The Children // ASSASSINS CREED ODYSSEY // DEIMOS

C49: The Warmth

"Calm down" Eos said quietly - they weren't expecting any visitors but, panicking wasn't going to help them. Holding the baby close, Eos watched as Alexios had moved towards the door, grabbing his sword off the table. Since the birth, they had moved to the house next door, already putting them out of reach of a couple of men Alexios had spotted passing the house in the middle of the night.

Kassandra had followed the first and returned with some news on the Order - which consisted of them only wanting to keep an eye on where they were, and the second of which Alexios had followed and returned with nothing... Kassandra had said that, from what she'd learned, there was nothing to worry about. Amorges was sticking to his plan of letting Eos come to him, but, Alexios hadn't mentioned what he'd done to the second man. And, Eos hadn't asked. She already knew.

Alexios was stood near the door now, not knowing if the silence outside worried him even more. Alexios had glanced back at Eos and she'd stood up, bouncing Iris so that quivering bottom lip didn't turn in to anything more.

"Who is it" Alexios asked,

"An old friend" the voice replied. Eos sighed and looked down at Iris, the quivering lip having been replaced by a very curious face.

"You have to watch out for this one, okay" she warned her quietly. The baby tilted her head and Eos looked back up as Alexios opened the door to Darius.

"Welcome back" Alexios said, whether he meant it to be as harsh as it was, Darius didn't care to notice,

"I have news" the old man said as he stepped in, Alexios closing the door behind him, "but I did expect Kassandra to be here",

"She's back tonight" Eos told him, taking her seat again.

"Agh, is this the little one" Darius asked, spotting the wriggling baby in Eos' arms,

"It is" Eos held her up, Alexios watching tentatively as Eos struggled that little bit, her arms hurting as the the baby scrunched up her face, as if she was scrutinizing Darius and not taking a poop as the old man came over to see hr.

"And do they have a name" Darius asked,

"Iris, I think" Eos said. Darius smiled and then looked to Alexios,

"A messenger of the Gods" Darius said, he smiled, Eos raised her brow, "do you remember what I told you" the old man asked, Eos looked to Alexios as well.

"You were right" Alexios admitted. Darius smiled as he turned back to Eos and then held his arms out. True to form, Iris reached out an arm too... honestly, if you were going to hold her, she was all yours... until she was hungry - or sleepy - and then, only mater or pater could get any sense out of her.

Eos let her go to him.

"It's been a long time since I held a baby" Darius said, he bounced her in his arms, "you forget how small they are".

"What news do you bring Darius" Eos asked, she knew Alexios was in no mood for small talk.

"Nothing of real interest" he said, other than what Kassandra had found that night a few weeks before, there was no real news.

"What" Alexios asked,

"There's no sign of them Alexios" Darius said as he turned back to him "there were a group of men in Messenia but, their gone",

"Gone" Alexios asked,

"Yes" Darius said, he went to say something more but, Alexios wouldn't let him,

"How can they-",

"Listen to him" Eos told him, Alexios glared at her for a small second. Eos had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, some things never changed.