[Maaike]

If she'd thought returning home the last time had been strange, stumbling onto Sullivan Territory this time around was downright surreal. The clansmen they'd left behind — the youngsters and the elderly and the lame — had managed to hobble together a new camp far from the last one, leaving tags and marks in tree trunks to show stragglers the way home. Maaike had almost turned back at several points and taken Sammy into the forest to live alone as hermits or something, far from the threat that other people (even supposed friends) posed — but there was a reason Therians lived in clans, and there was no way Maaike could protect her son out here all alone.

Besides, she'd taken one look at the exhaustion on Aiden and her grandparents' faces, recognised the fact that Aiden was still here with her even though his brother could probably have smuggled him Dardanos instead, and resolutely stayed in line with the others. The soft and grimy weight of her son curled over her shoulder only grounded her more, especially when his little feet kicked in his sleep and Dioghna sniffed at him with a mournful sigh as they walked.

And Xanth was it a long walk. They'd taken the long way around to and from the portal, hoping to throw off anyone trying to trail them. A few of the less injured Sullivans had split off to disperse the evidence she and Aiden had collected along the way, in hopes that at least some of it would reach a real court in pursuit of real justice, but there was still a bounty on both their heads and likely would be for a long time to come. They couldn't afford to take chances now, even with so many of their number wounded and limping. At least Kiel's potions had dealt with the worst of the injuries. (They'd reluctantly thrown their dead to the sea, sooner than leave them out for the scavengers like the poachers and brigands they'd left out for the City Guard, because they couldn't afford to carry the bodies all the way home.)

The walk was so long and Sammy's weight on her shoulder so heavy that the trees and bushes had blurred into a streaming wall of green and brown. Maaike had refused to give him up to anyone, though — not even Aiden, who could probably have carried him without breaking a sweat. It had nothing to do with trust, because she trusted Aiden and her grandparents more than anyone else in the world (including herself, sometimes), and everything to do with her arms simply refusing to let go. She couldn't survive losing Sammy again. She just couldn't.

And Graeme... Xanth, she had no idea what to do with him. His mind was so broken, he had no idea he'd been freed. He talked to phantoms and screeched when Aiden tried to give him food. He'd at least taken a shine to Dioghna's wolf, to the point where he followed her everywhere, but he apparently couldn't tell her apart from any of the other Therians when they took wolf form. He twisted this way and that, following the beat of his own drum, and had almost disappeared into the forest half a dozen times before his minders realised and dragged him back mumbling to himself about demons with blue eyes. (Maaike thought he was talking about Thanatos because Zanaryans didn't have blue eyes and nothing else made sense — but then, little Graeme said now made sense anyway.)

Maaike didn't even realise they were "home" at first. She kept walking, passing tree after tree and bush after bush, the song of birds in one ear and Sammy's snoring in the other, his over-heated forehead pressed to her neck and the brush of Aiden's arm against hers keeping her moving even when every muscle and bone in her body wanted to fall. It wasn't until someone tugged on her wrist to stop her that she blinked out of her daze, tensing up ready for one more fight, only to realise they were in the middle of a clearing surrounded by tents.

[Aiden]

At the earliest hour of dawn, pictures of the destroyed warehouse began to spread within the COMs of dockworkers. By auction time, fishmongers were already exchanging details of the distasteful property discovered within the remains. Slave-trading in Espur? The piles of chains, drugs, filth, and sleep-charms hadn't gone unnoticed either. By noon, crowds of journalists and concerned citizens already flocked toward the guardtowers, where various lawkeepers had awoken to scandalous evidence and instructions to the locations of similar intel. By nightfall, rumors of the disgraced magistrate had already spread to taverns as far as Danurai. The full truth would come to light, given a few weeks or months.

However, neither Aiden nor anyone in his travelling group were aware of such news. They'd entered the Fae long before dawn. Regardless, the mere thought of long-deserved justice had been greatly gratifying to Aiden, and the feeling was enhanced as freed sylvans split off toward their separate journeys home. Happy bliss fueled as Aiden for at least half a day as he trekked through the forest with the Sullivans.

Fatigue finally caught up to him during their first dinner in the woods, and he fell asleep while still clutching his bowl of stew. Despite Aniketos' healing session and the potions that Kiel had shared, his body was still recovering from the injuries, fighting, prolonged anxiety...and hundreds of kilometers of marching through the forest. He was one of the last few to crawl out of their sleeping bags the next morning. As the sun and moons cycled, the Sullivans passed so many glades, creeks, and similar-looking trees that everything seemed to blur together. The whole journey felt like an unending uphill crawl, even though it really wasn't. Occasionally, Aiden went extremely close to dragging his feet on the ground. Sometimes, all he wanted was to slump into the cleanest-looking patch of moss and sleep until the next full moon.

