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randomplaces2011-02-22 10:56 pm
random_xtras) wrote in randomplaces2011-02-22 10:56 pm
Entry tags:
Breaker 'verse 5
Alvin was tucking things back into the shed around the hummer and the battered army jeep that had already been in it when Ettiene showed up with the dead alligator over his good shoulder.
"You..." He remembered Dove's parroting ability and bit off what he'd nearly said.
Ettiene gave him an absent scowl and kicked stuff under the hummer to clear some floor space, then hung the carcass from a hook that was attached to a rafter with clothes line wire. "Gimme dat knife on de wall dere."
Alvin shook his head and handed over the ancient Bowie, then tossed the last few things under the hummer. "What do you need this many empty milk jugs for?"
"Floats." Ettiene picked up a small package and looked at it. "Wondered where dat timer went. Ah well, Jacques need all de exercise he kin get anyway." He tossed the package up onto the hood of the hummer and proceeded to skin and clean the alligator.
Dove watched with interest for a few minutes, then looked down with a start and offered Star to Alvin. "Baby hungry."
"Already?" Caramel eyes widened slightly as he hunkered down and took the tiny boy. "Sheesh. Good thing I kept a can back."
"Feuer?" Dove watched as he opened the formula and filled the bottle one-handed.
"Yes, please." Alvin offered her the bottle and watched as she did her little fire trick.
"What de..." Ettiene stopped to stare, a loop of intestine in one hand.
"Milk for Star," said Dove matter-of-factly.
"Oui, but dat..." The big marine trailed off, waving his knife in the direction of her display of flame.
"Sveetheart big." The girl flicked her ears and looked at her new father.
Alvin looked up from playing 'steal the soother' with Star. "Yeah?"
"Big, feuer und vings." She tasted the contents of the bottle and nodded, then drank the flame out of her hand and reached for the nipple.
"Well, don' dat beat all. Fire from de fille. Anytin' else?" Ettiene pushed back his hat, rubbing his eyes wearily.
"She lifted the front of the hummer the third day after I found her, while she was still a bit sick." Alvin wrapped his hand in the tail of his shirt and took the bottle, then popped it into Star's mouth instead of the soother, chuckling as the tiny boy's eyes widened with surprise and delight at the taste of the formula.
"Like ol' Superman in de movie, eh?" Ettiene turned back to the alligator and finished cleaning it, then wiped the knife off and hung it on two nails on the wall, his face thoughtful.
"Feuer!" Dove aimed her fist out the door and shot a jet of flame across the road.
"Wow!" Alvin fell on his butt and gaped. "Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!"
"She ain' never don' dat b'fore?" A dark brow lifted in amusement.
"Nope." Alvin set Star on his knee so that he could reach into his pocket for another piece of gum.
"Good work!" Dove congratulated herself with quiet satisfaction, then looked toward Alvin for approval.
"Beautiful," he assured her, still blinking.
"Dove big." She turned and twitched her ears at Ettiene.
"Yeah?" He looked around, then sat on the front bumper. "Settin' t'ings on fire makes ya big?"
She looked in the direction she'd launched the flame and listened carefully. "No feuer."
Ettiene shook his head gingerly and chuckled. "How y' do dat, petite?"
Dove came over and showed him the underside of her wrist, tracing a glowing line that ran along it with her forefinger. "Feuer here. Woestijn Feen get big, get fire und vings."
"Yeah?" He squinted at the line, then took his cap off and tentatively touched the back of his head.
"No." Dove pulled his hand away. "Sick. No fingers."
"Hurt," corrected Alvin. "Not sick."
"Hurt?" She glanced at him, then turned back to Ettiene, who was giving her a look of bemused amusement. "No fingers. Head hurt."
"Yes, mama." The cajun chuckled and put his cap back on.
"Not mama." Dove rustled her wings at him.
"Quit teasin' her." Alvin took the bottle from the sleeping Star and stood up. "I'm ready."
Ettiene shrugged and stood as well, then nudged Dove and pointed to the alligator. "Y' hungry, 'tite?"
"No. Dove no eat." She walked out of the shed to investigate a pothole in the road.
"Mebe later." Ettiene closed the shed doors and fastened the lock.
