He didn't hesitate, the moment mother settled to the floor and opened her forelegs he launched himself forward like a missile. Màthair! he exclaimed again, as though she'd somehow forgotten who she was in the last thirty seconds. He shoved himself beneath her chin tail beating wildly against the floorboards. If she wanted cuddles, then cuddles she would get. The boy pressed himself shamelessly against her chest, soaking up the familiar scent of home beneath all the blood and smoke and strange magic.

"Now tha' i's nae so cold, ah'll be able tae take ye kids outside fer proper lessons. You'll be ahead o' everyone else 'den, aye?" his crimson ears perked immediately, Really? he gaped. Can we hunt rabbits? An' deer? An' badgers? he paused. Maybe not badgers A thoughtful frown crossed his face.

...Maybe one badger

"Saved th' world an ah great big guy chained tae an island." his attention would snap back the instant she mentioned saving the world. The world. he only stared, You saved th' world? he repeated with immense awe. That was the coolest thing he'd ever heard. "Mythris is properly balanced again." his eyes grew wider and wider as she explained, and somewhere beside him Lichen was asking sensible questions while Kobold was focused entirely on the fact that his mother had apparently fought gods and balanced reality itself.

Did ya kill anybody? he asked again. "Yer siblings, Did'ya see where they went?" he blinked, No...ah thought they were w' you the answer felt wrong in his mouth as a faint knot formed somewhere in his chest.

"Are ye hungry? Thirsty? Everythin' oh-kay?" Yeah but...we gotta go get Honor an' Grim first wherever they were.

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