Spring, 2017 (Terran Modern Calendar)

The early morning sun shone down brightly on the clearing, refracting a million dew drops into a glittering wave of rainbow jewels. The weather wasn't yet too warm, but winter had finally retreated sulking into the distance. In short, it was that perfect moment between shivery and steamy, when all growing things exploded into color.

The sound of pattering feet could be heard on the cut stone path that led down from the hilltop house. Toby led the way, with Duke ambling along at his side. Behind him, arguing the whole way, came eight-year old Maurin and Reinette, who was only a few months away from turning seven. Some steps behind them, little redheaded Selene (now five-and-a-half) wandered along in a much more serene state, paying little attention to her older sisters' endless bickering. Bringing up the rear came Tabitha, holding the two-year old Keith by both hands as he toddled along the path after his sisters and father. The whole scene looked very much like a papa duck being followed by all his little ducklings, with Mama bringing up the rear.

The girls had begged endlessly to bring the puppies with them, but Toby had pointed out that today wasn't 'play with the dogs' time. This was a new start, and a very special day, after all.

The path turned north slightly, roughly paralleling the northern shore of the lake down below them. The waters, still holding the chill of winter for a while, lapped and burst against the shoreline; waves driven by the strong breeze from the south. There would not be any thoughts of swimming just yet, the girls knew how cold it would stay for weeks yet.

The path had been there a long time, Toby had used it in the past to reach the unruly river that formed the eastern boundaries of their lands. For most of its length, there was only about a seven-foot wide open space between the trees to the north, and the lake to the south. But now, about halfway along the north shore of the lake, there was a new sight to behold.

Around this halfway point, the line of trees bulged out away from the path, forming a wide flat space overlooking the lake. Previously empty, now a long, long building stood there just off the path. Two stories tall, with a roof that gently sloped down to the north side, the entire southern wall was made of full-length glass panels. The remaining exterior was largely constructed of dark wood planks, making it blend in beautifully with the surrounding trees.

Toby held the door as everyone trundled inside the entrance foyer. The girls peered around with big eyes; they hadn't been inside the Field House since it had been finished.

The lower floor was primarily taken up by two large rooms, a dance studio for Tabitha and the girls, and a workout room with various equipment for everyone's use. There were some smaller rooms in the back, including a kitchenette, a little lounge, and facilities.

Up the stairs, nearly the entire second floor was occupied by a single large room - the dojo. It could be subdivided as necessary with fold-away partitions, and the entire southern wall was reinforced glass overlooking the lake. Heavy shutters could be dropped down over these windows, both to protect them from the elements and other things, and also to remove the distraction of nature from the teachings within.

The entire building had taken over a year to finish, built largely by Toby, Tabitha, Xenograg, Roran and several of Toby's venerable 'bots. The design of the Field House was a blend of several sensibilities; Tabitha had a very specific vision in mind for the dance studio itself, while Toby had drawn heavily on Xenograg's experience and visual aesthetic for the dojo proper.

"Is this where we get to practice?" Maurin and Reinette looked delighted with the dance studio, while Selene wandered over to stare out the window at the wind-lashed waves several yards down below the slope.

(Continued)

Fall 2017

As the year moved on, things had settled into a surprisingly peaceful routine for everyone. The girls were kept endlessly busy with lessons of all kinds - dance lessons, introductory instruction to the sword by their godfather Xenograg, and a myriad of others aside. They were also still going to the Academy, and even though it was summer break, Toby and Tabitha made sure the girls kept up with summer reading and other refreshers.

There was plenty of time left over for play, of course. The gardens outside the house, the slopes of the hill, and the open grasslands of the clearing were constantly trampled by little feet as they played any number of games together. Keith was rarely out with them still, though he was getting bigger every day - when he did go out with his siblings, one of the adults was always there to keep an eye on him.

The dogs themselves were also growing fast, they were still in the awkward gangly phase and constantly tearing around chasing one another. Sometimes they would crouch and yap at their parents, trying to goad Duke or Duchess into running after them. For the most part the older dogs just watched their energetic progeny indulgently, though there was the occasional growl or tail thwap when someone's play got too rough.

The summer was drawing to an end, though the temperature was still comfortably up into the 70's, when the leaves began to start turning in the forest. The girls were constantly pleading with Toby to take them on hikes out into the woods (the house rule was that no one went into the woods on their own, without an adult present). These were a big hit, because of the glorious colours of the trees, as well as the occasional sight of a deer or even rarer, a fox. Maurin insisted that she'd seen a bear once, but no one was buying that.

Some of these walks were pretty wide ranging - the property was over a thousand acres after all, more than a mile and a half square, though they generally ended when Selene got too tired and Daddy had to start carrying her. (Sometimes for a change-up, Reinette would be the one to get tired and complain. Maurin was almost never the first to tire out, she seemed to have endless energy.)

Usually Duke would accompany them, though Duchess preferred to roam around the gardens and the house rather than go on the longer walks in the woods. The girls wanted to bring the puppies, but Toby ruled that they could only do that on hikes that they could finish on their own two feet. So sometimes the entire cavalcade could be found threading through the paths, each girl with their own pup on a leash, and Duke trailing unhurriedly along at Toby's heels. Occasionally Tabitha would bring Keith along for the shorter hikes, and every now and then Xenograg and his shadow Orphan would join them.

Oddly enough it was Selene who seemed to love the woods the most, she was usually the most vocal about going out into them. And though she was hardly the most independent of the girls (that title went to Maurin, hands-down), she often gazed out into the trees from her room or from the Field House, as if in longing.

And sometimes, she would tilt her head slightly, as if she were listening.