Day 28 - Evening
I woke to discover that having five official partners created logistical challenges that bordered on engineering problems.
The bed, which I'd expanded three times already, was a tangle of limbs, wings, tails, and various states of consciousness. Nyx had claimed her traditional position: draped across my chest in dragonkin form, effectively pinning me. Lira and Pip had nested in my beard, which was becoming their permanent address. Kasumi had somehow ended up wrapped around my left side like a very muscular octopus. Yuzuriha occupied the right side, managing to look elegant even while unconscious. Momo had claimed the foot of the bed and was sleep-reading, an impressive skill I didn't know existed.
"I can't feel my legs," I said to whoever was awake enough to listen.
"That's because I'm using them as pillows," Nyx mumbled, not moving. "They're very comfortable."
"I need them for walking."
"Walking is overrated. Stay here."
"I have to use the bathroom."
"Also overrated."
Through the bond, I felt her amusement mixing with possessive contentment. She knew I'd eventually extract myself, but she was going to make me work for it.
Kasumi stirred, immediately fully alert in that way warriors had. "Morning! Is it training time? I have seventeen new exercises planned for today!"
"It's barely dawn."
"Perfect training time! The light is best for observing form, and..."
"Kasumi," Yuzuriha's voice was muffled by my shoulder, "if you attempt enthusiastic morning exercise before coffee, I will freeze your weapons to the ceiling."
"You can't do that."
"Watch me."
Momo finally looked up from her book. "Actually, based on ambient humidity and Yuzuriha's demonstrated magical control, she absolutely could freeze..."
"No magic before coffee," I declared. "That's the rule. Morning rule. New rule. Everyone agree."
A chorus of grumbled agreement.
Eventually, after much negotiation and careful extraction, we managed to untangle. The morning routine that followed was its own kind of organized chaos that I was starting to find comforting in its predictability.
Until I noticed Siraq wasn't part of it.
Finding Siraq
I found her on the wall walk at dawn, already dressed in travel gear, staring north with an expression I'd learned to recognize as "matron mode" the face she wore when responsibility weighed heavier than personal wants.
"You're leaving," I said, not a question.
She didn't turn. "I received word last night. Northern clan business. The winter councils are convening early, and there are... complications."
"What kind of complications?"
"The kind that require the Matron's presence." She finally looked at me, and I saw the conflict in her eyes. "I've been here two weeks, Knox. Two weeks of pretending I'm not responsible for thousands of people who need their leader."
Through our bond, I felt her guilt, her duty, her desperate wish that she could just stay.
"How long?"
"A month. Maybe less if I can resolve things quickly. Maybe more if..." She stopped, jaw tightening. "There are rumors. The Empire's been making moves near our borders. Nothing overt yet, but the scouts are nervous."
Something cold settled in my chest. "The Light Order?"
"Possibly. Or just normal Imperial expansion. Either way, I need to be there." She stepped closer, taking my hand. "I don't want to go. I just found this. Found you. Found a place where I can be more than just a title."
"But your people need you."
"My people need me," she agreed. "And I need to make sure they're safe before I can fully commit to..." She gestured at Ashenhearth, at everything we'd built. "To this. To us."
I pulled her into a hug, feeling how tense she was, how much this decision was costing her. "Go. Do what you need to do. We'll be here when you get back."
"You say that like it's certain."
"It is certain. Siraq, you think I'm letting a bear kin matron who arm-wrestled me to a draw just walk away?" I pulled back enough to meet her eyes. "Go north. Handle your clan business. Make sure your people are safe. And then come back to your other family."
Her eyes were definitely shining with unshed tears. "Your confidence is either inspiring or delusional."
"Little bit of both. It's part of my charm."
She laughed, the sound rough and genuine. "I'll return as soon as I can. And Knox? If anything happens while I'm gone, if the Empire moves, if you need allies, send word. The northern clans owe you nothing officially, but I owe you everything personally."
"Nothing's going to happen. We'll just be here, building furniture and dealing with Kasumi's increasingly elaborate training regimens."
"I'm holding you to that." She kissed me, fierce and desperate and promising. "One month. Maybe less. I'll return before you even notice I'm gone."
Through the bond: I'll notice. But I understand.
Through the bond: I know. That's why this hurts.
The Send-Off
The entire household gathered to see Siraq off. The bear kin warriors she'd brought were torn... some wanted to stay at Ashenhearth, others felt duty to accompany their Matron home.
