Nyllae Shiverflame

“How did I miss this?”

He didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed at the scene playing out in the kitchen, and then he felt Nyllae’s hand against his back and heard her scoff. 

“Honestly, I don’t know - and you should be a little ashamed. He’s not a small animal. You’d almost have to blind to miss him, especially with Razilee balancing on top of him like that.”

He should have stopped it, what was happening in the kitchen - he should have moved from his bedroom to scold both Cibor (for playing the part of the rather large step-stool) and Razilee (for using the younger tiger as the step-stool) who was busy reaching for whatever she could grab off of the top shelves but he was too impressed at the balance and the fact that the act looked…practiced.

“How often do they do this?”

“At least a couple of times a week I’ll see her do this with him, sometimes with Savage.” Nyllae paused, glancing up at her husband with a quirked eyebrow. “Are you honestly telling me that you’ve never seen her do this?”

“No - never. You think I would’ve let this keep happening?”

He was then met with a pointed look. “...Okay so I might’ve let it keep happening, but no, I’ve never seen this…or I might’ve purposely overlooked it…alright, that’s enough.” 

In his defense…it was very different to see something practiced outside versus in their kitchen. 

Not that he was about to argue the difference.

Hairstyle popular in the court of House Westerling

Somewhere in the back of his mind he’d known it was a bad idea. 

Somewhere a tiny little voice had tried to remind him that his daughter, all by herself was resourceful enough to find her way into trouble if left unsupervised.

And if left alone for just a few minutes with Cibor…who was equally as likely to find trouble? Well that was just a disaster waiting to happen.

He knew that.

It didn’t happen often…Well, not terribly often.

Razilee was a curious child. She’d occasionally poke around in things she shouldn’t, though Savage did his best to guide her away from the things that would cause too much damage (Cibor was usually right there along side her, ready to get in trouble with her), and every once in a while she wandered - though never without the tigers and never so far that she was outside the wards protection. (Not that she knew they were there…or needed to know they were there. They did their job, and that’s all they mattered.)

But every so often she would open her mouth and say something, or she would do something just because she had the change…the opportunity to do it…and it would shock the ever living hell out of him, but to the tiger’s amusement.

This afternoon happened to be one such situation.

“Ann’da?”

There were some illusions that simply didn’t phase him.

Amorthon had grown up in a city of magic users. The first applications of magic that he could remember seeing were those of minor illusions being applied to clothes, or to fix hair or makeup that was out of place.

His own wife, Nyllae, regularly applied an illusion to her hair to maintain the blonde appearance even though he’d told her time and time again that singular streak of blonde amongst the mousy brown was adorable and she should leave it (he’d even managed to talk Razilee into agreeing with him), but all that’d earned him was a smile, a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the shoulder as she went about casting the illusion anyway. 

Those illusions where fine. (Amusing sometimes…like when Razilee tried to mimic the streak in her mother’s hair, except instead of using magic she used paint…)

When Savage had brought Cibor to him he’d been nothing but a little ball of white fluff.

Lost, confused, and perfectly content to follow the larger tiger around and cause chaos where he could. Amorthon had thought that maybe with structure and training the smaller tiger would grow out of the latter habit…but he had not. Instead, Cibor seemed to enjoy finding new ways to get into trouble, no matter what situation the three found themselves in. 

Then Nyllae found out she was pregnant and all of a sudden Cibor was less interested in getting into trouble and was more interested in being underfoot…all the time. 

Nyllae didn’t seem to mind the company as she went about her day to day activities, and he certainly didn’t mind her having a bit of extra protection…but being hip-checked by a 300 pound tiger wasn’t exactly pleasant.

That protective mindset lasted a bit after Razilee was born, as both tigers took to sleeping outside the little elf’s room…but as the little girl grew and took to exploring and getting to trouble herself, Cibor started to realize that he had a partner in crime in the making…Much to Amorthon’s horror.

“You know, she’s had him wrapped around her little finger since the moment she was born, he’s going to do whatever she tells him to.”

Amorthon glanced up to see Nyllae all but smirking down at him - he’d been distracted watching Razilee ‘instruct’ Cibor where to pounce and what imaginary things to pounce on and nodded slowly.

“And you know how this is going to play out when she realizes that he’ll do whatever she tells him to?”

Nyllae reached down and ruffled his hair with a grin. “Oh cheer up. Just think…how many boys will try something if your daughter has a tiger walking around with her?” 

She walked out past him to scoop up the little girl and kept walking out to the gardens, Cibor happily trotting along behind the pair as he often did.

Amorthon watched them go, Savage coming to sit beside him, his mouth hanging open for a moment.

