Sword and Snow

Astra finally fell asleep, her chest slowly rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. Avuri rubbed her stomach gently as Emery gathered up the blankets and pulled them up and over Astra, tucking her in for the night.

Both women kissed the little girl on her forehead and whispered a “Good night,” before they tiptoed quietly out of the room. After carefully closing the door to Astra’s room, they ambled their way down the hall toward the stairs down to the second floor and the kitchen, wordlessly aiming for a late night snack together.

Through the window, they could still see the glowing light of the campfire that Stena and her little crew were sitting around, no doubt telling stories or otherwise messing around late into the night.

“Think we should tell them to go to sleep?” Avuri asked, as she slipped an arm around Emery and pulled her close.

“No, I think they’re fine. We can even let them sleep in tomorrow.” Emery said, leaning into Avuri’s embrace as they both looked out the window.

“Ooh, how generous of you, Mom.” Avuri teased, jostling her wife around a bit. “Planning to make them work extra hard in the afternoon to compensate?”

One side of Emery’s mouth slipped upwards in a half smile. “Nope. I was thinking we can let them have a full day off tomorrow.”

Avuri looked at Emery, a mock look of shock overtaking her face. “No way. The infamous hard-ass Emery is letting everyone off the hook for a day?” She said, the teasing lilt in her voice obvious.

Emery chuckled, leaning into her wife. “You telling the story about the flour fight reminded me how much more relaxed we were back then. Cierra and Stena had so much time to just be kids.” She sighed. “I kinda regret not giving everyone else the same amount of time to just be silly.”

Avuri pulled Emery in for a reassuring hug. “I don’t think you need to worry about that too much. Everyone here has had a good life, I would say. And for as much as I tease you about being a hardass teacher that always pushes everyone, you give everyone plenty of time to relax too.”

“I realize that.” Emery said quietly, still staring at the moving glow of the fire outside. “I just feel like I could be doing better, especially after thinking about what we all did together back then.”

“Love, you need to remember too that there aren’t just four, or six, of us anymore. We can’t play and be silly with twenty five kids as easily as we could before. For better or worse, the larger family has changed that a bit.”

“I know that.” Emery said, then she laughed. “Maybe I’m just getting old and looking back on the ‘good ol’ days’.”

Avuri playfully slapped her wife on the shoulder. “Don’t say that. If you’re old, what does that make me?” She laughed.

Emery was silent for just a beat with a quirky little smile. “...Ancient?”

Avuri stepped away from Emery as if she had been hit and acted affronted. “Ancient? How could you?”

“Very easily, really. Those three years between us may as well be eons.” Emery said, performing the lines as if on a stage. “Oh, if only there was some way to bridge the gap that exists between thirty eight and forty one!” She cried dramatically, putting the back of her hand against her forehead and playing up the drama.

Avuri grabbed Emery by the wrist, and pulled her in. She even went as far as twirling her, as if they were dancing. “I believe in us! Surely that gap isn’t insurmountable. We have love; that must be enough!”

Emery dramatically turned away, still in Avuri’s arms. “I’ve been burned before, my love. I don’t know if I could take another blow like that! I don’t think my poor heart could take it.”

Avuri reached over, and gently took Emery’s chin between her fingers and turned her back so they were face to face again. “You won’t have to, my love. I promise. I will never leave you. Never will you know such heartbreak again, I swear it!”

“Oh Avuri!” Emery declared dramatically and threw her arms around her wife’s neck. “I really do love you! Kiss me!”

“Oh hell, what did we walk in on?” Cierra said from the top of the stairs, struggling to hold back laughter.

Emery and Avuri both snapped their heads around to find Cierra and Arek at the top of the stairs. Cierra was struggling not to laugh, while Arek held his hands over his face.

Before Emery could respond, Avuri laughed heartily which caught her attention again. As Emery turned back to see why Avuri was laughing, she found her whole world shifting as Avuri spun and dipped her dangerously low to the ground.

Their eyes met, and Avuri continued their game loudly, declaring to the room, “As you wish, my love.”

Then to the collective near-horror of everyone else in the room, Avuri kissed her wife. It was not a sweet peck, either. It was a full-on, deep, lover’s kiss.

“Oh, dear god.” Cierra said, and threw her hands up to cover her eyes.

Arek just yelped and ran to the stairs heading up to his room.

When Avuri finally pulled Emery back up to her feet, they both laughed. Emery gave her wife a quick peck before turning back to Cierra. “You can look now, it’s safe.”

“You sure? Momri won’t just jump you again to screw with me?” She asked, still holding one hand over her eyes.

Emery glanced at Avuri and answered, her smile clear in her voice. “You know as well as I do that I have no control over her.”

“I promise to behave.” Avuri said, but still threw an arm over Emery to keep her close.

Cierra slowly let her hand fall away from her eyes, then looked up the stairs to the third floor. “You may have scarred your other child.”

“Scarred, no.” Avuri said, following her line of sight. “Lightly damaged, perhaps?”

“Hopefully he can still look us in the eyes tomorrow morning.” Emery muttered to herself.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“Is that the first time he’s seen you two kissing or something?” Cierra asked, confused. “You’ve never been that shy around me.”

