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"Sweetie?" he called to his daughter - the one that wasn't a terrifying menace. That one was with her mother today. His darling little angel was with him. "Its magic time, Ikuri! Are you all ready?"

His friend Dyakida had made her a cute little practice staff for his daughter (completely non magical - basically a pretty stick) and he had found an ancient teaching book.

"We're going to uncle Reshel's, okay?" he said, "He's going to show you water and earth magic. And then we're going to my practice field." He had never taken his children - or even Zuri - back to the one place where he dared to be angry.

But he figured, if he was going to teach Ikuri how to use destructive magic, he might as well make the practice field a family tradition.
"Are you and Loxy ready to go?" he asked again, leaning on his own staff, his posture relaxed.

He loved teaching his girl. He really did.

Biroki couldn't help but smile.

Ikuri. His little light. Her innocence brightened up his life, and he adored her.

He pet Loxy on the head and gave his daughter a hug, picking her up. "Well, sweetie, its in the jungle. Not too far away." he said, carrying her down the path.

One day she would be too big for this, and he'd have to say goodbye to the days when he could take her places like this. But that day, he hoped, was far off "But we're going to Reshel's first, okay?"

He started down the path to his uncle's hut.

"Maybe." he said, kissing Ikuri's head, "But he m-might just be working with..." his voice cracked, "Grandma.". years now, it had been since Sen'oda had been found. He had never met her, not as anything more than a limp, unconcious form. And now, he had children of his own. How much longer, he wondered, until she woke up? He didn't want to think about the alternative, that Reshel's hard work tending her would be for nothing.

"Y-you have?" he said, "Good girl." he was so proud "With practice, you'll be as strong as your d-daddy." he smiled. Maybe one day, she too would be a sage.

They were nearing the main part of the settlement, where Reshel lived.

The older shifter was going about his daily chores, taking advantage of a quiet day to try yet another new treatment on his sister. He believed that, one day, she would wake up.

A crunch of twigs alerted him to his visitors and, seeing who it was, he brightened. "Well!" he called out, waving, "If it isn't little Ikuri!"

"I'm sure she'd like that." said Biroki. He had no idea. Other than being his mother, and Reshel's sister, she was a stranger. But everybody liked stories, didn't they? "Maybe you can tell her about one of your adventures?"

He waved to Reshel with one hand, hefting Ikuri with the other arm to keep her up. "Uncle!" he called out in greeting. So Reshel was in today. That was good.

Reshel laughed. "Of course you're not. You must be a whole inch taller than when I last saw you. What do you think, Biroki?" he said, "About an inch?"

Biroki laughed, carrying his daughter up onto the platform that Reshel lived on. "M-maybe." he said, looking around. There didn't seem to be any patients. "Qu-quiet day today, uncle?"

"Yes." said Reshel. He held out his arms. "How about a hug?" he said. Yes, it was quiet, and yes he was going to treat Sen'oda. Which only made him need a hug more than ever.

Biroki, however, was awkward about hugs. Fortunately, he misinterpreted. "Ikuri, g-go hug Reshel." he said, offering her out to him.

Frankly, any hug would do for Reshel. "Yes, Ikuku, give your grandpappyuncle a hug." he said, grinning.

"Two?" Biroki laughed, "Sure!" he looked at his uncle for confirmation.

Reshel gave Ikuri a big bear hug. "Yes, tell Sen stories. Maybe it'll make her want to wake up!" because gods knew he'd tried anything else. Besides, he wanted to hear his little grand-niece tell her stories. He loved stories, which was a good thing, considering he'd raised Biroki. "I want to hear your stories too, Ikuku." he said, putting her on the ground.

"We are!" said Biroki, "I was hoping you could t-teach her some water and earth magic..." he needed to practice earth magic himself. It felt strange to use, but also grounding, and grounding was something he liked to have once in a while. "I'm t-taking her to my practice field later, so she can try out a few spells..."

