Chapter 229 - 230: Why are my children investigating my relationships?

Chapter 229: Chapter 230: Why are my children investigating my relationships?

By the third day of Heart Fever, Nerin had somehow become part healer, part underground warning system, part Swanly’s personal shadow.

He never announced any of it.

That was the annoying thing.

If Kael wanted Swanly to eat, he put food in front of her and stared until she obeyed.

If Soren wanted her to rest, he simply picked her up, ignored every insult, and carried her away.

Nerin?

Nerin quietly made her life easier and then behaved as if the food, water, herbs, repaired things, and tiny acts of care had simply materialized from the forest.

That morning Swanly came out of the treatment shelter and nearly stepped on a covered wooden bowl.

She stopped.

Warm meat broth.

Not too oily.

A little crushed herb mixed through it, the one Nahla had said might help with exhaustion.

Beside it sat fresh water.

Swanly looked around.

Nobody.

Her fox ears twitched.

She picked up the water and drank.

"Good."

Swanly nearly inhaled it.

She spun.

Nerin stood behind one of the posts with a bundle of herbs in his arms.

He looked startled that she had caught him looking.

"You!"

His ears immediately went pink.

"I only meant..."

"You put this here?"

His gaze slid away.

"It was there."

"Nerin."

He stared at a tree.

"Nerin."

"...Yes."

Swanly put both hands on her hips.

"Why didn’t you just give it to me?"

"You were busy."

"You could have said, ’Swanly, eat.’"

His broken antler twitched.

"You usually tell people you’re not hungry."

"That is because I’m not."

"You say it while hungry."

Swanly paused.

The deer had been spending too much time around Kael.

Nerin shifted the herbs higher against his chest.

"You should finish it before it gets cold."

Then he tried to leave.

Swanly caught the back of his hide.

He stopped so abruptly his little tail jerked.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"I need to take these to Sari."

"After you explain this."

She picked up something from beside the bowl.

A shawl.

Soft woven fur.

Nerin’s ears turned redder.

"It’s colder in the mornings."

"And?"

"And you keep forgetting yours."

"That doesn’t mean you have to..."

She stopped.

There was something else beneath it.

Her sandal.

The strap she had torn yesterday while running between the western shelters had been repaired.

Not roughly tied.

Actually repaired.

The leather had been reinforced and smoothed so it would not rub her skin.

Swanly slowly looked up.

Nerin had begun inching away.

"Oh no."

He froze.

"You repaired my sandal too?"

"It was broken."

"Nerin."

"It might make you trip."

"Nerin."

"You walk very fast."

"Nerin!"

His ears flattened.

Swanly stared at him.

He looked like she had caught him committing some terrible crime.

Then she noticed the flower.

One single pale blue blossom tucked between the herbs.

Her expression changed.

"You picked that too?"

Nerin glanced down.

"That?"

"That flower."

"I found it."

"Obviously."

"I saw you looking at them yesterday."

Swanly went quiet.

Nerin seemed to realize what he had admitted.

His entire face heated.

"I should take the herbs."

He fled.

Actually fled.

Swanly stood there holding a shawl, one repaired sandal, a bowl of broth, and a flower.

Tilla walked past carrying folded cloth.

She slowed.

Looked at Swanly.

Looked at everything in Swanly’s hands.

Then toward the rapidly disappearing silver deer.

Her mink ears rose.

"Oh."

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

"Don’t."

Tilla came closer.

"I didn’t say anything."

"You made a sound."

"It was a very small sound."

"It was judgmental."

"It was romantic."

Swanly gave her a look.

Tilla leaned closer.

"He brings you things every day."

"I know."

"He brought you water yesterday."

"I know."

"And fruit."

"I know."

"And the little comb."

"I KNOW."

Tilla grinned.

Swanly shoved the flower into the front of her clothing.

Tilla’s grin became unbearable.

"Oh."

"Go away."

"I really didn’t say anything."

"You’re saying everything with your face."

Tilla laughed and escaped before Swanly could throw the sandal.

Unfortunately, the children had noticed too.

That was much worse.

Later that morning, Swanly discovered Kairo, Nilo, and Miko crouched behind the grain shelter.

Whispering.

Badly.

Kairo was trying to be serious.

Nilo was actually being serious.

Miko was eating something.

Naturally.

Swanly slowed before turning the corner.

Miko whispered, "He likes Mama."

Kairo frowned.

"We know."

"No. I mean likes likes Mama."

Nilo looked at him.

"What is ’likes likes’?"

Miko stared.

"You know."

"No."

"He brings her food."

Nilo blinked.

"So does Papa."

"And Snake Papa."

"Yes."

Miko leaned closer.

"He looks at Mama."

Kairo gave him a flat look.

"Everyone looks at Mama."

"Not like that."

Nilo considered this deeply.

"How?"

Miko widened his eyes dramatically.

Then placed both hands under his chin and made a ridiculous dreamy face.

