Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

Fiera wrapped her coat around her and stepped out to the gate. The two Arpathi blended in well with the shadows. “I thank you,” she said in Arpathi.

“Our pleasure, phoenix,” one of them said. “We are to await an answer. Is there a place kind to our people nearby?”

“You are welcome in my house. I have a room you may use, and our food while plain is plentiful,” Fiera said, opening the gate.

“We are honored,” the Arpathi said. She and her sister followed Fiera into the house.

“Kuen, go make up the twins’ room into a guest room. Fast,” Fiera said. “These two need somewhere to rest. Then get back down here. We’ve got another message from da.”

“On it,” Kuen said. He took the stairs two at a time.

Eli and Elian stared at the Arpathi. They smiled at the children. “Da, they have blue skin,” Eli said finally.

Gaspare smiled. “They are Arpathi. Arpathi have blue skin.”

“Are they people?” Elian asked.

The Arpathi laughed. “We are people, like you,” one of the twins said in heavily accented Basic. “Just different because we are not human.”

“Oh,” Elian said. “You’re pretty.”

“Thank you,” the twin said, her smile broadening.

Kuen returned. “The guest room is ready, if you ladies would care to follow me,” he said.

Fiera waited until Kuen came back before opening the packet. The first thing she saw was two notes written in childish handwriting. “Kuen, the twins are writing now,” she said, tears filling her eyes.

“‘Dear ma and da, I miss you. I love you. We’ll come home soon. Grandda promised us. Happy Himostava. Love Nafi,’” Kuen read out loud. “Same thing from Lao.”

“Da’s asking for Himostava presents for the girls since he isn’t going to be able to get them back to us,” Fiera said. “And for some of the cookies since he knows I’ve already started baking.”

“Let’s put together a bundle tonight and let the Arpathi get out of here before the CAF decides to detain them,” Kuen said. Fiera nodded.

“Can I send a present for Nafi and Lao?” Pascal asked. “I want to draw them pictures.”

“Go ahead, draw them pictures. We’ll let you stay up,” Phelix said. Gaspare took Eli and Elian upstairs. Gael was already in bed.

While Pascal drew his pictures, Fiera and Kuen gathered the presents they’d bought the twins just in case they made it home. Fiera put several of the spice cookies in a packet and sealed it. The presents, cookies, and Pascal’s pictures all went into a small case. Then everyone went to bed.

The next morning the Arpathi twins ate breakfast with the family before taking the presents and leaving. “I wish we could see their faces when they get their presents,” Fiera said with a sigh. Kuen wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Now that harvest was over, the only things they had to do were tend the greenhouse and take care of the house chores that were put on hold during the busier season.

“Call ma,” Phelix said. “She ought to hear from us what da’s doing.”

“Skathi, I don’t think I even told her da has the girls,” Fiera muttered.

“Thea might have,” Kuen said. Thea had returned to the main Rezouac farm after harvest, saying that the twins were making better progress than she thought. She would still be out three times a week to work with them, but she didn’t feel the need to sleep on their couch and keep so close an eye on everything.

“I doubt it,” Fiera said. She sat down in front of the comm and dialed the main Rezouac farm. To her surprise Teigue answered. “Teigue? When did you get home?”

“Two days ago. I surprised everyone,” Teigue said with a grin. “We stopped the virus on Aruistrides. It jumped t’Osteroth, but we had a method fer dealin’ with it, so we knocked it out there real fast. No questions were asked when we demanded clearance t’go to Osteroth either. They just gave us the pass code and wished us safe travels. I am so glad t’make it home before Himostava though. I think Mathilde is glad t’see me.”

“I bet she is,” Fiera said, laughing. “Where’s ma?”

“Up to her eyebrows in cookies. Let me go grab her,” Teigue said with a laugh.

“Fury? Please tell me you don’t need anythin’ right now,” Alena said. “I’m fair busy with all these littles expectin’ cookies for Himostava.”

