The sky was overcast, blocking out vision of the stars and the radiant moon. The edges of each cloud were easily discernable, some being a darker shade of purple or gray than the others. It was undoubtedly about to rain and Cordelia wanted to get to Eliel’s house before any such thing happened. Getting stuck in the rain was a trivial thing really and she was sure Eliel wouldn’t have cared a bit if she was soaked, but she wanted to at least look presentable. She hadn’t seen him since he had left for the Dark Lands. She almost felt bad for not having worried or thought about him as much as she should have in the month of his absence, but considering how hectic her own life had been as of late she was certain that it was forgivable.

Abel had sought her out with a message from her dear drow friend, inviting her to his house and telling her to come as soon as she possibly could. She had fed earlier than she usually did and had set off from Balefire to Norwood with plenty of hours left in the night. She didn’t think it was even past nine – but then again her perception of time wasn’t very good.

As soon a she felt a single rain drop plop down against her, Cordelia’s pace quickened to a near run. She still remembered the way, although the last time she had been here was perhaps almost a month and a half ago, maybe even more. Finally she spotted his tower rising from beyond the hill and at that point stopped running. She smoothed down her somewhat wrinkled, red jacket and proceeded down the hill before reaching the large wooden doors. Cordelia pounded against the door, hoping it was loud enough for him to be able to hear since the place was so large.

After a few times she lowered her hand back to her side, waiting to be allowed inside.

Eliel looked back at the spiral staircase, seeing Gwen coming down its brass frame, looking at him happily with big yellow eyes. She was just as happy to have Nemael with them as Eliel was. She was even more protective of the child than he was himself.

Gwen sent an image of Cordelia outside the tower, approaching the door. Eliel chuckled and got up, lifting the drow baby in one arm, wrapped in a bundle of cloth. On top lay Roy, snoring peacefully as little black hands grabbed at his fur. The hands slid beneath the cloth, falling asleep. Eliel smiled, still jumping a little at her knock. He strode easily over and grabbed one of the rings, pulling the big heavy door open easily.

Eliel chuckled at the vampire, swinging an arm out into the room, holding the bundle of cloth in his left arm. “Cordie! Come on in! you shouldn’t even need to knock. All my ‘guardians’ know you.” On guardians he gestured abel, sleeping on top of a bookshelf, Gwen who lay stretched on the rug, and Roy, who simply sat on top of the bundle.

“Ah, it’s been… interesting in my visit. Got you something, by the way.” He chuckled, bouncing the bundle a bit as he walked over to the closet. He pulled off the piwafwi and handed it to the vampire with a smile.

“You don’t owe me anything. Think of it as repaying a debt.” He chuckled. “And I have an even bigger surprise.” He winked.

The door swung open and a wide smile melted over Cordelia’s face at the sight of her friend. Her eyes swept across him, noticing the fact that he was no longer a spider. “You look well,” she said with a single, firm nod, the smile not yet vanishing. She stepped inside once invited in and closed the door behind her quietly, not even having noticed the bundle in his arms. It was odd, considering she should have noticed the added heartbeat, but she was too excited to see that Eliel wasn’t dead to really even care.

“Interesting? Well I can imagine. Only you could pull off that sort of stunt,” she said. She stood with her arms folded until he brought her the piwafwi, causing her eyes to widen and for her to gasp. Her hands lifted to her face and covered her mouth before she reached out, taking the cloak from him with a light laugh.

“Awww, you even thought of me,” she said, shrugging it on over her shoulders and turning around in a full circle to make sure she liked the feel of it. She did, of course. “You can just do it all, huh? Trick goddesses, get your best friend a cloak, save yourself from being a spider….” She winked and then folded her arms again, the cloak slipping around her front almost all the way around to fully conceal her once she did so.

Her head tilted off to the side at the mention of another surprise. “What? You got me something else?” she asked. Not like she was going to complain.

At that point she noticed the bundle of cloth held in his arms and her eyes narrowed, examining it for a moment. The way he was holding it seemed familiar; it was a vague, distant memory and some sort of instinct that pulled at her heart. “What?” she asked, her eyes turning from the bundle to meet Eliel’s, knowing full well that he would understand what she was talking about.

Eliel laughed at her reaction to the piwafwi, taking her compliments with a nod. “all in a month’s work, dearie.” He chuckled, waving a hand over to a new display, which was a mannequin torso of wood with the armor and his piwafwi on it.