"Don't hold your breath. She's real good at finding the food, but I told you how she is for eating it," said Alvin in a low voice.
"Dove ate," she said without turning. "Ate egg, ate bug, und eat gum." She cracked it and came to walk between them.
"Gum ain't food," said Alvin, shifting Star to the other arm so she could wrap her wing around the one nearest her.
"Gum is gut." She paused and looked up at Ettiene, then reached out hesitantly and touched his hand. "Uncle Ettiene?"
"Yeah?" he said absently.
Alvin looked at the set expression on his friend's face. "You want me ta drive the boat?"
"Non," said Ettiene, rubbing his eyes. "Y' run 'er inta too many stumps. I'm okay."
"That's the greenest okay I've seen since Hector was stupid enough to eat Lance's chili," said Alvin soberly.
"I'm okay," Ettiene repeated firmly, then lifted Dove into the boat. "'Urry up."
"Here, take Star, I'll push off." Alvin held out the baby.
"Push off yer fussin', 'n get in de dang boat," growled Ettiene. "When we in de mountains, you be de boss. Here, I be de boss."
Alvin gave him a dirty look, but complied.
"Bugs," said Dove from where she was dabbling her hand in the water.
"Sit up, Sweetheart." Alvin sat down and scowled absently into the shade under the bald cypresses, Star tucked absently into the crook of his arm. Father, I never took into account pig-headed marines or man-eatin' gators. Have I gone off half-cocked?
Ettiene pushed the boat off the bank, then stepped in with the ease of one who'd done it since infancy. "Alright, 'old on."
It took two tries and some heated muttering for the engine to start, but then it purred to life and they were on their way. Alvin had to smile at Dove's wide-eyed wonder and the way her ears flicked around as she tried to 'see' everything at once. Then he looked over his shoulder as a cellphone rang.
Ettiene answered it in cajun French, his craggy face breaking into a wide grin as he rattled away faster than Alvin could follow the conversation, one hand resting lightly on the rudder as he hunkered easily in the stern.
"You lost me," said Dove, putting her ears back.
"He lost me too, Sweetheart, don't worry about it." Alvin shook his head and returned to his study of the surrounding swamp.
The cabin was small, with neat board walls, a wrap around porch, and a green corrugated plastic roof with a flicker banging away on it.
"Y'see dat bird, Sweetheart?" Ettiene put the phone away.
"Tonk, tonk, tonk?" asked Dove, her ears zeroing in on the sound.
"Dat's him. Y' wanna do de fire t'ing 'n scare de lil pain off? Don' 'urt 'im."
"Gotcha." She lifted both hands and sent a double jet of flame past the startled bird, which fled with a squawk and a cloud of feathers.
Alvin snorted and slapped his leg, trying hard not to wake Star up with his laughter, then shot Ettiene a sympathetic look as the cajun's mirth cut off with a hiss of pain and a groan.
"Bird pushed off." Dove looked at her wrists with satisfaction.
Ettiene laughed again, then cut the motor and let the boat bump against the dock. "Dat 'e did, sha. Dat 'e did."
"I'm help." She bounced to her feet and grabbed the suitcase full of books, then hopped onto the dock and stopped to watch a turtle crawl over the weathered boards. "Eat?"
"No, that's endangered. Leave 'im be." Alvin stepped out of the boat a little more carefully, then frowned as Ettiene pushed past him and disappeared into the cabin. Wondering slightly, he herded Dove inside and found the marine passed out on the couch with his arm over his eyes.
"He's still got his boots on." The dark-haired man strode over and checked his friend's pulse and breathing, then lay Star on the cajun's chest and removed the offending footwear, tossing them over by the door.
"Uncle sick?" asked Dove from where she hunkered by the door wiping her feet.
"A little bit." Alvin went to take Star back and found the baby firmly wrapped in Ettiene's beefy arms. "Let's go get the rest of that stuff in."
"Turtle. Vorm. Beetle. Beetle. Snail. Grub. Vorm." Dove looked up from the old pan she'd found and filled with treasures. "Bugs."
"No," said Alvin from where he hunkered across from her on the dock. "That's a bug 'n that's a bug, 'n that 'n that. Turtles 'n snails ain't bugs."
"Oh." Dove flicked her ears thoughtfully. "Vhat?"