“I thought you’d like some news on our littles, Ma,” Fiera said.

“Yer girls?” Alena asked sharply.

“Yeah. Did Thea tell you anything?” Fiera asked.

“No. Was she supposed to?” Alena asked.

“No, and I’m glad she kept quiet.” Fiera reached over and grabbed the holo still from the earlier visit by the Arpathi. “Look who’s taking care of my girls right now.” She showed the still to her mother.

“Well, that’s – I mean.” Alena couldn’t even finish her sentence.

“Da’s got the girls on Annorth, Ma,” Fiera said. “He saved them from Michi Nakano’s agents. They landed on Zebrore because their darkspace drive broke down. Da killed the kidnappers and took the twins. He sent us a message just before harvest saying he had them. He’s having trouble finding someone he trusts to get them back to us, and you know the Arpathi. They’ll be his messengers, but they’ll insist he find a human to bring the girls home since it was humans who took them in the first place. He’s going to try for spring planting. He just had us send their Himostava presents and some cookies to them so they’d get something.” She grabbed the letters. “And look, Ma. He’s got them writing now.” She held up the notes.

“That sky brained bastard’s good fer somethin’ still,” Alena said, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m glad he’s doin’ good by you at last, Fury.”

“As long as I know my girls are safe and alive, I’m better, Ma,” Fiera said. “I won’t be good until I’ve got them in my arms again, but da’s going to get them back to me. I know he will. He’s never broken any promises to me. He may have lied to me, but if he promised me something he delivered. And he’s promised me my girls.”

“Ma, I think the cookies are burnin’,” Herry’s voice could be heard in the background.

“Pull them out of the oven then,” Alena yelled over her shoulder. “I’m talkin’ t’Fury. I’ll be back over in a minute.”

“Ma, go wrangle your cookies. I just wanted to let you know our news,” Fiera said with a laugh.

“You’d think he’d know how to make the slaggin’ cookies. We make them every year,” Alena muttered. “I’ll talk t’you later, Fury. You comin’ over fer presents in the evenin’?”

“Not this year, Ma. Eli and Elian aren’t ready for the full Rezouac brood,” Fiera said.

“Then I’ll have Keo borrow Nev’s skimmer – he actually ranks fer havin’ his own now since he’s an emergency medic – and have him bring me and Thea over with some presents fer the littles,” Alena said.

“Sounds good, Ma,” Fiera said. “Go rescue your cookies.” Alena laughed and ended the call.

“What are we doing today?” Kuen asked as Fiera rejoined the other adults.

“I’m baking more cookies,” Fiera said.

“Fury, we already have a massive amount,” Gaspare said.

“It’s not enough,” Phelix and Fiera said in unison. Both started laughing.

“Gaspare, haven’t you paid attention over the last few Himostava celebrations? The littles inhale these cookies like they were air,” Phelix said. “And we encourage it because Fury doesn’t make the usual sugar laden cookies like most families do. Our ma taught us a recipe that’s sweet but not because of sugar.

“What is it sweet from then?” Kuen asked.

“Oh, it’s got sugar in it. It has to in order to brown properly,” Fiera said. “But it’s got lots of dried fruit in it. Why do you think ma brought me so much? She’s got the bigger brood, but she knows I don’t have an orchard greenhouse to provide me with fresh fruit I can dry myself. That’s an eventual upgrade I want to make, by the way, since greenhouses we have more control over than if we had an orchard on the property.”

“I thought the dried fruit was for the littles to snack on,” Gaspare said.

“Some of it is. Some of it is for baking,” Fiera said. “I’ll probably use a good half kilo for Himostava cookies, Gaspare. They’re mostly dried fruit with some cookie elements and all the Himostava cookie spices. It’s why I don’t care if the littles eat so many of them. I also replace half the butter with a good fatty nut puree for more protein.”

“You do a lot to make them healthy,” Kuen said.

