Mint and Honey

[heartofcourage]

"I'm fine, Alex. We got stuck in the snow, but Jamie and Lynn made sure that Andra and I were warm." Kayla said with a smile towards her cousin as he took her hand. "I think we'll stay with Leon and Dazu this evening when Mummy and Da return home. It's just a touch too cold for Andra, I think."

Her daughter was already being passed around the longhouse to all of her aunts and uncles, each doting on the little girl who had fought so hard to be born and survive.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think I'll agree with you there." Alex nodded, kissing her cheek and wrapping a blanket around her that Kreston brought just in case.

This was the scene that Yasmine and a few other Axemen arrived upon, though they were welcomed heartily by the Ghis brothers. Brogan greeted each personally as he always had, committing their names to memory if he didn't already know them.

 

[heartofcourage]

Yasmine had dressed in her best uniform pants, the dark leather shining in the light from the fires. She had put on her new shawl, covering her dark hair with the dark green fabric. She had a smile on her face as she entered with some of the other Axemen, pleased to see Aleister and his wife looking well. Lynn was leading a group of children which included a mixture of cubs and humans. They all adored one another and seemed to be so comfortable with each other.

"Your highness." Yasmine murmured as it came her turn to greet Brogan. "We met earlier."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I remember you, Yasmine," Brogan assured her with a smile, shaking her hand. "Enjoy yerself, lass."

 

[heartofcourage]

Yasmine smiled and looked around the longhouse that seemed filled with people. The younger children were gathered around the present table, trying to guess what had been sent to them from their Uncle Ashien and Aunt Kayla as well as from their other aunts and uncles. The adults were mingled together, talking among themselves with smiles and laughter. Prince Rhodan seemed to take special joy in teasing his sisters, making the youngest princesses laugh as he picked on Kate.

"Will, you came!" A voice called out and Lucy hurried over towards Will as he tried to sneak in. "I thought you told Gran that you couldn't make it."

 

[KieranSoares]

As the eyes of a few Ghis turned to Will, the boy froze until Lucy reached him. Then he gave her a somewhat bashful smile. "The Captain took me off patrol so I could come."

Ciaran approached then and laid a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "I knew you'd be disappointed if he had to work."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Not just me. Gran and Aunt Kayla would too." Lucy said as she turned to smile up at Ciaran. "Thank you, Ciaran."

Yasmine had to laugh at the look on the young man's face. He seemed so hopeful and shy at the same time. Lucy was gracious and lovely, soon pulling him towards her aunt and Aleister. Yasmine glanced around the longhouse for a moment, pausing when she saw Alex standing to the side. He was speaking to a lovely little girl. Making her way towards them, the little girl stopped talking and glanced towards Yasmine.

"You're the woman I saw with Alex this morning." Viola commented, glancing towards her brother.

 

[KieranSoares]

"This is Yasmine al-Zariq," Alex told her softly. "And this is my sister Viola," he introduced her with a smile that told Yasmine that what Jan had said about her was absolutely true.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Don't mind Alex. He's usually too serious." Viola said as she was introduced to Yasmine, shaking the other woman's hand. "Did you enjoy the festival?"

"I did. It's the first one I have participated in and it was very enjoyable." Yasmine said with a grin towards Viola.

They made small talk for a few moments before Viola was pulled away to help serve the meal. Yasmine glanced towards Alex and reached for her satchel, pulling out a leather bound book.

"A peace offering. For making you enjoy yourself." She said, offering him the journal that she had found.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You seem to think I need peace offerings," Alex chuckled, but he accepted the journal. "I do appreciate it, though. Come join us, I promise the Ambrose family doesn't bite too hard."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I find that most serious men need offerings of some kind." Yasmine commented as he invited her to join the Ambrose family. "Well, how can I turn down an invitation like that?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"I may be serious, but a kind word means just as much." Alex sat down across from her, settling beside Valentina while she ended up next to Vincenzo.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You must be Yasmine." Valentina said with a smile as the young woman settled down next to Vincenzo. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Alex was telling us about you earlier."

"I hope it was only glowing things." Yasmine commented as the food started to be disbursed between the different tables.