Eliel saw her look at the bundle and nodded. “Not for you, per se, but it is quite a surprise.” He lifted roy off and set it on the couch, pulling away the cloth to reveal the small black-skinned baby with green eyes and white hair.

“Cordelia, meet Nemael Usreanac.”

Eliel chuckled a moment and ran a fingertip along the child’s jaw, waking him up. It woke with a start and looked at Cordelia, giving an open mouthed smile at her.

“I’d like to ask you to be his godmother.” He smiled

Her eyes flicked over to examine the mannequin briefly, nodding once to show that she had acknowledged it. The piece of armor was new; she would have to inquire about that later. Cordelia returned her attention to Eliel, a tad disappointed that whatever else he had wasn’t for her. Even so, she scrutinized every move he made, from lifting little Roy and setting him elsewhere to pulling the cloth back.

At the sight of a baby her eyes became wide, some sort of emotion she hadn’t felt in years slapping her across the face and causing her to become numb. Inwardly she was shaking, but she did her best not to tremble outwardly, especially in front of Eliel. She was utterly speechless; that baby was so precious, sleeping there in his father’s arms. But how had Eliel even acquired such a sweet thing? From what she knew his wife had disappeared and she hadn’t been pregnant, and he had gone to the underdark only to get rid of his curse.

“Oh, Eliel…” she said in a breathless tone, stepping closer to him and little Nemael. Her left hand lifted to her mouth again, her fingers just barely resting against her lips as she looked at the child. There was a spark of envy inside of her for what Eliel had now – he had something that she had wanted so desperately and had mourned for so long. Why did he get to have this? What had he done differently than herself that he had been blessed with a perfectly healthy, beautiful little boy? She could feel her eyes beginning to moisten, partly because of how adorable Nemael was but mostly because old memories that she had buried for so long were seeping back toward the surface, engulfing her so quickly and with such strength that she couldn’t even fight them back.

Cordelia swallowed roughly, wanting to protest when Eliel tried to stir him. Let him sleep, she had wanted to say, but the words hadn’t formed soon enough and before long Nemael was staring up at her, a tiny smile on his face. There was a knot in her throat, too moved by all of this that she couldn’t control her reactions.

And then the question came; the question that stilled her entirely and caused her hand to lower again. “Godmother…?” she repeated softly, still trying to hide how this was affecting her even though it was for naught now. She didn’t even need to think of her answer. “Oh, of course, Eliel, of course!” Cordelia forced herself to smile; she had to at least be grateful that he had asked her to be such a key part of this baby’s life.

“Nemael is going to be so spoiled… oh just look at him….” Cordelia tentatively reached out, afraid to take him but wanting to at the same time. When it came to babies she had developed a sort of irrational fear that she had a touch of death and she didn’t want this child to die like her own had simply because she wanted to hold him.

She drew her arms back, not sure if it was worth it. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t want her selfishness to bring Nemael’s end. “So what happened? Is he yours? Well I mean obviously he’s yours, but….” Cordelia stopped, unsure if she was making sense. She swallowed, that lump still very present in her throat.

“And can… can I hold him?” she asked finally, the words flowing forth before she had a chance to stop them.

Eliel smiled at her reaction, half-expecting it. The vampire was showing a softer side, not the cold, cruel woman she usually was. They were a far cry from the first day they had met. He chuckled. Back then, he would have killed her on a simple impulse, now he trusted her with his son’s life.

Eliel laughed when she accepted.

Her pulling away made him frown, knowing well her fears. She was worried for it. “Of course you can hold him. Don’t be afraid, he won’t be harmed. With us protecting him? Believe me, I’ve got an overprotective family who can handle themselves in a fight and then some.” He laughed, handing Nemael to Cordelia.

“I know what you mean. No, he isn’t mine genetically. But they were going to kill him, what was I supposed to do? He was to be a sacrifice to an unworthy goddess, a hope for favor. I wasn’t about to let him die, now was i? besides, I’ve always wanted a son.” He smiled at codelia.

“I even managed to keep myself under controlled. I only cut off the matron’s hand this time.

((OoC: Oh I enjoyed writing this post. ^_^ I know it's a LOT longer than my posts with you usually are, but good God, once I got going I couldn't stop myself.))