“Ma taught us that one,” Phelix repeated. “With as many littles as she had, she didn’t want us running around on a sugar high all day but she didn’t want to deprive us of the cookies.”

“I think she learned the recipe from grandma, Flicks. Because ma came from a huge family too, even if only she and Uncle Lanre are out here on Sorus,” Fiera said. “I think even Aunt Siph makes the same style of cookie because ma taught her.”

“How many children were in your mother’s family?” Gaspare asked.

“Sixteen, I think,” Phelix said. “Five sets of twins and six singles.”

“Sounds right,” Fiera said. “Lanre’s ma’s twin. You two saw him at our wedding. He was the one who officiated.”

“He officiated our wedding too, Gaspare,” Phelix said. “His brood kept getting poor Herry into trouble because Uncle Lanre’s red hair is so similar to ours. But his grandkids were the thieves.”

“That was your introduction to my family, you two,” Fiera said. “First day back on Sorus I had to pound some slagheads who were trying to make off with Herry when it was one of Lanre’s brood who was stealing from the fields.”

“I remember that,” Kuen said. “I had to snag the little from behind the rocks. He was very squirmy.”

“We never did find out what happened to him,” Fiera said. “Or which one of Lanre’s pack he came from.”

“Stealing is bad,” Pascal said, looking up from where he was working on one of his puzzle toys.

“That’s very true, Pascal,” Kuen said. “Stealing is bad.”

“Hungry,” Elian said, looking over at Fiera. She still seemed afraid Fiera would punish her for speaking but at least she didn’t flinch every time her aunt came near her.

“Would you like some dried fruit?” Fiera asked.

“Dried fruit?” Elian asked.

“Snack?” Gael asked. She was two now and was learning to be more expressive. “Want snack too.”

“Can we all have a snack, Aunt Fury?” Pascal asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Fiera said. “Everyone come to the table. Gaspare, let them out of their play area.”

“Okay,” Gaspare said, unhooking the gate. The children all toddled up to the table. They all got lifted into their chairs and Fiera handed them all small dishes of dried fruit and their sealed cups of water.

“Yum,” Gael said happily as she shoved fruit into her mouth.

“This is good,” Eli said, stuffing the fruit into his mouth.

“I like fruit,” Elian said, eating more daintily than her brother and Gael.

“I thought you’d enjoy that,” Fiera said, smiling. “I think, after we’re done, we’ll go outside and play in the snow.”

“What snow?” Gaspare asked. Then he looked out the window. “When did that happen?”

“While we were talking. I was watching it fall,” Fiera said. “It’s not too deep so the littles should be able to have some fun while we sweep the path.”

“Sounds good to me,” Phelix said. “I’ll mind the littles.”

“I’ll help,” Kuen said.

“Looks like we’re clearing paths, Gaspare,” Fiera said.

“All right,” Gaspare said.

They dug out the children’s cold weather gear. They ended up needing to get Nafisa’s old gear for Gael and Laoise’s old gear for Elian because the stuff that they’d originally bought was too small. Once the children were done eating and were geared up for the cold and snow, the adults pulled on their cold weather gear and took the children outside.

Fiera and Gaspare cleared the paths while Kuen and Phelix entertained the children. By the time they had clear paths to the greenhouse, the gate, and the outbuildings, the children were thoroughly done with being outside. They got them inside and gave them a chance to warm up before putting them all down for a nap. There were no arguments.

“I love how easy they are to put down after playing in the cold,” Kuen said.

“They wear out easily in winter,” Phelix agreed.

“Okay, we have about an hour – maybe less – without littles,” Fiera said. “Time to do a full house check. Make sure everything is in good repair. Kuen, you’re the tall one. Look for gaps up high. Flicks, check the windows. Gaspare, check around the doors and make sure the seals are good. I’m checking the pipes.”

“Every year we do this,” Gaspare said. “You never did explain why the first check when the weather turns isn’t enough.”

“Snow shows things you miss during an early season check,” Phelix said. “It’s why you always do a second one once the first snow falls.”