"Turtles are animals." Alvin lifted the tiny snapper out of the pan and examined it carefully, then dropped it gently over the side of the dock into the still brown water. "Snails're mollusks."
"Mollusk," said Dove. "Dang, that's a big vord."
Alvin grinned. "You're going to have English down pat pretty soon, Sweetheart."
"Dat's good?" She perked her ears at him.
"That's good." He stressed the 'th' sound, then looked in the pan again. "You eat all those?"
"Dove not eat." She shook her head and put her ears back.
"I mean, those're food?" he corrected himself.
"Ja. Food." She poked at the big snail, then dropped it over the edge after the turtle. "Snails're mollusks."
"Yeck." Alvin chuckled, then watched as she sorted out the earthworms and set them in a neat row on the dock.
"Ein, zwei, drei, vier, fünf," she said.
Alvin blinked. "You can count? Sie können zählen? U kunt tellen?"
"Ja." She put her ears back and looked offended. "Natuurlijk." (Of course.)
"Oh." He put an elbow on his knee and turned to listen for any sound from the cabin, then turned back to her and gently squeezed her shoulder in apology. "How old are you? Hoe oud bent u? Sind Sie wie alt?"
She gave him a funny look. "Ich bin fünfzig zwei jahre oud." (I'm fifty two years old.)
Alvin was staggered. "Maar u bent een kind. Aber Sie sind ein Kind." (But you're a child.)
"Ja." She flicked her ears uncertainly. "Be big like Vader 'n uncles soon."
Alvin rubbed his forehead. "Sweetheart, how old do you think I am?" He pointed to his chest with his thumb.
"Hundert und dreißig?" she guessed. (One hundred and thirty?)
He shook his head slowly. "I'm dreißig zwei." (Thirty two.)
She blinked, then gave him a dirty look. "No funny."
"No," he said soberly, his caramel eyes on her wide blue ones. "No funny, Sweetheart. That's how old I am."
She shook her head. "But you Vader. You erwachsener."
"Yeah." He nodded. "I'm an adult."
She stared for a moment, then rubbed her face. "Great shades of Elvis..."
Alvin mentally agreed with the sentiment as his mind worked to make sense of what he'd just learned. "Wieviele Tage hat ein Jahr? Hoeveel dagen heeft een jaar?" (How many days in a year?)
"Drie honderd vijfenzestig." Dove quirked an eyebrow.
"Same as here." He shook his head and gave her a slight grin. "Okay."
"You Vader. I kids."
"You're a kid."
"I a kid." She perked her ears and wrapped her wings around her shoulders. "That's weird."
Alvin looked down at the worms, which were making good their escape. "How old'll you be when you're grown? When you're big?"
"Sechzig vier adult. Vierhundert for Sterben." She cocked her head and looked up at him.
"You're an adult at 64 and die at 400," he translated slowly. "How old's Buddy?"
"New. Just starting." Dove paused to count on her fingers. "Elf day."
"Eleven days." Alvin looked toward the cabin wonderingly. They live darn near forever, but he's just startin' out. Less 'n a whisper on the timeline. Wow.
"Vader?" Dove touched his knee with one winghand.
He blinked, then smiled at her. "It's all good." He gestured to the bugs in the pan. "Eat."
"Eat bug?" Her ears twitched.
"Yeah, eat bug." He swiped at a mosquito that braved the aura of citronella that he was wrapped in, then leaned his chin on a fist and stared out over the darkening swamp.
"Eat vorm?"
"Sure." He watched a bat fly through the trees, praying that she would be hungry enough to eat a decent meal for once.
"Dove not eat," she decided, turning the pan over and setting the two beetles free.
"Dove eat," he said firmly. "Now."
She looked at him in surprise, then obediently scooped up the scurrying insects and put them in her mouth.
Alvin swallowed and averted his eyes, fighting to suppress a shudder.
"Dove all done," she said, wiping her mouth.
"Good." He grinned and ruffled her hair. "Let's go get some more."
"Some more?" she said in a small voice.
"Yeah. Five worms 'n a couple beetles isn't enough for anythin'."
"Isn't enough for anything?" She flicked her ears.
"It's not enough for you."
She glanced sideways and put a hand to her stomach.
"What's wrong?" He frowned.
