#annelid asks

Link let his eyes fall shut as he brushed his teeth. The bright light in the bathroom stung his eyes — they really needed to change the lightbulbs, but when the last one had burnt out, they’d only had this kind left. Maybe he should go shopping tomorrow. After brushing his teeth, Link washed his face and moisturized. His hair was mostly dry, so he ran his fingers through it to fluff it a bit. Finally, he put on the loose shirt and shorts he’d left in the bathroom before he’d taken his shower and went back into the bedroom. Rowan was just walking into the bedroom carrying two mugs of tea. He was already dressed for bed, his hair in his usually loose bun on top of his head to protect his curls while sleeping. Link went to his side of the bed and sat up against the headboard. He sighed as he leaned back and sunk slightly into the mattress. His legs and back ached, for no real reason other than just being tired. He hadn’t even been on his feet all day! Maybe he was just getting old. As if Rowan could read his thoughts, when he sat down on the other side of the bed, he let out a heavy sigh and passed a mug of tea over to Link. “Already in bed at eight. Don’t we live exciting lives.” Link huffed out a laugh as he slid closer to Rowan and leaned against his side. “I’m sure all our friends are making fun of us now.” “They don’t have to wake up before dawn.” “I’d much rather be here anyways.” Link leaned his head against Rowan’s shoulder. It would make it hard to drink his tea, but that was more for the routine of it than anything. Rowan normally finished his, but Link often left his mug half finished, despite his best efforts otherwise. Rowan set his mug aside and pulled a book from the bedside table. He moved carefully to not disturb Link.

The inside was just as lovingly built as the outside, exposed wood and beams supporting a tall ceiling. Tools hung on the wall and in one corner, a large statue of an unfamiliar bird. Rowan was hit instantly with the scent of fresh sawdust, sap, and a bit of wood smoke. Someone popped up from behind the counter — a well built man with brown, fluffy hair covered in wood shavings and a friendly smile. “Time! And you must be the new farmer. I’m Sky, it’s nice to meet you!” He reached out a hand for a shake. Sky’s hands were calloused, likely from years of woodwork, and his grip was firm. “I am in no way a farmer, but it’s nice to meet you as well. I’m Rowan.” Sky’s grin didn’t falter. After letting go of Rowan’s hand, he brushed the front of his clothes as if that was enough to clean off the saw dust covering him. “Well, you moved out to the old farrm west of town, didn’t you?” Rowan nodded. “My great uncle’s, yes.” “You live on a farm, old or not. That’s enough for me. Now what can I do for you?” Time stepped forward then, nearly making Rowan jump when he spoke up. “The old farmhouse needs some work, and an inspection to make sure it’s safe to live in. A beam in the bedroom fell while I was there this morning.” Sky’s eyes widened, and he looked over at Rowan. “You weren’t…” he shook his head. “I guess if you were in there you wouldn’t be here now. Glad you’re okay.” Sky walked out from behind the counter and into the room adjacent to the one they were in. Rowan waited, unsure if he should follow, and took the chance to look around the shop more. It wasn’t just woodworking tools displayed on the walls. There was also a sword — meticulously polished and devastatingly sharp. An unstrung bow and a quiver of arrows. Blueprints and designs tacked up on the walls. “Sky's passion is woodworking, but he’s also a world-class fighter,” Time told him. He was looking at the sword with an unreadable expression. Before Rowan could ask, there was a shout of “Groose!” from somewhere else in the house. Rowan raised an eyebrow, and Time smiled. “Sky’s business partner. Sometimes it’s a wonder how they can work together with how much they get on each other’s nerves.” Rowan chose to ignore the crashing sound from the other room while Time went over to examine the carved wooden bird. It was only a minute later when Sky returned, a leather work bag thrown over his shoulder and a slight scowl on his face. His expression lifted slightly when he looked back over at Rowan.

I'm so glad that you enjoy my lil stories! I love writing for Warriors and Rowan so much and it warms my heart that they bring joy to so many people in our little corner of the fandom.

Ren stopped, dutifully keeping hold of the lead — just how her papa taught her. Théo shifted Rowan so he was holding him with one arm. He walked towards the horse and patted Ren on the head as he passed her. Rowan reached out his chubby little hands towards Cashew’s nose. The old horse leaned forward until her nose bumped against Rowan’s hands, and he giggled, high pitched and with utter joy and delight. Cashew inched forward until she was close enough to nuzzle her nose into Rowan’s hair, and Théo couldn’t help the smile as Cashew nibbled at the curly red hair on Rowan’s head. It only made him giggle more, his hands clumsily patting the underside of Cashew’s snout. Ren was stroking the horse’s shoulder, but kept her eyes on Théo and Rowan.   “Alright, coco. Ready for your first horse ride?” When Théo pulled Rowan away from Cashew’s nose, he struggled to get back to her. “Papa, pony!” “I know, I know. Just hold on a moment.” Rowan kept struggling, trying to climb over Théo’s shoulder to get back to Cashew’s head. But Théo held on to him, knowing that the mare would stay still and Ren was close by to keep petting her. When Théo lifted Rowan and set him on Cashew’s back, he stilled, eyes wide. Théo kept a careful hold on him, since there was no way Rowan would be able to maintain his balance on his own. Rowan leaned forward and placed his hands flat on Cashew’s back. Cashew shifted her weight slightly and Rowan’s fingers curled up, but there was nothing for him to hold onto. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Rowan smiled up at him, his eyes still wide. But soon enough, he turned back to petting Cashew’s back. “Ren, why don’t you start walking. Just keep it slow.”

Rowan can also imbue his baked goods with magic! And also has a habit of turning annoying customers into frogs (temporarily)

This AU has a lot of lore for being such a silly idea ^^