Excalibur

The Reckoning

THE CAMP WAS quiet when they returned.

"Where did everyone go?" Kane asked.

Tempest followed Kane's confused gaze as it swept over the near empty field. When they'd left it'd been full of hundreds of tents and a few thousand fae. Now less than one fourth of the brigade remained and the battlefield was empty.

"Fox leads a sort of cleanup crew. He tracks down and kills creatures in the Otherworld guilty of hurting fae," she explained. The runt snuggled deeper into her armor-clad chest while she talked, shivering. The fact that he wasn't burned by the silver only further confirmed her suspicions. "Someone must've told him we left so some of his warriors stayed behind to wait for our return. After we rest we'll move out and join the rest of the brigade in the South for your second battle."

"Ok. Where am I supposed to sleep?"

Tempest pointed at their tent as it appeared in the distance. "We share a tent. There's three cots. Our stuff is there. Cleanup with the bucket and get some sleep."

When they arrived Tempest was surprised to see half of a deer skinned and prepped. It hung in the middle of the tent with a stick speared through it. The fire was reduced to a small smolder and the cook was nowhere to be found.

Her eyes scanned the dirt floor, seeing the multiple footprints. Signs of a scuffle led out of the tent and beyond.

"Oooh, meat!" Tempest jumped when Kane brushed past her in excitement, gently moving her to the side. Suddenly the space in the tent became much smaller with Kane's hulking form leaning over the food, smiling wide. "Silver said I can eat the food here without worrying about being trapped. That's good. I'm hungry. Are you hungry? Can we feed this to the baby? Where's Silver?"

Tempest blinked, overwhelmed by the sudden flurry of questions. She was exhausted. Not by a day of fighting and keeping Kane alive, but by talking. For as long as Tempest could remember she needed peace and quiet to recharge. Loud chatterboxes like Kane took a lot out of her socially. Honestly, she felt herself moments away from verbally shutting down.

A squirming in her arms snapped Tempest back to attention and she got moving. "Hold him."

Kane scrambled away from the fire. Tempest snorted. The image of the bulky man frigidly holding the baby was too funny to get out of her head. After rifling through her packed bag she turned with a clean cloth and thick shawl. She made a come-hither motion, curious about Kane's tinted cheeks as he joined her on her cot.

Tempest scooted away from Kane, pushing his legs away as he took up more than half of the cot. The little boy yawned, puzzled gray eyes peered up at Tempest. She tied a makeshift diaper around his lower body. The baby squirmed, chewing and slobbering all over his tiny fist. She removed it, hushing his squeal of indignation by opening his mouth to look inside.

His canines were small, too small to be of any use in the future. She knew that by the time he was fully grown they would still be less than half the length of other werewolves. In his wolf form his fur wasn't as thick as it should've been meaning that was less warmth for him. His humanoid form was tiny, like a doll, and his claws were blunt nubs.