“Kissing, no. Kissing like that? It…might be?” Emery said, trying to recall.

Cierra waved the issue off. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. It’s not like he walked in on you doing anything actually scarring.” She said, then shivered.

Avuri chuckled. “Do you even actually remember that?”

Cierra looked at Avuri, playing up her wide-eyed, horror-filled look. “As if I could forget it. That scene of you two in the bath is unfortunately seared into my head.” Then she smiled and laughed. “Honestly, no. I remember that I did walk in on you both…uhh…getting busy in the bathhouse, but I don’t really remember what I saw. Thankfully.”

“Well good. Because I’d rather not scar my children, thanks. Avuri.” Emery said, turning a glare on her wife.

“Hey, I was just continuing the game that you started, my dear.” Avuri said, a bit of the dramatic tone filtering into her voice again. “I do agree though, I don’t want to mentally scar any of the kids either.” Then she said, a bit quieter, “I don’t think seeing us kissing should really be that big a deal.”

Cierra shrugged. “It probably isn’t. I think he’s just hitting that age where he thinks all girls and anything remotely sex related is gross.”

Avuri chuckled and nodded. “That’s a fair point. I wonder how he feels about living with five women and only occasionally another man.”

“Like he’s outnumbered, I’m sure.” Emery said.

“I don’t think that bothers him as much as you might think, Mom.” Cierra said, a finger tapping on her chin in thought. “It’s not like he ever shies away from working with any of us. He went as far as asking me for special training after all.” She shrugged.

“That’s right. How’d that go?” Emery asked, curious.

“I think he’s still a little hung up on how badly outclassed he was by Enrik the other day.” Cierra said, finally leaving the stairway’s door, as she walked toward the kitchen for a glass of water. “He’s more determined now than I think I’ve ever seen him, and he’s definitely focusing it on his training.”

“That’s good, as long as he doesn’t overdo it.” Emery said. “If he starts to look like he’s stretching too thin, let me know. I’ll sit down and chat with him.”

“Stena already did that, remember?” Cierra reminded her. “I think he’s old enough to know his limits.” Then she added, “But yes, I’ll tell you,” when she saw the serious look on Emery’s face.

“Did you check on your sister while you were outside?”

Cierra popped back out of the kitchen, a glass of water in hand. “Not really, we just walked by. They were singing campfire songs, and badly. You can’t really hear them in here, thankfully.” She started to make her way toward the stairs. “I’m going to bed, unless you need me for anything else?”

Emery shook her head. “No, you’re safe to run away. Good night, Cici. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom. Momri.” She said, then turned and jogged up the stairs.

“Well?” Avuri said, turning to Emery. “Shall we get our late night snack and drink as originally planned?”

Emery nodded, moving toward the kitchen. “Yeah. Then up to bed we go.”

After grabbing a glass of water each and a few small pieces of smoked, dried beef, they retreated up the stairs and into the master bedroom. They ate and talked for a bit before deciding it was truly just about bedtime.

Emery took her turn in the bathroom first, then waited patiently, comb in hand, for Avuri to finish her own bedtime routine.

It wasn’t too long before Avuri returned, wearing a sheer nighttime slip. It wasn’t the first time Emery had seen this one, but the way it hugged her wife’s curves made her smile. Avuri noticed the smile taking over Emery’s face and took a moment to pose in the doorway seductively.

“Like what you see, Merri?” She purred, and twisted this way and that to show off her body.

“You know I do.” Emery said, then waved her closer. “Now come here so I can comb the tangles out of your hair.”

Avuri huffed but complied, slowly sacheting over to the bed. As she spun to settle down onto the bed with her back and long hair facing Emery, she said, “You know, you don’t have to comb me out every night. It just gets tangled again while I sleep and needs another comb in the morning.”

“I know.” Emery said, as she took a handful of the beautiful sliver-white locks and began to comb them out. “I do this because I like to. And even better if I get to do it twice.” She said, then leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on a bit of the exposed flesh of Avuri’s neck. “Besides, I think having some intimate alone time that isn’t so…heated is important.”

“I won’t argue with that.” Avuri responded. A whole body shiver coursed through her when Emery lightly grazed the back of her neck while picking up another handful of hair. “It’s been like fifteen years, and I still haven’t managed to find a way to reciprocate this for you though. You sure you don’t want to grow out your hair?”

Emery let out a cute little chuckle. “I’m sure, Ri. And besides, you like my hair at this length anyway.”

“That’s true.” Avuri said confidently. “The way it frames your face and falls just below your chin is lovely. And when you wear robes, it shows off the back of your neck so deliciously. Especially when you’re just a little sweaty -” Avuri was interrupted by a playful slap on her back.

“Keep it PG while I do this, you jerk.” Emery said with a laugh.

Avuri, not super keen on listening at the moment, twisted around to give Emery a loving but chaste kiss.

“I love you, Emery.”

“Love you too, Ri. Jerk.” Emery responded, before reaching up to take Avuri by the chin and forcefully turn her around again.

“Now let me finish combing you out in peace or neither of us are going to get any sleep tonight.”