A Little Family

Late Summer, Year 759 of the New Age
Central Glenwood, Glenmore

"Not much further now," Aytan said with a smile, trotting ahead a few steps to lift up a low hanging branch with his antlers so Lia could duck under without being hit by the branches, rolling his eyes as Acka swooped after her. "We're nearly there."

Lia nodded thankfully, trying in vain to hide the anxious expression she knew was plastered all over her face. Her tail flicked from side to side with nerves, and her ears swivelled with constant paranoia as Acka landed on her neck, croaking quietly. She could smell fawnling; the air around here was thick with it, they must be near the herd. She half-turned as Aytan came rustling through the undergrowth behind her. "Are we going to meet the main herd?" She asked nervously, her voice cracking slightly on the last word.

Aytan frowned at her, then shook his head with a slight smile. "No, we don't have to," he replied, and she sighed with relief. "You can settle in at the den tonight, then I will go tell the King of your presence tomorrow, though you don't have to meet him just yet, he will understand that you are tired and nervous." Their eyes met, and the stag smiled reassuringly, leaning over to hook his head around her neck for a brief second. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Thalia; you are not the first doe to return from Blackwood, so the herd knows how you will be feeling, and therefore knows how to act around you."

A small lump rising in her throat, Lia nodded quickly. Aytan was being so kind to her, yet he barely even knew her. They'd only met a couple of times, and never for very long, and yet he was treating her like she was his own daughter. All part of the show to the herd, she supposed. Still, he didn't have to. "Thank you, Aytan," she said quietly, twisting round to return the gesture, before turning round and gazing at the forest surrounding them. Several trails converged and then broke apart in front of them. "Which trail?"

"That one," the Guard said, nodding at the least worn trail as the paternal feeling that had been so common over the past couple of days shoved its way to the surface again. He felt so protective of the young doe, even if she wasn't actually his. Still, she needed someone to look after her before she got her bearings, and there was no one else around to fill the post. He watched the dark doe as she took a few tentative steps away before pausing and looking back, and he smiled at her, following quietly after her while nodding encouragingly. "Just follow this trail and it goes straight to the den."

After a few minutes of silence they came to the small stream that ran close to the den, and Lia bent her head to it gratefully, gulping it down. Aytan did the same, watching her quietly. She must have gone without drinking since the mountains; the route they'd taken back to the den had not crossed any waterways. Guilt washed over the stag, but she was drinking now, and that was all that mattered. Even the magpie was joining in, perched on a rock at the stream's edge as he alternated between taking mouthfuls and washing his feathers in the cool crisp water.

Lia drank for several minutes, before she lifted her head, gasping for breath a little. She glanced up at Aytan, who was standing on the bank, looking off into the trees. His gaze dropped to look at her, and she ducked her head, embarrassed, before stepping out of the water to stand beside him. Their eyes met again for a brief second, before Lia walked ahead. "Still this way?"

Aytan nodded. "It's only a minute or so from here, though, so perhaps I should go first?" The doe stopped almost as soon as the words left his mouth, and Aytan moved past her quickly, nudging her reassuringly with his shoulder as he passed her. "It'll be fine, Lia. There are only two of them: one of them is barely a year old, and will probably be more interested in Acka than in you; and the other is more tolerant than me. They will have no problems with you."

Lia paused at the thought, then nodded slowly, more to herself than to Aytan. She smiled as Acka landed on her back and croacked encouragingly, turning her head to bump his beak with her nose. Turning back, she saw Aytan was still waiting for her, and she nodded at him, before he walked on again. Lia took a deep breath, then followed after him, tail swaying a little less.

*   *   *

"Papa?" A little voice bleated through the leaves, sounding confused and a little fearful. "Papa, is that you!?"

Aytan smiled, relief and paternal love showing on his face. "Yes, Elsy, it's me," he called back. "Wait with Eldhara, I'll be there in a minute!" The stag turned to Lia again, the smile still lingering in his expression. "Wait here until I call you, they're not exactly expecting me to bring anyone back with me..." He gave her one last smile before pushing through the low branches and out into the light.

Listening carefully, Lia could hear the excited squeal of a fawn, followed by the low rumble of Aytan's laugh, and then intense discussion between two adult voices, while the younger one asked questions every now and again. Then, the voices tailed off into whispers. Lia's ears shot backwards. Why had they suddenly gone quiet? What were they discussing that she wasn't allowed to hear? Then, footsteps, walking back towards her, and Lia stepped backwards almost instinctively.

