16. Aegir
Chapter sixteen
Aegir
IN WHICH DRAGONS ARE CAPABLE OF TAMING CHILDREN, ALL LIbrARIES SHOULD HAVE MULTIPLE STORIES, AND ANSWERS ARE FOUND
T he following morning, Elspeth was already up and downstairs before Aegir woke. He dressed quickly and found her in the kitchen with Catrin.
"Mornin' darlin'!" Cat called, turning some aebleskivers in the pan. 1 She knew he loved the round pancake balls and made them at least once during his visits. Next to her, Elspeth held her own toothpick for turning. She smiled at him over her shoulder and didn't shy away when he hugged her from behind.
"Good morning," she said. "Couldn't sleep with all the noise." She waved a hand at the city.
"It must be odd for you—this many people in the same place."
"Exactly. "
Aegir kissed her neck and she giggled.
"I'm going to burn my pan because of you!"
"It's not my fault if you can't concentrate when I am around. Are you truly blaming me for your lack of control? Why Elspeth, that is so misandrist of you! I thought better of you. How disappointing." He amped up his distraction, tickling her sides until Catrin smacked him with a towel.
"Get out of here, you menace! I'll thank you not to ruin our hard work, you daft flounder. Go find yourself a child who can match your energy and get outta my kitchen!"
Wiggling his body to avoid the swipes of Catrin's towel, Aegir blew a kiss to Elspeth on his way out the door. "I'm sorry, my love, I am no match for this foul witch that keeps you captive!"
Likely hearing the commotion, all three children barreled out the back hall and tackled him. He spent the next five minutes battling for his life against three children who had no business being as strong as they were, with little knowledge of how to temper their blows. Luckily, a knock on the door saved him. At the sound, all three children released him, and Torsten sauntered out of his office.
"Were you in there the entire time?" Aegir hissed.
"Of course, I get to have that fun all the time. I didn't want you to miss out, after all!"
Aegir narrowed his eyes at his friend, but was cut off from any further bickering when Torsten opened the door.
On the other side stood a stunning purple dragoness. Calida, as usual, wore no clothing, though opalescent scales covered her body. Long horns curved over her flowing purple hair, and her mouth quirked in a smile.
"Trouble with the children, dear?" she asked, bringing Aegir in for a kiss on the cheek. "I've always found them to be extremely well behaved."
"Of course you have. They're entirely in awe of you."
All three children stood to the side, eyes wide and mouths shut, staring at her. Though they'd ridden on her back the entire journey from Sanctuary to Berggeheimnis, they'd somehow retained a healthy reverence for her.
"My dears, surely you don't mean to have breakfast in your nightclothes? Do go get presentable for your auntie, won't you?"
Nodding their heads, all three children scurried off.
"Really, Aegir, they aren't hard to manage. It just takes a little practice. Ah yes, hello darling." She pulled Torsten in for his own hug and kiss on the cheek.
Torsten was smiling, even wider than usual when they stepped back. "Guess who is here!"
"Oh, I couldn't begin to guess. You know I've had such a flight, just tell me."
"Aegir's mate!" Torsten was vibrating, like a teenage girl with the best gossip.
"Really?" Calida's voice rose several octaves, and she pulled them both into another hug. "Oh darling, I'm so proud of you!"
"Proud of me?"
"Well, of course, I thought you'd never settle down! It's not like you're getting any younger..."
"Calida, you're three times my age."
"Well yes, but those of us that can afford to be discerning must be, you know. Now, where are they?" She craned her neck as if Elspeth might be hiding behind a potted plant.
"She's cooking with Catrin," Torsten said with a smug smile.
"Oh! Good, I'm simply famished, you know." Calida moved toward the kitchen correctly, assuming both men would just follow in her wake.
"We also need information on the latest Watch movements," Aegir said. "We're looking for one squadron helmed by the Navigator for the Northeastern Provinces. They've taken my mate's brother, and we mean to get him back."
"How horrid," she said, handing Aegir her pack. "You'll find my maps in there. If I recall, they are moving up the coast. We aren't certain why at the moment."
“Toward Winter Harbor?” Aegir burst out. He unrolled the map as they walked, only to have his question confirmed at the same second Calida did.
"Yes, as it happens."