“I can see a gap already,” Kuen said, looking up. “I’ll get the patch kit.”

Fiera checked the pipes and saw where some of the weatherizing was peeling off due to the moisture in the air. She grabbed the weatherizing kit and redid the work. She was hanging down into the crawlspace and someone nudged her feet.

“What?” she yelled.

“I need to reset one of the seals,” Gaspare said. “Flicks said ask you where the sealant was.”

“Top of the cooler, green bucket,” Fiera grunted. “Starfire, why are the pipes so hard to reach?”

It didn’t take long to finish the repairs. Phelix rotated his good arm. “Only one window needed more sealant. Of course it was the window set at an awkward position,” he said.

“The one above Gael’s bed?” Fiera asked. Phelix nodded. “Yeah, I was a little worried about that one.”

“Should’ve had one of the taller boys do that one,” Phelix muttered as Gaspare and Kuen joined them.

“Patched a couple holes in the roof,” Kuen said. “Otherwise everything looks good.”

“A few of the pipes needed to be coated again,” Fiera said. “They’re done.”

“The littles are still asleep,” Kuen said. “Either it took us less time than I thought it would or we wore them out more than I expected.” Eli and Elian came toddling down the stairs. “I stand corrected. It seems they’re waking up.”

Fiera glanced at the time. “It’s been about an hour,” she said with a laugh. “Just what I figured.”

Pascal joined them and soon Gael was downstairs too. “Looks like it’s time to convert her bed, if she’s already climbing out of it,” Phelix said.

“Easy climb,” Gael said. “Grab and fall.”

The adults all laughed at Gael’s explanation of how she got out of her crib. “Would you like a bed like Pascal’s?” Gaspare asked.

“Big bed,” Gael said, grinning.

“Okay then,” Gaspare said. “Let me get my tools and I’ll make you a big bed for tonight.”

“Okay,” Gael said with a delighted laugh.

Fiera and Phelix settled the children in front of the holo with one of their educational shows while Kuen started dinner. Fiera looked at the picture of her twins. This didn’t feel right. They shouldn’t be celebrating while her girls were still not home. She knew her father was taking good care of them. This was the only chance the girls had of getting to know their grandfather, with all the crimes Eire was accused of, and Fiera was grateful they were getting to see the side of him she remembered as a child. Still, she wanted her girls in her arms and back home, not on Annorth.

“Need to step outside, twint?” Phelix asked softly in twinspeak. Fiera nodded and grabbed her coat.

She stepped out into the cold winter afternoon. Snowflakes caressed her skin as they melted against the hot tears that scalded her cheeks. She choked back a sob. She couldn’t let the children hear her cry. It would be too upsetting for them. She stumbled down the already snow-covered path she’d swept earlier that day and into the greenhouse.

The heat from the climate-controlled building slammed into her like a fist. She got away from the door and over to a pile of empty crates. She sat down and the threatened sobs broke loose. She wrapped her arms around her chest and let out the emotions she’d held in check. Coughing, choking sobs escaped as she shook, almost doubled over with a pain she couldn’t describe.

She struggled to get her emotions under control but finally just let it go. She needed to get them out so she could go on with her day. She heard footsteps creaking on the snow and wondered which of the others was coming out. A solid body slipped in beside her and wrapped an arm around her. She buried her face in her twin’s chest and she continued sobbing.

Phelix held her until she cried herself out. “Ya daft twint,” he said, rubbing her back and offering what comfort he could. “You can’t hold emotions in like that and not expect them to come exploding out at the worst possible times.”

“I’ve been letting them out every night, Flicks. Just seeing the littles and then the picture of my girls, it just hit me hard that they’re not here and won’t be for a while yet,” Fiera said, hoarse from all her crying. “I couldn’t help it.”

“I know you couldn’t,” Phelix said. “Kuen’s got himself worked up a bit, but I told him to focus on dinner. Gaspare’s down watching the littles. I figured either Kuen or me was the better option for checking on you and since Kuen’s cooking I came out.”