"I'm good," she said faintly.
"Sweetheart, yer shakin'," said Alvin, pulling her close as his throat constricted with concern. "What's wrong? Wrong bugs?"
"Maag gestört." She leaned her head against his chest. "Gut bugs. Too much bugs."
"But you hardly had any." He winced as she gagged slightly.
"Drow drogen give Dove maag sick." She blinked and wiped tears away with one hand.
The Drow drugs make her belly sick? "What drogen? When did they give you drogen?" asked Alvin, feeling the slow boil of anger in his own gut.
"Drogen to versklaven sie. They give to Dove when they catch me." She curled up with her arms around her middle.
"When did they catch you?" he asked softly, brushing her hair back from her face.
"Vor zwanzig vier jahren."
"Twenty four years ago." The thought of a tiny, frightened child being given drugs to enslave her made him clench his jaw. "Your mama 'n daddy got you away?"
She nodded, then hissed through her teeth and clung to him with one winghand.
"Does it hurt?" He stood and turned toward the cabin.
"No! Duizelig!" She buried her face in his chest.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart." He bit his lip and carried her inside, awkwardly taking off his boots one-handed before walking over to the easy chair and lowering himself into it.
"Jesus, danke voor das helfen ich. Helfen sie mir gelieve wieder," murmured Dove, huddling close. (Jesus, thank You for helping me. Please help me again.)
"Amen," said Alvin softly, adding his own prayers silently as he looked out the window at the soft, bat-haunted night.
"Shh, 'tite, Oncle Ettiene tryin'... Oww..."
Alvin opened his eyes at the groan of pain and saw his friend standing at the counter in front of the camp stove, holding Star in one arm and jiggling the little boy's soother with the other hand as he waited for a bottle to heat.
He stretched and worked an arm free of Dove's wings to rub his eyes, then rolled his neck. "Sorry 'bout that, Gung Ho. Didn' mean to fall asleep."
"Don' worry 'bout it." Ettiene shrugged carefully with his good shoulder. "Bad dream?"
"Tummy ache." Alvin remembered the reason for it and wondered what the Drow would think of a Sherman rolling through their backyard.
Ettiene gave Dove a compassionate glance, then turned back to the stove. "De 'tite like dis 'ot, no?"
"Just so it's not boilin'." Alvin restrained himself from offering assistance.
"Okay." Ettiene used tongs to lift the bottle from the pan, then set it on the counter and awkwardly got the nipple on it before shutting off the gas. "Now den, 'tite homme...." He used a hot mitt to pick up the bottle, then looked down at Star and hesitated.
"You saw Dove drink that fire." Alvin lay his head back and looked at the rafters, then heaved himself to his feet and walked over to the water filter.
"Yeah." Ettiene bit his lip and hesitantly put the nipple to the baby's mouth, his eyebrows raising as the tiny boy latched on and nursed eagerly. "Heh, y' like dat, eh, 'tite?"
Alvin grinned behind his glass, then finished drinking and set it down with a sigh. "Did you get his diaper?"
"Yeah." Ettiene went over to the bunks at the far end of the room and sat on the lower one, leaning wearily against the wall.
"You're not gonna give him back tonight, are you?" Alvin lifted an eyebrow.
"Look like Sweetheart, she need ya now," said Ettiene without looking up.
"Doesn't stop me from takin' care of Buddy any other night." Alvin walked over and let the mosquito netting down around the bunk, then made shushing sounds as Dove started and gave a little cry.
"De enfants sleep wit' ya?" Ettiene slid sideways and wriggled around till he was laying on his uninjured side, then set the bottle aside.
"Yeah." Alvin flushed slightly as he remembered his mother lecturing his sister about kids sleeping in their own beds.
Ettiene chuckled and lay his head back, dropping into sleep.
Alvin watched Star wriggle for a few minutes, then sighed as the baby too passed into slumber. He looked up at the top bunk, but decided against trying to climb into it with Dove attached to him. Skeeters seem to avoid the kids anyway. I should be safe with Sweetheart snugglin' me.
Sighing, he went and took Ettiene's place on the couch, then stared up at the darkened rafters. Father, help me do what needs doin'. 'N help me not to hurt the kids tryin' t' help 'em. He quirked a grin as Dove sighed and cuddled closer. 'N thanks. I wouldn' give this up for anythin'.
