With Amaris sitting high on his shoulders and casually tussling his hair, Artemus approached the Eyrie with calm steps, still unsure about this course of action. But it was something he had to do even if his feelings towards the family had changed in recent history.
During the whole time Shandren and Kina had been missing, no one had helped him raise Amaris. No one. He did it on his own, alone. As he had to do with everything else in his life. Always alone when he needs friends and help the most. Yet when Shandren and Kina magically reappeared in the realm of Rhydin, that side of the family came out of the woodwork asking to see Amaris. Demanding time with her. They hadn't been there to help him, none of them had sent any type of word. Cailet had tried to tell him they couldn't and he knew so. Bullshite. Even in Rhydin entire families do NOT up and disappear. They get murdered yes, but never disappear. And Cailet's description of the school Shandren is supposedly teaching at didn't help his opion either, but that was another topic entirely.
"Dadda' where we goin'?" Amaris asked in her tiny voice as her gloved hands came down to lightly touch his face.
Hearing her ask that, Artemus temporarily lost his train of thought. This was his angel. The one thing that mattered to him more than anything else. The one thing he would actually die for. The only thing really, save Rhaine, whom he almost did in trying to save her. But most parents would die for their children he thought, but then his mind went back to one of the things Shandren had told him when they first met.:
How Kina had locked her in a dark dungeon for years on end because of her power over fire. Rather than seal the power away or teach Shan to control it, Kina and locked her away. Upon looking back, Artemus could understand the WHY of it, but still the thinking behind it was so off base to him.
Artemus knew what it was like to be locked in a dark cage for countless hours. He knew how far that harsh environment could push one's own sanity to the breaking point. He had overcome it, as had Shandren when she escaped. He would never do that to Amaris or anyone else. No one deserved that fate.
Finally he stopped and took the moment to answer Amaris with a playful shake of his shoulders to make her giggle as she clung to him so as not to fall off. "To see your cousins, sweety. And your grandmother if she'll have us."
During the whole time Shandren and Kina had been missing, no one had helped him raise Amaris. No one. He did it on his own, alone. As he had to do with everything else in his life. Always alone when he needs friends and help the most. Yet when Shandren and Kina magically reappeared in the realm of Rhydin, that side of the family came out of the woodwork asking to see Amaris. Demanding time with her. They hadn't been there to help him, none of them had sent any type of word. Cailet had tried to tell him they couldn't and he knew so. Bullshite. Even in Rhydin entire families do NOT up and disappear. They get murdered yes, but never disappear. And Cailet's description of the school Shandren is supposedly teaching at didn't help his opion either, but that was another topic entirely.
"Dadda' where we goin'?" Amaris asked in her tiny voice as her gloved hands came down to lightly touch his face.
Hearing her ask that, Artemus temporarily lost his train of thought. This was his angel. The one thing that mattered to him more than anything else. The one thing he would actually die for. The only thing really, save Rhaine, whom he almost did in trying to save her. But most parents would die for their children he thought, but then his mind went back to one of the things Shandren had told him when they first met.:
How Kina had locked her in a dark dungeon for years on end because of her power over fire. Rather than seal the power away or teach Shan to control it, Kina and locked her away. Upon looking back, Artemus could understand the WHY of it, but still the thinking behind it was so off base to him.
Artemus knew what it was like to be locked in a dark cage for countless hours. He knew how far that harsh environment could push one's own sanity to the breaking point. He had overcome it, as had Shandren when she escaped. He would never do that to Amaris or anyone else. No one deserved that fate.
Finally he stopped and took the moment to answer Amaris with a playful shake of his shoulders to make her giggle as she clung to him so as not to fall off. "To see your cousins, sweety. And your grandmother if she'll have us."