Count Only The Happy Hours

Part 1: III

Vivec could feel his eyes glaze over, despite his best efforts, but Sil was paying rapt attention. He looked down as the spider gave a little shudder before going still in his hands. "Oh, is it okay?"

"Of course," Dumac said with a loud laugh. "It's just metal, after all. Prototypes are just meant to demonstrate what the real thing can do, so it doesn't hold much of a charge. You any good with lightning?"

"Yes, very." Modesty was not an innate trait in the young mer, but Dumac seemed pleased by his bluntness.

"Give it a little shock. Not too much."

Sil looked up at him, then back down at the spider. A flash of lightning sparked in his hands, and the spider was alive again, skittering out of his palms and back onto the table. "So there's something in it that channels the electricity into making the parts move?"

" Yes , exactly. If you..."

"Fascinating as this is," Alandro cut in, smooth as anything, "we still have the specifics of numbers and locations we need to go over. While I don't think a Nord attack will happen immediately , I'd like to know how quickly we can have these metal things ready to go up above ground."

"Alandro's right. Strategy first," Nerevar said, giving a nod.

"Of course." Even with his agreement, Dumac gave Sil a grin. "Why don't you keep that for yourself? Be helpful to have someone who knows a thing or two about mechanics up here." He waved his hand as Alandro cleared his throat, loudly and obviously. "Yes, yes, let's talk about numbers ."

Sil's eyes were huge , and he scooped up the spider with more wonder than Vivec had yet seen from the ever-serious boy. He tried to listen to the actual strategizing, but it was much more fun watching Sil make the little spider run back and forth with the tiniest lightning bolts. If he didn't know any better, he'd even think that young Sil was having fun.

Imagine that.

It was very late by the time the strategizing (and drinking, and storytelling, and chatting) wrapped up, and yet Vivec managed to wake obscenely early. It was cruel and unusual, really, and he couldn't believe his own body would betray him like this.

Still, tossing and turning wouldn't do any good, and he did always write his best when in a bit of a haze. Now might be a good time to edit his full account of the battle. He got up and stretched, looking over to make sure he hadn't woken Sil. But the bedroll was neatly made, without a young mer inside it.

A small seed of panic fell heavily into Vivec's stomach, and he lurched out of the tent. Where had he gone? He couldn't have lost him , could he? It'd only been a few hours. No one could have snatched him, right? Not with everyone here, so then where...?

"So Nall's your sister, right?"

Vivec froze between his tent and the war room as he overheard Nerevar. He was up, too? Well, that shouldn't be too surprising; the mer had always been an early-riser. Impressive that he did so after cavorting half the night. But this was good. He'd tell Neht that Sil was missing and...

"Mm. She would always convince me to go on 'adventures' with her. Said it was good for me to get in some trouble." A puff that was nearly a laugh followed. "I think she and Vivec would get...would have gotten along."
Vivec practically melted into a puddle of relief as he heard Sil's voice, nearly as quiet as the metallic tings accompanying it. He was safe. Safe with Nerevar even, which was probably the safest he could be. By the Three, though, he certainly understood parents quite a bit better now.

He dropped onto a rock just outside the canopied room, gathering his wits as he listened. If he leaned back a bit, he could catch a glimpse of the two of them. Nerevar–cradling a steaming cup and sporting shadows under his eyes–was watching Sil as he fiddled with the spider, while the boy's focus was entirely on his task.