Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 12)

“No preference here!” Aashi said with a grin and a shrug, striding towards the table as she glanced at Tadaaki to see if he had a preference, but he just shrugged, indifferent. Aashi hesitated then turned back to Sara. “… I think I’ll just join you. I can just plop Tasia with Aaki and save moving three kiddos.”

Ky dawdled, not at all sure where she was supposed to be sitting. Was she still supposed to be part of this maternal wisdom sharing session? Or had she been dismissed from that? Should she sit with Tadaaki? That seemed most comforting — unless — wait, where was Tomhas?

"Sounds good! Ky, do you want to join us or sit with your father?"
Tomhas was far down the table; he was actively avoiding sitting near Gaius, who had seated himself at the head of the table.

“Uh…” She glanced at Tomhas, trying to get a feel for what he wanted her to do.

Tomhas spotted her and waved cheerily.

Ky returned the wave awkwardly, realizing that didn’t actually help her make her decision. She had a feeling he was going to be irritating about this, but she was going to see if she could get him to cooperate. “Do you want me to sit up here with them or down there with you?”

"Oh, up to you! Is something going on?"

“Oh, uh—“

“YOU CAME IN AFTER I TOLD EVERYONE—“ Tasia jumped up eagerly.

“Tasia!” Tadaaki said sharply, frustrated. “Stop.”

She pouted. “But-but he gotsta know Papa!”

"Know what?" Tomhas looked between them all, blinking.
"Good to you, Aashi," Ivar offered in his limited Upper Tongue. May nodded.

“Ky’s God now!” Tasia said eagerly.

Tadaaki sighed wearily.

“And she adopteded me, and you adopteded her, so…” her brain was clearly working in overdrive trying to work it all out. “Does that mean you adopteded me too? Or-or- are you my grandpapa now?!”


Aashi grinned at Ivar, delighted at the effort. She’d learned even less Nortung, not really making an earnest effort to learn, but enough for greetings to be polite. She struggled out a, “Good evening. You’re well?”

Ivar dipped his head. "Quite well but bored. Thank you. Congratulations on your pregnancy; good luck to you both."

Tomhas blinked and looked at Ky and Tadaaki in bewilderment. "Sorry kiddo--can you repeat that?"

Aashi had no idea what he said and looked at him helplessly for a moment, before looking around to see if Rickard or Gaius was close to help.


Tadaaki took a deep breath and then let it out, frustrated. “Sorry… for her. She’s—“

“Ky’s my Mama now too,” Tasia said, scrambling onto his lap without being invited. Trying to, anyway, unless he stopped her.

“Godmother,” Tadaaki corrected tiredly. “Aashi is expecting; Ky agreed to be godmother to both.”

Rickard leaned over. "He offers you congratulations and good luck on your pregnancy, miss. And I extend my own congratulations as well! What a blessing!"

"Godmother!" Tomhas said in delight. "What do you know? Congratulations, Ky! And to you, Aashi," he called.

“Oh! Thank you!” Aashi beamed at him, then turned the grin on Ivar. “Thank you, too!” Then she looked down the table at Tomhas’s beckoning. “Thank you!” She looked at Rickard. “We’re all very excited.”


Ky smiled a little and dipped her head to her father. She was excited about it, despite her apprehension.

“That means she’s my family now,” Tasia explained. “Which means you’re part of my family now.”

“Tasia, you can’t just invite yourself into someone else’s family, that’s not how this works—“

“Wait are you god too? Or grandpapa?”

"I guess I'd be your godgrampa!" Tomhas mused, grinning. "Huh, cool! And I'm only thirty-two!"

(Lmao I love how he just leans into it like yeah sure okay I’m ur grandpa now)

Thirty-two… which meant he was only seventeen when Ky was born. Gods. Maybe she was starting to get old enough to have kids after all. Give him — well, she would never be able to give him biological family — but legal grandchildren. What an odd realization.

“Yeah!” Tasia grinned, burrowing herself backward against Tomhas’s chest in an attempt to coax him into giving her a hug from behind.


“Ky!” Aashi said, getting her attention. “Come sit with us!”

“Uh…” Ky glanced from her, to Tomhas, to Tadaaki, then back at Aashi. “O-okay.” She dipped her head and walked around the table — it felt weird being on this side of it, facing the opposite direction for the first time — to join Sara and Aashi.