Ashamin

His daughter's joy was contagious. Ashamin found himself looking down at the scene of his child and companion with wonder and pride. When had he become a stag like his father, with the strength to foster a love like this? He may not have lived as closely with his children as Veril had with him, but they were still a family. Rein... the child worried him, but he too was loved. The Clovenheart had always had love to give. It had never occurred to him that what lent him his strength could also be his weakness.

But now was not a time for such sorrowful realizations. He watched his daughter and companion play, and felt her words echoing in his mind. She missed him. That was enough to know she loved him, too.

The sight of flames on her antlers first took Ashamin aback, but then brought a smile to his face. The sight of shyness on her features surprised him, though. Why wouldn't she be proud of the magic?

"Romina, what beautiful magic!" Ashamin said, the pride obvious as it filled his tone. His chest swelled, and the soft glow that Hotaru painted there became brighter. "Can you control it?" The scholar in him wanted to know everything about the power, when she discovered it and how long it had been present, but he limited himself to one question at a time. He didn't want to overwhelm her.

And besides, there was not much time to dwell on the supernatural, for soon she was telling him of life in the herd with Hotaru and Ru'in. Ashamin wasn't sure how he felt about his bird off making challenges, but he knew she could hold her own, especially with Alice by her side. Speaking of... Ashamin was surprised to see the companion gone. Just an escort then, not a spy. He was glad Hotaru didn't feel he needed to be babysat with his own daughter.

What Romina said next, however, took him by surprise. He wasn't surprised that his children were explorers, they were half his after all, but he did worry when his daughter expressed that she did not like the Basin. His brow furrowed as he stood hoping that the cold was the only thing making his daughter feel unwelcome. He was not afraid to march back there and challenge anyone threatening his daughter if it came down to it.

Her want for adventure, though, a life outside the Basin... he understood it. And if he had offered that life to Rein, who was he to withhold it from his twin children? "If you would like, Romina, you and your brother could travel with me. I've made a home in the wilds with The Unbound, and you would be able to adventure with your father by your side if you wished," Ashamin explained, careful to not sway her too much in either direction. He knew a stable home in the Basin could be good for his children, but if Hotaru was busy as Lady and they longed for another life, he had to be open and offer one that he had. Besides, with his children closer to him he would be able to keep them safe, and not worry that the less kind members of the Basin might be working against them.



""



The Clovenheart