“Nano!” Jirot shouted, removihumb from her mouth as she squealed with joy.

  Gangak held out her arms and the tiny girl squirmed out of her greatfather’s arms, the tiny girl still giggling and squealing so eagerly as she climbed into her nano’s arms, before she offered the same to the younger sibling who followed after his sister.

  “Nano, you are here,” Jirot said, ing her arms around the woman’s head, her saliva brushing off the older Iyrman’s neck.

  “Nano…” Little Jarot cuddled up to her bosom, sug his thumb shyly as he looked up at her.

  “My greatchildren, did you miss me?” the older woman asked, peppering the children with kisses.

  “Yes,” Jirot replied, leaning in to kiss the woman’s cheek, her brother doing the same oher cheek.

  Gangak smiled, settling beside the older one armed Jarot, pulling them closer to her chest. “Are you enjoying the festival?”

  “I eat the pizza, nano,” the girl said. “I drinking the mik, I eat the pizza, I seep.”

  “They are fighting, nano,” little Jarot said.

  “Who is fighting?”

  “Mmm, all the big.” The boy pointed away.

  “Yes.” Gangak smiled wider. “We Iyrmen like to fight, and sometimes we fight for the show. Did you enjoy the fighting?”

  The boy shook his head lightly, pouting.

  Gangak ughed. “Do not worry, little Jarot. We fight so you are safe.”

  “Daddy is fighting?”

  “Your father fights to keep you safe too.”

  Little Jarot smiled shyly once more, before returning back to suck his thumb.

  “Daddy is smelly boy,” Jirot said, her fa shock from her words, expeg her nano to reprimand her.

  “Your father is not a smelly boy,” Gangak said, brushing the girls curly hair. “Is your nano smelly?”

  “Mmm…” The girl thought for a moment. “Sometimes you smell like fire.”

  “I do not smell like fire any more, do I?”

  “No,” the girl replied, shaking her head. “You smell like nano.”

  Gangak smiled.

  “What do I smell like?” their greatfather asked.

  “Babo smell like babo,” the girl replied, her brother nodding his head.

  “Babo smell like babo,” Konarot firmed from nearby, bringing a small bowl of fruit for her greatfather and greataunt.

  “Hmmm…” Gangak reached down to pet the girl’s head gently. “You have such great manners. You have too many greatchildren, you should surrender some to me.”

  “You ot steal my greatchildren away from me,” Jarot growled in response.

  “Jirot, do you want to be Jigak?”

  “I not Jigak, I am Jiwoh,” the girl replied. “Mamo Jaygak is Jaygak, not Jaywoh.”

  “Do you miss your mamo?”

  “No,” the girl replied with a smirk.

  “I am sure she misses you,” Gangak said, gently rog with the twins in her arms. “Konarot, do you miss your papo and mamos?”

  “I miss daddy,” the girl admitted, pouting.

  “He will return soon.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Not tomorrow, but soon,” Gangak assured. “Wheurns, you must hug him tight.”

  “Yes,” Konarot replied, her tail swaying behind her as she stood taller.

  “Konagak also sounds like a niame.”

  The girl’s lips formed a pout and she looked treatfather.

  “Do you see what you have done?” Jarot held out his hand for his greatdaughter, who held the old man’s hand, sitting beside him. The youriplets also swarmed around their greatfather.

  “What of Larot?”

  “You ot take Larot from me!” Jarot growled.

  “You have too many, give oo me.”

  “If you wish to steal them, do so when their father is here.”

  “Do you think I will not?”

  “Stealing is no good, nano,” Jirot said, pointing up at the woman. “Iyrmen do not steal.”

  “How are you so wise?” Gangak asked, pulling the girl up to rub her cheek against the girl’s forehead.

  “I am so smaht,” the girl replied, smirking slightly. “I am so much twubul.”

  “You are no trouble at all, my Jirot,” Gangak said, kissing the girl’s forehead. “My Jarot, you are everouble, yes?”

  The boy smiled before returning back to suck his thumb, hiding his fato her shoulder.

  “My Jarot is so well behaved,” the old Jarot said. “He has my name, but she has my fire.”

  “If it is fire, then she should be a Gak.”

  Jarot growled quietly, before pulling his greatdaughter onto his p. “Do you see this? How she take my greatdaughter away from me?”

  “Not nice,” Konarot said, pouting up at Gangak.

  “Ah, my greatdaughter is telling me off,” Gangak said. “How this be?”

