There was a rustle, and then silence. The wind spun a moth eaten curtain on a balcony, allowing a sliver of moonlight to permeate a dark room before the battered fabric returned to its original position. A dog bayed somewhere close by. Perhaps it felt the familiar pang of hunger or perhaps something sinister lurked beyond human sight. Regardless, the guards who made their usual rounds took notice of the broken silence. The clang of their armor escalated along the cobblestone street with every step they took towards the disruption. Security had heightened once Aveline took her position as Guard Captain. With her in charge the streets were safer than ever before and her command inspired loyalty amongst the guards. Each individual worked diligently to keep the residents of Kirkwall, both high and low, from coming to harm. Those closest to Aveline were untouchable, and for one of her friends in particular the newly established force of security could not have come at a better time.
Milo Leto Fiera was born to Fenris and Misha Fiera. His father was a long-time friend of Aveline’s, and also a close ally to the Hawke family. His mother, Misha, was the provider of his last name seeing as his father did not recall if he ever had one to begin with. Luckily for him, the Fiera bloodline had royal ties. The benefit of having two well known and loved parents is that their children too will be well known and loved. The child was in no immediate danger, but try explaining that to a doting father with a penchant for over-protectiveness. The dog had woken his child and in turn had woken him. The babe did not fuss as regular babes do. There was no sharp cry or fists pounding into the air. No, Milo was an exceptionally calm child, and that made Fenris ever the leerier. If something startled Milo, then something was not right. The dog could have been alerting its masters of a thief in the night. Could there possibly be slavers sent by Danarius to take his family from him? These were the thoughts that plagued his mind as he bundled the tiny child to his chest. The lyrium began to flair along his skin, illuminating the dark room and outlining Misha’s sleeping form beside the spot he had just risen from. A crib was missing from the room, it was unnecessary in Fenris’s mind. The man had traded sleeping beside his sword for sleeping beside something far more precious. Placing Milo somewhere that he could not immediately feel his presence was alarming. The light emitting from Fenris’s markings was still new to Milo, who balled his little hands up to shield his eyes from the sudden glow. Carefully, his father tucked him up a bit higher so his chin could rest above Fenris’s collarbone while his father’s strong arm supported him from below. One of the elf’s large striped hands pulled the curtain back while emerald eyes surveyed the streets below. All was silent now, including their little one.
Perhaps he had overreacted to the noisy situation. His cautiousness quelled and with it went the intensity of his markings. Once again, the little family was enveloped in darkness. Together they made their way back to the bed, but Fenris did not put Milo down as he had originally been when he first stirred. This time the man kept the baby pressed up to his chest, with his head under Fenris’s chin, and one hand covering his tiny frame as the other cupped the back of his skull. Once his heart had steadied enough, Fenris began his own personal take on counting sheep. It began when he closed his eyes and ended when he had finished pointing out every little trait Milo had inherited. The process was silent, but occasionally he’d unconsciously move his hands to whichever part was being thought of. He smoothed over fine hair, dark chocolate , his mother’s. Ears, which ended in a smoother point and where sensitive enough to elicit a squeak, from his father. Eyes of avocado with specks of hazel, a combination of both parents'. A steeper than normal little nose, with a barely noticeable bridge, his father’s. The observations went on and on until Fenris drifted off all at once.
