CAITLYN

            The catacombs of Mt. Pyre were quiet that night, but the same could not be said for the camp in which the small party of Forrest men stayed. Her own family’s men sent to tend Susan and Caitlyn were having a raucous and drunken celebration when the Tropius arrived bearing the great news: Starfall was dead, and a hostile enemy at Foretree’s western border had been subdued. Caitlyn was sad that Susan couldn’t come out of her room to join in the festivities, as she still had a persisting fever and refused to leave baby Alexander to the nurses.

            Neither her brother, Solomon, nor her sister, Susan would have allowed her to have a taste of the adult’s drink. Still, Caitlyn found ways to convince the soldiers to allow a few sips. The soldiers loved Caitlyn Forrest, they laughed as she participated in their raunchy drinking songs, and they admired her inquisitiveness of their weapons. She spent the night listening to stories and tales about how Solomon had tricked the false King Starfall, leading him into a trap.

            She had gathered bits and pieces of information on how Solomon and the Sand family of the Mirage Desert had made a secret pact to overthrow Starfall and return the Brightflames to their Kingship. Caitlyn and Absol laughed when they imagined the sight of hundreds of men with dark red berry juice all over their bodies, laying down in the sand as if they were dead. How could a man be so stupid?

            She strained her ears to listen as the soldiers debated how Starfall met his ultimate end. One was convinced he was killed by a “dead man.” Another refuted this claim, and said when he saw the Sand men turn against him, his bowels and all his internal organs were expelled in sheer terror, but one old soldier calmly but assuredly asserted that it was Solomon who had slain him in single combat. Caitlyn felt proud at the notion of her brother winning such a glory.

            Just as she was about to sneak another drink from the man next to her, the noise in the camp died down.

            “My lady, Caitlyn,” said a woman’s voice. “Your sister wishes you to see her.”

            “Aye, and I wish to see you,” came the voice of a drunken soldier. “And maybe you should come and see me!”

            Caitlyn turned around, it was one of the nurses that attended to the child’s birth that had come to her. The young woman was blushing as she shot the soldier a scathing look.

            “Just a few more moments,” Caitlyn said as she looked at Absol. She hadn’t gotten her fill of the drinks. She was only thirteen years old, but she liked the way the drinks sent snakes of warmth down her throat.

            “Lady Susan says it’s urgent. And you will put that drink down now, young lady,” scolded the nurse. “If your sister knew you were taking part in such a rude, unlady-”

            The drunken soldier cut her off again. “Looks like you could use a drink yerself. ‘Ere, ‘ave sumomine…” His words slurred as he collapsed to the ground when he tried to stand up and raise his cup above his head. The men roared with laughter and Caitlyn couldn’t help but smile as she turned around to follow the nurse.

            The young girl stumbled around a bit, and decided that perhaps she had had too much of the grown up drink, so she decided to take a ride on Absol’s back.

            The nurse glanced down at her as she was going to inform her on the reason for Susan’s most urgent request, but Caitlyn accidentally belched. So instead, the nurse shut her prissy face and led the young Princess of Foretree in silence to her sister’s chambers.

            Susan was waiting inside, holding the child in her arms. Grovyle looked at them as they entered the room, the green lizard was dabbing wet leaves on Susan’s forehead. Alexander’s Shuppet, however, was silently staring at the little boy, and took no notice of Caitlyn and Absol.

            “Are you still not feeling well?” she asked Susan.

            “It’s just a fever; it’ll pass with time.” It was true, Susan appeared pale, and her eyes wandering. It was as if Susan had had too much of the soldier’s drink, but then Caitlyn reminded herself that her sister was too much of a proper lady to partake in such things.

            “The men are really happy with the news!” Caitlyn said, breaking an awkward silence. She spread her arms out to show just how happy the men were: the fingertip to fingertip kind of happy.

            “I’m pleased as well that his plan was a success,” a hint of a smile crossed Susan’s face. Could she know that Caitlyn had drank too much? Her sister continued in a soft, tired voice. “Father is not happy, however. That news I received from him personally.” Another short silence ensued. “He misses you, Caitlyn.”

            The girl’s happy feelings faded from her body. She felt Absol grow in sadness. The last time she had seen father had been before they left Foretree to bring Susan to her wedding. He had been sick for a long time, but she remembered how the last few months they were there had drained him of much of his energy. How much worse had he gotten by now?

            “Does he want us to go back and visit him before he?...” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t want the last word to come out of her mouth. She looked down at the baby Alexander, the Shuppet gazing at the child peacefully in his sleep, as if staring into his dreams. “When will you be better so that we can go?”

            Grovyle changed the leaves on Susan’s forehead that were keeping her fever in check. “Not soon enough, I fear.”

            “Do I have to go by myself?” Caitlyn looked at the babe again. He had smiled at her the other day when she made a funny face. Every day she had waited by his crib before Susan woke, to play the game of faces with Alexander. She didn’t want to leave him, even for a short while. She would be exchanging her happiness with the new life, for the sadness watching the sun of an old life set.

            “Not by yourself,” Susan consoled her softly as she held the baby closer to her chest. “I want you to take Alex. I want father to see his grandson before he passes from us if he still can. I’ll send you with half of the guard, and a couple nursemaids to nourish him.”

            Caitlyn nodded. She would make this trip for father, and for her sister as well. “When are we leaving?” she asked quietly.

            “Tomorrow, as soon as you sleep off your drunkenness you wretched child,” Susan smiled at her as she carefully reached over and gave the girl a slight push. It was enough for her to lose her balance on top of Absol, and Caitlyn tumbled to the ground. She couldn’t help but laugh. A familiar, squeaking sound came from the bed above as she recognized Alexander’s innocent laugh.

            The next morning came, and Caitlyn awoke with a slight headache. She dunked her head in iced water as she had seen the soldiers do plenty of times before after a night of fun and merriment, and made her way back to her sister’s chambers.  They were waiting for her there: the party of soldiers, the nursemaids, Chief Specter and Dusknoir, and lastly, Susan and Grovyle still laying in her bed, baby Alexander in her arms.

            Caitlyn felt honored as she approached her sister’s bed, still astride her Spirit Pokémon. She thought she saw the faintest glimmer in Susan’s eye, but when her sister blinked, it was gone. Silently, Susan handed the child to Caitlyn. “Go,” she said with a whisper, “and be sure to write to me when father meets him.”

            Chief specter smiled as he brushed the child’s soft head with one of his large, fat hands. He nodded his blessing, and with that, the party set out from Susan’s chamber, ready to make the journey back to Foretree, and the seat of the Forrest Kings.

            Alexander’s Shuppet stopped halfway out the doorway and stared back at the baby’s father’s Spirit Pokémon. The Dusknoir met its gaze, silently yet as if it was asserting itself as the little ghost’s superior. Absol let out a growl, and the Pokémon hovered back to the party.

            Alexander let out a little squeak of joy as his eyes found Caitlyn’s face.

            “I know, little guy,” she said as she tickled the child under his chin, much to the baby’s delight. “We’re going on an adventure!”