He was always checking on Maaike and Sammy, especially at times when he felt his alertness fading. Maaike remained resolutely protective of Sammy. Even though Aiden and the others offered to help, she wouldn't let anyone else carry the boy. Jokingly, Aiden had once asked if he should give Maaike a piggyback with Sammy still in her arms. However, they both knew that he'd collapse if he attempted that. While in Espur, Nathan had offered to bring Aiden back to Dardanos. The twins were waiting, and it has been more than two years. Actually, Nathan had insisted upon sailing back to Dardanos with Aiden, and he Was even ready to wrestle Aiden onboard. But then Aiden had glanced at Maaike and Sammy, and he murmured something unintelligible to anyone else but Nathan. With a deflated sigh, Nathan could only clap Aiden into a hug. “Help them home, then, but promise you'll come to Dardanos soon.”

They finally reached the territories in the afternoon of their fifth—or was it sixth?--day in the forest. They'd encountered Niko while scouting two miles ago, and the youth had helpfully given instructions to find the campsite. Aiden gained a bit of energy from the promise of shelter and comfort food, and when they finally found the place, he let out a laugh and clutched Maaike's wrist. “We're here!”

Unlike the last campsite, the tents were a lot smaller this time. Their coverings were patched together with whatever materials the clan was able to recover. Where each family unit was spread far apart, the new one was a mass of tents among dense clusters of trees. The trees would offer coverage and high ground in case of another raid---which wouldn't happen. They'd been so careful on the way back, taking the longer routes, sending scouts to cover their trail and mislead trackers...their efforts would be worth it.

A gleeful shout from the campsite drew him from his examination, and cheers echoed in the area as the stream of Sullivans reunited with their loved ones. Children brushed past Aiden's knees as they clambered atop their returned parent or sibling's backs. Elders greeted their offspring with joyful hugs and kisses. Injured clansmen came forward to welcome their kinsmens' return. Cain was among the happy people, and as the younger therian limped forward on that still-healing knee, Aiden pulled the boy into a hug before gently pushing the attention to Bree.

Hearing a high-pitched holler, Aiden turned just in time to see a grubby Matt-sized critter barrel into the back of Maaike's knees. “Sammysammysammy!” The boy was barely larger than Sammy, but Maaike had had a long day, and she wobbled each time her nephew pulled at her arm or leg.

Bracing a hand on Maaike's back, Aiden's smile was weary but sincere as he leaned forward to lift Sammy's cousin. “Woah! No 'hello''s for the grown-ups?” Matt, who had long outgrown his initial shyness toward Aiden, scrambled upward until Aiden had raised him to Sammy's eye-level. Sammy's eyes shone a little brighter as he saw his cousin, and he giggled and squirmed as Matt wrestled him into a hug. Approaching from their side, Niamh laughed with tremendous relief as she embraced her daughter. Selena tackled Maaike from the other side, and Dioghna and Ellery joined the circle immediately after. The family was truly back. Safe and sound.

[Maaike]

Everything in Maaike stilled when a little body barrelled into her legs, on the verge of bucking out of reach and carrying Sammy into the trees. She didn't even realise it was Matt at first, until Aiden picked the exuberant brat up and started talking with the kind of cheer Maaike feared they'd left behind. Seeing Sammy perk up at the sight of his cousin brightened something inside of Maaike and made the knot in her stomach loosen a little bit, but she was still completely unprepared for the sudden group hug. It took everything in her to let Sammy wriggle free to hug them all back, throwing himself at Niamh and squealing happily when she offered him a fresh-cooked rabbit still smoking on its skewer. It took all the more for her to squeeze her hands into fists and prick her own palms rather than claw all their faces off and scream for them to back away.

“Well, that's a sight for sore eyes.”

Dioghna stood naked suddenly where a wolf had once been, Graeme's eyes bulging out of his head as his guide disappeared in place of a strange woman. Maaike didn't even think it was the nakedness that stunned him so much as the fact that "his" wolf was suddenly gone — only to be replaced quickly by one of his minders, who quickly caught the scent of his panic and distracted him before he could have the coming melt-down.

“Mhm,” Maaike agreed, eyes still fixed on Sammy as he tumbled through the brush with Matt, yipping like a puppy even without the transformation. “I honestly thought...”

But Maaike couldn't voice what she'd thought, that she'd been afraid he'd never be a little boy again. That Thanatos had broken her baby boy.

“Children are certainly resilient.” Dioghna nodded, but there was a layer of doubt and uncertainty under Niamh's assurances that made Maaike flinch.

“I think we can expect it to hit him later, but for now, let's let them play. We've still got work to do.”