"Kota, Yorrik, Brom," Siraq announced formally. "You're remaining here as official liaisons. Represent the northern clans with honor."
Kota looked like he might explode with joy. "WE GET TO STAY?!"
"Don't make me regret this decision."
"I won't! I'll be so good! I'll train every day and learn everything and..."
"Kota," Yorrik said patiently. "Breathe."
The other warriors would accompany Siraq north, a small honor guard, enough for safety but not so many that Ashenhearth felt abandoned.
Nyx approached in her full dragon form, lowering her massive head to Siraq's level. "Matron. You are pack now. If your north needs fire, you call. I will come."
Siraq reached out, touching Nyx's scaled snout with surprising gentleness. "Thank you, Dragon Queen. I'll remember."
The Oni trio had formed a united front, which was either supportive or intimidating depending on your perspective.
"You're coming back, right?" Kasumi asked bluntly. "Because if you're not, we need to know so we can adjust the sleeping arrangements."
"Kasumi!" Momo hissed.
"What? It's practical!"
"I'm coming back," Siraq said firmly. "Wild bears couldn't keep me away. I've finally found somewhere I don't have to be 'Matron' every second. I'm not giving that up."
Yuzuriha's smile was knowing. "Good. Because Knox gets mopey when people leave. And mopey Knox is significantly less fun than regular Knox."
"I don't get mopey."
"You absolutely get mopey," Lira said from my shoulder. "Remember when Pip went to visit the other fairy groves for three days? You checked the entrance seventeen times."
"That was reasonable concern!"
"That was mopey," everyone said in unison.
Through all the bonds, I felt their affection, their teasing, their genuine care. This was family, the kind that called you out while supporting you completely.
Siraq mounted her horse, a massive creature bred for carrying bear kin, and looked back one last time. "One month, Knox Ashford. Hold down the fort."
"Literally or figuratively?"
"Both." She grinned. "And Knox? Don't let the Oni reorganize everything while I'm gone. I like where my stuff is."
"Too late!" Momo called out. "I've already optimized your quarters for maximum efficiency!"
"MOMO!"
"It's an improvement! You'll see!"
Siraq shook her head, but she was smiling. Then she was gone, riding north with her honor guard, the sound of hoofbeats fading into the forest.
I stood there watching until I couldn't see her anymore, feeling the bond stretch with distance but not break.
One month, I thought. We can handle one month.
Through the bond with Nyx: You're already counting days, aren't you?
Shut up.
I knew it. Mopey.
Day 30 - Adjusting to the Absence
Turned out, having one member of your found family temporarily absent created a weird void.
Siraq's quarters sat empty. Her spot at the dining table remained unfilled. The wall walks felt quieter without her occasional patrol presence.
"You're moping," Kasumi observed, finding me staring at the northern horizon for the third time that day.
"I'm not moping. I'm thinking."
"About Siraq?"
"About... fortress defense. And northern trade routes. And whether the northern territories have better timber than Shadowfen because our current supply is..."
"You're thinking about Siraq."
"Fine. Yes. I'm thinking about Siraq." I sighed. "Is it that obvious?"
"You've checked the north entrance eight times today. Yes, it's obvious." She settled beside me on the wall. "It's okay to miss people, you know. That's what bonds are for."
"I just... I hope she's safe. That whatever complications she's dealing with aren't dangerous."
"She's a bear kin matron. She's survived decades of clan politics, territorial disputes, and probably things we can't even imagine. She'll be fine."
"I know. Logically, I know that. But logic and worry aren't always on speaking terms."
Kasumi was quiet for a moment, then: "You really love her, don't you? All of us, I mean. Not just because we're here or because the bonds exist, but genuinely."
"Yes. All of you. Completely." I looked at her. "Is that weird? Loving multiple people this intensely?"
"For humans? Maybe. For Oni? Not at all. For you?" She grinned. "It's exactly right. You have this enormous capacity for love, Knox. You just needed people worth giving it to."
Through the bond, Nyx's warmth: She's not wrong. Your heart is ridiculously oversized for your body.
Is that a compliment?
From a dragon? Always.
"Come on," Kasumi said, standing and offering her hand. "You need distraction. I've prepared a new training regimen that involves..."
"If it involves me being thrown across the courtyard, I'm declining."
"It only involves MINOR throwing. And it builds character!"
"That's what you said last time, and I broke a wall."
"Which needed reinforcement anyway! I did you a favor!"
Despite myself, I laughed. This was family, annoying, loving, completely incapable of letting you wallow in worry.