The families would eat separately and join together for the gifts, desserts, and dancing. Everything was portioned out proportionately and given to each little group to share. It was enough to feed a small army, each family bringing their own personal favorites. Viola and Theo brought the food for their table, Viola instantly settling on the other side of her grandfather.

"I made your pasta, Papa." Viola said, giving him a smile. "Da helped me make the goat cheese and gave me some herbs from the garden."

 

[KieranSoares]

The time without Kitty had been hard on Vincenzo, and age had caught up to him quickly though he certainly had not given up after losing her. He was dressed well as always, his long hair pulled back neatly in its usual ponytail and his beard always trimmed nicely. He hadn't wanted to let his grandchildren see him crumble though Valentina and her siblings had seen him fall apart a few times.

"Then everyone's bound to get a proper taste of Italy," Vincenzo answered with a smile to Viola. He knew his mother would've adored the girl to death for her mastery of Italian cooking, and he appreciated how much Viola cared about getting it just right.

In this older Italian man, Yasmine could find a striking resemblance to Alex. Alex's own style and ever-calm mannerisms came straight from Vincenzo, and even though Alex held no family resemblance to Vincenzo, it was easy to tell that they were family.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Alex made sure that I gave the Sicilian pastries a taste in the square today." Yasmine commented as she watched Vincenzo interact with Viola, the little girl flourishing under her grandfather's attention. "They were lovely."

"I can make those too. Mama taught me how." Viola commented, looking across the table at her mother as Theo made sure that everyone had a plate filled with food. "And I make all the candy Alex carries and I help him with the honey from the beehive."

"Well, my stars, it seems as if the healer doesn't have to do much when he's at home." Yasmine murmured, laughing at the look that Alex was giving the both of them. "I use to help my bother as well, little one. He was a soldier and needed someone to look after him. I packed his lunches and made sure that his supplies were correct. It made me feel like the most important person in the world when I was little and he was forever grateful."

 

[KieranSoares]

Though Alex rolled his eyes when Yasmine said he didn't have much to do at home, he smiled down at Viola with a clear adoration. Although his mother and grandfather were so very close, Viola was at the center of Alex's universe. He would drop work whenever his family needed him, but Viola was the only one who could sweet talk him out of work on a whim, though she didn't use that power lightly.

Theo finally settled next to Valentina with a sigh as everyone in their little family group was served including Yasmine. It had been a lot of work to get everything ready and put it all together in the village instead of the keep as usual, where they had the help of Chessie's whole staff to keep things running smoothly. Chessie had still joined them, but Brogan had insisted she finally take a holiday off. She was family, after all.

Yasmine was quickly surrounded by the happy chatter of a family that meshed like one perfect machine. Everyone was an individual, no child too much like their parent and no twins too alike, but they all shared the central Ghis love of family and a sense of teasing but adoring humor. Even the hardest among them softened when a child came asking for help, or laughed at themselves as they were reminded by teasing relatives of something foolish they'd done.

Yasmine and the friends of the Ghis who'd come by invitation rather than family ties were treated no differently. There was a good mix of werefolk too, family and friends, from Elder Taqu'un of the Gol Dun to the captains of the warriors who were close with Ruben and Kreston.

 

[heartofcourage]

A short while into the meal, three last guests joined them. All long and lean weredragons, obviously related. The tallest was a navy colored dragon with fierce looking scales, but kind eyes that were framed by wire spectacles. He allowed the younger dragon to take their cloaks, speaking quietly to the boy to direct him where to take their cloaks and their gifts.

Faust had been an Axeman in his younger days, the only weredragon to ever serve. He had been injured in the great war of Inverness and had never returned to serving. He required a cane to walk since that time and had decided to remain in Inverness to raise his hatchlings after the death of his mate five years ago. He had always been a scholar of sorts and he had no trouble finding work as such. Recently, he had been hired by the queen to provide lessons to the Princess Heather, especially since Sam had decided to go on his way to Sweden.

"You made it, Faust." Julia said as she came to greet the family. "And I see you brought your children. I'm pleased to finally meet the both of you."

Koralo was the spitting image of his father, dark blue and tall, dressed in his best vest in trousers for the occasion. He was around the twin's age and was as bright and intelligent as anyone in Inverness. He seemed to get along well with Heather and Ashelin and was quickly becoming a friend to them both. Fiera was much younger, only five, and very shy. She pressed against her father's side, dressed in a lovely stitched dress of gold and green. She was much smaller, but a lovely lighter shade of blue, the same coloring that her mother had.

