Sorrow of the Wind

[Summerstream]

It was dusk by the time Summerstream was steering Vinda through the planes near Geffen with her sons sitting in front of her, the half-fae paladin's voice sounding softly on the wind as she spoke. She was recounting the events of the day in Nifleheim to make the long trip seem less boring. Tyr, the brown-haired boy had been excitedly asking his mother questions while Freyr sat quietly leaning against his mother's torso listening to the story of the events that had unfolded.

“Was it scary, mummy?” Freyr asked, looking up at his mother's face with wide eyes.

“Oh yes. But I have no reason to be scared of such things.” Summerstream responded, and patted the boy on the head as she steered Vinda with her knees. She had intentionally left out mention of the voice that called himself Ra. She passively fingered the light green blessed headdress that she wore, and reflected for a few short minutes after pushing her glasses up. Her wings twitched behind her every so often, hindered by the weight of her deep blue cloak.

“What did Rimino teach you two today?” Summerstream asked after a long silence. Freyr's slow, steady breathing told her that the boy was asleep, so she was taking an easier path than she would normally as to not wake him.

“What she normally does... But I don't want to learn the sword. I want to learn what Mister knows.” Tyr recounted, huffing. “And you won't ever teach us how to use weapons!” Summerstream sighed quietly. It certainly wasn't the first time they've had this conversation. She glanced down at the boy, and slowed Vinda to a slow trot, then to a stop. She looked around, then up at the sky.

“Tyr, dismount,” Summerstream told the boy, nudging Vinda to sit. The young boy listened, sliding off the back of the peco. Summerstream got off too, carrying Freyr before she sat him on Vinda's back, leaning him against the bird's neck so he had a spot to sleep. “Come, sit with me.” She unclipped her cloak from her armor, and laid it out on the grass so they had a place to sit. Tyr sat with his knees held to his chest, pouting grumpily. Summerstream sat beside him, and breathed out.

“I've told you this before, Tyr... I'm teaching you in the same way that I was taught when I was younger.” Summerstream pulled her son a bit closer until he was leaning against her torso. She stroked his head gently, and looked to the sky. “I teach you in this way now, so that you have the agility and speed already developed for when you are older.”

“But how do you end fights if all you rely on is speed? You don't move fast in armour!” Tyr retorted, causing Summerstream to laugh softly. She patted the boy on the head before she smiled. Tyr looked up at his mother with a bewildered look on his face.

“If you have to rely on armour to win a fight, you are not a very good warrior, Tyr.” Summerstream breathed out with a gentle smile on her face. “In a real fight, you need to use your wits. It's not all about brute force, you know. And believe me, I did complain about the process too.”

She continued. “My teacher once told me when I complained about wanting to practice with various weapons that the fastest sword does not need to be drawn. There is a way to resolve a vast majority of conflicts without once drawing a sword. “However, if we only rely on learning how to use a sword, it puts us at a disadvantage when we want to deal with a situation without hurting each other.” She saw that Tyr was tilting his head at her when she looked down. Summerstream then pointed at the sky. Tyr looked up.

“Tyr, each one of those stars is said to house a warrior's soul. Each warrior knew how to resolve things with peace. Right now, I am teaching you how to resolve a fight without drawing blood. When the time comes, I will teach you how to use a sword. That time is not now.”

“Okay, Mummy.” Tyr said with a slight nod before he yawned.

“You're tired, hmm? Let's go home... I'm sure Sophie is waiting for us to return.” Summerstream stood up and reattached her cape to her armour as Tyr went back to Vinda. She helped Tyr sit in front of her, then gently pulled Freyr to lean against her cloak that she wore. Her hand gently stroked the hair of her sons as she rode quietly into Geffen and steered towards her home.

Once the twins were tucked into bed, Summerstream wearily settled down on her bed and rubbed her temple. She could feel her head throbbing from earlier in the day. Ignoring her growling stomach, she decided to lay on her stomach and go to sleep.

She could work on the report for the Swordsman Association in the morning.