  Jarot felt the rush of cold seeping into Konarot. He reached up to the girl’s head, pullio his chest, his thumb brushing along her forehead. “It is fine, since your babo will not allow it.”

  Gangak could see the way Jarot was looking down at the girl. “Do not worry, little Konarot. I ot steal you away from your father.”

  “ot…” Konarot firmed, rubbing her cheek against her greatfather’s chest, feeling his hand against her forehead and hair. It was a strong hand, scarred and calloused.

  Jarot did not wince as the nubs ground against his chest. He tio rub the girl’s head and brush her hair tenderly, feeling the girl’s body warm up. ‘Why do you grow so cold, my Konarot?’

  While the childreime with their families, each ready to fall asleep, their papo worked his magic with a baker.

  ‘How amazing,’ Pam thought, having recalled all Jurot had mao plete withi few years she knew of him. He had started off as a young man, and though he was still a young man, his token was that of steel.

  “You’re awfully impressive.”

  “My impressiveness is not awful,” Jurot replied.

  “That’s not what that means.”

  “It was a bad joke.” Jurot nodded his head.

  Pam furrowed her brows, before realising what he meant. “I wouldn’t say nothing like that to an Iyrman.”

  “You may speak freely.”

  ‘Damn it, Jurot! You were doing so well!’ Adam thought. ‘Do I o step in.’

  “ing to blows with figures like that, it must have been like a dream e true for you as an Iyrman.”

  “Yes,” Jurot replied, the shadow of a smile f on his face. “It is fun to csh with great figures.”

  “You Iyrmen are always like that, enjoying yhts.”

  “Yes.” Jurot puffed out his chest further.

  The bell rung as Adam stepped into the bakery, having allowed the farmers and porters to leave with the extra bread for their families. “Let’s grab a few more buns and head out. Jam buns, if it’s not an issue.”

  “No issue at all, not with the gem you paid with.”

  “Good, good…” Adam smiled, patting his brother’s back. “Jurot here, he’s quite capable you know.”

  “I noticed. You’re both quite capable, aren’t you?”

  “I’m useless in parison to my brother here,” Adam said. “He probably hasn’t mentioned all the times he’s kept me alive. Jurot here, he’s got the smarts to keep me out of trouble, and the wisdom to step in whenever I go too far.”

  “You’re making it sound like you’re some kind of nightmare.”

  “A nightmare isn’t far enough,” Adam admitted. “Still, I’m a nightmare my brother handle. Speaking of, did he tell you about why he fought with the Marshal of the East?”

  “He mentiohere was an issue with the business and some nobles?”

  “The Marquise of East Port was eyeing up some of our workers, and she wao take them from us.”

  “The Marquise?” Pam asked. She tried to recall the ranking of the nobles. She khat the royalty of the Kings, Queens, Dukes, and Duchesses were at the top, and at the bottom were knights, who were barely noblefolk, and then Barons and ts.

  “We were travelling around with Sister Vonda, this was before she was a Ray, and the Marshal wao kill me for proteg the kids. Jurot here, he didn’t want that to happen, so he stepped forward to protect me. He’s the best brother ever.”

  “I am a great brother,” Jurot firmed, feeling his cheeks and ears begin to burn slightly with embarrassment.

  “Jurot’s willing to csh with the Marshal of the East for someone like his family…” Adam smiled politely. “Speaking of family, I’ve got so many kids, but his grandfather keeps telling him to find someone nice. Isn’t a shame that this handsome fellow, with these rge muscles, is going around fighting so much, but not thinking of his parents?”

  “He’s got a filial duty to get married, but I don’t think we’ve to worry, since Iyrmen will marry when they get married,” Pam replied.

  “Right, but uh, don’t you think, you know, he’s a great guy?” Adam asked, raising his brows expetly towards Pam.

  “I think so. I don’t think he’ll have any trouble finding anyone, as long as they’re not spooked by the Iyrmen.”

  “Yeah, it is awkward sinany people are so scared of Iyrmen…” Adam paused. ‘How obvious do I want to make it?’

  “It is good we are feared,” Jurot said. “The Aldish should not fet why they fear the Iyr.”

  “…” Adam gowards his brother. ‘Bro. e on.’ Adam cleared his throat. “Anyam, uh…”

  “Yes?” Pam smiled politely.

  Adam looked towards his brother, who felt his gaze and gnced his way. Adam raised his brows, motioning his head towards Pam.

  “What?” Jurot asked.

  “What do you mean, what?” Adam asked, before switg to their tongue. “Ask her out.”

  “Ask…” Jurot replied iongue before pausing. ‘What?’

  What?