Chapter Text
Everything had been packed in such a rush. They planned to leave at night to draw the least attention. They couldn’t bring everything with them. Soren and Corvus were tasked with kitchenware, Rayla and Callum were packing up the nursery, Arthur and Eve were packing food, and Gren and Marcos was folding laundry.
“I wrote to one of my stepfathers,” Ethari said as he placed all their combs in a bag. “I’m grateful that Arthur’s letting us stay with him but it would be cruel for all of us to stay there at once. I can find work somewhere else and we can move there.”
“And what if they hate what Cherub is? They’ll ask about her, I’ll have to explain everything all over again.”
Runaan was sitting on the bed, holding his baby girl. Ethari looked at him.
The poor elf was tired, heartbroken and tired. He didn’t deserve to be hated by the same community who he had spent his whole life protecting. Ethari sat next to him.
“I can’t promise you this will be easy, but I can promise that I will stand by you and try to make this a bit more bearable.”
He placed his hand on Runaan’s shoulder. Runaan burst into tears.
“This was our first home!” He blubbered. “We raised Rayla in this home! How can we just leave?! I spent my whole life here, Ethari! My! Whole! Life!”
Cherub softly began to cry, Ethari took her and held her in one arm while he wrapped Runaan in the other.
“How ironic is it? That if I died my life would have held some meaning?”
Ethari’s blood ran cold.
“Only a fool would believe your life does not hold some meaning now.”
“I must be a fool then.”
“Well, I married you, so that makes me a fool as well.”
Runaan chuckled, wiping his tears.
“You are the furthest thing from a fool, my darling.”
“Then you aren’t one either.”
—
Everything was packed in bags that were either tied to Shadowpaws or carried by someone. Runaan sat behind Ethari on one shadowpaw, Callum sat behind Rayla. They left home at night and arrived at Arthur’s home at night. Everyone was exhausted. After everyone helped move the bags inside Soren passed out on the carpet, Corvus laid down next to him on the carpet after Arthur gave them all blankets. Gren insisted that Marcos take the couch, Ethari, Runaan, and Cherub went to the guest room while everyone else was given sleeping pads.
They placed Cherub between them, propping her up on a pillow. Small strands of hair had begun poking out from her tiny head. It wasn’t white, but a light shade of blonde, a shade similar to Soren’s.
“She’s gorgeous,” Ethari murmured. Runaan frowned, not because he didn’t think she was gorgeous, but because he was horrified that one day that man’s genetics would take over and she would have a face he could no longer bear to look at.