Chương 1617: [1522] – Y07.022 – A Heart of Trouble II

"Do you know who this is?" Jirot asked the girl pointing towards the woman. Virot blinked.

"This is nana Mirot." Virot blinked.

"You know what nana means, yes? Nana means grandmother."

"Nana! Granmama!" Virot confirmed, looking around for Sonarot, though Jirot hugged her.

"You are so smart, so smart," Jirot grumbled, threatening to kiss her sister's cheek.

"This is our nana. Nana is kako Nirot's mummy, okay?"

"Kako?" The girl asked, blinking.

"Yes, that is right." Jirot let out a frustrated sigh, for how could her younger sister be so beautiful and so smart? Ritetu would be troubled, wouldn't she?

"Do you remember baba Gorot?"

"Baba!" Virot squealed.

"That is right! Nana is baba's wife, like mummy is…" Jirot paused, with the understanding she had just saved everyone a storm of trouble.

"Gosh! Who gave you permission to be so smart?" Virot cackled as they hugged tight.

"Kaka!"

"Yes! I gave you permission!" Jirot declared, holding her sister, for no one was allowed to trouble her, this adorable sister of hers.

'It seems your father has corrupted you so deeply,' Mirot thought, the woman letting out a gentle sigh, though her heart was lightened.

"Nana is busy so that is why she cannot play with us," Jirot explained.

"Nana is the Family Head. Before, nana Sonarot was the Family Head, but now, nana Mirot is the Family Head. Understand?"

"Nana!" Jirot nodded, brushing the girl's hair. She glanced aside towards her nana Mirot, and then leaned in.

""Sometimes nana bullies daddy." Virot cackled with an even greater delight.

"Bully daddy!"

"Later, later," Jirot assured, hugging her sister once more, her heart threatening to explode, for how could her sister be so adorable? Damrot blinked up towards his grandaunt, the boy standing before her with the confidence of an Iyrchild.

"Have you forgotten me?"

"Mamo." The woman smiled wide, reaching down to pinch his nose.

"You are right." Damrot flushed and stepped away, hiding behind little Jarot, who couldn't help but think his papa, who was actually his cousin, was so cute. Mirot smiled towards the little Jarot too, who was named after her father, and yet was far meeker, far sweeter, but loved her perhaps only a touch more.

"I must go now, for I have to return to the Main Iyr and complete my duties."

"What?" Jirot gasped. Mirot lifted her up one by one, hugging them, dealing with Jirot's broken heart, for how could she not forgive her nana? Mirot continued to embrace all the children, one by one, until finally her own sons, each so hefty, welcomed her embrace.

"Are you sad I am leaving so soon?"

"Mama…" Gurot pouted.

"You are old enough to call me mother."

"Mother…"

"Do not worry, I will call for you soon." Mirot held her sons to her bosom, her heart aching for them. She considered stepping away to the fortress, however, such was awkward when the meetings were within the Main Iyr. Thankfully, the Iyr would send them to her when she asked, and every so often, they would return the children to the Main Iyr for longer stays.

The trouble was how many times should they be sent for, how much time they should spend within the different settlements, and just how much that would harm a particular fool of a half elf. As Gorot returned during the evening, his sons charged him, noisily babbling away about their day.

"Your mother returned?" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Yes! Father, mother returned, and mother picked us up, and mother kissed us," Gurot declared, beaming brightly.

'Your mother is so busy, but she wishes to arrive and spoil you,' Gorot thought, though it had been an awkward time last year for their birthdays. Even so, she should have come. Gurot had turned five, the age in which he would need to go to school, and Murot still cried for his mother often, to the point Sonarot would watch over him, and if she was unable to deal with the boy, a particular fool would be able to spoil him well enough.

As the days passed by, Adam held his son upon his chest, finding enough strength to finally hold little Xarot, for though Amalrot was certainly much heavier, the girl was far more stable, and even upon the matter of food, the girl would wait, or would turn to call for her brother so the food could arrive upon her plate, whereas Xarot enjoyed squirming upon his father's chest, grabbing and shifting about.

"You, you punk! First you were flirting with my wife to steal her away from me, you handsome little boy, and now you're flirting with me?" Xarot smiled brightly, clutching his father's collar, leaning in to attack his father's face with tiny kisses.

"You can't be doing that! You're too young! If you end up flirting with everyone, what will they say?"

"Daddy!"

"What? They won't say anything! Your father, he'll be the strongest, and what can they say then?"

"Daddy!" Xarot squealed once more, giggling with delight.

