Summoner 20, p.21
Summoner 20, page 21
“They aren’t expecting us?” Erin asked as she entered the cabin, and a flash of panic swept across her features.
“No.” Freya shook her head at the mimic. “There was no way to get a letter to them. We do not have that type of communication in Hawk Clan, so our visit is an unintentional surprise.”
“Your father did say he wanted us to return when we gave him grandchildren,” I pointed out to the hawk-princess. “So, they probably wouldn’t be too surprised by our arrival, or with Lahrra.”
“I hope not,” my blond wife sighed.
“Take a deep breath, Freya” Cyra advised the warrior princess in a softened tone. “They’re going to be thrilled to see us, remember?”
“Yes.” Freya nodded decisively, and the best friends smiled at each other.
“Shall we?” I gestured at the door, and after my women and I shared a nod, we headed to the door.
When we exited the craft, I was surprised to see a boat waiting beside us on the dock next to the landing pad, and a smile broke across my face when I noticed my in-laws aboard the ship.
The chief of Hawk Clan and his wife wore similar expressions of excitement, and they waved their hands enthusiastically in the air as we approached the dock.
Chief Fenrir was nearly seven feet tall, with wild black hair, unkempt black eyebrows, and deep-set dark-brown eyes. My father-in-law wore a thick dark cloak studded with feathers that only added to his air of strength, and a pair of roughly-made brown leather boots covered his feet. The hawk leader’s face was normally as expressionless and stoic as Freya’s, but he looked so thrilled to see his daughter after so long, I thought his smile would crack his face in half.
Where Fenrir was intimidating and wild, Ratreya was elegant and beautiful. Her dark-blonde hair and gold-flecked brown eyes were the same as Freya’s, and the pair could have been twins if it weren’t for the telltale lines of age in the corners of Ratreya’s eyes. Her cloak was paler, but just as rustic-looking, and she had the corners wrapped around herself to keep her warm.
“My daughter!” Freya’s mother called out in the language of the Clans. “Oh, my beautiful, beautiful daughter has returned to us. My love, I am so happy to see you.”
My in-laws parked their boat at the dock, and once it was secured with ropes, Ratreya climbed out of the vessel and rushed toward my blonde wife. Once she reached our side, the older hawk woman wrapped Freya into an enormous and seemingly suffocating embrace, and as the moments passed, I watched Freya’s entire body begin to shake.
She was crying.
While Freya was generally stoic in demeanor, there was a tenderness between her and her mother that wasn’t present in the hawk-princess’ other relationships. Freya had gone so long without Ratreya, and she’d blamed herself profusely for the woman’s imprisonment in Skara, even though it hadn’t been her fault. The guilt had weighed on the blonde shapeshifter’s mind heavily for so many years, so every interaction Freya had with her mother was precious to her.
“Mother, I have missed you,” the warrior princess sniffled as her mother stroked her hair affectionately.
“My beautiful Freya, you have returned to us,” Ratreya sighed, and when she pulled out of the embrace, she cupped Freya’s cheek in her hand. “Your Mistral husband said he would bring you home one day, but there was still a fear in our minds that we would never see you again.”
“Mother, I would never leave you,” Freya insisted as she leaned into Ratreya’s touch. “Not permanently. Gryff is a man who is true to his word, and he assured me that we would unite once more.”
Ratreya offered her daughter a smile that made the sun look pale in comparison, and then she dropped her fair hand and turned to face me.
“Gryff of Mistral and Hawk Clan,” the chief’s wife addressed me. “It is lovely to see you once more. Thank you for bringing my daughter back to us in your metal machine.”
“Aircraft,” I explained. “And it’s lovely to see you as well. I’m sorry it’s been so long since we’ve visited Eyrie Island last, and even more sorry we couldn’t give any notice of our arrival. I don’t mean to take advantage of your hospitality--”
“Come here, my son.” Ratreya waved me over. “Don’t worry about intruding on us. You’re my daughter’s beloved husband. You are always welcome here in Hawk Clan.”
