Chapter 256: Bonus Quest: Little Dove

Cailu woke feeling rested for the first time in weeks. It was shortly before dawn, when gentle purples and oranges painted the sky and offered just enough light for Cailu to study the sleeping Fera beside him. Her raven hair fell in ringlets around her delicate, olive shoulders. Her chest rose and fell in a gentle cadence, and the first peeks of sunlight kissed the tips of her ears that poked through her hair.

Too many mornings, Cailu was forced from their bed while the sky was still black, taking up arms to train and refresh recruits both new and old. The threat of war had quieted at last, and this day was his.

There was a tiny knock on the door.

Fera stirred, blinking her stunning green eyes awake. Her gaze met Cailu’s, and he smiled.

“I’ll take this one,” he offered, touching Fera’s cheek.

“Are you certain?” She yawned and snuggled closer to him. “We can pretend that we didn’t hear it. Molly should be awake soon.”

The offer was tempting indeed. Fera’s warmth against his chest and the scent of magnolias wafted from her hair. Her thin white shift was the only barricade between their skin—a simple enough obstruction to bypass… 

Another knock. The door creaked open, and a blonde nest of curls tumbled through the small opening. “Daddy? Are you awake?” Heiki whispered.

Cailu chuckled. “Yes. I’ll be right there. Go quietly, Heiki. Let’s not wake Mother.”

“Oh!” Heiki squeaked, then returned her voice to a whisper. “Okay!” The yellow hair vanished, and she closed the door with a careful click.

“Tonight will be ours,” Cailu murmured into Fera’s hair. “Dream as long as you wish.”

“Dreaming is easier when you’re here.” She kissed his shoulder and turned to her other side. “See you soon, love.”

Cailu drew the blankets to her shoulders, then quietly dressed. Fera had fallen back asleep by the time he left their room—even with Molly’s assistance, Heiki had enough energy in her small body to run a full battalion ragged.

The fresh creases in the hallway’s carpet betrayed Heiki’s excited skips down the hallway. Artwork collected by both Cailu and Fera’s families over the years decorated the walls, now joined by a few of Heiki’s favorite paintings that he’d had framed for her as a surprise.

As Cailu approached the dining room, he could hear his daughter’s voice chattering away.

“Daddy’s home today, Molly! He’ll take me on a new adventure, and I’ll take my sketchbook with me and draw everything!”

“That sounds lovely, young miss,” Molly replied.

“Yes! And he said I’ve gotten really good at painting, so I have to keep painting so he can find me a teacher!”

Cailu slowed his steps, creeping closer to the high back chair that Heiki stood on. The one he’d told her countless times not to stand on.

But manners could be ignored. Just for today.

Cailu snatched her beneath the arms, swinging her around the chair and catching her in a tight hug. Heiki shrieked in elated surprise, descending into panicked giggles as she struggled against his hold.

“Your first battle begins now, little dove!” Cailu announced, tickling her stomach. “How will you escape?”

“I— hahaha! It’s a pukwudgie! Hehehe! Molly! Help!” Heiki flailed and kicked, tumbling around his grip. The pleats of her satin dress billowed and folded as she thrashed, filling the air with sky-blue streaks.

Cailu easily juggled Heiki’s limbs from one hand to the other, stealing opportunities to tickle her and readjust her into awkward positions. Upside down, hanging by one leg, tossed over his shoulder.

“Oh, this one’s beyond my abilities, young miss.” Molly smiled.

“Aren’t I taller than a pukwudgie?” Cailu teased.

“A big pukwudgie!” Heiki laughed. “And you— you hide your spikes!”

“Clever girl. You’ve caught me.” He lifted her high. “Now I’ll have to hide you in a tower.”

“No! Not a tower!” Heiki’s bare foot caught Cailu’s forearm, and he loosened his grip, allowing her to steady her footing and climb up to his shoulders. “I’ll defeat you!”

“You’ve found my weakness!” Cailu relented as she swung her leg over his head and straddled his shoulders. “I can never reach you now.”

“That’s right! I am a strong warrior like Daddy!” Heiki pointed forward toward one of the branching hallways. “And now you, my trusty theed, will take me to my room!”

