Trinket (Reverse Harem)

Marcus Saves The Day (because of course he does)

 What would Lord Perhon be frightened of? More to the point, what would have him so frightened he'd march across the damn country in high summer to seek help from Haven personally? Enclave rulers weren't exactly eager to ask for help because they couldn't handle something on their own. If Perhon was here, he was desperate.

And if Asund didn't know what could have changed in three months time to make Perhon go from confident, capable, secure Lord to showing up at Haven asking for help...

I tried to put it all out of my mind while Ormiss insisted on braiding my hair in a more ornate arrangement and Itek arranged delicate necklaces around my neck and they stole kisses off my skin before both mutually agreed now wasn't the time for antics and Korr dragged Ethat out of his sulking and they got into a knock-down-dragon-tumbling fight that almost bashed out sections of wall and staircase until Asund howled at both of them to just go get fucking dressed already and Ethat could go back to being a sulking lizard when the pack (us) was done needing him to be a fucking adult.

Asund was a mood.

"This is good and all," I told the fussy Itek and Ormiss while Korr stuffed Ethat into clothing, "but we don't have anything to feed the wolf."

"I'm praying for a miracle," Itek said casually.

"We'll figure it out," Ormiss said. "If the wolf thinks he can just show up unannounced and be fed, he is mistaken."

"What sort of lousy Hippocamp hospitality is that?" Asund demanded.

"Lousy, as you said," Ormiss replied.

"We have wine at the other house, don't we?" Itek asked Ormiss.

"I have wine at the other house, yes."

"Then that's all we need," Itek ignored the correction. Everyone knew Ormiss' wine was everyone else's wine by virtue of the fact Ormiss' wine was my wine, and I would share my wine.

So the plan was get Perhon as drunk as possible so he didn't ask about food. It was a valid strategy. In the setting sunlight of the late evening, we headed the brief distance to the other house. Worrying about this was a hell of a lot more preferable than wondering why some old god had rescued me from a desert that might not have existed.

"What is going on in here?" Ormiss demanded before Korr told him to shush.

Marcus had called reinforcements: there were more ravens in the house, and the house smelled of food. Food? Where had food come from? And more to the point, who had cooked it? Because it hadn't been me.

Marcus fluttered across the foyer and dropped neatly into human form right beside Ormiss and I. "Your timing is excellent, Lord and Lady."

"What have you done?" Ormiss growled, crackling with lightening.

"My job," Marcus replied flatly.

"I do not want ravens in this house," Ormiss snapped. "I suffer you."

"Do you enjoy humiliation and being a poor host more than you hate birds?" Marcus hissed back. "I can trust all the Ravens here, which means you can trust them. Tell your Hippocamp attendants to swim faster."

Ethat, who still had half of his face dried and missing (but his hair was more green than withered even after a few hours), circled Marcus, clicking his teeth as he did so. Marcus leaned away, which resulted in him swiveling on his knees like he was playing with a child's hoop.

"Ethat, Ormiss, stop," I said, stretching to grab Ethat's shirt while keeping a hold of Ormiss and Asund nearly twitched himself into baldness, or grabbing Ormiss and Ethat and bashing their heads together. "Drop it. No murder!"