Timestamp: 1st of Summer, 523 A.V.
Word spread fast in Syka. In fact, it spread faster than humanly possible. Deep in the heart of The Commons was a remarkably life-like bronze parrot statue that had been a gift to the settlement from Eywaat. The statue granted any bird in Syka’s boundaries the rudimentary gift of speech. Sometimes the birds had a lot to say, running messages here and there, and other times the birds spouted nonsense. But just before sunset, a large group of scarlet macaws had swooped the porch of The Protea singing “James is back. James is back. The Veronica is on the horizon.” Taz had nodded to herself, knowing it was the first day of Summer, and felt a relief sweep through her.
They’d all been worried about this trip. Something had compelled one of their Founders to trade with Lhavit, which was a long and dangerous trip, instead of taking the short jaunt across the Suvan to Riverfall where James usually traded. They’d all helped load The Veronica down with the fruits of The Swiftwater’s labor – Isuas Cloth – and a multitude of preserved jungle foods. There were fresh foods too, the kind that wouldn’t go bad… and already preserved exotic skins and leathers up to trade. They’d bring back rice and other staples, perhaps some glass, and people of course. Taz knew that.
The Inn was rarely full when James set sail. It was when he docked that she got full up with patrons – mostly newcomers and tourists. And so, Taz quickly fetched Bree, and hitched her to a pony cart that would carry tourists and travelers alike to The Protea. She had no special orders on board this time. Lhavit wasn’t a place Tazrae was familiar with nor did she know of anything from the location she might need. So she’d take the cart to The Dock, help unload, and collect anyone that might need a place to stay.
Kami had Khari, her young daughter, for an overnight so Taz could get ready for her opening in the morning. Though she hadn’t had guests staying yet, when she did reopen that morning, most of the settlement had shown up between breakfast offerings and lunch. The rest had come for dinner, which was long past. Taz was grateful, having fallen out of the habit of cooking so much, to have her twin sister take her daughter for the day and night so she could get used to the hustle and bustle again, then get a good night's sleep afterward.
The trip to the dock was quick, and Taz released Bree from her traces the moment they were there. The pair stood together, watching the ship dock, as everyone else wandered out of the jungle… no doubt alerted by the birds and their excitement. Bree was rather large now that she was full-grown. Taz leaned on her scaled shoulder, inhaled her Ixam scent, and sighed. “It’s been a long day. It figures James would time it to come back on the first.” She said, reaching up to scratch the Ixam where her ears met her neck.
Bree closed one violet eye and snorted. “He knows how to make an entrance.” The Ixam said softly, turning her sinuous neck to nuzzle the Innkeeper’s shoulders affectionately. Bree was a little different than most Ixam in the settlement. She’d had her intelligence added to when Taz had accidentally touched her with a Rod of Sentience. She was smarter, had the ability to speak, and was almost human in her demeanor. Those traits seemed to be passing on to her offspring too, since so many of the hatchlings from her clutches were demonstrating intelligence and could speak brief little words as they started to grow.
Both females watched the sailors fit The Veronica with her gangplank and start to debark. Taz sighed and started up the dock, then froze suddenly as she witnessed a trio she partially recognized head down the plank. They were a pair of Benshira, Niles, and his twin sister Lia. With them was a small redhead who carried a young boy as if she were a nanny. Niles and Lia didn’t look alike. They weren’t identical, but rather fraternal like Tazrae and Kamrae were.
Bree, who was right behind her, gently bumped her causing the Innkeeper to stumble. “What is it?” Bree snapped, half irritated and half concerned.
“Nyles is here. He brought his sister and another woman. And maybe Kaysen.” Taz said thoughtfully, hoping beyond hope it was true.
“Kaysen as in Khari’s brother? Nyle as in Kamrae’s husband?” Bree asked, looking suddenly sharp as she angled her reptilian head forward and lofted it up over Tazrae’s shoulder to get a good look at the group itself. Bree was as big as a riding horse already, so she got a good look at the new group. She had no idea who Lira was nor the other younger woman with them was. Tazrae hadn’t explained herself.
Taz wasn’t ready for this, not at all, but she’d never gotten to hold her son. She’d never even got to look into his eyes before she’d had to flee that horrible situation. Nyle had promised to take care of him, and that they’d meet again. This was not when and where Tazrae thought that would happen. She took one breath, then another, then another, until she could move again. And then she squared her shoulders and headed straight for the group. Kami beat her to them though. Her sister gave out a little shriek and pelted up the dock past Tazrae and Bree startling them both.
Taz hadn’t even seen her arrive. Her sister had her daughter in her arms, but that didn’t stop her for flinging herself in Nyle. He somehow managed to catch his wife and draw her and his daughter closer. Taz approached more quietly, not to Nyle but to the short redhead holding the bronzed-skinned baby. Without even a glance at Nyle or her sister and their reunion, she reached her arms out for the little boy.
“He’s my son.” She said softly and under the redhead’s startled gaze, plucked the baby from the nurse’s arms. The nurse balled up her fists and started to lunge forward, but Nyle’s tall twin sister put her hand on the girl's shoulder and shook her head. “No… it's fine. Tazrae can hold him.” Taz’s first reaction at that was to want to bare her teeth, snarl, and rip both the women’s throats out. She was allowed to hold her own son? No… she was allowed to take her own son home and never let him out of her sight again.
She studied the babe's beautiful face as she unwrapped him from his swaddling clothes, and checked every inch of him from top to bottom. He seemed so like Khari that Taz couldn’t see many differences at all. They had the same faces, the same eyes, and the same wide Kois expression of intelligence. Gods. Perfect. Kaysen was perfect. And as the quiet eight-month-old stared up at her, she knew she’d spend her life protecting him.
No one said anything to her as she walked to Kamrae and Nyle. Seeing them together caused much of her rage at Nyle to drain from her soul. Holding Kaysen to her, she gently reached out and plucked Khari from Kami’s grasp. Saying nothing, even ignoring any potential guests, the Innkeeper turned and walked back towards the Inn slowly, both her children in her arms. She spent the rest of the morning, all afternoon, and well into the evening just being with them. Finally, with the boy exhausted by all the fuss, she got both babies down to sleep and was hanging out on the deck drinking a stiff cocktail when the full evening fell.
There was something unearthly beautiful about watching the evening fall over the Suvan Sea. First one, then a million stars winked into view out over the sea and across the blanket of jungle sky. A breeze tossed Tazrae’s caramel curls as she sat in what she would later reflect as perfect silence. Her two children were finally reunited. Together. They were all together. Her sister had found her husband. The entire Kois party had eventually shown up and checked in to the Inn. Taz had given Nyle and Lira the Suvan Suite, while the young nanny had taken a more modest room beneath them.
A few other guests had eventually wandered by to check in – tourists really. And reflecting back, Taz and her small family had no current enemies pounding on their doors. Taz wasn’t sure how to feel at that moment. Happiness was washing through her. It felt good… having her twins together. It felt good, that Kami had Nyle back. Even with all that happened. Even with Taz sitting alone. It felt good.
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