After doing Breeding Discontent and then Contentment, I still hadn't gotten enough of Lisia and Cobweb, so I launched into yet another sequel. While this story is much less of a saga than either of the other two two stories, instead telling only a very short story, I really enjoyed it and felt it capped off the relationship between Lisia and Cobweb quite nicely.

Alternate Universe Note
This story was written when Breeding Discontent existed as an online fan fiction novel, essentially a draft. It was also written prior to the publication of Wraiths of Will and Pleasure and any new Wraeththu novels. Because of this, it's become an "alternate universe" fic that's not entirely consistent, and in fact contradicts, what is now "canon."

Characters
Cobweb, Lisia (original character from BD), harlings at Forever, Seel, Swift, and Cal.

Spoilers
Containers spoilers for Bewitchments of Love and Hate (Book 2) and Fulfilments of Fate and Desire (Book 3) in the Wraeththu trilogy.

Chapter 1

For Cobweb it was a rude awakening, startled from sleep by a sharp tug to his hair. Instinctively he jerked his head away and flailed for the offending hand. Fortunately he opened his eyes before managing to make any contact.

"Oh, sorry, Lilia," he apologized. "I didn't think you'd wake up. Not surprising, though -- more energy than your hostling!"

Lilia, nestled in Cobweb's lap, looked back at his hostling quizzicaly, still holding a lock of black hair in his small fist.

Clucking his tongue, Cobweb disentangled himself. "Dear silly harling, Cobweb's hair is attached to his head, so no tugging, understand?"

When Lilia started to try getting at the hair with his other hand, Cobweb was not surprised. At only three days hatched, Lilia was unlikely to understand words. Still, because learning language was a matter of practice, Cobweb spoke to his harling almost as he would to anyone else.

"Gah!" Lilia exclaimed, frustrated as he now attempted to pull on Cobweb's silver necklace, only to have his hand intercepted.

Cobweb took the little hand and kissed it. "No, my pearl, just to look, not to touch. You must learn to be good. Sage did it, so can you."

"Sage!" Lisia erupted, as if one cue, from somewhere down the hall. "Oh, by the Aghama, what have you DONE?"

Immediately Cobweb caught a wave of surprise and exasperation from his bondmate. Although there was no specific message, Cobweb knew that soon a certain harling would be brought into the bedroom for a scolding. He straightened up, arranging the cushions on the loveseat, where he and Lilia had both fallen asleep in the warm afternoon sun.

Half a minute later, Lisia burst into the room hauling two-year-old Sage behind him. "Come on, Sage, show your father just what you've done!"

Arms quickly hugging Lilia, to keep him steady, Cobweb burst out laughing. "Oh... my!" he laughed. "Now that's a change!"

Sage, quite apparently of his own initiative, had given himself a haircut. While a few clumps of long hair dangled down in front of his ears and over his shoulders, most of it had been lopped off, at about medium length, completely uneven. For the benefit of his hostling, the harling was looking down at the ground, but for his father, Sage was smiling secretly.

"Cobweb!" Lisia admonished. "How can you sit there giggling! Look what he's done to his beautiful hair!"

Although he would probably never admit it, seeing his bondmate so upset gave Cobweb a certain amount of pleasure. Lisia was normally so taciturn and diplomatic; thrown off guard, his cheeks flushed and even if the matter were of little consequence, he exhibited a certain fire that was eminently attractive.

"Seems he played barber on himself," Cobweb said finally, stifling his laughter. "See what your older brother has done, Lilia? Maybe he didn't want little harlings grabbing it, eh?" Flipping the small body around to face away from him, Cobweb bounced Lilia on his knee.

"I did do it for Lilia, though!" Sage blurted out suddenly, scurrying forward. Lisia stayed where he was, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Cobweb asked, still bouncing Sage.

Even though Sage's small face was serious, small harling that he was, his face was still the picture of sweetness as he spoke. "I thought he might be jealous of all my hair, since he only has a little bit, so I cut mine!"

Cobweb couldn't stifle a laugh. "That's lovely, dear, but don't you think you ought to ask your parents before you do something like that?"

"Yes," Lisia added, "don't you think so? Scissors are dangerous and your hair was so pretty, Sage. I hate that you cut it."

Sage twisted around to look up at his hostling, his expression suddenly actually contrite. "Oh... ut oh, you're really upset."

Lisia stepped forward, squatted down and tousled the youngster's butchered hair. "No, not really, really upset, but, Sage, I don't like that you cut it. Did you really cut it just because of Lilia?"

On his way to an answer, Sage nodded his head but then shook it uncertainly. "Well, not just because of him."

"Why else?" Cobweb asked, turning Lilia back around and holding him to his chest.

Sage hesitated, looking each of his parents in the eyes in turn. "Well, I also did it because of Uncle Cal."

"What!" Cobweb and Lisia both burst out. "Uncle Cal?"

"Uh huh," Sage said, nodding. "I wanted to look more like him."

Cobweb groaned. "And so you cut your hair." To Lisia he added, veiled in thought, Thank goodness we don't have any bleach or he would have dyed it blond too!

Sage smiled hesitantly. "So is my hair nice?"

At that precise moment, Sage's hair looked like a bird had gone looking for nesting material. "Hmmm," Cobweb considered, "not totally ruined, but I think it might need a little work, a bit of a beauty treatment. Why don't you go along with your hostling? He'll take care of you, I'm sure."

"Will you?" Sage asked. "Make it all smooth? And could you dye--"

"No, no dying, little one," Lisia cut him off, "but I can at least cut it all the same length. Come with me?"

Sage gave Lisia his hand. "OK. I thought I was in trouble."

Lisia sighed, getting to his feet and waving goodbye with his free hand. I'll have dinner brought up here later, he added.

No, Cobweb replied, that's all right. We'll come down.

Lisia shrugged and left the room, Sage tagging behind. Lilia meanwhile had fallen back to sleep.