Aidan looked up at the clear sky above. "You know... I've never talked like this with any of my other children."

"You haven't? Why not?" Damien was surprised.

Aidan shrugged. "I suppose because they are always there, and I think I take them for granted. I love them a lot, as I've said. But I don't always remember that I need to show them that. And..." the bond was starting to fade, but Damien could tell Aidan was a little uncomfortable. "I've certainly never shared blood with any of them." He looked over at Damien, sensing Damien's own uncertainty at his emotions. "I'm not sorry I did with you. I'm just worried that if your mother finds out, she's going to kill me. Or make me wish she had. She can be very... determined."

Damien giggled. "I won't tell."

Aidan grinned. "Thank you!"

They sat together in silence. The last of the bond faded between them. Aidan picked up his stick again, pulled his knife back out, and started trying to make his dog look less like a duck. Damien lay back on the flat surface of the stump and looked at the sky. After a while Aidan asked, "Do you have any friends here?"

Damien shook his head. "Not really."

"I do promise I'll come more often," he said. "As often as I possibly can. And... maybe you could come visit me some time."

Damien sat up and his eyes lit up at that. "Really?"

"Yes! If your mother will let you, anyhow. I've made the trip to the northlands with my other kids often enough, it's safe. Just long!"

Damien's face fell a little. "Will your other kids like me?"

Aidan smiled. "Well... Dart is a little bit unpredictable, but I'm sure the others will. I know Ariana is curious about you. She's my oldest, she's fifteen now and taller than I am! Then there's the twins, Dart and Flare. Though they'll be taking their adult names this year." At Damien's puzzled look he explained, "It's a tradition from my wife's family. Children are given temporary names when they're born and when they're twelve they pick the name they want to use as an adult, and their child name becomes just a nickname."

"Oh. That's kind of neat."

Aidan nodded "And the youngest is Shade, she's five. So you're in between her and the twins."

Damien nodded.