Cousins (Millaray)
Cutch Crane and his missus, Seregrian returned today to retrieve their daughter, Baniel, after their expedition into the far north. It was late in the afternoon when they arrived, so they decided to quarter in town for the night and spend the rest of the evening with Caladna Greenlake, her husband Claywick Cob, and their wee one Calvin at the orphanage just inside the Staddle Gate. As one might imagine, the evening meal was loud and busy with many voices mixing in several conversations around the tables in the large kitchen. Orphans, adults, and wee ones on laps all sat crowded around the evening meal while the aroma of plain Man-fare wafted around stories of children chasing frogs, an expedition exploring new roads, and a fairy imp who had turned the house nearly upside down with her mostly delightful antics.
Not all of Bainiel’s doings drew gasps of wonder or peals of laughter. A few brought quiet surprise, for they revealed in her a warmth and artistry unusual for one so young. The first tale described her attachment to Calvin, Clay’s and Callie’s little one who, although the same age as Baniel, was normal in not yet being able to crawl. Bainiel seemed to understand that they were the same age and spent much time playing with him, and because of her attention, his interest in the world around him quickened. For his own part, Calvin was fascinated with Bainiel and could not get enough of her presence. The two drew as close as siblings, and although they shared no common blood, they were seen as cousins.
As a guard, of sorts, I approached Baniel’s ‘little hooliganism’ as a need to engage her in more sedate interests. When I was an up-and-coming sprout in the Bogg’s households in Staddle, I remember spending a lot of my time with my colors, and so I naturally turned to them as an answer for Bainiel. I was not at all disappointed. This became a ritual with her taking my hand to explore the different districts of Bree and ask a mountain of questions, then to hurry back to the orphanage with fresh ideas to splash down with various pigments. Trees, animals (especially horses), buildings, and people became the subjects of her little gallery, drawn in her childlike primitive style. These, of course, came to the table that very evening, accompanied by ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ and ‘What’s that, Bainiel?’. Her charming and excited voice would blurt out surprisingly simple but accurate answers.
One piece of art became the major attraction of the evening. From memory, Bainiel had rendered an image of her mother and father, colored in red and blue respectfully, holding hands with Baniel, colored purple, between them. Almost imperceptible in the middle of Seregrian’s form, a tiny smiling face was drawn. It was Bainiel’s mother who spotted it, and as the little one sat in Crane’s lap she answered her mother's questions with easy confidence.
“ADA!’, Bainiel shouted with a playful laugh and a tiny hand slapping her father’s chest when queried about the figure in blue.
“Naneth…”, she cooed, with an endearing tilt of the head towards her mother when asked about the figure in red.
“…. Bainiel!”, she exclaimed with surprise when the child in purple was pointed to.
The little ones confused but smiling face darted back and forth between her parents when Seregrian pointed at the fourth little face.
“Ardanion”, Bainiel replied, quite clearly, and then pointed at Calvin, who gurgled happily at her from Caladna’s lap.
One can tell much from the silent gazes exchanged between married folk, for they intimately know each other and their living union. Crane and Seregrian shared a long look that revealed they were quite content, and equally busy, with one child and were entertaining no notions of another.
… at least not yet.