"Fuck." Aegir ran his hand through his hair and put the map back in her bag. "They're going back to Hillskerry, the island where she's from. The locals are selkies, and a letter we intercepted indicates they are fond of them and keen to capture more."
"Oh no, that does sound bad." She sobered and squeezed Aegir's hand. "Will you intercept them then?"
"We'll try, but I'm unsure how we could stop them, it's just the two of us, three if I count Jokith, against a flotilla."
"Well, let's meet her then and see if we can come up with any ideas."
Elspeth and Catrin were setting the table when they entered and, though Aegir couldn't see Calida's face, she immediately opened her arms to hug Elspeth .
"It's lovely to meet you, my dear. I am so excited you've been able to tame our rowdy boy!" She swept Elspeth up so that her feet were dangling to hug her. Over her shoulder, Elspeth was blushing and looking at Aegir as if she wished to be saved.
"He's been without a purpose for so long that I was beginning to despair he'd ever settle down."
"Excuse me," Aegir said. " He is right here, and was my extremely important job not purpose enough for you?"
"Oh yes, dear, and I am sure it was so hard for you to have to fuck so many people. Truly, you poor, poor boy."
"Everyone sit down and shut up," Catrin called. "Little ears are coming, so I'll thank you for acting like it."
The rest of breakfast was lovely, though Elspeth, who'd just gotten used to Cat and Tor, spent the entire time looking stunned. Calida was an intimidating force to be certain, so Aegir held her knee throughout and tried to be reassuring.
Afterward, Elspeth truly looked overwhelmed, and so he decided it would be best to get her some quiet time, and there was nowhere better than the library.
"Well everyone, as we've information as to where to find Feann, Elspeth and I are off to the library. We'll be back in a bit!"
The relieved look on Elspeth's face was all the confirmation he needed as they donned their footwear. Once they were out of the house, Elspeth let out a huge breath and grabbed his hand.
"Thank you, I adore your friends, there's just so much... pressure on everything with them."
"Absolutely, and it's not fair to you. I hope you'll excuse Calida. She assumes that this was all premeditated and that you truly love me. I am so sorry. I should have expected her reaction."
"It's alright," she said as they stepped off the front steps and onto the street. "Anyone would be happy for their friend in her place. I would worry if she wasn't pleased."
"I suppose..." Aegir said. "Though it's honestly a bit insulting how surprised and proud they are all acting."
It wasn't as if he'd expressed a desire to be mated and hadn't been successful in his efforts. Further, much of his job hadn't been conducive to having a partner. Of course, he'd had a good time, but it had honestly been out of necessity .
"Speaking of which, I wanted to talk to you about that."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Your life, previously, seemed to have been quite different from the last few weeks or so. If this were long term, you and I, I suppose we should address our expectations on the matter." She stared straight ahead, though she still held his hand.
"That's true enough."
"And so is that something you are eager to return to? Further, I feel we must be realistic about my limitations. I understand we might not have a full sexual relationship because of my ...difficulties. As such, I suppose it is only right that I be prepared to make some accommodations, though, because they are difficult for me, I'd prefer we set some boundaries in advance."
Aegir stopped and spun her to face him. Her eyes were red, though she'd done an admirable job of keeping her emotion from her voice. He tilted her chin up to face him and caressed her cheek. "You've got a lot going on in that head of yours. I couldn't think of sleeping with anyone else if I tried. In fact, I did try the night after you ran from me. You were stuck in my head, you blasted woman, and I thought I might work it out with some friends of mine."
Elspeth scrunched her nose and turned her head, refusing to meet his eyes.
"I couldn't even leave, Ellie." He turned her face back to him, smiling down at her in hopes she could feel his sincerity. "I couldn't muster up desire for anyone but you. I was stuck in my cabin, because that was where you'd been last. I was tortured, desperate only for you. "
He shook his head, amused at the memory and shocked he was sharing it. "Hell, I rubbed my face on the carpet because it was where saltwater had dripped from your hair. I don't think you comprehend how fully you've bewitched me, my siren."
Elspeth nodded, but somehow didn't seem as reassured as he'd have liked or expected. "So as far as I am concerned, the discussion can go as follows: I am perfectly happy with how things are going and don't have any needs for anything else. Further, I do not anticipate developing those needs, at any point."
