Chapter 28 (Epilogue)

Four months later, as spring approached, little Sage was beginning to toddle about, the flowers were readying to bloom, and Lisia and Cobweb knew it was time for the family to make the shift back up north to Harling Gardens. They had happily made Galhea their home, but Lisia had another home and a dedication to his career as strong as his dedication to being a hostling.

As they departed on their journey, Sage was anxious, pulled away from everything and everyone he had come to know, but a few minutes snuggled in the sling Lisia had fastened about his body let him quickly know that he was safe. By the time their horses reached the edge of the city, the young harling had fallen asleep.

The family traveled at a leisurely pace, blessed with good weather, showers falling mainly in the evening. Along the way, the towns they stayed in were friendly with comfortable lodgings, with which both Cobweb and Lisia were familiar, having made regular travels along the route. In the last inn on their journey, the innkeeper and his partner recognized Lisia from a previous stay and gave them the best room in the house. In that same town, several hara who had attended classes at the school approached Lisia with congratulations on the birth of his harling. Though just as often in Cobweb's arms as Lisia's, Sage now resembled his hostling even more strongly than he had upon hatching.

Arriving at Harling Gardens, Cobweb immediately felt a sense of welcome. Effrana, who happened to be outside as they came up the drive, waved to them and called out a welcome. This truly was their second home.

That evening all the staff and their children gathered for a common meal. Sage received no end of attention, everyone doting on him and pumping Lisia for all the details of the birth. In telling the story, Lisia was effusive in his gratitude to Cobweb, describing him as the perfect hosting and birth support, plus of course father. Cobweb protested gently but was flattered and pleased all the same.

It was late that night, after an evening about the school, catching up with old friends, that Cobweb brought out the two bottles of fine wine sent along by Yarrow. Except for Sage, who was now sleeping curled in an armchair, all the harlings, Ivy and Pansea's five included, had gone to bed. The rest of the staff lived in other wings of the building, so it was just Lisia, Pansea and Ivy sitting up for a drink and little more conversation.

All glasses poured, Cobweb proposed a toast: "To our families." They raised their glasses, chinked them together, and took a sip.

"To Sage," Pansea added next, beginning the second toast.

"To Sage," Cobweb agreed, raising his glass to the corner, where the harling was still sound asleep.

With another sip it was Lisia's turn to add a toast, this one more somber. "To all my other sons," he said, addressing the air. "I will never know you, but I wish you well."

With the think chink of glass, the last toast was left to Ivy. Cobweb noticed him looking slightly uncomfortable, shifting his glace from Lisia to his chesnari. Cobweb realized he might have been reminded of his own origins, for he himself had been born as part of the breeding program.

"To all hostlings," Ivy offered quietly.

All of them smiled but something was still troubling Ivy, whose expression almost instantly faded. Pansea, evidently tuned into Ivy's unease, reached out for his chesnari's hand. Ivy set down his glass on the side table.

It was left to Lisia to ask what was the matter. "I'm sorry, Ivy, are you all right?"

Ivy nodded non-committally.

Lisia set down his glass and looked at over at his friend, who now looked as though he was about to cry. "Was it my toast that upset you?" he asked, voice full of sympathy. "I didn't mean to but... Oh, I'm sorry... Does it make you think of your own hostling?"

"Yes," Ivy suddenly sobbed.

Lisia quickly hopped out of his chair and next to Ivy onto the sofa. Draping his arm over Ivy's back, he gave him a hug. "Oh, dear... I know, I know... we all have that pain..." Lisia was rubbing the back of Ivy's head, Ivy having falling over sideways into Lisia's lap as he continued to cry. "Not knowing your parents. It's horrible, isn't it?"

Suddenly Ivy tensed and then, just as quickly, calmed. His crying trailed off. "No," he said quietly, his voice marking a transition. "It's not... horrible."

Pansea, sitting on the other side of the sofa, next to Lisia, reached out to stroke Ivy's back, but his chesnari quickly pulled himself upright to face Lisia. "It's not horrible because--" and here his mouth hung open, then closed as he swallowed, then opened, "because I know who my parents are."

Then, without warning, he flung himself against Lisia, gripping him in a fierce embrace. "Lis, you're my hostling!"

Nearly immediately, he began to sob, as did Lisia. "Oh my... oh, Ivy!" His own arms came up around so that he and his son formed a circle of arms. "Oh, Ivy," he shuddered, "I can't... I didn't know..."

"It's all right," Ivy murmured. "I've known it for a long time. I looked in the records when I reached my Feybraiah. I'm one of your sons."

It was a good five minutes before either hostling or child could stop crying. Holding each other close, they spoke simple words that, to one another, meant a great deal.

"I wanted to tell you so badly, but I didn't think you'd want to know, I thought you'd be--"

"I know, I know," Lisia interrupted, "but I'm glad you've told me now."

"Do you know when I most wanted to tell you?" Ivy asked, wiping his eyes as he pulled away slightly.

"When?" Lisia asked.

"When I was delivering Autumn. As soon as I expelled the pearl I thought, 'Oh, this is horrible, how could they have taken the pearl away?' I don't know how they could have done that to you, Lis."

"I don't know either," Lisia told him. "Now that I've seen all these harlings born... it seems like that was another life."

Finally they had passed through the heart of the matter and were able to talk again. Pansea told Lisia the story of how he and Ivy had come to know one another, the awkward episode that ensued when Pansea mistakenly thought Ivy desired Lisia as his first aruna partner -- all because Ivy had been asking questions about Lisia. Now they could all laugh about it together.

"So," Lisia said, pouring himself another glass of wine, a raising it to Cobweb in a mini-toast. "To Ivy!" He drank a sip and smiled, tears having faded away. "It seems I have another son, beloved. You're a step-father!"

"I can drink to that," Cobweb said. "More of a family here than ever, it seems."

Once all the wine was gone, Ivy and Pansea said goodnight and went down the hall. Lisia carefully lifted still-sleeping Sage off the chair. Cobweb went with them to their bedroom. They slept well, feeling contentment -- in every sense of the word.

THE END