Kaeso persuaded him to sit down and have breakfast, a grilled fish served with stew from dried roots and bread. They were joined by Domerc, who had apparently handed Ediann back to Finne.

"He's very clever," Domerc remarked, sitting down next to them. "I stopped pretending to lose and he still won some." He chuckled, "But he won't let it go now that he saw I could win. He wanted to play until he's won at least three rounds."

"A dangerous precedent," Kaeso muttered.

"I think I saw smoke last night," Domerc said. "I told them men to be on guard, but it's better coming from you."

"Someone following us?" Aleci frowned. "How big do you think the party was?"

"Not very big," Domerc nodded confidently. "You've Finne in the cabin? Everyone's surrounding it, it'll be difficult to sneak past us."

Sometimes he wished he had Domerc's unbridled optimism.

"Tell them to double their shifts," Aleci massaged his temples. "If they can take turns jumping into the lake then they can take turns keeping watch."

Domerc's shouted orders were met with audible groans. But the afternoon air and the abundant game and fish that the men found in the lake and the nearby woods was enough to cool any hot tempers. At the end of the day, even Aleci had to admit their little break was a balm after the endless marching. When he came back to the cabin that night, he found Ediann in a heated debate with Finne over whether or not he should have a bath.Someone, Aleci strongly suspected Domerc, had taught Ediann how to make mud pies. In any case, whoever it was, Ediann was covered in muck by evening, and refused to cooperate when Finne strong-armed him into the tub. Edon watched with amusement from where he sat on the bed, busy braiding what looked like a rope halter for his horse.

"At least it wasn't your nice tunic," Finne muttered, pulling the makeshift tunic off a struggling Ediann. He tossed it to the floor, nose wrinkling in disgust. The tunic was one of the guards' and had been clumsily cut for size, and hastily sewn together to fit Ediann.

Aleci was left holding Ethain, who looked bewildered at being handed off. He opened his mouth to wail his displeasure until Aleci, acting on impulse, reached out and tickled Ethain's belly. The startled giggles had Edon turning his head from where he sat braiding.

"He can do that?"

"Why couldn't he?" Aleci replied and smiled at Ethain, who grabbed at his face with one chubby fist.

Edon walked towards him, staring down at Ethain with a disinterested look, "I told you he can't do much."

"Have you tried playing with him? He's-" Aleci glanced to where Finne was behind the screen with Ediann, and called out, "how old is he?"

"About three months, your calendar." said Finne.

Iachos had bound the baby's feet to a makeshift splint that ran to his ankles and wrapped it securely with bandages. Aleci could see the outline of wood, shaped like the sole of a shoe underneath Ethain's feet. It looked as if he was wearing heavy winter boots.

"Why don't you try it?" he said to Edon. "Try tickling him, gently, like this-"

Edon shook his head, "He will throw up. He always does that."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Ah well," said Aleci, turning his attention back to Ethain. "Seems like your brother isn't interested, are you all out of laughs today?" He flicked a finger gently under Ethain's chin, smiling when that elicited another chortle.

"It's not nice to talk behind someone's back!" Edon demanded, crossing his arms. "What were you saying about me?"

"Just asking Ethain if he'd like to laugh again."

"He doesn't understand you!"

"Are you sure?" Aleci glanced down at Ethain, who reached out a hand towards him.

"I'll just wait." Edon decided stubbornly. Then he glanced at the floor and then met Aleci's eyes, "I want to learn this… tongue. Talk to me."

"Like Ethain?" Aleci offered, and Edon looked offended. He shifted Ethain to one arm while he signed with the other, talking all the while, "How about this, I tell a story, a story, and you guess, tell me, what it's about? A game."

It was always funny to see something suddenly make sense, the gears clicking into place, one may say, thought Aleci, watching Edon's face.

"I'm better than Ediann!" Edon proclaimed.

Ediann chose that moment to run out from behind the screen, wrapped in Aleci's cloak. He'd thrown the hood over his head, and with the size difference, it covered his entire face.

"Ediann!" Finne shouted, exasperated.

There were splashes of water on his tunic when he strode over, attempting to pick up the struggling Ediann. He pulled the hood off, wagging a warning finger in front of Ediann's face.

