Part 5 – Reminder

By the time Colonel Enham finished relating what he’d seen, the other wolves were softly whispering to each other in perplexity. Many were quickly convincing themselves that their kinfolk had been brainwashed. Ian decided to keep his confusion over the Lieutenant Colonel’s behavior quiet, telling only Eria about the bewildering sight he’d witnessed.

“She what?” Eria hissed, eyeing him as if he’d gone insane, or blind, or both.

“Something strange is going on here… and I have no idea what.” Having to admit his lack of comprehension was frustrating, and the last word was more growled than spoken.

“I don’t get it either. Maybe they are having their heads messed with?”

“Like I said, I just… don’t know.”

Eria seemed to be talking more to herself. “If they are, first we’d have to find out how before we could figure out a way to stop it… Of course we don’t even know if they are at all, so… hmm.” She screeched her train of thought to a halt, leaving it right where it was and moving to a different idea. “I guess I’ll have to do something I’ve wanted to do anyway.”

“… And what’s that, may I ask?”

Eria gave a sweet smile that, considering from whom it came, was slightly ominous. “I’ll just have to poke, prod, and otherwise harass Latelia until she tells me everything about the Rogues.”

Ian blinked, then gulped. This could be bad.

~*~*~

Playful growls mingled with laughter as Tilun was tackled by his young son. The sky was black, but the enclosed garden was well-lit by its abundance of lanterns. Latelia was staring up into the dark absentmindedly from her seat on a bench, occasionally glancing over when there was a sharp increase in the volume of Yukiyu’s cheering. Tei was seated between the two adults, kicking her legs and laughing as usual. Occasionally she’d jump up, charge in, and tackle father or son in midst of their play-fight. Sometimes she’d even drag Yukiyu into it by shoving him off the bench entirely to put him in their path. For now, however, she was contentedly watching, enjoying the world around her.

“Agh! Yeesh, you never get tired, do you?” Eria’s husband laughed, flat on his back with his son sitting atop his stomach. The little boy gave a rare grin.

“If you’re trying to get him tired out before trying to get him to go to sleep, it’s not going to work! Believe me!”

The yelling voice was Eria’s, coming from the edge of the garden. Tilun was gone in barely an instant, and they heard Eria give a small cry of surprise as he ran up to her with their son in his arms.

“You!”

“Okay, okay! Yes, I’m fine, see? I’m alive! You can stop panicking now!”

Latelia scooped Tei up and stood, starting off toward them. Yukiyu hopped up from his seat and followed.

“Aww, quit saying it like it’s my fault! I can’t help but get jittery when you’re gone!”

“Oh, you know I can take care of myself.”

“So? You know that I still worry!”

“Well… it’s my duty! Not like I can just hang around at home all the time.”

“You could at least take me with you!” he whined.

“Then who would stay here to look after our little fluffy?”

“Maybe Raven?”

Latelia could easily imagine the grimace that comment must’ve brought to Eria’s face. “No. Not that sister of mine.”

“Why not?”

They passed the trees just in time to see Eria cross her arms and stomp one foot. “Because I’m not going to have her influencing my son.”

“Eria, that’s a little harsh…”

“But all of that is beside the point,” Latelia interrupted, setting Tei down. “Eria left for an important reason and I intend to be told what she found, even if I have to bother her for hours.”

“Well, then, we’ll trade. I’ll tell you what we saw, and then you’ll answer my questions.” For once, Eria kept her face serious, though it was only because she couldn’t let on that this was something of a trick.

“Fine.”

“Deal?”

“Yes, deal.”

“Promise?”

“… You’re starting to scare me.” Latelia raised one eyebrow.

“Oh, come on, just promise you’ll answer what I have to ask.”

“Fine.” Eria gave a perky grin, and Latelia figured that she’d just made a mistake. “Wait… just what did you make me agree to? You’re plotting something…” She gave a slight warning growl.

“As promised… the White Wolves in the Rogue camp are unbound, but severely outnumbered. Some are acting as you’d expect, pretty ticked off, but a bunch of them actually seem to be enjoying themselves. Plus, from what I hear, Ellen is acting really weird.”