“Thanks, twint,” Fiera said. “I don’t think I’m ready to go back in yet though.”

“Of course you’re not,” Phelix said. He freed his arm and fished a handkerchief out of an inner pocket. “Wipe your eyes and nose at least before you start dripping snot all over the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   plants.” Fiera chuckled softly and did as she was told. Phelix wrapped an arm around her shoulders again and she leaned against him, taking the comfort he was offering and using it to build back up her fragile shell so she could deal with the family again.

It took Kuen ringing the dinner bell to get Fiera back inside. “Aunt Fury okay?” Gael asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.

“I’m just missing Nafi and Lao, Gael,” Fiera said, kissing her niece on the top of her head. “It’s okay.”

“I hope you don’t mind but I did chops for dinner tonight. I wanted to try that recipe Alena taught me,” Kuen said. “I think I got it right.”

Fiera came and looked over his shoulder. She washed her hands before pressing one finger against the meat. “They feel done, and they smell amazing.”

“Thanks,” he said, kissing the top of her head. She smiled in spite of the heavy weight of grief weighing her down. She helped him serve everything up.

Dinner was punctuated with the adults helping the children eat their food. Then they took the kids to play outside one more time as a special treat before taking them in for their baths and bed. Kuen intercepted Fiera as she came out of Gael and Pascal’s room and pulled her into their room. “Phelix suggested you might need some extra attention tonight,” he said.

Fiera sighed and leaned against him. “I just lost it earlier, seeing the littles playing together and realizing just how much I missed Nafi and Lao.”

“I miss them too,” Kuen said, his voice breaking. “I keep expecting to hear their laughter among the others’ giggles, or to see them showing us something like Pascal, Eli, and Elian do.”

Fiera dissolved into quiet tears this time as Kuen did the same. They held each other and cried. They changed into their nightshirts before curling up into each other’s arms and crying themselves to sleep. Fiera’s dreams were dark, nebulous, and consisted of her searching for her children and her hearing their cries for help and not being able to find them.

She woke to see Kuen had the little wrinkle between his eyes that meant he was trapped in a nightmare. She positioned herself to dodge if he flailed and gave him a good shake. He snapped awake but thankfully he didn’t react violently to being woken up. “Nightmare?” she asked.

“I couldn’t find Nafi and Lao, and we were trapped in my mother’s house,” he said.

“I had similar dreams all night,” she said. “Come on. Let’s go get our showers and start breakfast. It’s early enough that we can get food ready before everyone else comes down but late enough that we won’t be waking people put at a hideous hour.”

“Sounds good,” Kuen said. He rolled out of the bed and grabbed clothes for the both of them.

A quick shower went a long way to helping Fiera feel a little better. She got the coffee started and pulled out some fruit and the necessary ingredients for pancakes. She set Kuen to making fruit compote while she made the rest of breakfast. By the time the others joined them Fiera felt closer to her usual self.

They were eating when the first shock hit. Fiera didn’t realize what it was initially. “Earthquake,” she said suddenly, dropping her fork. She grabbed Gael and shoved her under the table. Phelix pushed Pascal under the table. Kuen and Gaspare got the other children under the table as well.

There was no room for the adults so they pressed themselves against the wall as far away from the kitchen as they could get. The house bucked and heaved around them, but homes on Sorus were designed to move with the occasional planetary upheavals and other than a few loose dishes clattering around nothing fell or broke.

The aftershocks came moments after the first quake ended. These were less intense, but no one moved until the ground stopped rolling underneath them. Finally, Fiera went to the comm unit and punched in the code for planetary seismic department. “Can we expect any more of these tremors?” she asked when the harried looking woman answered.

The woman blinked. “Uh, no. This one was the result of an undersea volcanic eruption that we didn’t expect to get this far inland,” she said. “We’re tracking the seismic activity now and do not see any more of the shifts getting to us.”