"No," he signed. "No."

Ediann closed both eyes, blindly signing in front of Finne's face, "Ediann can't see mamaí!"

It was too much for Aleci, who doubled up laughing hysterically. Ethain, puzzled by the sudden outburst, cooed, waving his fists in front of Aleci's face.

"What's so funny?" Edon demanded. "He does it all the time!"

Aleci shook his head, unable to find the words to describe why. He did, however, attempt a rendition of one of the founders of Imruk. The signs were barely legible, and Finne had to step in several times with pictures to show what Aleci meant.

"Ships," Edon repeated, seemingly picking up words he had interest in. "You have ships?"

"Depends on where you are living," said Aleci, and quickly translated.

"I want a ship," Edon declared.

"You can't have a horse on it," Aleci said patiently.

"A big ship," said Edon, holding out both arms to demonstrate.

The novelty of having Aleci tell a story, and the time it took for Finne to translate and to ask questions was enough to tire both of them out.

"My sister was so much easier," Aleci muttered, when the two of them were asleep.

Finne, feeding Ethain from behind the screen, chuckled and said, "How so?"

"She had dolls and I told a story with the dolls and she was happy to hear them. They always go something like, a merchant has her adventures and she meets many men and she finally picks one. I change the men every other night and she liked the story well enough."

"A merchant?"

"It's one way a woman travels," said Aleci.

"Ah," Ethain made fussing noises and Finne murmured gently to him, "you only have the one sister?"

"Yes, and you?"

"My father had wives," Finne said quietly, "so I suppose, I had plenty of siblings. I didn't know much about them. We all lived separately." There was a pause and Finne continued, "My mother only had me, so it was a quiet house... until she died. I thought I'd like a big family as well but..." he sighed deeply.

"It wasn't your choice?"

"You do know how to ask questions don't you?"

"It is a talent of mine," Aleci confessed, staring at Finne's shadow from behind the screen and wondering what exactly his expression was. "My mother wanted a big family, but she has two sisters that didn't." He shrugged his shoulders, "She exchanged plenty of letters with them on how to limit their families."

"You read her letters?"

"She wasn't interested in becoming a grandmother too soon," Aleci scratched his head, "I suppose she has the opposite problem now."

"There are… ways?"

Aleci nearly fell out of his seat by the bed, "You… don't know?"

"No," Finne sounded defensive, "I didn't have anyone to teach me, did I?"

"I didn't mean anything by it!" Aleci exclaimed, "I just… was surprised, is all. We can get the herbs if you want, I'm sure Thysdria would have it… but it might be a bit of an annoyance. I don't know what woman to ask there." He frowned, he doubted that the tavern keeper would just give tips to a Praefect. He had been friendly to Catia when he'd stayed there with his men before leaving for Imruk, but friendliness didn't translate to 'giving out feminine secrets'.

"I didn't realize there was a way to… do it," there was a tremble to Finne's voice. "I didn't know."

It sounded like defeat, Aleci thought.

"But you'll know now," Aleci offered. "I'm sure Iachos would tell you if-"

"I can't just ask Iachos!"

"I'll tell you. But I'm not the best source, you should ask the Imrukian women for that."

Finne let out a miserable sigh, "I can't just tell Iachos. It feels...I love my children. I don't mean-"

"I know," Aleci said, reassuringly. "You wanted a choice."

"Yes."

"Don't we all," Aleci said wryly. Certainly his choices on his career was not a thing he'd willingly made. "Tell you what, I will see what Catia says about the herbs. She's the tavern keeper in Thysdria. I suppose… she'll be more amenable if she thinks you don't want another one so quickly."

There was a clatter as Finne stood up. His eyes were very wide when he peered out at Aleci from behind the screen.

"What do you mean?"

"You are traveling with me, people are bound to make assumptions. Would it be easier to give a long explanation every time some busybody asks or give a boring answer?"

"But your-"

"I have been known for my peculiar tastes and hobbies, don't worry about it," Aleci nodded his head earnestly. "I will see what I can do."

His heart gave a leap in his chest when Finne gave a half smile at that.

"We will see," Finne said, "we will see."