Still grinning, he settled down and started courting sleep.
next
"You..." He remembered Dove's parroting ability and bit off what he'd nearly said.
Ettiene gave him an absent scowl and kicked stuff under the hummer to clear some floor space, then hung the carcass from a hook that was attached to a rafter with clothes line wire. "Gimme dat knife on de wall dere."
Alvin shook his head and handed over the ancient Bowie, then tossed the last few things under the hummer. "What do you need this many empty milk jugs for?"
"Floats." Ettiene picked up a small package and looked at it. "Wondered where dat timer went. Ah well, Jacques need all de exercise he kin get anyway." He tossed the package up onto the hood of the hummer and proceeded to skin and clean the alligator.
Dove watched with interest for a few minutes, then looked down with a start and offered Star to Alvin. "Baby hungry."
"Already?" Caramel eyes widened slightly as he hunkered down and took the tiny boy. "Sheesh. Good thing I kept a can back."
"Feuer?" Dove watched as he opened the formula and filled the bottle one-handed.
"Yes, please." Alvin offered her the bottle and watched as she did her little fire trick.
"What de..." Ettiene stopped to stare, a loop of intestine in one hand.
"Milk for Star," said Dove matter-of-factly.
"Oui, but dat..." The big marine trailed off, waving his knife in the direction of her display of flame.
"Sveetheart big." The girl flicked her ears and looked at her new father.
Alvin looked up from playing 'steal the soother' with Star. "Yeah?"
"Big, feuer und vings." She tasted the contents of the bottle and nodded, then drank the flame out of her hand and reached for the nipple.
"Well, don' dat beat all. Fire from de fille. Anytin' else?" Ettiene pushed back his hat, rubbing his eyes wearily.
"She lifted the front of the hummer the third day after I found her, while she was still a bit sick." Alvin wrapped his hand in the tail of his shirt and took the bottle, then popped it into Star's mouth instead of the soother, chuckling as the tiny boy's eyes widened with surprise and delight at the taste of the formula.
"Like ol' Superman in de movie, eh?" Ettiene turned back to the alligator and finished cleaning it, then wiped the knife off and hung it on two nails on the wall, his face thoughtful.
"Feuer!" Dove aimed her fist out the door and shot a jet of flame across the road.
"Wow!" Alvin fell on his butt and gaped. "Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!"
"She ain' never don' dat b'fore?" A dark brow lifted in amusement.
"Nope." Alvin set Star on his knee so that he could reach into his pocket for another piece of gum.
"Good work!" Dove congratulated herself with quiet satisfaction, then looked toward Alvin for approval.
"Beautiful," he assured her, still blinking.
"Dove big." She turned and twitched her ears at Ettiene.
"Yeah?" He looked around, then sat on the front bumper. "Settin' t'ings on fire makes ya big?"
She looked in the direction she'd launched the flame and listened carefully. "No feuer."
Ettiene shook his head gingerly and chuckled. "How y' do dat, petite?"
Dove came over and showed him the underside of her wrist, tracing a glowing line that ran along it with her forefinger. "Feuer here. Woestijn Feen get big, get fire und vings."
"Yeah?" He squinted at the line, then took his cap off and tentatively touched the back of his head.
"No." Dove pulled his hand away. "Sick. No fingers."
"Hurt," corrected Alvin. "Not sick."
"Hurt?" She glanced at him, then turned back to Ettiene, who was giving her a look of bemused amusement. "No fingers. Head hurt."
"Yes, mama." The cajun chuckled and put his cap back on.
"Not mama." Dove rustled her wings at him.
"Quit teasin' her." Alvin took the bottle from the sleeping Star and stood up. "I'm ready."
Ettiene shrugged and stood as well, then nudged Dove and pointed to the alligator. "Y' hungry, 'tite?"
"No. Dove no eat." She walked out of the shed to investigate a pothole in the road.
"Mebe later." Ettiene closed the shed doors and fastened the lock.
"Don't hold your breath. She's real good at finding the food, but I told you how she is for eating it," said Alvin in a low voice.
"Dove ate," she said without turning. "Ate egg, ate bug, und eat gum." She cracked it and came to walk between them.
