The Black Assassin

The Arowan Family

The boy in the black hood with the shaggy black hair ran half-bent across the stone courtyard and knelt down to meet the flying figure of a little girl, coming to meet him. He put out his arms wide, his intense face breaking into a broad smile.

He kissed her quickly on her little mouth. "Eya!" The little girl cried out with joy as she was pressed in his muscular arms. Then she pressed her face to his cheek, her attempt to kiss him back.

"Eya!" The muffled cry of joy and pain made a pale-faced woman look up from her sewing. Her tender smile lighted as she saw her son, Aven, embrace his little sister. He looked like he could fall over from exhaustion of both mental and physical labor.

"Dearest," she called softly. He looked up, saw her face, and smiled gently at her. Then he jumped up promptly and walked over on jaunty limbs that had seen both ship masts on wild seas and castle walls to climb. He swung a leg up beside her on the bench and cocked his happy face at her.

"Yes, dearest?"

His mother flushed, terribly pleased. "I love you, Aven. How did the prince do, do you think?"

"Hm. I'd say --" Aven crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I'd say he did fairly well enough. His mother was proud." He smiled, recalling the memory. "But he was pretty nervous, though."

He reached down and picked Eya up. "And you? What do you think?"

His mother seemed busy with her sewing. For a single moment Aven watched her, then walked off with Eya balanced on his hip. "Your mother is so busy," he said in a little voice that he used with children. "Do you think she even as time for us?"

They had crossed a fairly large amount of the stone courtyard when Heaven Compilly's voice came to him. "Dearest, I was lost in thought for a moment."

"Oh!" Aven hopped around to look at her. "And what did you think, then? Of the prince?"

"Oh, I thought he was handsome," Lady Heaven hedged.

Aven gave her an intent stare. "Did you?" He cared a lot about how she felt.

Lady Heaven smiled, still gazing at her work. "Yes, Aven. Like you, he is a real young man with class and breeding. I'm proud of both of you."

"The queen would be pleased to hear that. I think she wanted to see you, Mother." Aven looked serious suddenly, and his eyes deepened with an unspoken sadness. "I can only be away another minute or so. I have to go back."

He forlornly set Eya down on her feet and went to fondle his mother. First, he put gentle hands on her shoulders from behind her, then lent down to kiss her. Lady Heaven responded to his kiss with a ready smile. She looked up into his strong black eyes and sighed, patting his hand.

"Aven, I'm so afraid -- not to have you. You're my life -- I can't go on, unless I have you."

He pressed her shoulders tightly, feeling the emotion. "I'm still here, Mother." But there was an unspoken word between them, something that they never spoke of in front of baby Eya.

Aven pressed his cheek to hers. "I am here today, Mother. I cannot say about tomorrow, but take what you can from me now. I have to go in a minute."

He sounded worse than sad when he said that. He sounded angry. He was, in some ways, very angry. It was something to be born to do something, especially if you didn't choose it. But that was the way with princes -- his mother had always said he had the same honor and duty as a prince. It was a sad reality to live with.

Aven let of his mother's shoulders and walked across the courtyard without looking back. He made the parting simple and swift, without dragging it out for either of them. Eya continued playing on the stone walkway, unaware that her favorite brother was no longer there.

Her little brown eyes raised to her mother's, and she frowned with childish frankness. "Muhma," she said in a strange little voice, "is Ave dawn?"

"Yes, child," Lady Heaven nodded.

"Wiwy come back?"

Lady Heaven raised her eyes to the sky, suddenly in pain at the washing memory of when her baby had last said those words - "will he come back?" It was that day that her husband left them for good.

She wiped her eyes and lifted her daughter up onto her lap. "Yes, dear. Always, he will be with us. Just someday, it will be from the After-Life that he will send his kisses."

Eya's eyes widened with shock. She looked terrified of Aven leaving them. "Wiwy come back den?"

"Maybe..." Lady Heaven knew she must not cry bitter tears then, so she stood up and took her daughter's hand tightly in hers. "Let's go see Aunt Emiliae."

Little Eya forgot her worries as she skipped alongside her mother down the castle courtyard to the East Hall. Aunt Emiliae always had treats.

Queen Emiliae was not actually Lady Heaven's cousin, but they were like sisters since they grew up together in a neighboring kingdom. It was only natural that the gracious queen would welcome in her childhood playmate and wise friend when her husband died, saving King Severus's life.

It was also only right that her little son, Ericson, would find time to play with baby Eya. And so, they did.