"I am not courting him!" Aleci insisted, wide eyed.

"Begging your pardon, Praefect," said Domerc, who had silently snuck up between the two of them and was now listening in with interest. "What else would you be doing?"

"Not courting!" Aleci snapped, "Why would I, the last times were-"

"Disastrous?" offered Domerc.

"Horribly embarrassing?" Kaeso suggested.

"I told Galer I'm not interested in women! How is it my fault that he found ones that were clearly desperate to marry?" he clicked his tongue at his horse, and she obediently stood still as he mounted her.

The women were all lovely, if Aleci had the eye for women that is. So he had shook his head firmly and told them that their marriage with him would be very cold and disappointing, that he was the type to go hawking. Most of them understood what he meant, and they then had to spend the hour talking about the weather, but one was particularly oblivious. Which was how Galer walked into him shouting, 'I don't fuck women!'. Aleci refused to apologize to his father, and the woman had been too mortified, rushing out the door before either of them could say anything.

"I heard your horrible yowling," said Kaeso cheerfully, following Aleci to his own mount, "you never sing unless-"

"Stop eavesdropping then," Aleci replied irritably. "Pitch your tent far away from me, why won't you?"

"I don't see why you shouldn't, Praefect," said Domerc, also mounting his horse. "It is rare, but there are Praefects who take their families with them. It might be difficult with the younger ones, Ediann, specifically, but I think if you find a good station, it's possible they won't see any-"

"He's not interested," Aleci interrupted, jabbing his finger in Kaeso's direction. "You missed me telling Kaeso that. I said I would take him to the Capital, without price, and now you two want me to put a value on it?"

"Ediann liked you well enough," said Domerc, seemingly ignoring Aleci. "I suppose you said something yesterday to get that little prick to come back without your ankles being bruised… If the children like you Finne'll come around, no doubt."

"First of all," said Aleci, slowly to Domerc. "I am not interested in marriage. Secondly, he's not interested in marrying again, and you yourself noted that the childrens' father isn't the best, so please make your own thoughts on how he would be as a husband. I don't need to say more, do I?"

"First of all," Kaeso echoed, "you like to lie to yourself. I know you want brats of your own ever since you tolerated my siblings tackling you. You don't even have to wait nine months, or more mathematically correctly, if you're so inclined, one hundred and forty seven months, you've already got three of them at varying stages for you to play father to. Secondly, perhaps you can change his mind. Domerc's right, children will wear anyone down," he smirked, "if they think you're their father what's Finne going to do about it? Disappoint them?"

"I do not play mind games," snapped Aleci, "and I do not, as you put it, play father to anyone. It's cruel to exile a child from the world and I solved the problem, how is that playing father?"

"You could have just left it at that," said Kaeso, and the stubborn bastard kept talking, "given Finne the alphabet and just left them to it."

"You let Ediann ride with you," Domerc chimed in, looking all too amused.

"Insubordination," said Aleci, pointing a warning finger at Domerc.

Domerc shrugged, stretching his arms and neck carelessly, "You like having companionship. If it's cruel to exile a child from the world, then is it also cruel to exile yourself from others?"

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"You took the wrong lesson from the gardens," said Aleci irritably, even as he hated that Domerc made sense. "Didn't the philosophers tell you not to question your betters?"

"Then you told me otherwise, and I disregarded their advice for yours," said Domerc, grinning.

Aleci scowled, "Kaeso, I told you, he's not interested and I refused to-"

"He's not Ilos is he?" said Kaeso, "I bet no one can match Ilos's stubbornness. It is not wheedling or forcefulness or whatever word you're going to use," he urged his horse to trot to Aleci's and placed a hand on Aleci's shoulder, "you two would end up in the same place anyway, so why not make your lives happier?"

"Why don't," said Aleci, narrowing his eyes, "you take your own advice?"

"You're only asking me questions because you can't argue," there was a calm, calculated look on Kaeso's face as he leaned in and whispered, in that desert tongue they learnt long ago, "prove me wrong and send them to Iachos's tent tonight."

Aleci opened his mouth, closed it, and scowled, as he could only watch Kaeso wear the pleased look of one who knew he'd won as they rode onwards. If he wasn't on a horse, Aleci would have tackled him and smacked the grin off his face. Kaeso was wrong.

It was a stranger on the road needing his help, and he had done what any acolyte of Mytea would do, offer them a safe passage. But you didn't find Finne, did you, it was Domerc, whispered the voice inside his head. It usually appeared whenever he had to think about Mytea or Galer. He scowled, it didn't matter, he was the head of the legion, and as such he would be the one to take directives from Mytea, no matter how convoluted the God wanted to make things. If it's convoluted, continued the voice, then perhaps this is what Galer said, that you would find a wife in Imruk and that-

"Praefect!"