Maaike sighed heartily, even managing to infuse a lot of emotion into it that she just didn't feel so that Niamh wouldn't be overly concerned about her daughter. Even now, the Nereid was eyeing her and Aiden up as if she thought they were about to keel over. And actually, looking at Aiden and knowing how she felt herself, it probably wasn't that far from the truth...

“Xanth, Mom, I need a bed and three tons of stew.”

“And you all need a visit to the pond, by the looks of you.” Niamh wafted a hand under face and wrinkled her nose. “You all stink like something dragged out of a swamp.”

Dioghna huffed, but she didn't disagree. A couple of feet behind her, Ellery had his back to them and was deep in conversation with one of the injured they'd left behind, but he still managed to bark a laugh at their expense. Maaike narrowed her eyes at the back of his head, but he didn't seem to notice. Maybe it had just been a coincidence but — Nope, there he went, glancing over his shoulder at her with a smirk and a wink.

“I volunteer Grandpa first. He can get rid of the pond snakes and make it safe for the rest of us.”

Dioghna snickered, and clapped a wrinkled, naked hand to Aiden's shoulder. “Or we could send your strapping young man instead. He looks like he could take on a naga or two by himself, never mind pond snakes.”

Maaike choked back a startled laugh — startled not because her grandmother was calling Aiden strapping, or that she thought he was a capable fighter, because both of those things were true, but because Maaike had truly thought she'd never laugh again. “Oh, Grams, he has.” Well, it hadn't been by himself, or certainly not the one Maaike knew about. He'd definitely needed help that time.

“All right! I call dibs on the pond. Save me some stew!”

Dioghna was off before Maaike could tell her to get her own stew or threaten to eat it all herself. Instead, she quirked a half smile at Aiden and tipped her head in the direction of a smoking tent that was leaking the delicious scent of meat and herbs. “Hungry?” It made her a tad shy, somehow, to be asking him to join her for a meal — which was ridiculous, after all they'd been through, and he ought to know by now he was just as much a Sullivan as she was, just as welcome to eat or bathe or sleep at his own convenience rather than hers. And yet... he was here when he could have been on his way to his family, and that somehow changed everything.

Sammy seemed to think so, too, because he heard talk of food and was suddenly between them, clinging to both their hands and swinging heavily. “I'm hungry, mama.”

“You just had a rabbit.” He must have been hungry, though, because it was all gone. He'd pretty much wolfed it down.

Even so, he pouted. “Only half, mama. Matt stole the rest.”

“Oh, did he, now?” Maaike glanced over Sammy's head and caught Matt frozen wide-eyed with his mouth open around the remainder of the rabbit. “Then he can give you half of his stew, I suppose.”

[Aiden]

Aiden drooled as the aroma of grilled rabbit wobbled before his face and the meat ended in Sammy's small fists. He'd already felt hungry before reaching camp, but he'd been able to ignore it on account of the exhausting trek. With the food waving right in front of him now, it took all of his willpower not to run and snatch all the food from the campfire. Releasing Matt so the children could play, Aiden was glad to see the boys run toward the center of the camp area, where it was easier to watch them.

As the adults commented on the seemingly-carefree Sammy, Aiden crossed his arms and rested his shoulder against the nearest tree. Sammy was such a tough and resilient child, and Aiden held great respect for that. Children were incredibly observant too, especially ones who'd grown up with fathers like Sammy's. Throughout the trip home, he'd seen Sammy survey Maaike multiple times as if sensing her worries. He'd seen Sammy tremble sometimes when Maaike wasn't looking, and he'd have to tell her. Whatever happened in Greenview all those years ago had taught Sammy to protect his mother, too. The suppressed trauma could hit tomorrow or weeks later, but they'd watch for the signs. Nightmares, mood swings, paranoia...he wished the kid wouldn't have to deal with it, but it was abnormal for any kidnapping victim to emerge unfazed. Eyes distant as he thought of the past, Aiden's lips grew thin. We'll be here for him this time.

A new weight on his shoulder drew his attention toward the--ahem--very nude Dioghna. After spending months with the Sullivans, he thought he'd be accustomed to the openness, but he really was not. Instead, he kept his eyes carefully averted toward Maaike, and y'know sometimes she looked like a younger version of Dioghna. Grateful for the distraction of pond-talk, Aiden laughed weakly and waved his hands in denial about single-handedly killing a hydra. “Oh-no-no...don't believe Maaike!” Knowing her crazy family and Sammy's penchant for believing tall tales, they'd ask him to prove it someday. As Dioghna prioritized cleanliness over food, Aiden eagerly nodded at Maaike's offer. Stomach grumbling as he trudged toward her, Aiden was pleasantly surprised to find small hands suddenly link with his own. Gently lifting his hand so Sammy could swing around, Aiden chuckled. “If we're lucky, there'll be enough food that none of us will go to sleep hungry.” He was so grateful that someone had already hunted for the food.