"Gum ain't food," said Alvin, shifting Star to the other arm so she could wrap her wing around the one nearest her.
"Gum is gut." She paused and looked up at Ettiene, then reached out hesitantly and touched his hand. "Uncle Ettiene?"
"Yeah?" he said absently.
Alvin looked at the set expression on his friend's face. "You want me ta drive the boat?"
"Non," said Ettiene, rubbing his eyes. "Y' run 'er inta too many stumps. I'm okay."
"That's the greenest okay I've seen since Hector was stupid enough to eat Lance's chili," said Alvin soberly.
"I'm okay," Ettiene repeated firmly, then lifted Dove into the boat. "'Urry up."
"Here, take Star, I'll push off." Alvin held out the baby.
"Push off yer fussin', 'n get in de dang boat," growled Ettiene. "When we in de mountains, you be de boss. Here, I be de boss."
Alvin gave him a dirty look, but complied.
"Bugs," said Dove from where she was dabbling her hand in the water.
"Sit up, Sweetheart." Alvin sat down and scowled absently into the shade under the bald cypresses, Star tucked absently into the crook of his arm. Father, I never took into account pig-headed marines or man-eatin' gators. Have I gone off half-cocked?
Ettiene pushed the boat off the bank, then stepped in with the ease of one who'd done it since infancy. "Alright, 'old on."
It took two tries and some heated muttering for the engine to start, but then it purred to life and they were on their way. Alvin had to smile at Dove's wide-eyed wonder and the way her ears flicked around as she tried to 'see' everything at once. Then he looked over his shoulder as a cellphone rang.
Ettiene answered it in cajun French, his craggy face breaking into a wide grin as he rattled away faster than Alvin could follow the conversation, one hand resting lightly on the rudder as he hunkered easily in the stern.
"You lost me," said Dove, putting her ears back.
"He lost me too, Sweetheart, don't worry about it." Alvin shook his head and returned to his study of the surrounding swamp.
The cabin was small, with neat board walls, a wrap around porch, and a green corrugated plastic roof with a flicker banging away on it.
"Y'see dat bird, Sweetheart?" Ettiene put the phone away.
"Tonk, tonk, tonk?" asked Dove, her ears zeroing in on the sound.
"Dat's him. Y' wanna do de fire t'ing 'n scare de lil pain off? Don' 'urt 'im."
"Gotcha." She lifted both hands and sent a double jet of flame past the startled bird, which fled with a squawk and a cloud of feathers.
Alvin snorted and slapped his leg, trying hard not to wake Star up with his laughter, then shot Ettiene a sympathetic look as the cajun's mirth cut off with a hiss of pain and a groan.
"Bird pushed off." Dove looked at her wrists with satisfaction.
Ettiene laughed again, then cut the motor and let the boat bump against the dock. "Dat 'e did, sha. Dat 'e did."
"I'm help." She bounced to her feet and grabbed the suitcase full of books, then hopped onto the dock and stopped to watch a turtle crawl over the weathered boards. "Eat?"
"No, that's endangered. Leave 'im be." Alvin stepped out of the boat a little more carefully, then frowned as Ettiene pushed past him and disappeared into the cabin. Wondering slightly, he herded Dove inside and found the marine passed out on the couch with his arm over his eyes.
"He's still got his boots on." The dark-haired man strode over and checked his friend's pulse and breathing, then lay Star on the cajun's chest and removed the offending footwear, tossing them over by the door.
"Uncle sick?" asked Dove from where she hunkered by the door wiping her feet.
"A little bit." Alvin went to take Star back and found the baby firmly wrapped in Ettiene's beefy arms. "Let's go get the rest of that stuff in."
"Turtle. Vorm. Beetle. Beetle. Snail. Grub. Vorm." Dove looked up from the old pan she'd found and filled with treasures. "Bugs."
"No," said Alvin from where he hunkered across from her on the dock. "That's a bug 'n that's a bug, 'n that 'n that. Turtles 'n snails ain't bugs."
"Oh." Dove flicked her ears thoughtfully. "Vhat?"
"Turtles are animals." Alvin lifted the tiny snapper out of the pan and examined it carefully, then dropped it gently over the side of the dock into the still brown water. "Snails're mollusks."