He lifted her up, so that she was level with him, and touched his forehead to hers. "You are more than I ever thought I deserved, more than I ever dared want. I cannot fathom spending any emotion or energy on anyone else that I could spend on you."
"But I'm—"
"The most gorgeous woman I've ever seen? Perfect for me? "
"Broken." She whispered it and pulled back, her eyes darting away.
"Elspeth. I count myself incredibly lucky to be with you, not despite your difficulties , but because of them. What was done to you was absolutely horrific. The fact that you are willing to let me help you heal from that? To hold you up when your knees buckle? To let me love you even though it's scary? It's an honor. You don't have to try to work through what was done to you, but you've shown me you want to. And I am incredibly grateful that you trust me enough to help where I can."
"You are?" Her lip quivered, and Aegir couldn't resist kissing it.
"I am. So, so much."
Elspeth sniffled and nodded. "Alright, well, that's alright, I suppose. Me, too."
"You too?"
She nodded, tears blotting out her vision.
"That's my girl," he said, setting her down. "Now, after that monumental discussion, shall we get to the library so you can decide if you'll be breaking my heart?"
She rolled her eyes, but allowed him to lead her in the correct direction. "I imagine if we broke the bond, you would be just fine, but perhaps it's neither here nor there. I think a fair bit of my stress is having the question hanging over everything. Once we know more, I think everything will be clearer."
"Agreed." He disagreed with her about how heartbroken he'd be, but figured there was little point in fighting about it.
“Aegir,” she said, stopping in the street. “What if it is the bond?”
“Then, I suppose we will see where we stand.”
She flailed her arms. “Sorry, no I mean, Feann. What if he thinks he loves the Navigator? On account of the bond. We’re going to kill him and Feann will be crushed.”
That was a problem. Aegir was happily bewitched but if the bond was actually responsible, it would be… difficult for him.
“All the more reason to know for sure.” He clasped her hand in his and began walking again.
The library was relatively close, and they arrived shortly after opening. The edifice of the library had been carved out of the rock of the cavern, with tall, gold gilded doors that were swung open each day. Behind them was a wall of windows two stories high with glass doors set into their bottom. Elspeth gasped when they approached, clearly taken aback by how beautiful it was.
"I had the same reaction," Aegir said. "Come, let's see what can be found. "
Though he expected the library to be quiet, it was a library, after all, they walked in to witness the librarian, a diminutive oread, shaking her finger angrily at a minotaur. Though he towered over her, the minotaur looked thoroughly chastised.
“Is that food? Did you bring food into my library?”
“No, they're cookies, they…" the minotaur defended, waving toward his messenger bag.
“Cookies. Are. Food.” The librarian huffed and appeared to try to control herself. “You need to leave. You need to take your cookies and get out of my library before you damage any books."
“But they're Madeleines, they—”
“I don’t care, they could be made of solid gold and you would still need to leave." She pointed toward the door, and dejected, the minotaur slunk away.
The oread turned to Elspeth and Aegir with a smile pasted on her face. She had white marble skin with stunning gold veining.
"Hello, I am terribly sorry about that!"
"Oh, no harm done! I can't imagine bringing food into a library, let alone one as esteemed as this!" Aegir shook his head sadly, as if he hadn't spilled his own fair share of food and drink on his own books.
"Exactly," she said, squaring her shoulders. "So, how may I be of assistance?"
"We are looking for some information on selkies, specifically about their bonds. Barring that, I suppose any information you might have about magical bonds, especially those of shape shifters, or those whose shift is tied to an external item, would be helpful.”
The oread scribbled some notes down on a sheet of paper with a tiny pencil and waved for them to follow her.
"Yes, well, we have a few areas of investigation then. First, I know of a few accounts of anthropologists that lived with communities of selkies living off the Western shore of Caihalaith, as well as cross-sectional study on bonds. There really is quite the variety, you know, but it's the most interesting read, you see, because they fall into some key categorical types."
The librarian spoke rapid fire, and moved through the library like Aegir might through the water, instinctively and without hesitation. Here, she was the master of her domain, and it was immediately evident.