Rows of cooked meat rested in a long pan near the fire. Part of it had already been claimed by the others in the rescue party, but he saw that somebody was still cooking more of it. As he voiced his gratitude to the cook, Aiden offered a skewer of venison and rabbit to Maaike and Sammy before getting a skewer for himself. The meat was still juicy and warm, and Aiden savored the hints of garlic and rosemary as he bit into the venison. “Mmm, it's svho goood.” Seriously, it was the best meal they'd had in weeks and, he thought with eyes twinkling at Maaike, the first quiet meal where they could simply enjoy the company and not worry about anything. Pinches of fatigue shot through his muscles as he sat and stretched his legs across the ground. As Maaike leaned her shoulder against his, Sammy plopped down and shimmied backward until his small body was comfortably between the two of them.

As they finished their meals, a giggling trio of young therians stumbled past the campfire with stacks of metal cups in their hands. [V=#336633]Woah![/v] He couldn't disguise his surprise as he accepted a mug---he thought it would have all been gone by now---“Alright, what am I drinking and where did it come from?”

Grinning widely as she poured generously into a mug, Eilisa passed a pint to Maaike. “Raspberry mead~” she said in sing-song as she filled Aiden's mug too. “Well we had to enter the portal in groups, right? After all--” she waved both hands expressively, “the others left, Kiel ran over yelling 'hey, hey I can't go to the clan 'cause...not-family! So get them drunk for me, yeah?' And he made us bring back a boxful of mead. Not easy!”

Rocking back with a laugh, Aiden reached behind Sammy to take Maaike's hand. “Ah Kiel...miss him already!”

Finally realizing that everyone else had mugs of juice, Sammy set his skewer down and lifted his empty hands plaintively. “Am I old enough now?”

[Maaike]

Maaike snorted three times in the space of half a minute as Aiden first asked what he was drinking with the kind of suspicion reserved for poison, then said he missed Kiel already. She couldn't understand how such an upstanding man like Aiden could be so buddy-buddy with a dork like Kiel, but then chastised herself for thinking unkind thoughts about the idiot who'd helped them so readily. Sammy's plaintive whine was the final snort, followed by choked-back snicker because A) “No, you're really not,” and B) “You're really really not.”

Some might say the traumas he'd suffered made him more of an adult than most adults, and Maaike could already see Niamh winding up for an argument about the merits of getting a six-year-old boy drunk — or, at least, letting him have a little bit to help him relax after everything he'd been through. Maaike had seen what alcohol could do to people, though, and there was no way even Sammy was old enough or mature enough to know when to stop.

She said as much with a wiggle of her eyebrows at her own mother, pursing her mouth when Niamh shot back a wiggle and frown of her own in disagreement. Sammy was already reaching for a mug, taking her preoccupation with the Nereid as his chance to seize a treat he knew she didn't want him to have, the precocious little brat. Maaike scooped it right out of his grabby little hands and plonked it back on the tray with a wry smile at Eilisa.

“You're not having any?”

Maaike shook her head. Once upon a time, she'd have refused the mead just because Kiel sent it and she didn't trust that moron as far as she could throw him. Tonight, she was just plain too tired to indulge.

Eilisa quirked a grin and sing-sang, “Your loooosss.”

“But Mama,” Sammy whined, wriggling between her and Aiden like a grubby eel. “I'm six now, Mama!” He turned plaintive puppy eyes on her, and when that didn't work, turned them right on Aiden instead. When he realised Aiden was still eating — his own skewer of venison long gone, along with half of Maaike's when he'd snatched it right out of her hands and she'd been too tired to fight him over it — Sammy jolted forward and made grabby hands for another one of those instead.

Considering her son suitably distracted from the building petulance of an argument she really didn't need right now, Maaike settled back and slumped against Aiden's shoulder, eyelids drooping. Her stomach rumbled faintly but she didn't think she could stomach any more. Fatigue had turned to lead in her stomach, mild nausea building in her oesophagus.

“You should really get to bed, love.”

“Mhm.” Maaike made no move to get up, though. She could quite happily nod off here on Aiden's shoulder. She felt safe for the first time in months, surrounded by family and her son's chirping voice in her ear. She knew damn well she'd have new stresses to worry over tomorrow: How long would it be before the trauma finally hit Sammy and they could confront his demons head-on? How were they supposed to care for Graeme in the state Thanatos had left him in? How long would it be before Aiden decided he'd had enough of playing happy families and head on to Dardanos to be with his own?

But none of that mattered right now, with firelight hypnotising her into a semi-trance and Aiden's hard shoulder under her cheek, Sammy's weight wriggling into her side. She'd worry about all of that tomorrow.