My mother-in-law wrapped me into an embrace, and like Freya, she had a sea-salt scent about her that reminded me of an ocean storm. Her hug was incredibly maternal and gave me unexpected comfort. I liked Ratreya quite a bit. She was polite, but warm, and deeply devoted to her family.
“Thank you, Ratreya,” I said, and a smile broke out across my face.
“It is indeed wonderful to see you, Gryff,” Fenrir declared in a gruff voice as he joined us on the dock. “Thank you for bringing back my beloved Freya. We have missed her quite dearly, and this was a very welcome surprise.”
“Of course.” I nodded at the tall shapeshifter. “I’m sorry for the uh, construction project. We didn’t have a place to land our ship--”
“Don’t apologize.” Fenrir waved me off. “That was resourceful thinking. And besides, this will make it easier for you to visit in the future, will it not?”
“It will,” I agreed with the hawk chief. “Thank you for your understanding.”
“I see you have also brought friends with you,” Ratreya noted as she looked beyond Freya and me. “Please, come join us! Don’t worry, we will not bite.”
In all of the excitement, I hadn’t noticed Erin and Cyra had hung back near the ship, and the pair of gorgeous mages wore similarly shy expressions.
Ratreya had spoken in her native language, so there was no way my other lovers had a clue what she was saying, but they seemed to take context clues from her gestures.
Cyra and Erin exchanged glances and then began to move forward, and as they approached, the babies finally came into view. Erin carried Milo and Olivir on each of her hips, while Cyra held on to Lahrra, and the chief’s wife broke into a smile as she caught sight of the infants.
“And who are those lovely children?” Ratreya asked in a soft voice.
Freya gestured at Cyra, and the curly-haired summoner gave the hawk-princess a nod of understanding and brought Lahrra forward.
Freya’s mother tilted her head to the side as she peered at our daughter specifically, and a look of realization crossed her features. Our daughter’s hair and brilliant gold eyes were too particularly hawk to be a coincidence, and I watched Freya’s mother look between us to compare our features.
Chief Fenrir took a little longer to understand what was happening.
“Who is this little one?” he asked in a curious tone as his eyes narrowed and studied my daughter’s golden features. “Freya…?”
The hawk-princess offered her father a warm smile.
“Mother, Father, this is Lahrra,” she introduced our daughter. “Your granddaughter.”
Chapter Eleven
The seconds passed by like minutes after Fenrir’s jaw dropped. The hawk leader’s eyes darted back and forth between his daughter and me, and then they began to water.
“My granddaughter?” the chief repeated in a quivering voice that surprised me. “D-Does this mean you have made me a grandfather?”
“Yes, Father,” Freya confirmed, and the hawk-princess’ smile was so brilliant it made the sun look pale in comparison.
“This is not a joke?” Fenrir asked her in disbelief. “You are not lying to me?”
“No, sir,” I assured him. “We would never joke about something so serious, especially something like this. Lahrra is your granddaughter.”
“Would you like to hold her?” Freya prompted her father in a gentle voice, and at the sound of her words, Lahrra began to fuss and fidget toward the chief of Hawk Clan.
“May I?” Fenrir wondered in awe, and I thought the hawk shapeshifter was going to burst from happiness.
“Of course,” Freya replied, and she carefully passed Lahrra over to her father.
Fenrir held out his arms and carefully cradled my daughter with a tenderness I wouldn’t have expected from such an imposing figure.
“Hello, Lahrra,” he whispered to his granddaughter in the language of the Clans. “My name is Fenrir. I am your grandfather, sweet child.”
Witnessing the chief of a mighty warrior clan coo over an infant was an incredible sight, and the soft way the hawk leader held his granddaughter was heartwarming. Freya shot me a grin of delight, and when I glanced over at Erin and Cyra, they wore similar expressions of joy.
“Oh, Freya, she’s beautiful,” Ratreya whispered as she approached her husband. “She looks almost exactly as you did as a baby. Your daughter is lovely beyond words.”
The hawk queen carefully ran her hands through Lahrra’s feather-soft dark-gold hair. Her fingernails snagged lightly on a ringlet, and she watched with delight as it sprang back into place.
