A short chapter with lots of toddler spam. I'm leaving on vacation on Wednesday and will be gone for a week. We're going to Munich to pick up our new car, then to Paris for a week! Can't wait!
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Yes, it looks like our night of wedding bliss has led to this - another little one on the way!
Val was old enough now to accompany Oak to the Garden Grove occasionally.
He followed Oak everywhere, always curious about the business of gardening.
"Ohh.. Wook, daddy! Mato's dere! An' dese are peppa's, wight!"
"That's right, little man. Tomatoes, and peppers. And look here - your favorite - grapes!
"Yay! Gwapes!"
Then Oak would pick him a bunch of grapes, and he'd munch on them happily, all the while toddling behind Oak as he worked.
Often Summerwind would bring her little Meaghan along to play, and Val was always happy to have a friend to laugh and make mud pies with.
I loved seeing our little community start to grow again; I had been so certain not too long ago, that we were destined to die out, that ours would be the last generation to live and die here on our small spot of what once was a paradise, but which was no longer.
There was only one small nagging worry that tickled the back of my mind - besides the wolves, that is. Our clans had always kept to themselves, in the before times. Witches pledged to witches, and learned the ancient writings, and held back the sea. The fairies and Djin, too, only promised to their own. But now, with so few of us - perhaps the ancient taboos would have to be broken, in order to survive. I'd discussed it with Oak, but he didn't understand the problem at all. Where he comes from, no one cares who 'marries' who. A few time I almost mentioned it to Zephyr, but in the end, I couldn't bring myself to worry him. I'd deal with that problem when I had to. For now, as Zephyr has always said, let us enjoy the present.
My birthing time came again, all too soon, and Oakheart didn't seem to be any more prepared for the day than last time.
At least I knew what to expect, and managed to calm him down, and even got him to take charge of Val.
"Mommy? You awight?" I caught a note of fear in Val's voice, and I hoped Oak would be able to calm him down. He didn't disappoint.
"Mommy's fine, sweetie. She's just working hard right now to bring you a little brother or sister."
"Bruder?"
"Yes, baby, you have a little brother. "
I was exhausted, but so thankful for my wonderful husband, and two precious little boys.
Oak made another baby bed to match Val's, and as I watched Val and little Mandrake snoring away, I thought that life just couldn't get much better than this.
Eagle was getting so grown up! Fawn started sending him on errands, and it was from him I learned the latest news. Fawn had just had a new baby girl!
"Mama wants to know if you can spare one of your energy potions. She said me and Robin are driving her crazy."
"Sure, Eagle. Here you go. Tell you mama I'll come see her soon!"
"Um, can I stay for a little while and play with Val?"
Even though he was a little older, Eagle and Val got along famously.
"See da dwagon, Eagul?
"My yeti's comin' to eat your dragon... Rawr!"
"Ohhh no he not! Poof! Dwagon gone! Ahahaha!"
"Hey! How'd you do that?"
"Hehe. Id Magic! Annn... Dere he is agen! Magic!"
As Manny grew, the problems of having two babies sharing a room with us soon became apparent. Manny would begin to cry, which would awaken Oak, who would wake me up to feed him.
As soon as I started to get Manny settled back down, Val would startle awake, screaming for attention.
As much as we loved our baby boys, the nightly routine was beginning to take it's toll.
One particularly bad night, I couldn't take in any longer. Something had to be done. Oak had been trying to get me to look at the slightly bigger cottage nearby, but so far I had resisted. There was something scary about the old abandoned houses. I didn't like to even go near them - too many ghosts of the past, I guess.
I was at my wits end, what with running out of space in our tiny home, so I reluctantly agreed to check it out then next morning. I just shook my head sadly at the caved in walls, and piles of sand that the elements had visited on the old place.
Ever the optimist, Oak was not discouraged.
"I think we can fix it, Moon, I really do. Sweeping out the sand with be easy, and we can get the others to help rebuild it. In fact, I bet they're wanting to move into bigger places, too. We can all get together, and really start to rebuild!"
I still wasn't sure, and started to think up excuses,when suddenly I heard a small "Meow!"
I turned around to see a strange cat, one I'd never seen before, sauntering through the open door of the old rundown house. I knew there were feral cats on the island, but they mainly stayed to the interior, and I only caught glimpses of them now and again.
But this one walked boldly right up to me, right in broad daylight! It had to be a sign. My mom once said a cat in the house would bring good luck, and she always had several. I held out a bit of leftover fish, and she gobbled it up hungrily.
I glanced up at Oak with a smile.
"Alright. Let's do it. I'll let everyone know."
Surprisingly, the second floor was almost intact. I guess the waves had never reached this high. With Oak and me working our mending spells, it didn't take long to make the two upstairs rooms liveable. The walls and floor still could use some serious work, but at least it was waterproof.
What do you think, Val? This is going to be your new room."
"Not want dis room. Wanna sweep wid you, mommy."
"Me big bruder. Okee, mommy. Me stay wid Manny."
"That's my big boy."
Downstairs was a different story, though. We would need a lot of help to fix the broken-down walls - not something a simply mending spell could handle. As we surveyed the old walls, in preparation for the 'house-raising' party we were having the next day, I noticed something unusual.
"Look here, Oak. The walls don't line up right over here. I think there's something behind this wall."
I gave a good hard bang on the wall with my fist.
"Watch out, Moon!"
Oak pulled my back just in time, as the whole rotting wall collapsed into a pile of debris at our feet, and we peered into the darkness beyond.
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