"Mollusk," said Dove. "Dang, that's a big vord."
Alvin grinned. "You're going to have English down pat pretty soon, Sweetheart."
"Dat's good?" She perked her ears at him.
"That's good." He stressed the 'th' sound, then looked in the pan again. "You eat all those?"
"Dove not eat." She shook her head and put her ears back.
"I mean, those're food?" he corrected himself.
"Ja. Food." She poked at the big snail, then dropped it over the edge after the turtle. "Snails're mollusks."
"Yeck." Alvin chuckled, then watched as she sorted out the earthworms and set them in a neat row on the dock.
"Ein, zwei, drei, vier, fünf," she said.
Alvin blinked. "You can count? Sie können zählen? U kunt tellen?"
"Ja." She put her ears back and looked offended. "Natuurlijk." (Of course.)
"Oh." He put an elbow on his knee and turned to listen for any sound from the cabin, then turned back to her and gently squeezed her shoulder in apology. "How old are you? Hoe oud bent u? Sind Sie wie alt?"
She gave him a funny look. "Ich bin fünfzig zwei jahre oud." (I'm fifty two years old.)
Alvin was staggered. "Maar u bent een kind. Aber Sie sind ein Kind." (But you're a child.)
"Ja." She flicked her ears uncertainly. "Be big like Vader 'n uncles soon."
Alvin rubbed his forehead. "Sweetheart, how old do you think I am?" He pointed to his chest with his thumb.
"Hundert und dreißig?" she guessed. (One hundred and thirty?)
He shook his head slowly. "I'm dreißig zwei." (Thirty two.)
She blinked, then gave him a dirty look. "No funny."
"No," he said soberly, his caramel eyes on her wide blue ones. "No funny, Sweetheart. That's how old I am."
She shook her head. "But you Vader. You erwachsener."
"Yeah." He nodded. "I'm an adult."
She stared for a moment, then rubbed her face. "Great shades of Elvis..."
Alvin mentally agreed with the sentiment as his mind worked to make sense of what he'd just learned. "Wieviele Tage hat ein Jahr? Hoeveel dagen heeft een jaar?" (How many days in a year?)
"Drie honderd vijfenzestig." Dove quirked an eyebrow.
"Same as here." He shook his head and gave her a slight grin. "Okay."
"You Vader. I kids."
"You're a kid."
"I a kid." She perked her ears and wrapped her wings around her shoulders. "That's weird."
Alvin looked down at the worms, which were making good their escape. "How old'll you be when you're grown? When you're big?"
"Sechzig vier adult. Vierhundert for Sterben." She cocked her head and looked up at him.
"You're an adult at 64 and die at 400," he translated slowly. "How old's Buddy?"
"New. Just starting." Dove paused to count on her fingers. "Elf day."
"Eleven days." Alvin looked toward the cabin wonderingly. They live darn near forever, but he's just startin' out. Less 'n a whisper on the timeline. Wow.
"Vader?" Dove touched his knee with one winghand.
He blinked, then smiled at her. "It's all good." He gestured to the bugs in the pan. "Eat."
"Eat bug?" Her ears twitched.
"Yeah, eat bug." He swiped at a mosquito that braved the aura of citronella that he was wrapped in, then leaned his chin on a fist and stared out over the darkening swamp.
"Eat vorm?"
"Sure." He watched a bat fly through the trees, praying that she would be hungry enough to eat a decent meal for once.
"Dove not eat," she decided, turning the pan over and setting the two beetles free.
"Dove eat," he said firmly. "Now."
She looked at him in surprise, then obediently scooped up the scurrying insects and put them in her mouth.
Alvin swallowed and averted his eyes, fighting to suppress a shudder.
"Dove all done," she said, wiping her mouth.
"Good." He grinned and ruffled her hair. "Let's go get some more."
"Some more?" she said in a small voice.
"Yeah. Five worms 'n a couple beetles isn't enough for anythin'."
"Isn't enough for anything?" She flicked her ears.
"It's not enough for you."
She glanced sideways and put a hand to her stomach.
"What's wrong?" He frowned.
"I'm good," she said faintly.
"Sweetheart, yer shakin'," said Alvin, pulling her close as his throat constricted with concern. "What's wrong? Wrong bugs?"
