She gathered her bags and waved as she walked out. She hummed all the way home. Opening the door she stared at everyone. "Uh, what?"
"You've been gone all day, we were worried." Jordan sighed.
Smacking a hand to her forehead, she sighed and made her way into her library. "Grogek SAW me go out to the Warsong camp."
"Well, yes." Grogek frowned. "But you've also been avoiding EVERYONE in the past few days."
"And several people have asked me when you were going to reschedule." Tulani fidgeted with her skirt.
"So we've been a little concerned with your behavior." Jordan scratched the back of his head. "Baby, we know this hero worship thing has you bugged, but you can't put it off forever."
"We were debating if we should retrieve you from the camp." Tulani admitted.
Elunara flopped down in her desk chair. "And here I was finally feeling good about things. Now I need goddamned babysitters." She kicked her desk. "What, did you think I was going to run off with the zealot?"
"Baby, you have to admit that none of us have seen you act the way you have been the past few days. It's difficult enough to predict your moods, but none of us even know what we're dealing with any more."
"By the light of Elune, you've got to be fucking kidding me!"
"Momma?"
"Is everything ok?"
"Go back to bed." Elunara snapped. She stood up and shoved past everyone.
"Don't you dare take this out on them." Grogek growled.
Elunara stopped at the top of the stairs. "THERE WASN'T A THIS!"
Bradly and Darguni cowered behind Tulani's skirt. "What's wrong with Momma?" Darguni whimpered.
"What's wrong? What's wrong is that this whole stupid ass town is acting like I'm the coming of Elune herself! It was bad enough when that dumbfuck orc," She gestured towards the camp. "Was doing it. Now we've got typically sane and rational people doing the same damned thing! IT'S COMPLETELY IDIOTIC! So I decided to spend the day lording over a bunch of morons so that I could learn to deal with people who shouldn't BE morons! Finally satisfied with my lot in life, I come home to find YOU PEOPLE acting like I need a BABYSITTER!" She marched on and slammed the door.
Everyone jumped back.
"Perhaps we handled that wrong." Tulani put a fist to her mouth.
"My vote is for demon possession." Jordan grumbled.
Darguni ran up the stairs, ignoring everyone else and opened the door.
"WHAT?" Elunara stopped and sighed. "Sorry, what?" She sat in bed, head on the wall.
"Momma, I know you're very angry right now, but why are you yelling?"
"Because I'm angry enough to start hitting people."
Darguni took a step forward. "You wouldn't hit ME just cause you're angry."
"I don't want to hit anyone when I'm angry." She sighed and whacked her head against the wall. "This whole situation has just been very trying."
"Didn't you tell me that you can't do things when you're angry, or you'll do something you'll just regret later." He took a few more steps forward.
"Yes, yes I did."
"Yelling at Papa and the rest is a bad thing."
She closed her eyes. "In general, yes."
He climbed on the bed. "And you didn't mean it, did you?"
"Yes, and no." She sighed. "I just don't know how else to get myself heard right now."
He climbed in her lap and laid his head on her chest. "I'll listen."
She wrapped her arms around him. "You don't worship me, do you?"
"You're my momma, I think it's required."
"Fair point."
"But, there is a good thing."
"Hm?"
"People are nicer to me and Bradly now."
She opened her eyes and looked down. "What?"
"Well, it's not like anyone was openly mean. I think they're too afraid of you... Or Admiral Renwa, whichever. But now, they're really nice. They smile and say, "Oh, you're Elunara's boy, have a candy". They're nicer to Bradly too. Before it was, "Oh, how kind of her to take you in..." And now they call him "Elunara's boy" as well. It's really nice that people call us brothers. I mean, we were already brothers, but now it's a thing. And the other kids are inviting us to stuff more often. I mean, they did, but more kinda polite? Now they want to know when they can spend the night, and... Momma, why are you crying?"
She hugged him tightly. "Because I feel like an idiot."
He wiped her cheek. "But you're the smartest one in town."
"Even smart people can have stupid moments." She brushed a hand over his hair.
The door creaked open. "Momma, are you still yelling?"
"No, Bradly. Come on."
He ran in and climbed in the bed.
"I'm sorry I yelled."
"It's ok, it's not like you do it all the time." He curled up under her arm. "Are you still upset?"
"Nah, I think we worked it out." She wiped her cheeks. "I guess I just didn't stop to think about what this meant to any of you." She sighed.
Tulani stuck her head in next. "Forgive us for worrying so much."
"Oh, get in here."
Tulani smiled and stepped in. "I'm sorry for..."
Elunara held her hand up. "Stop. No. I'm sorry I've worried everyone."
Jordan stuck his head in the door. "Tulani still lives, it must be safe."
"Hah, hah."
Tulani snorted. "They sent me in because I was least likely to sustain injury." She sat down on her bed next to Elunara's seat. Jordan leaned on the wall and Grogek leaned on the door.
"Look, I'm sorry I've been so trapped in my own head, I haven't taken the time to figure out what's been going on around me. But I needed to escape, to go do something more myself, in order to view the situation differently.
"We're sorry we didn't trust you." Jordan ran his hand through his hair.
"But we've been terrified that maybe we didn't get all of the demon." Grogek sighed.
"Losing you would destroy us." Tulani reached up and rubbed Elunara's arm.
"It better not destroy this family, I worked too hard to bring it together." She snorted.
Jordan laughed. "We'd still be a family, we'd just be hollow." He shook his head.
"No one can take our children, or our bonds." Grogek shook his head and walked over to the bed. He kissed Elunara's forehead before climbing in beside her.
"I drew so damned many orcs today. You have no idea how cramped my hand is." She laughed.
"Boys are asleep." Jordan jerked his chin. He walked forward and scooped up Bradly. Laying the boy on his shoulder, he headed out.
Grogek plucked Darguni out of her lap. "Did I ever mention how glad I am that you gave me a son?"He grinned and left.
Tulani pulled her hand down and began to massage it. "You've worried everyone. Not just our family, but the townsfolk as well. I know you're unhappy with the ridiculous hero worship, but some of those people are your friends. Were your friends before any of this happened. They freely gave themselves to you, and that act alone had the rest of the town reaching for you."
"Darguni said that people are treating them better. They're actively nice instead of just pretending."
Tulani hesitated. "That's unfortunate."
Elunara sighed. "Yeah. I guess if it means a better life for my kids, I'll accept the hero worship." She lightly banged the back of her head on the wall.
"It doesn't have to be that way, and you know it."