 

[KieranSoares]

Faust's family was an oddity with their blue scales, and even more so for being weredragons in a place where there simply just weren't many others. Weredrakes were slightly more common, but only just. The people with the ability to fly at whim had always been rare and either revered or deeply feared. Tribal legend stated them as descendants of dragons who used magic to take human forms to hide safely from extermination. The magic had caused their children to be born live rather than from eggs, and made them human sized with all dragon qualities.

Whether or not any of that was true, Faust had proven time and again that he was simply a man not unlike others of were or human descent, and that he just wanted a peaceful life like everyone else.

"Milady," Faust bowed his head to her, glancing down to see his children were already giving her a respectful nod. "This is my son Koralo, and my daughter Fiera." He offered Julia a smile then. "I appreciate the invitation. These two have never gotten to enjoy a Solstice much bigger than just the three of us."

 

[heartofcourage]

Heather perked up instantly at the sound of her new teacher's voice. She enjoyed her lessons with Faust and she found herself entertained by the way that he taught. Sam did it with a seriousness that came from years of hard work. Faust was intelligent and enjoyed bringing the practical world into the classroom. More than once he had taken Heather on hikes through the woods to learn various plants or to listen to the sounds of the different animals. Heather adored him and Julia was truly pleased that her daughter was coming out of her shell.

"Master Faust." Heather said as she left the table to come to her mother's side, uncertain in the unfamiliar long house, but still confident enough to move without her sight. "Mama wasn't sure if you would come tonight. I have a present for you."

"Come and sit with the rest of our family. We always feast first and then get to the gifts." Julia said, taking Heather's hand to lead her back to the table.

 

[KieranSoares]

Faust couldn't help a smile as Heather approached. "For me? I happen to have brought something for you too." He looked to Julia, giving her a nod and leading his children along with him. Though the blue Dragon was no longer such a new sight to Brogan's little piece of the family, he was quite a sight to others. Still, everyone welcomed him kindly and didn't make him feel out of place, especially considering he had a shy little girl.

 

[heartofcourage]

Heather happily sat next to Faust, introducing him to his brothers who hasn't had a chance to meet him properly. Yasmine watched the scene from her seat, smiling as the little girl seemed to grow in confidence. She had come into her own under the dragon's guidance.

"It does my heart good to know that were creatures are treated well here." Yasmine commented, turning back towards her meal.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's been a long road to a peace like this," Vincenzo told her with a smile. "Though werefolk were free before Brogan came into power, they were barely considered people and hunters were everywhere. When Brogan took over, he updated laws to include all people, not just humans, and he outlawed the hunting of werefolk with extreme consequences. Then the Gol Dun settled here about twelve years after Brogan took over, and they completely changed the local view of werefolk. Humans here have become protective of their werefolk brothers and sisters. Hunters have few safe havens in Clan Inverness' territory, as well as several of our friends around us."

 

[heartofcourage]

"If only that could be the same everywhere." Yasmine said softly. "But sadly it isn't. Perhaps one day allow the trials and tribulations will be nothing but a bad memory."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We can only wait and see. Until then, I'm intent on enjoying the opportunity to work with werefolk and watch my children do the same. After all, my son-in-law is a Wolf," Vincenzo smiled toward Kreston and Selena's family. "And I have grandsons and a granddaughter whose loves are Wolves, one whose love is of Fox descent. I dare say the next generation after them is going to be at least half were."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, there are worse places that you can find yourself." Yasmine said with a smile towards Vincenzo as he spoke about his children.

It was easy to see that he was not their father, but they all doted on him as if he were. He was a good man, one who was well loved by everyone. Yasmine glanced across the table at Alex as he spoke in a hushed voice to Valentina. The woman listened intently, looking at her son as he seemed so concerned about something.

"Pennyroyal." Valentina answered finally, looking Alex in the eye. "You and Da will have to burn the banks of the loch if the sheep are getting sick. It's very poisonous."

"Alex, you promised Mama no work talk." Franny said softly, reminding her brother that it wasn't really the time to do this.