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Wouldn’t be harmed? That was what he thought. Danger lurked around every corner and not every danger could be seen; what would he do about the ones that couldn’t be stopped until it was too late? At the last second she wanted to change her mind again, but before she knew it Nemael was in her arms. Her eyes widened and she looked down at him, adjusting her hold so that it was more proper and firm. There was a sort of skill to the way she held him, a sort of grace that made him a sort of extension of herself other than a completely different being. The sight of him against her breast caused her heart to swell, a wide, genuine smile melting over her face. Out of sheer joy Cordelia giggled, and that feeling of utter bliss spread throughout her, causing her to become weak in the knees. She stared down at the little bundle in her arms, taking in his warmth and pleased with the strong sense of his pulse.

So enraptured with little Nemael, Cordelia could hardly hear Eliel as he began to speak, but her ears picked him up at the mention of killing him. Immediately her neck snapped back and she stared at Eliel, what little color there was to her skin seeming to fade away. Kill him. Dead. Sacrifice. For a favor. Dead… killed… nearly murdered by his family… his family, for some god damned favor from some damned goddess! Cordelia’s teeth began to gnash together and she drew Nemael closer to her, shielding him from the world.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” she pleaded, her voice showing how much it meant to her. Deep down Cordelia knew it was the truth; Eliel never would have joked about such a thing. “Those ungrateful bastards… how could they… how could they do that?!” The volume of her voice began to raise, an intense feeling of abhorrence rising within her. Her eyes seemed to darken as the hatred grew ever stronger, completely unable to take it. Cordelia moved swiftly over to one of the chairs in the room and sat down, afraid that had she remained standing she would have thrown a fit. She looked away from Eliel and back down at Nemael.

“How could they do that…? Why…?” Her voice was softer this time, filled with grief and a sense of loss. The initial swelling in her heart had gone down despite how much more she wanted to protect her godson now that she knew the story. “You should have killed them, all of them, not just removed her hand. I would have. To kill a child warrants death more than anything… a baby Eliel, a baby! How could you just let them live?!”

Her shoulders rocked forward once in a sob and she inhaled a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm herself. She had a right to be this upset but now wasn’t the time; now was the time to just be glad Nemael had survived that sort of injustice. Even so, she couldn’t quell the want for vengeance that burned deep inside of her, to see each and every one responsible for this scheme ripped apart with their blood on her hands and watch them rot in hell. Beneath all that was a lingering feeling of regret though. It was wrong to talk about death and killing in the presence of a child, especially a new life such as this who could be easily imprinted, and she shouldn’t have used that sort of language either. Maybe he could understand, maybe he couldn’t, but it wasn’t a risk she should have taken. But… what else was she supposed to do? Cordelia knew how precious life was – it wasn’t because she needed it to sustain her own existence, but rather because losing a child was the worst feeling anyone could ever experience. She didn’t care if anyone disagreed; if they disagreed they were wrong. She rested her forehead lightly against Nemael’s for a moment before moving to kiss it, brushing away a few stray strands of feathery, thin white hair.

“They didn’t deserve him,” she whispered, finally looking up to meet Eliel’s gaze, her own eyes stern with a tight frown upon her lips. “Genetics don’t matter when it comes down to it… you’ll be – you are – a better parent than the wench who dared to call herself his mother.” She snorted. “Mother. Right.” Cordelia’s lips drew back in a sarcastic smile and she laughed at the word. “No one who would willingly kill their child to please a goddess is a mother. I… I’ll kill her myself, dammit!”

Again she brought Nemael closer to her body; her eyes drifting back to look at him. “Sweet, sweet baby,” she cooed. “You won’t ever have to go back there again, no you won’t. Daddy and Auntie Cordie won’t ever let them hurt you.” Cordelia kissed his forehead again, taking in his clean scent and allowing a soft smile to brush over her lips again. “We’ll always be here. And would you look at yourself? You’ve got your Daddy’s hair. Silly.” Cordelia laughed then. She had learned that all of the drow had white hair, but she had mentioned it merely as something comical. Heaving a sigh, she tried to push back any negative thoughts at least for the moment, and continued admiring the child. It wasn’t a very difficult thing to do, after all.

Eliel smiled as she took Nemael, enjoying the loving look on her face. She would be good for the child as well, he would grow up strong, into a wealthy house and with great protection. He had a feeling the boy would grow to be a swordsman. Eliel chuckled a bit at the thought.