That Evening - Council Meeting
We'd fallen into the habit of evening councils. informal gatherings where we discussed fortress business, settled disputes, and generally made sure everyone was on the same page.
Tonight's agenda, according to Momo's increasingly elaborate notes, included:
Supply inventory (we were low on certain building materials) Border patrol schedules (now that we had actual borders to patrol) Integration protocols for new arrivals (three more displaced demi-humans had found their way to us) The mysterious matter of who kept stealing all the honeycakes (everyone suspected Lira, Lira suspected everyone else)
"I'm telling you," Lira said with great dignity, "I have been FRAMED. My consumption is entirely reasonable!"
"You ate seventeen honeycakes yesterday," Pip pointed out.
"That's reasonable!"
"For a creature three hundred times your size, maybe."
"I have a fast metabolism!"
The bickering was comfortable, familiar. We'd developed our own rhythms, our own inside jokes, our own way of functioning as a unit.
Yorrik cleared his throat. "Warden, if I may, regarding the northern situation."
The room quieted. Yorrik rarely spoke in council unless it was important.
"The rumors Matron Siraq mentioned? About Imperial movement?" His expression was grave. "They're not just rumors. Before we left, our scouts confirmed increased Light Order presence along the southern borders of bear kin territory. Nothing overt yet, but the pattern suggests reconnaissance. They're mapping."
"Mapping for what?" I asked, though I had a sinking feeling I knew.
"Integration protocols. It's how they always start. Map the territory, identify population centers, assess defenses. Then they present 'diplomatic options' that aren't actually options at all."
Kota's enthusiasm had evaporated. "You think they're planning to move against the clans?"
"I think they're planning something. And Matron Siraq is walking into the middle of it."
Through the bonds, I felt everyone's concern spike.
"Can we reach her?" Nyx asked. "Warn her?"
"She knows the risks. She's not stupid." Yorrik leaned forward. "But Warden, if the Empire does move against the northern clans... Matron Siraq will fight. And she'll need allies."
"Then we'll be ready," I said simply. "We promised her a family to return to. That means we have her back when she needs it."
"We're talking about potentially going against the Empire," Momo pointed out carefully. "That's not a small commitment."
"No, it's not. But neither is family." I looked around the council. "Anyone who doesn't want to risk Imperial attention, I understand. No judgment. But I'm not abandoning Siraq if she needs help."
Silence. Then:
"I'm in," Kasumi said immediately. "I've been wanting to hit something that deserves it anyway."
"The Oni stand with Ashenhearth," Yuzuriha added. "Which means we stand with Siraq."
"Obviously we're helping," Lira said. "We're the family that makes terrible decisions together. It's our thing."
One by one, every person in the council affirmed their commitment. Not because they had to. Because they chose to.
"Then we prepare," I said. "Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Yorrik, work with Nyx on defense protocols. Momo, start cataloging our combat resources. Kasumi, intensify training, but try not to break anyone."
"No promises!"
"Kasumi."
"MINIMAL breaking!"
"Good enough."
As the council dispersed, Nyx lingered, her presence warm through our bond.
"You're worried about her," she said quietly.
"I'm worried about everyone. Siraq, the clans, what happens if the Empire decides we're a problem worth addressing."
"We're absolutely a problem worth addressing. We're everything they hate in one convenient location." She wrapped her tail around mine. "But we're also stronger than they probably think. And we have something they don't."
"What's that?"
"A reason to fight beyond doctrine. We're protecting family. That's always stronger than following orders."
"When did you get philosophical?"
"I've always been philosophical. You just usually distract me with affection before I can demonstrate it."
I pulled her close, feeling the warmth of her scales, the steady beat of her heart. "One month. Siraq will be back in one month, and everything will be fine."
"You keep saying that like saying it makes it true."
"Fake it till you make it. Very human philosophy."
"Very stupid philosophy."
"Same thing."
She laughed, and for a moment, the worry eased.
But that night, I dreamed of white armor and holy fire, and I woke up with my claws extended and my heart racing, not understanding why.
[SIRAQ: DEPARTED NORTH]
[RETURN TIMELINE: ~1 MONTH]
[IMPERIAL MOVEMENT: CONFIRMED]
[ASHENHEARTH STATUS: PREPARING]
[KNOX'S ANXIETY: RISING]
[OMINOUS FORESHADOWING: MAXIMUM]
The calm was temporary.
The storm was gathering.
And in one month, everything would change.