.”

“Where is your home?”

“My home is Big Iyr. Nana Mirot is gone back home because she is Family Head. Nano is not home, nano is here, she is watching Virot, because Virot is so silly, and she is sleeping.”

“I must speak with your papo,” Tonagek said, patting his son’s shoulder, pulling him away from the children, while Larot completely ignored them, the boy staring at nothing in particular.

As the pair left, Malfev escorted Bear Mother to the children, whose eyes focused upon the figure in full plate. Jirot and Jarot shuffled back to their greatfather, for the woman did not hold tattoos upon her forehead.

“Why are you so shy today?” Malfev joked, smiling from beneath his thick beard. “This is Bear Mother Anne.”

Jirot and Jarot both gasped, their mouths forming tiny circles upon hearing the title of the woman before them. A Bear Mother? That was the Grand Commander of one of the Western Aldish Orders, making her among the strongest across the land.

Within her heart, Anne had thought this had all been an elaborate joke, that the Iyr hadn’t moved for the sake of a pair of goblins and a demon. However, seeing how the children clutched at the one armed and one legged Iyrman, it was certain the children were close to some of the Iyrmen. Her eyes then fell onto the crippled Iyrman, his wooden leg half hiding one of his greatchildren. He was old, heavily scarred, and though he had half the arms and legs she possessed, she had seen how monstrous this old man still was.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

“Shall I tell you the tale of when I met the Bear Mother?” Malfev asked.

“I know, I know!” Jirot said, throwing up her hand. “I know it!”

“You know it?”

“I know it.”

“How do you know it?”

“Nano read it to me.”

‘Oh?’ Malfev thought, smiling slightly. He was certain he had read the tale to the girl already, but if she had mentioned his sister, then how many times had his sister read the tale to them?

‘This one is… was the demon?’ Bear Mother Anne thought, her eyes falling to the boy, whose eyes slowly shifted to the side to meet hers. A chill ran through her spine, the woman feeling the judgemental glare from the boy, who was less than a tenth of her age, and yet she could see something greater within those eyes of his.

Who would have thought so much would have changed all because of the three children before her?

Tonagek led his son away, heading into the inner area of the fort, where few Iyrmen walked around. One particular child led another, the girl babbling away noisily towards her greatmother.

“I see,” Mulrot said, allowing the girl to babble away. Her eyes fell to the side to see Tonagek and Tanagek, and she smiled, waving at the pair. “Virot, Damrot, look. Your papo has returned.”

Virot stopped, taking in the sight of the older Iyrman, and then the younger Iyrman. She narrowed her eyes, having not seen the Iyrman before, and she stepped back towards her greatmother, but upon seeing the tattoo on his forehead, she paused. “Popo!”

Damrot stared up at the new Iyrman, whose tattoos matched the older Iyrman’s. He remained silent, holding Virot’s hand still. The boy blinked.

Tanagek was fairly certain which child was whose, for one had hazel eyes and pointed ears, and the other held a similar appearance to his cousin, though much of the boy’s features were different, likely from his mother. “Hello.”

“Hawo,” Virot replied, reaching up her hand to wave it, before babbling away at him, pausing for a moment to allow him to respond.

“Virot, Damrot,” Tanagek called, before squatting down to ruffle their hair gently. “Did you sleep well.”

“Seep!” Virot confirmed, nodding her head, before pointing at her greatmother and babbling away. “Footh!”

“You are going to eat?”

Virot smiled wide. “Milk.”

Seeing as to how chatty she was, Tanagek was certain Jirot and the girl were close. He watched the pair lead their greatmother away, the old woman ruffling Tanagek’s hair, before taking the children away. Tanagek’s eyes soaked in the sight of the fortress, before his questioning eyes fell to his father.

Tonagek sat down at a table within the courtyard, leaning back in his chair. He nodded his head to Gimon, who smiled, tipping his hat as he finished watering the plants, and stepped away to the other estate.

“It is all so new,” Tanagek admitted. “The walls. The people. The children.”

“Much has changed since you have left,” Tonagek confirmed, with so much to say to his son, and yet rather than speak of the Iyr, or the business, there was something more important he needed to inform his son. He had so much to tell his son too.

“The three children, the eldest. I found them after… the death. I thought they were gifts for me from Baktu for my loss. I had to surrender them to their father. Konarot’s scar, did you see it?”

“Yes.”

“When we first met, she wore the scar,” Tonagek said, looking to the past, where he met the triplets when they were just little dragons, and cuddled up to him so affectionately. “Do you understand why they call me baba?”

“They are Iyrmen?”

“Like Danagek and Dagek,” Tonagek confirmed, but his gaze fell to his eldest son, who sat up under such a heavy gaze. It was a gaze which continued to grieve.

“I heard the news late. What happened?”

“Jurot will tell you.”

“Okay,” Tanagek replied, though listened to his father as he spoke the tale of when he had left the Iyr with Tonogek and returned with the triplets.

Many of the businessfolk eyed up the newcomers, those of the Order, the Bear Mother feeling many gazes upon her. She sat beside Malfev, while the little green skinned girl read the book so confidently to the elderly around, and to her siblings. However, she could feel it. There were other gazes mixed in to watch her, not just those of the business, but those of the Iyr.

“Babo, look,” Jirot said, pointing down at the book. “Babo Sarot is in this story!”

“Are you surprised?”

“Oh my! I am so surprised, babo, I am so surprised!” Jirot held up the book for her greatfather to see Sarot’s name better. “Babo Sarot is gone, but he loved us so much.”

“That is right,” Jarot said, his heart filling with guilt. “Even though he is gone, he loved you so much!”

Adam could see the pain in the old man’s eyes, but he sighed, hoping he had done well in making sure his children understood. No matter how the Rot family had originally treated them, what mattered was just how far they had gone to welcome the children, and how far they were still going to make sure they were okay.

“Look! Your papo has come back to speak his tales!” Jarot called out, planting a kiss on Jirot’s forehead.

Tanagek flushed slightly, and though his freshly torn heart spilled grief into his core, he bowed his head.

‘You must take special care of the six. The scars run deep for Jirot, who saw, and Jarot, who knows the chill of Baktu’s embrace. Larot is special, he prefers to be left alone.’

“Okay,” Tanagek stated, unable to refuse the girl’s hopeful gaze.