Kairo recoiled.

"He does not look like that."

"He does inside."

Swanly bit her lip.

Oh, these little traitors.

Kairo crossed his arms.

"He is nice to Mama."

Nilo nodded.

"He reminds her to drink."

Miko pointed with his food.

"He fixed her shoe."

Kairo added, "And made the sleeping platform."

Nilo said quietly, "Mama smiles when he comes."

The three brothers went silent.

That appeared to be the deciding evidence.

Miko whispered:

"So Deer Papa."

Kairo immediately frowned.

"He is not Papa."

Miko chewed.

"He could be."

Kairo looked scandalized.

Nilo, however, simply said:

"We already call him that."

Kairo turned.

"You two do."

Miko grinned.

"You will."

"I will not."

Swanly chose that exact moment to round the corner.

All three cubs froze.

She stared.

They stared.

Miko slowly hid his food behind his back.

Swanly folded her arms.

"What are you three discussing?"

"Nothing," Kairo said.

"Food," Miko said.

"Nerin," Nilo said.

Kairo and Miko both turned on him.

Nilo blinked.

"What?"

Swanly’s mouth twitched.

"What about Nerin?"

Miko looked at Kairo.

Kairo looked at Nilo.

Nilo looked at Miko.

Then Miko announced:

"He likes you."

Swanly nearly choked on air.

"Excuse me?"

Kairo slapped both hands over Miko’s mouth.

"Mama, he means..."

Miko fought free.

"He brings you flowers!"

Swanly stared.

Kairo closed his eyes.

Nilo calmly added:

"He brings a lot of things."

Swanly’s face started heating.

"Why are my children investigating my relationships?"

Miko looked confused.

"What relationship?"

"Exactly!"

Nilo tilted his head.

"Can he be Deer Papa?"

Silence.

Swanly’s tail exploded behind her.

"Mama’s tail!"

Miko pointed.

"Don’t point!"

Swanly grabbed it.

Kairo stared at her suspiciously.

"Why did your tail do that?"

"It did nothing."

"It got big."

"It’s fluffy!"

"It got fluffier."

Swanly pointed at all three.

"Go help Raku."

Miko brightened.

"With weapons?"

"No!"

His face fell.

"With absolutely nothing dangerous."

"That is not helping."

"GO."

They scattered.

Swanly stood alone for several seconds.

Then muttered:

"I’m raising traitors."

Unfortunately, the traitors came back.

And two hours later, they destroyed Nerin’s peace completely.

Nerin had been kneeling near one of the raised sleeping platforms, one palm against the ground while he studied the vibration beneath Ironwood.

The Fever investigation had become dependent on him.

His broken antler could sense things nobody else could.

Not perfectly.

But enough.

He had already marked three zones where the underground pulse felt stronger.

He had scratched crude lines into a flat wooden board with charcoal.

Roots.

Water.

Old stone channels.

Hollow earth.

Kairo crouched beside him.

Nilo was watching the markings.

Miko was poking a beetle until Eira slapped his hand away.

Sira was sitting in Kael’s lap, trying to pull one of his black ears.

Kael was pretending not to care.

He cared.

Swanly stood beside Soren, reading the latest patient counts.

Nerin pressed his fingers more firmly into the soil.

His face tightened.

Kairo noticed.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little."

"Your antler?"

Nerin nodded.

Kairo looked genuinely worried.

Then his attention went back to the ground.

"Can you show me?"

"Show you what?"

"Where it’s hollow."

Nerin pointed.

"Not here. Farther west."

Kairo leaned over the map.

"Deer Papa, can you show me where the ground is hollow?"

Silence.

Absolute.

Complete.

Soul-crushing silence.

Nerin stopped breathing.

Kairo stopped breathing.

Swanly stopped breathing.

Kael’s head turned.

Soren’s head turned.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Nerin looked up.

His face was the exact expression of a male who had seen death approaching and discovered it had two fathers.

Miko’s eyes lit.

"SEE?"

Kairo turned red.

"I didn’t..."

Miko pointed at him.

"Even Kairo said it!"

Nilo was entirely calm.

"We have been saying it."

Kael looked at Nilo.

"You have?"

Nilo nodded.

"Sometimes."

Soren’s silver eyes moved to Nerin.

Nerin visibly considered digging through the earth with his bare hands and joining the Heart.

Swanly immediately lifted both hands.

"Nobody start."

Miko looked around.

"Start what?"

Kael’s jaw tightened.

"Nothing."

Soren’s gaze remained on Nerin.

"Yet."

Nerin stood.

Too quickly.

His antler throbbed.

He winced.

Swanly immediately reached for him.

"Nerin..."

"I need to take these maps to Nahla."

"They’re already here."

He looked down.

They were indeed in his hands.

"Oh."

Miko covered his mouth.

Kairo elbowed him.

Nerin’s ears were burning.

"I’ll... check the eastern path."

"Nerin."

"I should go."