A family invites Wraithvine and friends to stay with them for the holiday and until the new year. The youngest among them, a human that was adopted, keeps calling Gikka, 'little sister' despite Gikka being older than them, and begs Gikka to please stay with them as family. -- Anon Guest
[AN: A wrinkle of Alfarell is that Midwinterfeast and the new year are pretty much the same event. So Wraithvine and Gikka are staying for the winter]
The Human that the family had adopted - stolen fair and square if one asked their Harukh mother - was considered "a bit simple" by many. Still, they could be relied upon to follow simple instructions and follow a routine, and that was good enough for Mama Orgalah.
Saving little Daryn from the labyrinth of thorns, among many other small favours had earned Wraithvine and Gikka a place in the family home for the winter season.
And since the last three family additions had come into the home via the Midwinterfeast snows, Daryn made a reasonably logical conclusion.
"You're my sister, now," said Daryn, holding Gikka on his hip with glee. "My little dragon sister."
"I'm older than you," said Gikka. "I'm older than your mother. I'm one hundred and twelve."
Only Patience, their father, saw Wraithvine's face twitch in anticipated pain. He shared a Look with the immortal Wizard that was deep in sympathy. They both knew that Kobolds didn't last much longer than one hundred and twenty years of age.
"She'd be more an aunty than a sister," said Orgalah said, showing some younger and brighter adopted siblings how to prepare their evening meal. "You be careful with her, she's an old lady."
"Yes'm," said Daryn, easing the way they held on to Gikka. "You're still family, right? Aunty?"
Gikka looked to Wraithvine, who never liked goodbyes and hated deathwatches. "I suppose this is a nice enough place to retire," she said. "Someone has to keep you out of trouble, young fellow-me-lad." To Wraithvine she added, "That's a full time job and you know it. So. Come the spring? I'll see you the next time you come around."
Or, thinking of the way Kobolds did things, the next time she was reborn.
Thus, she became another piece in the patchwork family of this farm.
[Photo by Art Institute of Chicago on Unsplash]
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