Lahrra let out a giggle at the motion. Our daughter’s hair had already begun to curl, and since my children seemed to favor their mothers’ appearance, I had a feeling she would grow up to have Freya’s wavy mane.
“Thank you, Mother.” Freya smiled proudly at the older hawk woman. “She is the most wonderful child I could have asked for. I feel so blessed to be her mother.”
Lahrra let out a tiny sigh, and I could see my in-laws melt at the sound of it.
“Gryff of Hawk Clan and Mistral, you fulfilled your promise to me after all,” Fenrir addressed me, and the hawk leader’s voice swelled with pride. “I am truly the happiest man alive today.”
“I told you I would return to you with your daughter and grandchildren.” I smiled at him. “I had every intention of fulfilling that promise. I’m only sorry it took us so long to return to Eyrie--”
“Don’t apologize to us,” Fenrir insisted. “All that matters is our grandchild is here now with us. What a generous blessing we have received.”
“Lahrra,” Ratreya mused. “That name has not been used since Lahrra the Golden flew among the stars. No one has been worthy of such a powerful namesake, but when I look into my grandchild’s sunlight eyes, I can already see she is destined for greatness. She will grow to be a powerful warrior. I can see it now.”
“Even if she is not a shifter?” Freya asked her mother quietly.
The hawk queen’s lips parted softly as she absorbed her daughter’s nervous expression, and then she took Freya’s hand in hers.
“This child is more than just a shifter,” Ratreya insisted. “Regardless of whether she will be able to make the change or not, your Lahrra has been blessed with warrior lineage. Her blood might differ from that of a normal hawk, but she still carries on an impressive bloodline. I promise you even if she is never able to take a hawk’s form, we will all love her just the same.”
“Thank you, Mother,” my blonde wife whispered, and her gold-flecked brown eyes welled up with tears.
I was relieved the hawk queen was so accepting of our daughter, and when I glanced over at Fenrir, I could tell he felt exactly the same about the child.
“My first grandchild,” he whispered as he peered down at Lahrra. “Today is one of the finest days of my life.”
“Psst, Gryff,” I heard Erin murmur behind me. “What’s going on? Have they fallen in love with Lahrra yet?”
“I can’t tell what they’re saying, but if their faces are any indication, I’d say it all went well?” Cyra chimed in.
“I’d say so.” I gave the pilot and summoner a small smile over my shoulder, and then I ushered the pair forward. “Come join us, you don’t have to stay back there.”
“We just didn’t want to interrupt the moment,” the mimic replied, but she and Cyra stepped forward to join the rest of us.
Milo and Olivir studied the hawk leader and his wife with curious expressions, and it was then Ratreya seemed to remember my other women.
“I apologize for my manners,” the hawk queen said in her native tongue, and she tilted her head in the same bird-like way Freya always did. “I welcomed the pair of your friends before but did not ask for their names?”
“You’ve met Cyra before.” I inclined my head toward my curly-haired wife, and Cyra straightened up at the mention of her name. “She was with the rest of my team when they came the last time.”
“Yes, that’s what I thought,” Ratreya confirmed, and then she flashed a motherly smile at the dark-haired summoner mage. “Welcome back to our island, Cyra.”
I swiftly translated the hawk queen’s words into Mistral, and Cyra gave Freya’s mother a polite bow.
“Please tell her it’s nice to see her again, and thank her for her hospitality,” she instructed me, and I repeated her words back to Ratreya.
“Any friend or family member of Gryff of Hawk Clan is welcome in my home,” the older hawk woman replied, and then she turned to Erin. “And what is your name, dear?”
“This is Erin,” I introduced her, and the orange-haired pilot smiled at the sound of her name.
“Welcome to Eyrie Island, Erin,” Ratreya greeted my other girlfriend, and Erin lit up when I translated.
“Thank you.” She gave the hawk queen a dazzling smile. “It’s so nice to finally meet you after so long.”
“And the rest of these adorable children, are they of your seed as well?” Ratreya asked as she glanced at my sons.
