Ian rode through his kingdom as the snows were melting. It had taken longer to get everything ready; he was a year behind his goal. This was the summer of the campaign, however: the plans were laid, the musters called, the forces moving. He'd spent the that winter at home with his son, whose wife presented Ioannis with a son on midwinter's day. In the northwest part of his realm, near the snowcap, was a volcano that housed his secret smithy, staffed by Delran the Dark Elf of Hirostrum.
The trail leading to their lair was steep, and ran close to the crater before veering off a safe distance. The prevailing winds kept the air fresh; even elves can't breathe sulfurous air for long periods of time. There was one major piece to pick up, and he'd be ready.
His horse Geoffrey balked at going farther up the trail, and there was a safe spot to leave him with his saddle bag. Ian cast a spell to protect him from notice and various hazards, and started around the path on foot. The day was cloudy, dark, with a biting wind. A plume shot up from the volcano, taken the opposite direction of his path by the north winds. He'd made this trip three times since they relocated from Cashawm, however this was the first time in he came in spring. Things were moving faster than planned, but he was ready.
As he rounded a corner, he spotted a small girl on the path. She was playing with a doll, singing a song in Elvish that was half nonsense. Her skin was purple like the dark Elves of Hirostrum and her hair green, but lighter shades than normal. She looked up at him and froze: her eyes were rounder than an Elf's and blue rather than black, but her ears were pointed. Ian shifted Kadosh to his left hand and extended his right. "Hello," he said in common, then repeated in Elvish.
The child took a minute to speak. "Hello. Who are you?"
"A friend. I am the Lord Melekthon. Who are you?"
"I am Merina. I live here. Where do you live?"
"Southeast of here. That way. What is your doll's name?"
"Putrous. He stinks all the time, smells like fire. I was singing him a song. Why aren't your ears pointed? Why is your skin pale?"
"I'm human, that's all. We're a little different than you. Can I see your Momma?"
"Yeah, and my auntie Chingara, too. They'll want to see you. Come." She held up her hand for him to take, and he touched it. There was a connection there, something familiar. Gamely, he let himself be led by the child to a place he'd been before.
"Momma, Momma, look who I found! It's a hooman!" she screamed at the top of her lungs when they passed the portal. The outer room looked familiar: table with tassled tablecloth and covered crystal ball, sideboards with different vessels, racks with herbs and spices, but in a corner was a collection of dolls and other toys.
A familiar face appeared in a small mirror on the wall. "Hello, Mapsie! The cat's out of the bag. You're in deep shit now!"
The little girl spun and addressed the mirror. "Shut up, Gritchlaudroneckstis! You're not supposed to cuss around me! Momma's gonna roast your butt for that!"
Giblis ran through the door, sending a bolt through the mirror without thinking. Kneeling down, she took the little girl in her arms. "Are you all right, my sweet one?" Picking her up, she balanced the child on her hip with practiced skill, and looked up at Ian. "Oh. Hi. You're here early. Your skills are improving greatly, we had no idea you were coming this way. Old Deathless himself must wonder where you are."
"Hi Giblis. Good to see you again. You've been concealing something from me as well. Who's the elf you recruited?"
A panicked look crossed her face, and she spoke quickly, "No one. There are no male elves here, I'll swear on my Tome. I haven't seen a male of my species for four hundred years. Dark Elves don't have blue eyes, anyway."
He waited, enjoying watching her discomfort. "I thought you hated children. Said elves control their fertility."
"Yes, that's right, that's right. Well, I had an experience that changed my mind..."
Ian sat down at the table and crossed his legs. "I think I have time for the story."
"I want to play with Deltvist and Clerg," Merina interrupted. "Can I, Momma, can I?"
Giblis put her daughter on the ground and pointed at Ian. "That man over there is your Daddy, Merina. I want you to go over and give him a big hug, just like the hugs you give me."
"Isn't this just heartwarming?" Gritchlaudroneckstis said from the mirror. "Brings tears to my eyes, it does."
She shot another electric charge through the mirror. "That will be enough out of you. Go ahead, dearie. It's all right."
The little girl was standing still for a moment, deciding, then ran over to jump on Ian's lap. "You're my Daddy the King. That makes me a princess. Is that your royal staff?" she said, pointing at Kadosh.
Ian gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Yes, you're my little princess, it's good to meet you. Someday I'll show you my palace." The little girl kissed him again and started to play with the end of her hair. "You said you wanted to play with..."
"Deltvist and Clerg"
"... Deltvist and Clerg. Finding them sounds like such a good idea. I think I'll want to meet them, too. But not right now. I need to talk with your Momma alone first. We'll call, you."
"All right, King Daddy," she smiled, giving him a kiss on the lips. "See you later." Like a flash she left the room, leaving her mother stupefied.
They looked at each other awkwardly in silence for several moments. Gritchlaudroneckstis cleared his throat, but a dirty look from Giblis silenced him. Ian heard some noise at a distance, children playing with gusto. "You know it too, right?" she said, smiling. "If they're quiet, you want to know why."
"Well, I missed most of my son's upbringing, but you don't need that story now. Let me put this together: your sister obviously had a child after you moved here, and you had to help taking care of it..."
"Yes, my love. Actually, it was twins, and they were a handful for Delran and I. Beautiful boys, Chisis and Reglin we named them. Melted my heart and made me think it might be a good idea."
