Sadrahan’s return to his daughter was met with her bright, shining face spread open to show her little red tongue and a little wiggle to her body as if she were trying to rise to greet him. He scooped her up in a single hand, taking care with his claws so that they closed around her rather than into her, the warmth and life coursed through her body and he could feel the pounding heart pulsing through her back.

She had the delicate looking features of her mother in the face, right down to the little sparkle in her eye that he never found in any other demon that he’d ever met. Though now, having seen more demons than he’d ever seen before, he was compelled to admit, ‘I haven’t had many examples… but still, who could ever compare to my Lamash, except for our Lamashi?’

Looking at her that way, he lost himself in the memories of the times that helped to create her… ‘That time we brought down a bear together… and lay together on the fur after we skinned it. The first tree we planted, she warned me not to carry it in one hand, and I was so cocksure and proud I ignored her, only for the top to tilt too much and split against that stupid rock… she scolded me for that one…’ He brushed the back of his claw against Lamashi’s cheek, “I think you were made under that tree not twenty years after we planted it. I wonder if the humans cut it down? Even if they didn’t, they will one day…”

Bloody tears began to form in his eyes and it blurred his vision of the wiggling infant. “You’re growing bigger, little one, I swear you’re twice the size you were when you tore yourself free and cried out in the sky… tell me, should I have killed the humans out there? If I asked myself that even not so long ago, I’d have said no. But now? If it weren’t for the potential usefulness of the two who spoke up, I would have done it. It wouldn’t have brought your mother back, I know that. But I-” he stopped, the bloody tears so filled his eyes that they dripped from his hunched over face and splashed down onto her cheeks creating little red rivers that slid down her skin as if they were her tears rather than his.

She began to weep, and he clutched her closer to himself, choked noises that weren’t quite words reverberated against the empty cave walls, and her little infant cry, jagged and harsh, meant only one thing for sure. ‘Feed me.’

Sadrahan wiped his eyes clean with the back of his arm and reached out to the pale goatskin that would hold the mix of blood and water he used in place of his wife’s ability to nurse. He closed his hand around the lip and picked it up, only to find it far too light.

“Great. Empty.” He snapped and rocked her gently.

“Empty.”

“Empty…”

“Empty….”

The walls said back to him.

Lamashi cried on and the noise of it was like knives ripping over his skin.

As he looked around for a backup, he heard a voice at his back.

“I can help.” Liln said, and Sadrahan turned around with Lamashi still squealing and wiggling.

“She has strong lungs.” Liln said as she approached, one foot slowly falling in front of the other, “She’ll be a mighty demoness one day. Like her father.”

Sadrahan snorted. “No. Like her mother.” He said and looked down at his daughter’s face, the little fangs were still growing in, ‘It will be time for her to start on soft meat soon…’ He noted.

“You underrate yourself. You and she are both alive. That’s more than most can say. I was talking with the other demons in the wagons, not one child under ten is alive.” Liln said to him, “May I?” She asked and held out her arms to the struggling infant.

Sadrahan nodded, mute, and held her out with slow care, but Liln proved an expert at handling the little thing, and as smooth as the red tears of Sadrahan slid over the face of Lamashi, Liln had the infant in her arms, opened the front of her shirt, and brought the infant to her breast.

The crying ceased and the noise of quiet suckling was, for several minutes, the only one in the cave until Sadrahan spoke again.

“We’re alive because of my wife.” He admitted, and relayed the story of Lamashi’s birth in fire and sky, and of his flight to save her life. When he finished, Liln was quiet.

“She was… something else. No wonder…” She said and put her hand out to rest on his bicep. A thrill ran through her veins when she felt the heat beneath his solid flesh. “Promise me something, will you, My Lord?”

“What?” He asked, her soft, barely whispered request barely registered to his ears, and he used the same tone in return.

“Keep that story to yourself… just between you and I. I know why you won’t accept me despite it being… so practical, I understand it now. But keep it secret from the rest. Even her.” She said and brushed her hand through Lamashi’s sprouting dark hair. “If she learns what happened before she is of age, she’ll blame herself for her mother’s death. That’s how children are, they’re naturally convinced that they’re the center of the world and that everything that happens revolves around them. Tell that story in such a way that it comes back to her, and she’ll blame herself for most of her life.”

Sadrahan sucked in his breath and nodded. “I understand.” He swallowed and watched the child nurse against the breast of the radiant demoness, and for a moment he couldn’t resist, he closed his eyes and sat down, listening as Liln did the same, he let himself pretend that it was Lamashi’s mother there instead.

‘Liln seems a little bit like her, clever and strong. The sort of demoness my father said I should have for a companion.’ He almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his circumstances as he tallied all that had taken place in only a handful of weeks.

It was only when the silence drew out too long as the feeding went on that he addressed her again. “I thought you were going to be helping the others.” He said, and she cocked her head toward him.

“How long do you think it’s been? That was hours ago, My Lord. The humans are busy building their shelter and Batagan set a guard rotation for them-” She said, but Sadrahan interjected.

“Do you think they’ll try to escape, or someone will try to rescue them?” He asked and turned a protective glance toward the cave entrance.

“No. The villagers were all questioned, none of them are expecting a rescue, they’re all nothing but homeless fourth or fifth sons and daughters with no inheritance… whatever that indicates for them, but they all say nobody will care if they live or die. It could be a lie, but who would lie about that?” Liln spat onto the stone, the splat was fierce enough to give off a faint echo of her disgust.

“And escape?” Sadrahan asked.

“They’re being guarded against us. Batagan seems smart, he thinks someone vengeful will try to burn the building down with the humans in it. He’s right, not that I blame him. If it weren’t coming from you, I’d kill them all myself.” Liln bit her lip sharp enough to draw a drop of blood, holding back invectives in the presence of her Lord.

“If I didn’t need to know more about these ‘cities’ and had another option, I’d have been happy to work them until they dropped. We may still have to get rid of them… we don’t want the humans to know just where we are. Not until we are fully prepared to defend ourselves.” Sadrahan said.

“Do you think we’ll have to fight?” Liln asked.

“I don’t know, but if we do, we will never lose again. The humans are so many… Midas the Younger said that a city was a hundred villages, and they have at least one. Plus they have those not settlements… forts. And the mine I took the others from… the humans are organized and their metal shirts are good against some attempts at hurting them… Lamash would say better to be ready and not have to, than to have to and not be ready.” Sadrahan said to her as the suckling noise began to taper off.

“She was wise… we’ll be well prepared for winter at least, even if no villages come to us by then. But the walkers who went out, they have a long way to travel, and with the winter winds and snows?” She shook her head, “I don’t think any demon will fly through the storms if they don’t have to. Not with all their things on their back. But at least they’ll have been given warnings about the humans, with living proof on burned and slit winged backs. Whether they listen or not, that’s more than we got.” Liln said with a bitter hiss, and plucked Lamashi from her breast to pass the infant back to Sadrahan.

“Yes, it is. We’ll just have to hope it’s enough.” Sadrahan said, and quietly rocked Lamashi until she fell back into another deep sleep with an innocent smile on her face.