"Lia?" Aytan's low voice said quietly. "You can come out now."

Lia faltered, her heart in her mouth as she realised how much she was shaking, and how tight her chest was. She gasped for breath, while Acka hopped up her neck, chirping with concern. Her tail was whipping from side to side, and suddenly everything was closing in, and she had to get out. Now.

Aytan suddenly appeared next to her again, his face plastered with concern. "Are you okay?" He asked, then shook his head as he took in her panicked expression and quivering skin. "Of course you're not, stupid question." He waited beside her for a minute, until her breathing had slowed a little and her shaking had eased. She glanced up to meet his eyes, stuttering an apology. "Don't be silly, it's natural for you to be nervous," he said with an easy smile. "You haven't met anyone new in quite some time, of course you'll be a bit anxious. But it will all be fine - Elsy's very excited to meet you." He glanced back out at the clearing, then nodded his head towards the light. "How about we give this another go? I'll be right beside you this time."

Dragging in another shaky breath, Lia nodded, slowly, then followed meekly after the red stag as he left the darkness of the trees and stepped out into the bright clearing. Lia blinked rapidly, the sunlight painful after the darkness of the trees, but soon adjusted, to find a small fawn staring up at her in wonder.

"Hello!" The fawn said almost nervously, peering up with huge eyes. The youngster was small for one who was apparently over a year old, and seemed to be almost entirely constructed of her long legs. Lia got the distinct feeling that Aytan had instructed her that she had to say hello to be polite.

Lia realised suddenly the fawn was probably waiting for a response, and glanced up to see Aytan and a doe - presumably Eldhara - watching her kindly. She looked back to the fawn. "Hello," she said quietly, ducking her head so she could be at the same level as the youngster and smiling a little, as Acka hopped down her neck to perch between her ears and peer at the fawn.

"Elsy, this is Thalia," Aytan said quietly from beside them. "She's going to be staying with us for a while, okay?"

The fawn nodded, turning her head to stare up at the stag, exposing the pale gold of her neck. Lia gasped quietly. She looked so much like Caysa. Elsy had pale spots on her rump and a few white marks on her face, but if it weren't for that, the fawn could have been a younger clone of the doe. She looked up at Aytan, who nodded imperceptibly, as though understanding her thoughts.

"Why do you have a magpie on your head?" The fawn asked curiously, stretching upwards to get a better look at the bird. "Can he not fly?" She sounded concerned, and Lia's heart tightened at the little one's care for something she had only just met.

"Oh, no, he can fly," Lia answered with a smile. "He's just very lazy so he sits on me sometimes to hitch a lift, since he knows I won't tell him off for it." She chuckled lightly, ducking her head lower so Acka was on level with the fawn. "Say hello, Acka." The magpie croaked obstinately, then suddenly flew away to hide in a tree. "He doesn't much like being the centre of attention, though." Lia said, watching him go with a wry smile.

The fawn frowned, as though struggling with the concept of a bird and fawnling being friends, and Lia smiled at her expression, before lifting her head to look at Aytan. The stag smiled reassuringly, then turned to the other doe, who was walking slowly towards them. "Lia, this is Eldhara, my aunt." He introduced them, then took a step backwards to give them room to greet each other.

"H-hello," Lia said quietly, dropping her eyes to stare at the ground of the brown doe's hooves.

"Hello, Thalia," the doe said kindly, and Lia glanced up to find her chuckling lightly. "I've heard an awful lot about you, my dear."

Lia must've looked panicked as she whipped her head around to stare at Aytan, as both the stag and Eldhara laughed openly. "Don't worry, I've told her nothing bad, Lia," Aytan explained, grinning at her expression. "I only told her of our first meeting, and how I know you."

"It certainly sounds like you've been through a lot, Thalia," Eldhara said, a tinge of sadness in her voice. "Being in Blackwood all this time..." the older doe winked conspiratorially at her, and Lia smiled. At least she wouldn't have to keep her past from everyone - Eldhara seemed like the kind of doe she could tell anything to without being judged. "Still, you must be tired, why not come and rest a while?"

Lia glanced up at Aytan, who nodded encouragingly, then down at Elsy, who was smiling up at her wholeheartedly. Lia turned back to the doe, then took a step towards her. "That would be lovely, thank-you."