"The book details these types and even has a few case studies of bonds between different races with different bond types. One in particular, the interaction of a bi-directional soul bond and a unilateral binding bond created some interesting dynamics for one couple, and in another, a triad was able to combine their bonds in such a way that they were able to speak telepathically!"
"That is quite interesting," Elspeth said, babbling as if trying to squeeze her words in between the librarian's. "I think, if you found it so helpful, that perhaps we should start there, as we are truly most interested in selkie bonds."
"I thought as much." The librarian turned sharply down a row of books and up a set of winding stairs to the second level. Here, they exited onto a small platform that had railings and a set of cranks. As soon as they were on it, the oread began turning one crank that moved them along a set of tracks. Elspeth’s hands clung to the edge of the cart, white knuckled, though her mouth had dropped open in awe. While Aegir had been to the library before, he'd never had occasion to ride a book trolley and he wasn't ashamed to say he was excited as a schoolboy. The cart slid effortlessly along the track, jerking to the side when she switched to a different crank.
"Aha!" the librarian said as they pulled to a stop not a minute from when they'd left. "Here we are then!" She pulled a book off the shelf and handed it to Aegir. "You might also want Eldridge’s Accounting of Bindings and Nasstrom’s Further Explorations of Bonds , which are both responses to it. Do you want the books on selkies specifically, or shall I set you up with a study room and a selection?"
Aegir turned to Elspeth. It was her inquiry, really, and he wanted to let her do as she preferred.
"A study room, if you please." Elspeth held tight to the railing and looked as if she might be sick. "We will start with these and then see if we need the others."
"Wonderful, off we go then!" The cart zipped off again, going instead to the back wall of the library and the many cubbies carved into the wall there. As they approached, Aegir saw that several were already occupied, the dwarves within looking consumed in their studies. The librarian stopped them in front of one that seemed slightly larger than the others and opened a gate on that side of the cart. Elspeth looked at it skeptically when the oread waved her hand, indicating that they should exit into the space.
"And when we are done? How will we leave?" Elspeth squeaked.
"Ring this bell here, and a porter will be over to get you. That, or you can always use the ladders. Some prefer them." Her tone of voice conveyed exactly how she felt about the folks who preferred the ladders over her trolleys.
Elspeth stepped inside, scooting as close to the back wall as she could, and Aegir was only too happy to squeeze in next to her. With a sharp nod, the librarian zipped off, pleased with herself.
The cubby was snug, with a table and two booth seats facing it. A set of small shelves built into the back wall gave them a place to set books, and, he was pleased to see, several reference books. Underneath the shelves was an alcove that held an orange crystal that radiated heat. A small stack of scratch paper and pencils sat at the side, as well as a sign that reminded patrons not to: "re-shelve books, smudge or dog-ear pages, speak loudly, or eat or drink." All of which sounded reasonable to Aegir.
"Shall we then?" he asked Elspeth, setting the books on the table. "This is the one she mentioned."
Elspeth took the book reverently from his hands. With a shaky breath, she sat it before her on the table and opened it to the index.
"Selkies, here we are, page seventy-four." She flipped pages until they saw the subheading for selkies, listed under the heading " Object-Limited Restrictive Bindings. "
They were silent as they read what appeared to be a fairly comprehensive analysis of the selkie bond. It opened by calling the bond a "class five" restrictive bond, noting that it was limited both by a physical object and influence. Aegir's eyes caught on a passage, and he read it over and over, refusing to believe what he'd read.
Though colloquially the selkies treat the bond as if it is a class two bilateral influencing bond, testing indicates there is no evidence for such. Assigning this level of importance, especially in a romantic context, is often found in remote societies, where great care must go into selecting a partner, especially those without the concept of divorce. Contentious matings are always difficult in small towns, but the perpetuation of the myth of a binding that influences one's feelings serves to impart additional gravitas onto entering such a relationship. In reality, the effects of the binding seem two-fold. First, the bond allows the bonder to influence the bonded's actions, in that they can compel through direct order. Second, the bond compels both parties to be in physical proximity of one another, perhaps so the binder cannot abscond and leave the bonded with the inability to shift.
1. Aebleskivers are a traditional breakfast in Sanctuary, a kind of small, spherical pancake that is cooked in a cast iron pan and filled with fruit. Turning them takes a good deal of practice, so I usually let my husband make them.