"What? I don't have to be the strongest? You'll stop flirting so you won't cause any trouble?"

"Daddy!"

"Xarot! You're always so kind to me, aren't you?" Adam also assaulted his boy with his affection, causing little Xarot to squeal, though the boy grabbed his father's head and kissed his face all over too.

Thankfully, the rest of his children also spoiled him, with Jirot reading to him, little Jarot listening carefully, while Virot laid down nearby, sprawled on the floor, sucking her thumb, clutching her blanket, while Damrot did the same, however, he remained near his own father, and not the father who wished for him to be his son.

"What do you think it is?" Jurot asked.

"Ball?"

"No, but it is a good guess," Jurot assured, ruffling his sons hair, then blew the dust to the corner, away from the children, while Adam willed forth his light magics, causing his wife to glance his way. Pam, too, looked her husband's way, noting how he had changed. She hadn't realised until recently, but he was certainly his brother's brother.

"Kako, look!" Konarot said, revealing her drawing of what appeared to be a jam doughnut.

"You draw so well, Konarot." The girl smiled wide, returning back to her doodling, beside the rest of the triplets. Kirot and Karot also drew various foods, for some reason, though she supposed it was because they knew her as a baker, and therefore wished to show off?

'How she has changed too,' Pam thought, for, perhaps it was the first time they had met when she had almost killed the woman who was now her mother, Ray Vonda of Life's Rose. Vonda thought of what to teach the children over the course of the next week, only to recall her husband would soon return to enchanting.

"Are you certain?"

"The quicker I complete this, the better."

"The weapons are required, but is there a need to rush? We can delay the trip slightly, for we will have plenty of time to explore the land for the year, and we shall be able to return for nightval swiftly, or, if the children tire, duskval."

"Once I complete the weapons, I need to enchant something that will be able to soothe our childrens' hearts," Adam replied simply. Vonda let out a soft sigh, but reached out to his hand, squeezing it gently. Adam inhaled sharply, then, coming under a sudden bout of wisdom, he shut his mouth, and stared to the side, towards the children in the corner, all lazing together, readying themselves for slumber.

Jirot and Jarot returned to sleeping with their greatfather, for it wasn't just one or two of their babos and nanos who had stepped out, but even the likes of Otkan.

'The Iyr isn't messing about,' Adam thought, though very swiftly forced away the thought, because of all the dangers in the world, the one that he was most afraid of was the Iyr. Even as he looked towards little Xarot, who only knew joy and delight, without the knowledge that upon his birth, his father had left to die, and yet had returned to watch him grow with such joy and delight. It was that joy and delight which struck Adam within his heart.

Adam understood, now, the difference between the pride of a man, and the pride of a father.

"What is it?" Jurot asked, holding up the wooden statue.

"Dwagon," Damrot stated firmly.

"Yes." Jurot's lips twitched into a smile, and once he had finished smoothing the wooden statue, he applied the oils, the seals, and then placed it before his son.

"Do not play with it roughly or you will hurt yourself."

"Okay." The boy lifted it up quickly, accidentally throwing it in the air, and he blinked, as his father's hand blurred and caught it.

"…"

"…"

"I will take it for now," Jurot said. The boy smiled innocently, with no idea that he had almost hurt himself, all the while his father's forehead pulsed lightly, for perhaps his son was truly his son after all, considering his lack of wisdom. No. What was he thinking? It was his own fault for not making it bigger, and therefore harder to lift.

'Yes,' Jurot thought, 'my son is not to blame.'

'Is he trying to flirt with me?' Pam thought, noting the stupid look upon his face, but at the same time, she flushed lightly, admiring her husband's form.

'If you're going to flirt so obviously, at least give me another niece or nephew to spoil,' Adam thought.

"Mummy, what is wrong?" Jirot asked, moments before stepping out to sleep with her babo elsewhere.

"Your father is bullying me."

"What?" Adam gasped.

"What did I do?"

"Are you saying mummy is wrong?"

"If mummy says I am bullying her, then I am obviously bullying her, but daddy doesn't know." Jirot sighed, reaching up to her forehead.

"I am surrounded by fools." Adam pouted slightly, glancing aside to his wife, who replied with an innocent smile, disarming her husband's sadness, causing the half elf to glance aside. Jurot glanced aside, wondering what they would name their next child, and hopefully it was a boy, because he wasn't sure if Adam could handle another girl. The old Jarot stood at the doorway, waiting for his greatchildren to follow him, letting out a soft sigh.

'This year, will I spoil another two greatchildren?'