Silvana - prologue (final part)

In the morning he had no trouble finding the Dancing Glade, he simply followed the rippling laughter of the woodmaids.  His father was already there.  

Tawr wept with relief as he scooped his son into his arms and hugged him tight against his chest.

“I should be very cross with you,” Deepvale’s Lord Holder whispered fiercely.

“They frightened me,” Fabiom explained, big blue eyes filling with tears.  “Have they gone away yet?”

“Whatever frightened you is gone, I’m sure,” Tawr muttered reassuringly, distressed that anything in the woods should have scared the boy.

“Back to Windwood?” Fabiom persisted.

Tawr let him down to the ground and then knelt before him so that their faces were level.  “Nimo and Khime.  Is that who scared you, Fabiom?”

Fabiom nodded.

Tawr’s brow creased, his jaw tightened, then he brushed his hand over his son’s dark curls and grinned.  “Don’t you worry about them.  I think a day cleaning out silk worm trays should keep them from any more mischief, don’t you?”

Fabiom laughed as his father stood and swung him up onto his shoulders.  “Smelly silk worms,” he chortled.  

And laughter, like leaves in the wind, echoed him.