He hadn’t really considered that…but she was right.

Maybe Cibor’s trouble-making tendencies weren’t so bad after all.

@daily-writing-challenge

His family.

For a long time his family was just Savage, then Savage and Cibor, and now it's the tigers, Nyllae and Razilee.

They are the center of his world and he will do anything to keep them safe and happy. (God help anyone who tries to hurt them - he will see red and he will snap.)

Thanks @saeta!

“Do you ever miss it?”

Amorthon glanced back over his shoulder for a moment before setting aside the piece of wood and the whittling knife he’d been working with.

“Miss what?”

With Razilee inside napping - and the tigers settled just outside the door to her room - Nyllae had ventured outside and took a seat next to him, nudging him with her shoulder gently.

“Being a Farstrider - you mentioned you ran across some trainees a few days ago and you’ve just been…more quiet than usual.”

He hummed, rubbing his hands together as he glanced out across the yard - the small shelter they’d built for themselves. After a moment he shook his head before turning to press a kiss against her temple.

“No...there was a moment, when I saw that group, and I remembered what the first successful hunt was like, or the first time I found Savage. Or what it was like teaching a certain mage how to shoot a bow…”

She huffed. “I’m going to beat you one day.”

Amorthon chuckled, reaching for her hand and squeezing it gently as he nudged her shoulder with his. “I’ve no doubt you will - you’ve improved significantly since that first lesson.”

He paused again, slowly exhaling. “...but back to your question - after the group left…the thought was there, to wax nostalgia about my time with the Farstriders - but then I remember the burning Teldrassil, the look on the faces of the children I stumbled upon who were just trying to escape the blaze…and being hunted like animals, of how my superiors brushed aside every concern - always in favor of those with more gold…and I’m reminded of why I left.”

He shook his head, giving her a small smile before glancing just past her - his head tilting as Cibor wandered out, flopping down next to Nyllae and settling his head on her lap. Without missing a beat, he was promptly rewarded by gentle scratches behind his ears.

“No…I don’t miss the Farstriders in the slightest. I get to be myself…I get to be here with you, to see our daughter grow up - to know that both Savage and Cibor get to live to old age instead of worrying every time I take them out into the field. I made the right decision.”

“So you’ve sorted your thoughts out.”

He nodded. “I believe I have.”

“Good - “ Cibor’s head lifted, glancing back towards the door. “-because it sounds like Razilee is up and she’s been wanting to go on a walk all morning.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before standing up. “I do believe I can manage that.”

Mention @nyllae-shiverflame

He’d learned quite a while ago…there were just some fights one couldn’t win.

Sometimes the other side had a better strategy. Sometimes they had better weapons, or had more knowledge, or a better position, or maybe they simply had one outnumbered.

And then there were times when the reason a battle couldn’t be won…was because one’s opponent was a three hundred pound tiger on a stubborn streak.

“S-savage, get OFF!”

The tiger in question huffed, turning away and seemingly ignoring Amorthon’s attempts to push him away. If anything, he seemed to settle in a bit more.

“C-come on - I didn’t let Cibor steal your kill this morning! I was checking the other traps at the time - besides he’s still so loud I didn’t think he’d be able to sneak up on it!”

He grunted, pushing again against the tiger before flopping back onto his back with a tired sigh, only turning his head at the sound of footsteps, offering Nyllae a small smile as she tilted her head…taking in his current predicament.

“Help?”

“You know, dear - I’ve never known you as one to need protection, particularly from your own tigers.”

“Yeah, well...someone was a little distracted during the hunt this morning and instead of just admitting that Cibor beat him has decided that I’m responsible for this…defeat.”

“It is possible that Cibor just isn’t as loud as he used to be…” She shifted Razilee on her hip - the toddler reaching out for Savage, who promptly hopped up, wandering close enough for the little girl to reach down and pet him.

Amorthon’s gaze narrowed at the tiger before looking back up at Nyllae slowly. “You know...if she ever decides that I’ve royally irritated her, and decides to send those two tigers after me…I don’t know that there’s anything I could do to convince them not to. I don’t think I’d have any protection from that.”

Nyllae quirked an eyebrow as he slowly stood up, brushing the dirt off as best he could before straightening up to full height. Razilee turned and clapped, giggling - apparently he was more appealing now that he wasn’t pinned in the dirt.

“Well, fortunately for you - she seems to be quite fond of her ann’da. That being said…”

He glanced back over at her as she shifted Razilee in her arms. “Hm?”

“You come into my house covered in dirt like that, and Savage won’t be the one you need protection from.”

@daily-writing-challenge