Little Bundle of Love pt. 2

[Kender Bard]

Mina thanked Ryder again once they'd been transported. The baby didn't even fuss. Smiling, she glanced around and took a moment to enjoy the scenery of the palace. It wasn't often one got to visit such prestigious quarters. "I don't suppose you know where he is?" Mina asked Nathan.

[Darastrix]

"Well," Nathan mused, "if it's not Audience time, he...could be in any one of several places," he finished with a chuckle.

After flagging down and inquiring with a servant, he and Mina were led out to the palace garden. Zack was found (in the full sunlight, of course) kneeling on the grass with his arms resting on the seat of a stone bench as he watched Zira fondly. The latter, leaning back against the trunk of a tree, had apparently fallen asleep while reading and his book lay open in his lap, the occasional breeze turning the pages.

Zack caught sight of Nathan and Mina and grinned broadly. He got up and bounded over (quietly), and was promptly distracted by the baby in Mina's arms. "And who have we here?"

[Kender Bard]

Mina glanced at Zira with some amusement before she shifted the infant in her arms and fussed with the blanket to better show his face. "Zack," she said quietly, beaming already. "I'd like to introduce you to Astrophel. He's Nathan's and my new son."

[Darastrix]

Zack paused at the news and gave both Mina and Nathan a confused look. Astrophel had blond hair like Nathan and blue eyes like Mina (though most infants did), but it hadn't been that long since he'd last seen them, and Mina hadn't been pregnant then.

"We've adopted him," Nathan clarified. "You and Zira know the mother, I believe. Nalani, one of Zira's servants?"

"Oh! Yes, of course," Zack replied, sobering slightly. "We hadn't realised she was planning to give him up. Or that she'd even given birth yet." He gestured at Zira. "The royals have been gone to Khelek, and Zira's been serving on the ruling council, so he's been staying here more often than not. Well!" he said with a smile, "I suppose you'll have something besides dancing to focus on now."

"It's not my only focus, anyway," Nathan protested. Not anymore, at any rate.

"Can I hold him?" Zack asked Mina, ignoring his friend for the moment.

[Kender Bard]

"Of course," Mina remarked and gently offered the baby to Zack. "And I think we'll both be very happy with him. Having someone to watch him won't even be a problem. I can think of several people at the temple who would leap at the chance to watch over him while we're at our work; both Soahcian and Etafian."

Though perhaps she should only consider the latter, for a time.

"I can't wait to show him to our friends back home!"

[Darastrix]

"I'm sure they'll love him," Zack murmured as he cradled Astrophel in his arms. "I bet you can find plenty of people in the guild willing to watch him, too."

"I don't know," Nathan replied. "Your leaving took away the guild's main child caretaker."

Zack laughed softly at that. "Then it's fortunate Mina knows plenty of people in the temple. You, my fine friend, are going to be spoiled rotten," he told Astrophel as he stroked the baby's cheek gently.

[Kender Bard]

Mina watched with a fond smile as Astrophel crooned at Zack's touch. "Oh I will do my best to see to that," Mina assured Zack. "And how is your darling daughter doing these days?"

She rummaged about her pockets until she unearthed a bauble of a toy, a wooden top painted in loud colors. Mina had become used to, and embraced, the Generous quirks; such as carrying a variety of interesting and often times pointless objects on her person at any given time. "I brought a gift for you to give her."

[Darastrix]

"I'm sure she'll love it," Zack assured Mina as he carefully passed Astrophel to Nathan so he had a spare hand to accept the top. "She seems to have a fondness for bright colours. Autumn also seems to have developed a fondness for the word 'why,'" he added, "But I think it's just because she can get you to talk to her more when she asks."

"Just wait until she starts wanting real answers," Zira murmured, opening an eye.

"I hope we didn't wake you," Nathan told him.

Zira shook his head and rose, closing his book carefully. "No, a tree just isn't the most comfortable thing to sleep against. It's good to see you again Nathan, Mina...." He trailed off as he noticed Astrophel. "...baby?"

"Astrophel," Nathan said, smiling.

"They've adopted Nalani's baby," Zack explained.

"Oh," Zira said, surprised. "Goodness, I hadn't realised she was that far along. Well, congratulations, then," he said with a smile. "What sign is...he?"

[Kender Bard]

"He," Mina confirmed. "He is a Clear; no sign." She leaned over a little to pet and fuss over the infant at that remark. "I think the young lady was doubly relieved we had decided to adopt him. I was a bit afraid she might have a change of heart once she actually had him, but she seemed rather detached. Well, as Zack said; we are going to spoil him very much. And hopefully since he's born with the ability to control his aura when he's older, he'll be able to lead a very happy and normal life."

[Darastrix]

"I'm sure he will," Zira replied, smiling, "with you as his parents."

"Though 'normal' is all a matter of opinion," Zack added with a grin. "Oh, did you two hear about the islands they found down south? Some people from Anarlina and the other lands went on an expedition to see it. They supposedly have Clears, too, but I heard they seemed really surprised at seeing the winged Winds from Naruta. If their Winds don't have wings, the others probably don't have the other dragon gifts."

[Kender Bard]

"Oh dear, I wonder how the Clears all cohabit with the Elementals," Mina speculated. "How terribly interesting! No I've heard little about the islands. Just of their supposed existence. Even that was a matter of rumor; I overheard one of the Curious speaking of it. A 'heard from a friend who heard from a friend' scenario. I do know that a couple of the knights went, but they've been quite tight-lipped about what they saw. I don't suppose you could tell me more?"

[Darastrix]

"It's a group of five islands, but they only visited four," Zack told her. "The fifth one's where thieves and mercenaries live. They've got all the same Elements as Naruta, and they're all mixed like in Anarlina or Ilyamen. They use gems for money instead of metal coins, but don't ask me to explain it. My eyes started glazing over at that bit."

Zira chuckled. "It's not really complicated. It's similar to the way one hundred copper make one silver. They just have a few more units, and gem chips instead of bits. Topaz, sapphire, ruby, and diamond. Two topaz for a sapphire, four sapphire for a ruby, twenty rubies for a diamond. Then there's quartz that the poor use to exchange for food."

[Kender Bard]

"I believe my eyes would begin to glaze too if it hadn't been summed up as succinctly as that," Mina teased with a smile. "Well! Gemstones. I suppose that would make somewhere like Humontis ridiculously wealthy to them. Do you suppose we'll be seeing more activity between their land and ours? I'm quite sure such an exotic new place could make a pretty copper via curious visitors alone."

[Darastrix]

"Dunno," Zack admitted. "It sounds like an interesting place to visit, but there are still hostile ships out there from that last island, and there was a group of bandits that actually invaded a dinner being hosted on the island for the rich and noble--"

"Grandisle," Zira supplied.

"So it might take the more adventurous sorts to go visit at first until less, shall we say, exciting? reports start coming in. I'm not sure how eager they are to visit Naruta," Zack said. "I wish someone had thought to look at their music more closely; that's what I'm interested in."

"New dances...," Nathan mused. "Well, maybe people on later trips will have the sense to take a bard or two and we can find out."

[Kender Bard]

Mina giggled quietly at that. "I'm surprised nobody from the guild has volunteered yet," she said. "There's no lack of bards looking for some excitement in life." Astrophel began to fuss and cry a little, just then. "Aww." She reached to take her son back from Nathan. "Would you like to join me in a brief visit to the temple so I can meet with my spiritual family there? Both sides of course."