"Maag gestört." She leaned her head against his chest. "Gut bugs. Too much bugs."
"But you hardly had any." He winced as she gagged slightly.
"Drow drogen give Dove maag sick." She blinked and wiped tears away with one hand.
The Drow drugs make her belly sick? "What drogen? When did they give you drogen?" asked Alvin, feeling the slow boil of anger in his own gut.
"Drogen to versklaven sie. They give to Dove when they catch me." She curled up with her arms around her middle.
"When did they catch you?" he asked softly, brushing her hair back from her face.
"Vor zwanzig vier jahren."
"Twenty four years ago." The thought of a tiny, frightened child being given drugs to enslave her made him clench his jaw. "Your mama 'n daddy got you away?"
She nodded, then hissed through her teeth and clung to him with one winghand.
"Does it hurt?" He stood and turned toward the cabin.
"No! Duizelig!" She buried her face in his chest.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart." He bit his lip and carried her inside, awkwardly taking off his boots one-handed before walking over to the easy chair and lowering himself into it.
"Jesus, danke voor das helfen ich. Helfen sie mir gelieve wieder," murmured Dove, huddling close. (Jesus, thank You for helping me. Please help me again.)
"Amen," said Alvin softly, adding his own prayers silently as he looked out the window at the soft, bat-haunted night.
"Shh, 'tite, Oncle Ettiene tryin'... Oww..."
Alvin opened his eyes at the groan of pain and saw his friend standing at the counter in front of the camp stove, holding Star in one arm and jiggling the little boy's soother with the other hand as he waited for a bottle to heat.
He stretched and worked an arm free of Dove's wings to rub his eyes, then rolled his neck. "Sorry 'bout that, Gung Ho. Didn' mean to fall asleep."
"Don' worry 'bout it." Ettiene shrugged carefully with his good shoulder. "Bad dream?"
"Tummy ache." Alvin remembered the reason for it and wondered what the Drow would think of a Sherman rolling through their backyard.
Ettiene gave Dove a compassionate glance, then turned back to the stove. "De 'tite like dis 'ot, no?"
"Just so it's not boilin'." Alvin restrained himself from offering assistance.
"Okay." Ettiene used tongs to lift the bottle from the pan, then set it on the counter and awkwardly got the nipple on it before shutting off the gas. "Now den, 'tite homme...." He used a hot mitt to pick up the bottle, then looked down at Star and hesitated.
"You saw Dove drink that fire." Alvin lay his head back and looked at the rafters, then heaved himself to his feet and walked over to the water filter.
"Yeah." Ettiene bit his lip and hesitantly put the nipple to the baby's mouth, his eyebrows raising as the tiny boy latched on and nursed eagerly. "Heh, y' like dat, eh, 'tite?"
Alvin grinned behind his glass, then finished drinking and set it down with a sigh. "Did you get his diaper?"
"Yeah." Ettiene went over to the bunks at the far end of the room and sat on the lower one, leaning wearily against the wall.
"You're not gonna give him back tonight, are you?" Alvin lifted an eyebrow.
"Look like Sweetheart, she need ya now," said Ettiene without looking up.
"Doesn't stop me from takin' care of Buddy any other night." Alvin walked over and let the mosquito netting down around the bunk, then made shushing sounds as Dove started and gave a little cry.
"De enfants sleep wit' ya?" Ettiene slid sideways and wriggled around till he was laying on his uninjured side, then set the bottle aside.
"Yeah." Alvin flushed slightly as he remembered his mother lecturing his sister about kids sleeping in their own beds.
Ettiene chuckled and lay his head back, dropping into sleep.
Alvin watched Star wriggle for a few minutes, then sighed as the baby too passed into slumber. He looked up at the top bunk, but decided against trying to climb into it with Dove attached to him. Skeeters seem to avoid the kids anyway. I should be safe with Sweetheart snugglin' me.
Sighing, he went and took Ettiene's place on the couch, then stared up at the darkened rafters. Father, help me do what needs doin'. 'N help me not to hurt the kids tryin' t' help 'em. He quirked a grin as Dove sighed and cuddled closer. 'N thanks. I wouldn' give this up for anythin'.
Still grinning, he settled down and started courting sleep.
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