“Your steed, darling?” Cailu tickled her feet.

Heiki paused. Cailu patiently waited as his daughter came to a conclusion. “Horses are steeds. Pukwudgies are theeds.”

“Reasonable enough.”

“Will you need my assistance, my lord?” Molly stood and offered a curt bow.

“Not today. Thank you, Molly.” Cailu adjusted Heiki on his shoulders. “Please attend to Fera when she wakes. Anything she requires today—anything at all—ensure she has it.”

“Oooh, Mommy’s getting spoiled,” Heiki marveled, tugging at Cailu’s hair. 

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Gods bless her if she can forgive us for the noise.

“C’mon! To my room, theed!” Heiki kicked her feet against his shoulders.

“Patience, Heiki.” Cailu tapped on Heiki’s shin. 

“Sorry, Daddy.” She squirmed and chewed her tongue. 

“Molly, is there anything else?” Cailu asked.

“No, my lord.” Molly bowed again, then touched Heiki’s knee with a smile. “Happy hunting, young miss.”

After Molly vanished down the hallway, Cailu squeezed Heiki’s ankles. “Hold on tight, little dove.”

Heiki wrapped her arms around Cailu’s neck, and he ran the length of the dining room, circling the kitchen before taking the right-most path. Heiki laughed and cheered, tightening her grip and whooping as they passed the kitchen staff. Two of them returned her cheers.

To the rank-and-file soldiers in his battalion, Cailu was the face of bravery and respect. To his daughter, he was anything she would ever need him to be.

Cailu rounded the corner to Heiki’s room and shouldered the door open. It was an expansive room filled with toys and gifts showered on her from her extensive family. He circled a rocking horse, then hopped toward her bed.

“Uh oh. You seem to have lost control of your theed,” Cailu warned.

“Oh no! Wait!” Heiki squealed.

“Time to fly!” Cailu propelled her from his shoulders into the air. 

Heiki soared in freefall for a few seconds, waving her arms like a bird, then bounced harmlessly on her bed. Half her hair covered her face, and she brushed it away, her cheeks red with her giggles. “I can fly like a dove!”

“Indeed you can.” Cailu took a seat beside her. “I heard we were going on an adventure?”

“Yes! But, um.” Heiki bundled up her dress in her fists, hiding beneath the golden tangles that tumbled over her shoulders. “There’s something I wanted to show you first.”

“Of course.”

Heiki took his hand and hopped off the bed, leading him to her favored corner. It held an easel fashioned especially for her, surrounded by thick parchment and a chest full of paints and brushes. She released his hand and slid her hand behind the chest. “Oh. Right. Close your eyes,” she said as her arm disappeared up to the shoulder.

Cailu raised an eyebrow.

Heiki sighed. “Close your eyes, please.”

He chuckled and did as she asked.

The sound of shuffling parchment and her thoughtful hums were joined by the moving fabric of her dress and the soft pads of her feet.

“Okay. You can open them.”

Cailu blinked. Heiki had placed a larger sheet of paper splashed with brilliant strokes of color onto the easel. Yellow, green, and orange leaves patterned the thick brown fruit trees that grew around the manor. Between the trees were two bright circles; one white, one blue.

“The Second Sun,” Cailu murmured.

“You were gone that day. And you, Mommy, and me always watch the Second Sun together.” Heiki pulled her arms behind her and glanced at the floor. “I thought, this way, you could still see it.”

Heiki’s depiction was wonderful. It didn’t matter that the trees were slightly askew or the leaves weren’t perfectly rendered. Seeing the sacred event through his daughter’s eyes was spectacular.

“This is beautiful, Heiki,” Cailu said, lifting the paper from the easel. “One of your best.”

“Really?” Heiki brightened. “You think so?”

“I do. This deserves its own frame.” 

“Hooray!” Heiki clapped her hands and grinned. Then her smile faltered. “But, um, will you see the Second Sun with us next year?”

It was an impossible promise to make. Turmoil between kingdoms was a fickle thing, and explaining it to Heiki would not stop the disappointment she felt with his answer. 

He carefully replaced the painting on the easel. “Yes, little dove. I will. Now, where shall we go first on our adventure?”

Perhaps it was alright to lie. Just for today.

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