“Yes, they’re mine as well,” I said, and heat rose to my cheeks. I wasn’t exactly a modest man, but hearing my mother-in-law mention my seed wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world.
“You have been blessed with fertility, that is for certain,” Fenrir chuckled as he bounced Lahrra in his arms. “So many children in such a short period of time is quite impressive.”
“Um, thank you, I guess,” I murmured, and I rubbed the back of my neck self-consciously.
Freya seemed to take notice of my discomfort, and she cleared her throat to take the attention from me. “Shall we bring the children to our dwelling? They are not used to this kind of weather yet, and I do not want them to catch ill.”
“Yes,” Fenrir agreed with a firm nod, and he carefully passed Lahrra back to her mother. “Let us return to the boat and get you all safely back to Hawk Clan. I am certain the others are anxiously awaiting your return.”
“Did you tell the other hawks we were here?” I asked.
“The metal flying ship was a big indication,” Fenrir laughed. “We weren’t certain it was you, but we had a suspicion. No one else has brought a machine that size to our island.”
“Fair enough,” I chuckled.
Without further ado, we all carefully filed into the hawk leader’s boat with travel packs in hand and babies secured in our arms.
Milo and Lahrra fussed as the boat began to move beneath us, but we were quickly able to calm the infants before they could become too upset.
“We are entering Hawk Clan, my love,” Freya whispered to Lahrra. “The home of your people. The sounds might be a little strange to you at first, but your ears will soon adjust, darling.”
“She’s going to love it,” I assured Freya as I wrapped my arms around her shoulder. “Every part of it.”
The boat veered toward the cliffside entrance to Hawk Clan’s dwelling, and once we breached the opening, the cacophony of raptor cries and fluttering wings filled the air. As I peered up at the hollowed-out mountain peak, I admired the many hawks that flew from place to place and felt a warm comfort at the familiar sight.
Hawk Clan’s home may have been less technologically advanced than the ones in Mistral, but there was an intricacy about its architecture that rivaled even the most impressive Enclaves.
I could count at least fifteen levels of maze-like dwellings carved into the mountain’s walls, and each level was connected by long rope bridges that ran the length of the base pool. At the center was a rocky dock, and that’s where our vessel was headed.
“Wow,” Erin whispered. Her amber eyes were enormous, and they glittered with awe as she peered around at the dwelling. “This is incredible.”
“That was my reaction when we first came here,” I replied to the mimic.
“It’s not at all what I’d expected,” Erin admitted with a smile. “It’s even more elaborate than I’d pictured. The way they’ve carved their home into the mountain… it’s so intelligent and wonderful.”
Ratreya gave the pilot a curious look.
“Erin was just saying that your home is beautiful,” I translated for the hawk queen, and Ratreya gave the mimic a smile.
The boat continued to glide through the water until we finally reached the dock. Fenrir and I worked to steady and tie up the boat, and then we helped Ratreya and my women climb out of the vessel.
“Where is Vahla?” Freya wondered once she stood on the dock. Her gold-flecked brown eyes darted around at the hawks that swooped and soared above us, and then they narrowed as if she were trying to find her sister’s wings.
“She has to be around here somewhere,” I said, and I reached out to take Lahrra from her. My daughter snuggled up to me immediately, and I cradled her close against my chest. Her cheeks were slightly chilly, but the air on the inside of the mountain was comfortable, so I knew she would warm up soon.
“It is unlike her to linger behind.” Freya frowned. “I figured she would be here to greet us once we arrived.
Then, as if perfectly on cue, I heard an excited squeal somewhere beyond us.
“Freya!”
I whipped around just in time to see a blur of dark red rush past me, and it suddenly stopped just in front of my hawk wife.
“Vahla!” Freya’s enormous eyes grew even larger as she stumbled forward.
The sisters ran right at each other, raised their arms, and then swept one another up into a huge hug. The sound of soft cries filled the air, and I soon realized the noise came from the pair of hawk women.
“I have missed you so much, my Vahla.” Freya smiled as she brushed a lock of her sister’s russet hair from her round green eyes.