After he’d told her what they were planning to do, he watched her, not surprised by her reaction. He had tried to tell her once before. “Cordelia. I’ve told you before, but you might understand now. They, the drow that is, are a cruel race. Their life is chaos hidden behind order, killing is no big deal. It’s a game to many, lives are worthless in the underdark. It’s a tradition; third children are given to Lolth. The lives of children are nothing, and male children even less. To the drow, this child is at the bottom of the food chain.” He said with a nod. “All of the drow do these things, there is no way to stop an entire race. The drow are just too strong for it. I doubt any power could wipe out menzoberranzan by hand. In their own environment, it’s impossible.”

Eliel smiled at her comments. “Thank you, cordie.” He chuckled, looking at nemael. “You do realize all drow have white… nevermind.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his head defeatedly, tugging the leather thong from the ponytail, letting it fall loose.

He walked to her shoulder, resting his chin on her shoulder as he looked down at Nemael. “It’s going to be quite a different kind of adventure, eh? Harder than driders.” He winked at her.

The mention of how brutal the drow were caused her muscles to tighten. She didn’t want to become that angry again, not with this child in her arms. “They all deserve to die,” Cordelia said. Sadly it was out of her control, but if she had to do she would kill as many drow as she possibly could if they had committed such atrocities. Children were gifts, precious things; despite how weak they were they were meant to be molded into something much stronger. How could they continue a race with that sort of idea? And even further than continuing their race, how could a mother kill something with her bear hands that should have been created out of love and had grown inside of her for nine months?

“It just isn’t right,” Cordelia said, her voice growing even softer. “To take advantage of that. It… I…” Her voice faltered. There were no words to describe the depth of how she felt. “Why do they just allow that? Why has no one… stopped it?” Someone should have done something. Eliel had. Were the others so weak minded that they followed tradition blindly without questioning it once? She didn’t want to talk, to think about it anymore.

Her eyebrows lifted somewhat once Eliel rested his head against her and she gave him a sort of odd look. The sudden contact hadn’t been expected but after a moment she didn’t mind it. At his words her head tilted back slightly, a soft laughter breaking past her lips.

“Much harder than driders,” she agreed, her thoughts drifting momentarily before she pulled herself back together. “Harder than anything. With all the danger you get yourself in are you sure you’re ready for this? Babies need a lot of care and love, every child does. I’m glad you saved him from that fate, but are you really sure? I mean really?” She paused for a moment, sighing and shaking her head. “I shouldn’t say that though, since I’m in the same situation.” After all, Cordelia got into just as much, if not more, danger than Eliel did and she had Kaiden.

Eliel smiled and stood up, drumming his index fingers on her shoulder playfully, understanding her not wanting to further the subject. He nodded. “Cordelia. I’m dead certain. Believe me, I think I’ve been ready for a while now. Ever since I met Silendra, I’ve been ready. When she left, I realized that my life was beginning to settle down. I didn’t want to leave it spent how it was. Now I think I’m ready for this. After all, I need a heir. Someone to teach my skill, to leave my legacy to when I die.” He smiled, taking the child back slowly.

“I’m ready. And should anybody try to stop me or harm this child, gods have mercy on their soul.” He nodded. “I’m a father now. I have a reason to fight. Now I’m defending two people instead of myself. Nobody can stop me.” He chuckled.

“Besides.” He shrugged. “He kind of looks like me.” He shrugged. “I do wonder when his big brother will come see him, however. I’d kill that smith if he didn’t show up sometime. He’s a brother you can be proud of.” He chuckled. The man had helped him in several tight spots, possibly his best man-friend. Sadly, he was trying to keep a mind like Eliel’s and fit in with drow society quietly, leaving little time for such things.

“I think I’ll bring him with me when I go somewhere. Norwood would accept him well enough, they like me.” He chuckled.

((OoC: Sorry it sucks. >< Not having a good day over here.))

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When I die. Cordelia stared at him, looking him over for a moment. Death seemed like something so foreign to Eliel. She had always seen him as something invincible, someone that no one could take down. The idea of him aging and even dying because of it was shocking and seemed unrealistic… but she, of all people, knew that death was as realistic as everything else.

