Chapter 27

That night they all slept in the same bed -- Lisia, Cobweb and the pearl between them.

Earlier in the evening Morro had brought up a light dinner. Despite the quickness of the delivery, once the coffee wore off, Lisia was too tired to do much talking, and so aside from a few brief discussions the new parents had both been quiet.

It was past midnight and Cobweb had been sleeping when something roused him. He opened his eyes to find Lisia propped up on his elbows. He was worried about something, Cobweb sensed through their bond.

"What is it?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Lisia was startled, not aware Cobweb had woken. "Oh, hmmmm, nothing." He let himself fall back to the mattress.

Cobweb looked across the bed and then reached out to stroke his chesnari's cheek. "Nothing? No, this I don't believe. Come on, what is it?"

Lisia was still staring at the ceiling when he replied. "I have to go."

"Have to go where?"

"To the bathroom."

Lisia's tone was serious, but Cobweb couldn't help but chuckle. "You're worried about going to the bathroom?"

"No, I'm worried about leaving the pearl!"

Now Cobweb was understanding the matter, at least to a certain extent. "Well, the pearl won't be alone, it'll be with me. I'm just as warm as you are, dear."

Lisia, who all night had been wedged directly against the pearl, shifted onto his side and curled around it. "Yes, but I don't feel I should be separated."

"That's--" Cobweb began, then stopped himself. He was going to say such a fear was "silly" but in this case, he realized suddenly, it was understandable. This was a hostling who had never been allowed to incubate his pearls.

"That's alright," Cobweb corrected himself. "If you really don't want to leave it here with me, how about if I come with you and hold it in the blanket right next to you while you go?"

It was dark in the room but Cobweb could tell Lisia's expression had brightened. He felt it. "That... well, maybe that would work. I'm glad you're awake!"

"You're not alone in this, Lis," Cobweb said and Lisia scooped the pearl, with blanket, into his arms. They left the bedroom together.

A week later they had worked out all the mechanics of incubation. Three days into it, Lisia grew comfortable enough that he left the bed for the bathroom on his own, leaving the pearl with Cobweb. By the fifth day he was occasionally coming out of bed to sit in the window seat or the armchair, or even to pace around the room. Occasionally he did this with Cobweb and the pearl in bed, while most of the time, he had held his precious bundle in his arms or tucked securely against his body.

While Lisia retreated completely from the outside world, Cobweb served as a buffer, handling the servants as they came by with food or simply to visit with Lisia. There were other matters to be attended, like a thought transference call to Immanion to let Swift and Seel in on the happy news. Another call was made to Harling Gardens, where Cobweb reached Pansea, who was delirious with happiness for his long-time mentor and friend.

Cobweb arranged for Opal's old crib to be brought down from storage. Setting the crib down next to the bed, Cobweb envisioned times when he and Lisia would want the bed all to themselves. Even if that hadn't been a desire, the crib was a showplace for the gray harling blanket Lisia completed during the week. Inspired by the handiwork and restless with the waiting and lack of activity, Cobweb had taken some silver gray fabric and sewn a set of stuffed bumpers as well as a tiny cat-shaped doll. The harling would have the perfect little nest.

On the morning of the eighth day, Cobweb awoke to find Lisia propped up on his elbows, hunched over and staring under the blankets.

"What is it, Lis?" he asked, shifting onto his side. "Is it time?"

Lisia nodded once, then glanced up quickly. "Very soon. I've been up for hours."

Cobweb sat up fully and drew away the blanket. There on the bed lay their pearl, the shell brittle and now, as he watched, beginning to break. A feeling of wonder and love filled his heart. Swift's hatching had taken place outside his presence.

It took almost an hour before the harling broke out of the shell completely. They had decided in advance that they wouldn't intervene, even if it meant a longer wait until they could hold him. The two of them sat opposite one another on the bed, holding hands and sniffling on and off, dealing with tears of joy.

Finally the top of the shell was completely broken and the brown hair of the harling was fully visible. "Can I take him?" Lisia asked.

Cobweb nodded and, with that, his chesnari picked their son out of the shell and into his arms.

"Aghama!" Lisia cried suddenly, looking the infant over.

Cobweb, sidling over, tried to see what Lisia was exclaiming about. "What is it?"

It was then that Lisia turned the child around completely to face his father. "He has my hair!"

Indeed this was true. The harling also had something else of Lisia's, Cobweb noted to his delight: His jade green eyes.

Together they cuddled the harling between them. He was absolutely beautiful. Recognizing their voices, silent and spoken, from their many conversations prior to his birth, he was comfortable with them from the very start. In his expression there was a look of wisdom they both noticed and remarked upon separately.

By the time Phlaar came in, twenty minutes afterward, to look the child over, they had come up with a name for the harling: Sage.

Two days later Swift, Seel and Opal arrived back from their trip to find Cobweb and Lisia at the dining room table having dinner. In Lisia's arms was a mewling bundle of soft gray wool, which upon closer inspection, Swift found, was his new half brother.

"He looks just like you!" Swift exclaimed as he laid on eyes on Sage's large green eyes and caramel hair. "He even has--"

"My blond stripe," Lisia interrupted gently, smiling. "Yes, I know."

Swift looked over to Cobweb, who was also smiling. "Isn't he beautiful?" his hostling asked, gesturing for them all to sit.

Opal pressed up to Lisia to have a look. "You want to see?" Lisia hugged Sage closer, making room for Opal to scoot up into his lap.

"Pretty!" Opal exclaimed, gently stroking the harling's cheek. "Really pretty."

Lisia beamed at Cobweb with the pride of a parent. It was the first time in his life that he had truly been able to do so.