“… How so?”

“I didn’t see this, it was Ian who told me, but apparently one of the guys was totally hitting on her. And she was blushing.” Latelia drew back doubtfully, and Eria raised her hands in a surrendering way. “Hey, I’m just telling you what I was told.”

“Okay… So we know where they are and we know what state they’re in.”

“Not exactly. That… is where you come in.” Eria’s mischievous little smile returned. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do this. Latelia, tell me everything about the Rogues! And this time, you can’t refuse!”

A growl resonated instantly from Latelia’s throat. “You little…”

“I win,” Eria teased, smirking at her.

“Fine. What do you want to know?” she snapped.

“Everything, I already told you!”

“Well, give me a subject to start with!” Latelia practically roared, not happy with the situation at all. Yukiyu choked back a laugh, ruffling wide-eyed Tei’s hair.

“Well, then… why are a bunch of them acting like they like it there, for starters?”

“I…” Latelia turned her head away, biting at the inside of her lip.

“Come on…”

She pursed her lips, squeezed her eyes shut, and breathed deeply for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, they were hard and cold – more like the Latelia who Eria had known before, the Latelia who’d known nobody and trusted nobody. “That’s just how they are,” she stated quietly, rather tense. “It’s… I don’t know. I hate being around people… it’s not how I live. But they…”

“Come on, just tell me,” Eria prodded softly. Latelia was always loath to open up, but now on the verge of doing so. “What is it?”

“It’s…” She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. “It’s not magic. It’s more like… just the atmosphere there. Even if you’re not one of them, even if you don’t belong, it’s just so… warm there. It’s practically impossible not to feel, eventually, that you’re meant to be there.” Tei walked over and stretched up as far as she could to wrap her arms around her mother’s waist. Latelia, not looking down, laid a hand on the child’s head and continued in a low tone. “It was quite frustrating for a while. My… relatives,” she growled, loathing the word,” were just that. Only relatives. There was no interdependence, or loyalty. With the Rogues, it’s just the opposite. They’re all… family. There are the competitive moments and rivalries and such, but… it doesn’t mean anything. The bond is stronger, and it just… pulls you in.” She ended in a whisper, and there was a moment of silence that nobody wanted to be the one to break.

Finally, Tei whimpered and buried her face in her mother’s hip, sensing the sadness but not quite understanding its cause. There was a collective sigh of relief and Eria gave the slightest of nervous laughs. Latelia, stone-faced, kneeled to embrace her daughter while Yukiyu fidgeted awkwardly beside her. He’d very much have liked to help, but as usual, he was more likely to make her mad.

Little Tilun yawned loudly, and his father picked him up with a cockeyed, loving half-smile. Eria bounced over and cuddled them both happily. “Aww, my fluffy… I think it’s a bit late for you to be out here.” Wide eyed, her son shook his head insistently. She laughed and shook her own head in return. “Nope, you’re tired, and I can tell. My little boy is going to bed.” She nuzzled against him sweetly, then easily plucked him from his father’s arms.

Latelia watched Eria and Tilun for a moment, then turned her eyes on her own child. Tei’s eyes met her mother’s, and her bright little smile fell. Latelia sighed and picked her up. “Sorry, yes. You, too.” Tei gave a loud, protesting whine, locking her arms tightly around Latelia’s neck.

“Ohh, poor Tei!” Yukiyu cried, catching mother and daughter both in a single tight embrace. Tei gave another little wine, continuing her wordless protest against the day’s end. Latelia blinked blankly at Yukiyu, looking at him sideways with no indication of emotion. A smile crept slowly across his face. After it had grown to a full-blown grin, he let out a joyful yell and pressed his cheek against the side of her head. “Yes! She’s letting me hug her and not causing me pain!”

She glared at him, wrapping her arms around her daughter possessively. “Yes, I’m refraining from causing you pain. This is because I’m fairly tired and don’t want to waste the energy. I might, however, find a sudden burst of energy if you don’t let go.”