“Oh, no!” she protested when he began to scoop Nemael up and away from her. She frowned, watching him take the child away from her helplessly. There was a sudden coldness where she had once been warm with the child against her, not to mention a sudden emptiness as if her very heart was being drained. Not being able to hold him, as miniscule a loss as it was, was still a loss and she wasn’t sure how to handle it at first. Issuing a sigh Cordelia folded her arms over her chest and snuggled into the chair, looking away from Eliel for the moment.

“Big brother?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. So little Nemael had family, other than Eliel and herself that didn’t want to harm him? “How old is he, anyway?” Cordelia stood up and swept the cloak behind her, looking down at the baby Eliel was now holding. With any luck she would get a chance to hold him later, perhaps even feed him or do some other motherly task. It didn’t matter to her that she was his godmother and not his actual mother, if he didn’t have a mommy around then she would act like it.

The idea of bringing him away from his home so early made Cordelia stiffen somewhat. “Already? Shouldn’t you wait a few months? Or a year or two… or three or five?” She frowned. Even with Eliel as his father, she didn’t trust Nemael away from home or anywhere he couldn’t defend himself. She knew Eliel would protect the child, but that didn’t ease her worry as much as it should have. “It’s not safe in the world for him to be out… even if they do like you.” She lifted her index finger to her mouth and began to chew on her nail, clearly anxious for the well being of the child.

Eliel smiled a little as she looked away. She obviously liked the child, whether it was the child or the idea of mothering that she loved was yet to be determined, it might take a short time for Eliel to figure it out. Even so, Cordelia would be the closest thing the boy knew to a mother.

“Hmm. I guess, with you being godmother, you’ll have to fill in a couple duties of the role, seeing as his mother is… unfit for the job.” He chuckled weakly. The boy’s mother was about to kill him when Eliel intervened.

“The brother or the baby? Nemael’s about a month now.” He said, looking down at the drow baby. He smiled then, eyes locked with each other.

“Don’t worry Cordie. I have no intention of running into some huge fight with him. I may be reckless, but I’m not stupid. Just for trips in town. Nobody will try to hurt him around here. The bandits leave me well enough alone, the townspeople don’t want to risk making an enemy in me. He’ll be fine around here. It’s a good place for him.” Eliel smiled, extending a rough finger to the child, who seized it and bit it, grunting at him. It began sucking on it, looking angry with the finger.

Nemael gave an angry squeal and pushed the finger away. “Hmm. I may have to find him a wet-nurse. I don’t think I’d do well trying to feed him myself.” Eliel shrugged and laughed roughly. “Ah, things are changing, Cordie. It seems so long ago when I was a lost man wandering the darkness of gloomwood, trying to discover who I was, what part I held in all this.” He smiled.

“I assure you, age will surely take me before a blade. I just hope that when that time comes, I’ll have become a man to be proud of.” He smiled sadly.

There was a spark inside of her when he said that. Mothering duties… granted she had enough between Kaiden and Alaina, but there was room in her heart for plenty more children. A sort of light came into her dark blue eyes at the idea of mothering that little baby. Oh, he would love her. He wasn’t her son, but he wouldn’t know the difference with how much she was going to do for him. “Like what? What do I get to do? Just say the word,” she said, utterly excited now at the idea of taking care of a baby. This side of her was very rare, but the idea… just the idea… no woman would have been calm; no woman who had lost her first chance would deny a second. Or, perhaps in Cordelia’s case, third chance.

She laughed once he mentioned that there was a difference between being reckless and stupid. “Not with you there isn’t,” she said. “God, even little Nemael will agree after I tell him crap you’ve done. Like, oh you know, pretend your best friend killed you?” Cordelia shrugged her shoulders, her words implying that it wasn’t too big of a deal but her tone showing the exact opposite. “Oh yes, I’ve got secrets to tell him. Mmhm. You better wach out.” Again she laughed before shaking her head. She almost felt bad for the child, having a silly father like Eliel.

At Nemael’s refusal of Eliel’s finger with that angry sound she winced somewhat. A wet nurse was probably a good idea, and she would have offered to do it had her whole being not been based on blood. “I doubt it would be very good for him,” she mused to herself in a quiet tone, propping her chin up in the palm of her left hand. It was then that a horrifying thought hit her. “You don’t have a bottle for him anywhere? Please tell me he hasn’t gone a month without food!” Her voice was high pitched now, terror shaking her. However, upon realizing that Nemael was healthy, she exhaled all her worry and put a hand to her forehead.

