16 Arc 3 - Peaceful Days

`Ikki? It's not a bad nickname I guess, but it's not very masculine...`

"My name is Ikarus Senju, I found your brother wandering alone in the forest and I helped him find his goat. I mean no harm m'lady" Ikarus smiles trying to charm the girl. He really liked the kid and if the sister is hostile towards him he won't be allowed to spend more time with Aemon.

"I ain't no lady." The girl blushes.

Aemon looks between them.

"You are acting weird." The honesty of his words makes the girl blush even more and she clears her throat.

"Thank you for helping my brother Ikarus- My name is Jenny."

"Sister, can Ikki stay for the night?" He looks hopefully at her sister. Jenny looks from her brother's sparkling eyes to the flustered shinobi.

"I don't want to impose, I can camp in the forest."

"Nonsense, you helped my brother. It's the least I can do." