Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 48: Family, Love, and Freedom

"I think so. We have clothes, small blankets. Cold Hammer made me a sling so I can carry him on my back."

He nodded, waited a minute and then pulled a sack to him that he'd laid on the table earlier today. She hadn't thought much about it, assuming he had food or something in it, but now, as he reached inside of it, she saw it was not food.

"I am no wood carver, but I thought this would be a nice gift for your family, so I had Beren do it." Lohke handed it over to her. It looked like a wooden plank of some sort, but as she flipped it, she found an intricately carved pattern and, etched deep in the wood, three names: Tekhana, Sheobulf, and Andol. It was carved as a family tree, their names paired with their son below it. She drew her fingers across it, a light scent of cedar and freshly cut wood hanging in the air.

She hadn't told him the name they'd chosen for their son, but Cold Hammer must've because it was plastered below hers and Tekhana. It was no surprise, Lohke probably knew every secret that passed between her and Cold Hammer. "It's beautiful." She beamed at him. If he wanted forgiveness this was a step in the right direction. "What if we have more children?"

Lohke laughed, "We'll add new planks below it."

She chuckled and set it down on the table, running her hands across it. "You used his real name."

"The name he gives to his family and those he trusts. His family should have his real name on their family tree." She smiled and didn't disagree with his words. She glanced towards the wall, her mind already considering where to place the gift on the wall, when Lohke spoke again, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"I was just curious, when did he tell you his real name?"

That was a curious question indeed. "The first time I told him I loved him." And right before they made love. "Why?"

"I'm just not sure the last time he told someone his name. Of course there are several Killerfrosts that know it, but he won't even let anyone that isn't close to him use anything but Cold Hammer. I was surprised, especially with you being human, even though I could see the way he was around you, the way he was changing, I was still surprised."

"He won't let anyone use the name?"

"By won't I mean I've seen him slam an orc into the dirt by his throat for using it."

"Why?"

"It was the name his parents gave him. He was close to them both. He loved them both. And he had to listen to them scream his name as they died."

"He what?" She had been looking down at the plank but at those words she jerked her head up to look at him.

Lohke looked sympathetic at her reaction. "You should probably talk to him about this, not me."

"Why?"

"Because it's the reason he hates humans."

"I thought..." she paused, "I thought when you were taken as a boy caused his hate."

"That's only one part of it." He said solemnly. Her heart ached in her chest. She'd known for some time now that Cold Hammer's family had been killed by humans, but she'd never asked about it. There'd been a few moments when she'd considered it, but honestly, they had so much grief around them both, she was loathe to bring it up. Bringing up the past, before they'd met, wasn't something either of them did much. There was too much pain there. Her family's death, his wrongdoings...some things were better left unsaid between them.

"Will you tell me what happened to them?" She asked him quietly.

"Sheobulf, this is really something he needs to answer-"