“Too over protective,” she said with a nervous laugh. “You’ll have to forgive my overbearing-ness.” But she was sure he was used to it by now.

“… I just hope that when that time comes, I’ll have become a man to be proud of.”

Cordelia was almost shocked to hear that. Eliel had plenty to be proud of! He was a skilled swordsman, he had friends, he had a love, a son who would grow to be strong and sure. “What could possibly be lacking in your life?” she asked. “You have everything. I won’t stand here and cheer you up when you already know that. Besides, knowing you have my friendship and my loyalty should be enough to prove you have a lot to be proud of.” Cordelia nodded once. That was about as far as she was going with comforting him.

Eliel smiled at Cordelia. “Of course he’s had food. I got some in Lith My’athar. I had to run the entire way there though. It’s a long way, believe you me.” He chuckled. “I do not have a bottle, however. May need to get one. Perhaps I can run to Norwood to grab one…” He said, thinking. He had been using breast milk in a flask to feed the child from his hand, but she needn’t know that.

“Hey! You were the one that started that bit! Almost finished it too…” He squinted at her. “Lucky I got my cloak, though.” He smiled.

“I’m lacking plenty. For a man who has lived 300 years, I have done surprisingly little. Maybe enough for two humans, but that’s no big deal. I have potential, yes. But that’s the problem. I have it. I need to use it.” Eliel chuckled.

Roy woke up and sniffed around, finding Nemael and giving a wheezing bark. He sat down on the couch and watched as the Furfur sniffed at the child and curled up on him. Nemael stopped whining and looked at him, curious. Black little hands reached out, seizing clumps of fur and pulling. He squealed and Roy’s beady black eyes shot open.

Eliel laughed and clicked his tongue. “Picking on things bigger than you? Not smart, Nem.” He thought for a moment, looking up. “Then again, I seem to do it a wee bit myself…” He whispered, waiting for some comment from Cordelia.

“You should run to Norwood now, leave little Nemmie with me,” Cordelia said, sounding a tad too eager. Upon noticing how enthusiastic she sounded she offered a sheepish grin and a chuckle, hoping Eliel wouldn’t become cross with her any time soon for her behavior. From what she knew, he didn’t know about her past and therefore he wouldn’t have understood how much children meant to her, but at least that was clear just from the surface. “He’ll be safe with me. You know that.”

She snorted at the idea that she had been the one to start it. “You’re the one that went along with my little act to scare Fef,” she said. “You could have asked me what the hell I was doing, but you didn’t. So therefore it’s your fault.” Cordelia nodded once to assure him that she was correct.

Cordelia waved her hand to dismiss his statement about having done very little. “You’ve done plenty, believe me,” she said. “Besides, you have another few hundred years to live. Why not just waste some time? You have a son to raise and he’s your priority – finding your purpose comes second, everything comes second now.”

A warm smile parted her lips at Nemael’s antics, a soft laugh rising up from her throat as well. “He’s beautiful,” she said sincerely. At Eliel’s comments her eyebrows lifted, wondering if he could possibly be serious.

“Not smart? Aww, I call it courageous,” she said. “He just wants to have fun with little Roy. Don’t pick on his intelligence, especially since you’re exactly the same way.” Her smile turned into a lopsided smirk then and she laughed. Cordelia’s jealousy had melted away for the most part by now, driven mostly by just tender affection.

Eliel smiled. “You know, I might do that. Maybe in a bit, though.” He chuckled. He trusted her well enough with anything, he trusted her with his life.

“Oi! No! you don’t… turn this… erm… touché.” He said at her comment on the trick they had played on feffy. The poor kid had been scared to death, also quite dumb in his threatening Cordelia. Also attacking her. Very stupid idea overall.

Eliel sighed at her comment on Nemael. “When he does it, it’s courageous, but when I do it, it’s just plain stupid? That’s hardly fair.” He sniffed in an eerily accurate representation of Gwen. He looked up for a moment then chuckled. “You realize that him growing up after me, he’s going to be very much the same, yes? Aye, he’ll be poking around places he shouldn’t ought to. Should be fun.” He winked.

Eliel smiled and rummaged through the nightstand, reaching deep. He pulled out a blunt wooden dagger, handing it to the child. Nemael grasped it and pulled it up, gnawing on it. Eliel smiled. “look at that. Grabbed it on the first try. Going to be a fighter, this boy.” He smiled proudly.