Mercus ran up to them, his curly hair astray, "Please can we stop for an hour or two? The wheel came loose-" he paused, hands on his knees as he bent over, panting.

"Is anyone hurt?" said Aleci.

"No," said Mercus, "but it might take some time to-"

Domerc must have relayed to the men they would be taking a few days by the lake, and there were groans all around at the possible delay.

"Why don't you take half of them ahead?" Aleci said to Kaeso, "I'll stay with half and join you as soon as the wagon's fixed," to his men he said, "decide among yourselves which one of you goes with Kaeso."

There was always a trick to solving discord, and that was to give people a choice in what they did. He left the men arguing amongst themselves for who should enjoy the lake and its surrounding forests first, gently spurring Sage towards Iachos's wagon. Kaeso shot him a speculative look but Aleci deliberately ignored his scheming friend.

Finne was sitting near the wagon, under the shade of a tree and drawing something on a tablet while Ediann looked on. To Aleci's surprise, Edon had gotten off his black mare and was holding Iachos's tools for him while he fixed the wheel. He dismounted as he approached and Finne looked up, momentarily pausing his drawing. The pause was enough to catch Ediann's attention. The boy smiled, picking up a parchment next to him and running over to Aleci before Finne could reach out a hand to stop him.

"A present," Ediann signed, one handed, the other waving the picture at Aleci, "a present Praefect."

The parchment was what Iachos used to wrap his herbs; it smelled faintly of chamomile as Aleci took it from Ediann.

"For me?" Aleci signed, grinning and indicating to himself. "Thank you."

Aleci was apparently the same size as Sage, and Sage comprised more legs than horse. But there was a similarity there, Aleci had to admit, Ediann did draw him with a frown and a cloak. Perhaps Ediann would have colored the drawing, if he had the paints and chalk to do so.

"Is this my horse?" Aleci signed, gesturing towards Sage.

"Praefect horse," Ediann replied, nodding and pointing to Sage's depiction. "Ediann ride with Praefect?" he added a wide eyed look as he signed the question.

Finne must have had a hard time denying him, thought Aleci and Kaeso's words about Finne disappointing his children came back. He shooed them away, irritating flies they were, Kaeso loved nothing more than to torment Aleci with his snide suggestions.

"Yes," Aleci signed and watched as Ediann clapped his hands in delight, he met Finne's eyes. "He's very talented."

"Iachos would have to lock up his spare parchment," said Finne. "Please don't encourage him."

"How is Ethain?" said Aleci, moving closer to see what it was Finne was drawing.

He hadn't seen the baby from a distance, but now that he was closer he could see that Finne had him swaddled in his lap.

"He's fine, he didn't take too kindly to Iachos today but it's to be expected."

"What are you drawing?" said Aleci, gesturing toward the tablet in Finne's lap.

In answer Finne handed him the tablet and Aleci decided to sit down next to him.

"He wanted to know where we were going," said Finne, nodding his head towards Ediann.

The trees around the cabin were drawn in hasty strokes, but the cabin itself looked welcoming. Finne had taken up the remaining space to draw what was in the cabin, a bed, fireplace, bearskin rug and one table and a set of chairs.

"It's very furnished for a cabin in the woods," Aleci remarked.

"It is… ah, how do you say it, a hunting lodge." Finne said.

"For the nobles?" said Aleci, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," said Finne, his mouth set in a thin line.

"Is there anything you'd like to eat when we get there?" Aleci thought it was best to change the topic, "I have doubts on Kaeso's hunting skills but I'm sure the others are successful."

"I'm not picky," Finne replied shortly.

He really should shut his mouth, Aleci thought, no doubt whatever he's blathered on and on about last night had insulted Finne on some level, "I'll leave you alone then," said Aleci, "I did promise Ediann a ride, if you don't mind him going with me."

Ediann had run off to join Edon where he stood next to the wagon, and was examining a nail from the looks of it. To his surprise, Finne chuckled, "How many drawings will you accept from him?"

"As many as he wants to give," Aleci replied.

He made to stand up but Finne shook his head, "You don't have to leave," Finne said, "I didn't take offense last night, if that's what you're thinking."

"Who told you that?" said Aleci, raising an eyebrow.

There was a twinkle of amusement in Finne's eyes when he said, "Your men love gossiping more than any woman I've kept company with."

"Ah," said Aleci, sitting down again, "how handsome and interesting did they say my life was?"

Finne held out a hand for the tablet and Aleci gave it back to him. When it was returned with fresh drawings this time, he saw a hastily drawn rendition of himself, in his cloak and helm, being pecked by a dozen hens.