Eria laughed and interrupted. “Okay, okay, I’m going to go put this little fuzzy in bed, then report to Raven. Then, I’ll be going to be myself. You might want to save that ‘sudden burst of energy’ for the morning, since I expect Raven’s going to want you there while we figure out how the heck to get our guys back.” Latelia nodded in reply, so Eria caught the edge of her husband’s sleeve and pulled him along with her, strolling through the stone archway and into the castle’s halls.

There was a moment of calm and silence before Latelia turned to Yukiyu and spoke calmly. “Good night.”

He grinned brightly at her. “Goodnight.”

She blinked once slowly before speaking again. “And Yukiyu?”

“M’hm?”

A terse edge sharpened her tone. “Stay the heck out of my room.”

“Ok, okaaay,” he replied in a hopeless moan, accentuating it with a long sigh at the end.

“And don’t be such a drama queen.”

She smiled slightly to herself as she left, only half-listening to Yukiyu’s protests. Tei stayed silent, clinging to her without a sound while she navigated the dark hallways. Finding her way to Tei’s room easily, she twisted the doorknob and shoved the door open with her hip.

That night, as the night before, Tei was being impossible. She allowed herself to be washed up and dressed in her pajamas, but as soon as she was picked up to be carried to her bed, she locked her arms around her mother’s neck and refused to let go. With a sigh and a wry smile, Latelia abandoned the thought of being alone for the night. Slipping through the hall to the room next door, she set Tei down on the bed while preparing for the night. In an adjoined room connected by a doorless arch, she splashed some clear, cold water on her face. After gently wiping it off with a soft towel, she changed into sleeping clothes.

Latelia brushed her fingers lightly over the slightly faded, somewhat frayed piece of black rope around her neck. Even now, after so many years, she still left it there. The familiar texture of the braided fibers was reminiscent of an infinite number of things, constantly with her. Asleep, awake, fighting, resting, laughing, crying, dark or light; it was always there, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Barefoot, padding along softly, Latelia returned to her room and approached her bed. Tei had pulled the blankets up around herself, curling up in them and leaving about half the bed bare. She raised her head, golden eyes bright with joy from playing in the puffy covers. A soft smile crept onto Latelia’s face. Despite all the mistakes and pain braided up in the black rope around her neck, the sight of her adorable daughter never failed to lighten her heart. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, Latelia embraced the giggling child. After untangling them from around Tei, Latelia pulled the blankets up over them both. She fell backwards, letting her head hit the pillow with a soft thud. Tei curled up in the crook of her arm and, finally, was still.

Shifting her free arm over so that it also rested around Tei, Latelia savored the sound of near-silence. She soon slept, her head resting against her daughter’s.

~*~*~

She woke early, decently rested, to a light knock on the door. Tei whimpered, so Latelia shushed her softly, the request for quiet just as applicable to the person at the door. After a moment, Tei settled down, and didn’t wake up as Latelia slipped out from under the covers. Unshod feet made little noise as she moved over to – and then out – the door, closing it behind her. Eria was waiting in the hall, fidgeting. The princess of wolves didn’t get fidgety over just anything. Latelia raised an eyebrow at her.

“I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“Yes, you did, but I would’ve woken up soon anyway. No reason to be bothered by it.”

“Darn it! You’re going to be bothered, all right…”

“And why would that be?”

Eria seemed unable to meet her eyes. “Well, there was a bit of trouble at the border last night…”

“Did someone break through?”

“No… the intruder was driven away. But…”

“Go on.”

“But not captured. And from the descriptions, we’re pretty sure it was him.”

Latelia, tense but controlled, crossed her arms stiffly. “Him him or his father him?”

Eria blinked. “… What?”

Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, Latelia attempted to retain some semblance of composure. “The one whose throat I want to rip out, or the one who wants to rip my throat out?”

“Oh. The first one.”

“… That stubborn dolt. He’ll get himself killed.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Eria raised an eyebrow.

“No. No, it isn’t. But you were right. I am definitely bothered.”