“Thank you,” Fiera said, ending the call.

“You didn’t ask her why we didn’t get a warning,” Gaspare noted.

“She told me why. They didn’t expect the quakes to get this far inland, so they weren’t watching as closely. Now they are,” Fiera said. “Someone needs to stay here with the littles. The rest of us need to go check the greenhouse and the fields.”

“I’ll stay with the littles,” Phelix said.

“Okay,” Fiera said. “Kuen, Gaspare, get your winter gear on and let’s go.”

She led the way to the greenhouse. It was surprisingly intact. A few plants would need to be set up in new pots but that was it. Then they headed out to the fields. Fiera groaned.

Living in a valley was great for many things, but the earthquake had dropped the sides of the valley onto the fields. There were several tons of stone that was going to have to be moved before they could plant in the spring. It wasn’t something they were equipped to do, and they didn’t have the spare credits to hire someone to do it for them.

Kuen wrapped his arm around her shoulders as despair washed over all three of them. “How are we going to do this without risking Gael?” Gaspare asked, voicing the fear that was driving the other two.

“I’ll talk to ma. Maybe the other Roughlings can come help us after Himostava,” Fiera said in a flat voice.

“Do you think that will be enough?” Gaspare asked.

“It has to be,” Kuen said. “We can’t afford to hire more hands and we sure as hell can’t hire someone else to come move this for us.”

“Let’s get back to the house,” Fiera said.

Phelix was talking to Alena when the other three came in. “Here’s Fury, Ma. She can tell you what the farm looks like,” he said, waving Fiera over. Fiera shed her coat and sat down.

“Fury, you okay? We got jolted and a few fences are down but we’re clear,” Alena said.

“No Ma, we’re not okay,” Fiera said. Surprising everyone she burst into tears. “Ma, there’s tons of stone in our fields. We can’t move it ourselves. I don’t even think all the Roughlings can help us move it all before spring planting, and if we hire someone to help us…” The words trailed off.

“You don’t have the credits t’hire anyone,” Alena said. Fiera shook her head. “Look, let’s get through Himostava. I’ll send the Roughlings out t’help. We’ll get that stone movin’ t’yer pile. Let me see what else I can come up with. Okay, Fury? We’ll keep them from takin’ any more of our littles.”

“Okay Ma,” Fiera said. “I just – I just feel so helpless right now.”

“I know you do,” Alena said. “It’s the worst feelin’ and I’ve felt it more than once. Look, I’ll have Nev bring me out. I think you and I need to talk face t’face. Besides, I haven’t seen the new littles more than that one time. I’ll be out in about an hour, Fury.” She ended the call.

“Ma will set us all to rights,” Phelix said. “She’s good at that.”

“I don’t know, Flicks,” Fiera said. “I don’t think I’m going to feel right ever again.” That was hard for her to say but she knew she meant it. Even if she got the girls back, she’d gone through too much to ever feel completely safe or happy.

“You just talk to ma, Fury. She’ll help,” Phelix said.

“I’ll finish the last of the dishes, Flicks,” Gaspare said. “If you want to start getting littles washed up and settled with their toys.”

“I’ll help with the littles,” Kuen said. “Fury, if you need a minute, go ahead and take it. Go on up to our room and get yourself together.”

Fiera did what Kuen suggested. It took her several minutes before she felt she could face the others. She stopped in the bathroom to splash water on her face and wash away the signs of her latest spate of tears. When she came down, she was enveloped in the arms of a giant. She smiled in spite of her mood. Kuen was very good at knowing when she needed to be held.

“Feeling a little better at least?” he asked softly.

“Not really, but I can hold it together a bit easier now,” she said.

“Good. Now, why don’t you start on another batch of those cookies? I don’t think we have enough,” Kuen said.

Fiera’s smile spread a little larger. “We do need more cookies,” she agreed. She went into the kitchen and started chopping dried fruit.