"Sure." said Reshel, playfully making a water bubble with his magic. He sent it towards Ikuri's head and let it pop. "I'll show you some magic. But come inside and lets hear those stories. Biroki?" he looked up at his nephew, "I have a few chores for you."

"Oh, uh, of course." said Biroki. He did like helping out. It gave him the knowledge he'd need... well...

Out there.

In the war that was coming.

Reshel laughed, making the bubble pop into a soft mist with a snap of his hands. "Sure, ikuku, I'll teach you." he said, "Lets go inside."

The hut was as it always had been - not roomy, or cramped, but well cared for and carpeted with grass mats. It smelled of herbs and salves and smoke, covering up the other, less pleasant smells that lingered in whiffs in the air, the smells that a healer's tent inevitably gathers from the ills of the people it serves.

Biroki could barely believe that it wasn't the same hut he had grown up in, that that hut had burnt to the ground. Things just didn't change on the inside, it seemed.

In the corner was Sen'oda, wrapped in light blankets, her hair brushed and laid out behind her. She breathed slowly - in... out...

Sleeping people looked peaceful. Sen'oda did not. She looked... empty. Biroki shuddered.

"Biroki, if you could set up a small medicine tea? Anti fever and energy mix, please." said Reshel, gesturing to the fire.

He kneeled down to Ikuri, "Now, Ikuku, tell me about the bug friends."

Biroki gratefully started on the tea. He had an idea of who these bug friends might be - probably Yaholos boys. He hoped they were anyway...

"Yes I did!" said Biroki, amiably. "And they come from a biiiig tree named Aisha." He tidied up, his heart at ease as he listened to her sweet little voice. He remembered, long ago, the first Alkidike he had ever seen. Briella.

He'd been her first Shifter. Now, they were friends. He hadn't seen much of Dyakida and Briella, or of Aminah, of late.

"Did you meet their mommy, Ikuri?" he had an idea that they were yaholo's kids, but, well, he was curious.

"Yes, you and Ikkiki were in your mama's womb together." said Reshel, using his pet name for the troublemaker he so often had do boring chores, "I knew it looong before you two were born, but I didn't tell your father..." he smiled conspirationally as he checked the tea that Biroki had set up, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

Biroki grimaced. Yes. It had been a terrifying surprise. Just one child had him worried about his ability to be a father. And then the second - Ikuri, he thought, because Ikkio was more impatient - had come along, he'd nearly had a heart attack.

But now they were his two beautiful treasures. His precious babies he wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

"Do you know how an Alkidike mommy gets a flower from Aisha?" he asked Ikuri.

Reshel joined Ikuri with the tea next to his sister. He poured some into a small bowl, mixed in some powder, and blew on it to cool it. "Here, Ikuku, help me lift her up. Its time for your grandma's medicine." he said, gesturing how he wanted her head raised. Ikuri had helped him give Se'noda food and medicine before - as had Ikkio - so he was confident in her help.

"Was his name Yaholo?" asked Biroki, smiling. There couldn't be very many twins with a leaf-alkidike father. It was only certain to be Yaholos boys. Summerset and Kannon? He was ashamed to say he had forgotten.

"Well, Ikuri, they go to Aisha and they ask her for a baby, and she makes them a flower all of their own." he said, pleased at how he knew. Ever since he'd fund that out, he'd thought it was absolutely magnificent. And beautiful: two lovers going to the tree, begging for a child, and being granted a beautiful flower that would bear them a child of their own...

He was perfectly happy with the earthling way though!

"What were their names, Ikuri?" he asked, as they administered the medicine.

Reshel opened his sisters mouth, praying that she would wake up, maybe snap at him a little, do something other than lay there. He lifted her head a bit more, his magic making the water glow softly as he poured it gently down her throat. "Therrrre we go..." he murmured. Sen wasn't awake... but he needed to give the new formula time. A bit of a Sautian herb, some Tale herbs... things he hadn't tried before... he wanted it to work. He stroked Sen'oda's hair before turning to Ikuri and smiling. "So, Ikuku. You had another story?" he asked, trying to take his mind off of his still - barely - alive sister.