[i]Althalus[/i]

He shrugged again at Mar’s raised eyebrow. He hadn’t expected anything less. However, she surprised him when she snapped her head backwards to look at him, clearly troubled by the idea that Lyn’s blood wasn’t from either of them. He, personally, was untroubled by the fact. Lyn was already unusual in a variety of ways. What was one more? Still, as Mar voiced her dislike, Althalus turned his palms up and gave a small shrug in a ‘what can you do?’ gesture. “As long as she doesn’t start shooting lightning bolts, spitting fire, or raising the dead, I assume that she’ll remain relatively normal in her magical abilities. Then again, I can’t say I would be overly surprised if she showed talents for another mage blood as well. Seeing as she’s two months old and looks like she’s six years old, I can safely say I can’t be surprised by her anymore.”

A small chuckle escaped him as Lyn displayed her eagerness at seeing ‘Aunt Alaira’. For someone with all the destructive tendencies of a lightning storm, Alaira absolutely adored Lyn. Briefly, his face clouded as he remembered the lengths she was willing to go for his child. He took Lyn, suspiciously watching her toy, and smiled as Mar went off into a small list of all the things he needed to do for Lyn. Despite her best efforts, he noticed, she was slowly changing. He also noticed her distress at this fact, but mentioned neither. If she ever wanted to bring the subject up, he would be waiting. But trying to bring it up for her would be…painful, to say the least. “Meet you in the Dining Hall, make sure she eats meat, teach her more about the art of sneaking,” privately, Althalus decided to keep her from going on an actual hunt for a while yet, ”and make sure she doesn’t climb on the angry half-demon Demonomancer teacher or anything else that might strike her fancy. Got it.”

Before he left, he impulsively leant down and kissed Mar on the cheek, winking at her as he turned to leave. “Alright you maniacal gardener, let’s go visit your favorite Aunt.” 

Althalus very nearly tripped and fell over the crossbow box standing right outside his door. Luckily for all parties involved, he managed to catch himself. “Who just leaves a-Oh! My crossbow!” He gave the now wriggling and eagerly reaching towards her Aunt (toy still tightly grasped), Lyn to Alaira. “Here. Take her before she leaps out of my arms and tries to tackle you. Also, she’s a herbamancer with a tendency to fill her parents’ bed with thorn bushes. [i]Curved[/i] thorn bushes.” Picking up the box, he set it out of the way so Mar didn’t run into it, and watched Alaira with Lyn. Quietly he said, “Thank you for saving them.”