Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 61: Day of Birth

"No, no, no!" Andol screeched in protest as Erinne yanked him out of the mud.

"I just gave you a bath! You couldn't wait five minutes!" She complained. Andol snapped his tusked teeth at her and she popped his bottom with her hand. "You don't do that to Mama, do you understand?" He puckered up his lips. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

She shook her head and lifted his shirt, holding it by the ends and then took his pants. "Go get back in the tub!" Thankfully she'd yet to dump the bath water. He took one look at her, grinned, and then dove for the mud puddle. Erinne gasped as the murky water splashed back her way and halfway up her skirt. She eyed him coldly as he continued splashing and giggling as Willow and Larken raced past her and joined him in the mud. "I'm going to drown you in the tub, you little demon." She muttered under her breath.

She didn't mean a word of it, but she tossed his clothes towards the bathtub that was sitting just outside under a covered roof. Then she turned back, rolled up her sleeves and prepared to go in after him.

Before she took a step, she heard laughter from the path that led from the Killerfrost village to their home. She frowned and glanced down the road to see Cold Hammer and several others riding their way. Stacked on their dire wolves, they had numerous wrapped packs of meat she assumed came from the hunt.

"I take it your hunt was successful?" She called.

"Not nearly as successful as bath time with Andol. My love, you're supposed to bathe him in clean water. Not that—" He ducked as she threw her shoe at his face and the orc warriors with him roared with laughter.

"Do me a favor and wrestle your devil child from that water."

"You're already muddy, I'm not."

Wrong words. Erinne stooped, scooped up a handful of mud, and saw him turning Bukoo to run. "Oh no you don't!" She hissed and threw the mud patty. She completely missed and hit Ghaug.

"Hey!" He laughed, wiped it off his face and threw it at his twin.

"Hey, don't do that you whoreson!" Ghorg shouted back at him.

"That's your mother you're talking about like that!"

Cold Hammer came trotting her way on Bukoo. "He's not paying attention." He nodded towards Andol who was wrestling the dire wolves. She sighed and shook her head. The beasts were easily three times his size and it didn't stop them a bit. In fact, he seemed to grow stronger for it. Andol could outmaneuver and wrestle better than any of the kids his age in the village and some of the older ones, too. It made her proud.

"The brat went straight for the mud as soon as I let him out the bath."

"I see that."

"No," she shook her head, "he waited until I had him dressed in clean clothes. Then he jumped in."

"Then why is he naked?"

"Because I pulled him out already and undressed him for another bath and in he went again." She pushed her sleeves back up. "I guess I better get him."

"Wait, let him play. We haven't had rains like this in a long time and tomorrow is his birthday."

"He needs to be clean for his birthday."

Cold Hammer chuckled again as he climbed off Bukoo. "An extra bath never hurt anyone."

"Yeah, and I'm going to need another now, too—" Cold Hammer pushed her right between her shoulder blades and she fell forward. She barely even had time to squeak out her protest before she landed in the mud. "Cold Hammer!" Laughter echoed all around and she vowed to pay him back for it, but then Andol was climbing all over her.