Chapter 167 Wool balls on chickens

Chapter 167 Wool balls on chickens
Koth was sitting opposite Irin's father at the table in the kitchen, while Irin kept Ayyan busy by making her help prepare breakfast.
"She would be safe?" Irin's father asked.
"I would personally make sure of it," Koth promised him.
"No need, I can look after myself!" Ayyan called across the kitchen.
"Hush! Let them sort this out. Don't ruin it," Irin hushed her and placed a bowl with a whisk in Ayyan's hands.
"She is the baby of the family," Garan pointed out, and Koth nodded.
"She is skilled with her magic," he countered. Her father hummed in response.
"I like you, Koth, and I trust you."
"I guessed as much when you let me marry your daughter," Koth agreed. Garan laughed.
"True. What I don't like is that whenever you come by, my daughters disappear. First it was Irin, now it's Ayyan, and don't think I haven't noticed what's happening between your brother and Eliza, and your friend and Benara. Soon I will have no daughters left," Irin's father complained. Irin laughed.
"I will remind you that I moved to the city before I met Koth, so you can't blame him for that. And if you are running out of daughters, we will just have to start working on my brothers," she told them. Her father laughed.
"Well, I can never resist any of my daughters' wishes, and both Irin and Ayyan seem determined to do this. I will make you a deal. Just before Yule, there is the noblemen's declaration in the city. I was planning on taking Junior to make him officially take over the title. How about we bring Ayyan with us, and she can stay behind with you?" their father suggested.
"That is ages away!" Ayyan whined.
"Now, now. Irin and Koth need some time alone as newlyweds, after all," Garan said with a chuckle.
"Ew, gross," Ayyan said. Irin and Koth exchanged a look and grinned.
"You have a deal. And both you and Junior will stay with us when you visit," Koth told him. He nodded.
"See, I told you it would be easy if you just left them to it. Now watch the pancakes so they don't burn," Irin instructed her sister.
"Yes, mum," Ayyan replied, earning herself a small zap of Irin's magic. "Dad! Irin is using magic on me!" she called.
"It's your own fault for not using your own magic to defend yourself," Koth answered in their father's place. Ayyan stopped and looked at him with an open mouth. Soon, they were joined in the kitchen by other members of the family. Irin was shooed out of cooking as she should be resting the day after the wedding. Koth liked this, as it gave him the opportunity to pull her down onto his lap and ensure she stayed there until they needed to eat.
"Sir Eandrirn, I have a business idea I would like to run past you," Jasper said as they finished breakfast. "Would you be willing to listen?"
"Of course he will. You really should, Dad; it's a brilliant idea," Eliza said. Jasper gave her a smile.
"Since when do you know anything about business?" Junior asked his sister.
"Did you just call me stupid?" she retorted.
"I did not call you stupid!" he exclaimed.
"You inferred it," she insisted.
"Help me out here," Junior pleaded with his wife.
"You kind of did, dear. It will teach you not to butt into other people's conversations," Junia told him. Everyone but Junior laughed. Irin's father looked at Jasper, then at his daughter, and then back at Jasper.
"I would be happy to listen to it, but fair warning: if I don't like it, I will tell you," he said. Jasper nodded.
"I wouldn't expect anything else," Jasper agreed. As they went off to have their talk, Koth and Irin helped Meghart and Melir pack their things. They would be starting their journey home today. Nenhir was also set to leave, but he had the assistance of a gloomy Benara. Koth overheard his friend telling Irin's sister that he would come back soon.
"I will have to memorise the road here; I think we will be back soon for another wedding," Meghart joked. As everyone stood outside, Irin's father and Jasper joined them, both looking very pleased.
"I think their talk went well," Irin told Koth.
"I think you are right, little wife," he said. She laughed at his new nickname for her. They said goodbye to their three friends, promising to stay in touch. By how upset Benara looked as she watched Nenhir leave, she needed to reevaluate her theory that she saw their relationship as just "some fun." Irin and Koth stayed an extra day, but the next morning after breakfast, it was their turn to say goodbye. They would be returning on their own. The heads of the temples had decided to stay a couple of extra days to involve themselves in some local politics. The house of Eandrirn was no longer a mostly forgotten noble house; it now had powerful backing. Koth made sure Irin got to say the goodbyes she wanted, and then they set off along the road.
"It almost feels like we are setting off on another stage of our adventure," she told Koth after a while.
"It does. This is how we have spent most of our time together," he agreed.
"I would really, really like it if we could stay at home for a while. It has been fun and terrifying and all, but I would like to settle down and grow roots," she said.
"And maybe a young one or two?" he asked. She smiled.
"I would like that as well. But not ten." Koth laughed and then felt cold sweat run down his spine as he imagined his tower invaded by ten toddlers. They needed to baby-proof the place, he realised. How did you baby-proof a vertical building whose main feature was a long, never-ending stone stair? Not to mention all the stones on the side of the hill. And the hill itself; it was pretty steep in places. "Koth?" Irin asked.
"There has to be some kind of protection spell that makes them fall slower," he told her.
"Excuse me? Who? Why would we want them to fall slower? You have lost me completely," she said. Koth realised he had inadvertently included her in the middle of his internal conversation.
"Never mind. We have some work to do; that's all I'm saying," he explained.
"Yeah, tell me about it! We need to put up the fence and the shelter for the horses. And I was thinking we might get some chickens. It would be nice having fresh eggs. Unless they won't leave my garden alone, but then there's always chicken stew and chicken soup," she said. Koth wondered how sharp chickens' talons and beaks were. Maybe he could make some small balls out of wool and put them on the chickens to make them softer. He needed to look into that. "And we need to go up the mountain before it's too late," she added to her list.
"Mountain? Why are we going up there?" he asked.
"Honestly, have you forgotten why we first met?" she asked in return.
"Of course not. You came to see if I was done with the order for ... Ah. The crystals," he realised.
"Yes. I never leave a job half done, and I have never seen anyone mine for crystals, so it will be fun," she told him.
"Fun is a strong word to use, but I will enjoy it more if you are with me," he agreed. Again, they avoided resting close to the stone circle. Now that Koth knew what it was, it gave him chills. On the third evening, they arrived at the tower.
"I'll take care of the horses," Koth offered.
"Thank you. I will make us something to eat," Irin said.
"Then I will fill the tub, and we can take a long hot bath together," Koth said as he embraced her from behind and placed kisses along her neck.
"I wish I wasn't hungry," Irin moaned. At that moment, her stomach growled as if to warn her not even to think about skipping the food. Koth chuckled.
"First food, then play," he told her, giving her backside a playful swat to encourage her to move. She giggled and set off towards the tower.