“In a bit?” Cordelia was visibly disappointed, both by the tone in her voice and the small frown that brought down the corners of her mouth. She sighed softly and ran a hand through her hair, not really wanting to put up with that as an answer. “Why in a bit?” It was pushy, but she didn’t care. She wanted to hold the baby again without Eliel there to take him away from her.

She snorted softly. “It’s completely fair. He’s a cute baby… you’re a stupid adult,” she said. “Nemmie will know better than to play tricks on his friends. He’ll be a good boy.” She nodded firmly to assure Eliel that this was true – she would make it so. Nemael didn’t have a mother, and growing up with Eliel alone would most likely be torture; she couldn’t do that to the poor child! At his next comment her eyebrows furrowed, the warm look on her face turning stern. “He’ll do no such thing. I won’t have my godson losing his arm at the age of five because you think it will be fun.”

That stern look turned into one of concern when Eliel took out the wooden dagger and handed it to Nemael, who grabbed it on the first try. Was he insane?! What if Nemael choked on that or hurt himself?! Cordelia’s eyes went wide and she had half a mind to reach over and take that thing away from him.

“He’s going to hurt himself!” she exclaimed. “Why do you have to push being a swordsman on him? He’s only a month old, let him be! What if… what if decides he wants to, um… sing? Or dance? You’re going to have to support him!”

Eliel chuckled. “Just a second, I’m not saying in an hour, just a sec.” He laughed, bouncing Nemael in his arm. The child squealed, placing a grin on Eliel’s face. He was going to enjoy this particular challenge.

When Cordelia panicked, he smiled. “Bah, you worry too much. See? He likes it.” He said, watching Nemael wave it around. He hit roy with it, drawing forth a wheezy bark. Eliel laughed. “There you go, son. If you’re going to hit it, hit it with a sword.” He cheered on Nemael.

“What if… what if decides he wants to, um… sing? Or dance? You’re going to have to support him!”

Eliel smiled at her. Bah, He can dance if he wants to. Just gotta do it with a sword in hand.” He smiled. Roy shifted and scurried off, tired of being assaulted with the makeshift sword. Eliel gave him a proud smile.

“Very well. Here you are, one child as ordered.” He said, holding Nemael out to Cordelia. The child squealed and swung the wooden dagger around interestedly, nearly hitting the vampire.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. Was there even a point in trying to get through to him? He never listened to her, always did what he wanted instead of taking a few words of wisdom. “Yeah, likes it until he pokes his eye out,” she grumbled, snorting and looking away. As soon as Eliel was gone she was going to get rid of that thing, hide it away somewhere where they would never find it again.

Once again she rolled her eyes. She hoped to the gods that Nemael grew up wanting what Eliel had planned for him; otherwise the two were going to hate each other. Eliel was too stubborn, and if Nemael turned out to be anything like him, well… then he was going to be extremely stubborn too. She would try to stop him from being stupid, but that was no guarantee since she had her own child to worry about and couldn’t stop to make sure Nemael was molded correctly.

Nemael was held out for her to take and her face lit up, a smile coming onto her face and her eyes completely lighting up. She yelped as the dagger came toward her and sighed softly, reaching over to ease the weapon from the child’s hand. She set it down on a table and scooped the baby into her arms, holding him against her and kissing his forehead. The warmth immediately returned and her heart filled again, easing that feeling of loss once more.

“You’ll play with that when you’re older. Let’s say about… twenty? Yes, that’s reasonable.” She nodded once and bounced him lightly, just as Eliel had. “All right, by now Eliel. See you later, make sure you take your time! Tata.” With that she waved to dismiss him.

Eliel chuckled as she was nearly hit, smiling at the boy’s nerve. As Cordelia took him, he saw her mood lighten instantly, something in her feel happier. He smiled at her happiness, glad for her. It seemed she was missing something in her life, something he hadn’t known. He stood and whistled for Gwen, seeing the cat come back downstairs, yawning wide.

Eliel chuckled at the umbra, watching her come over and rub against his leg lovingly. Eliel scratched her head and leaned over, kissing the top of her furry head. He opened the large double doors and walked out into the darkness, swinging a leg over Gwen’s side and leaning over as she bounded off into the forest, following a particular path not clearly visible, but familiar to both of them.

Eliel smiled, feeling completely comfortable leaving Nemael with Cordelia. The woman had saved him from a whole other life.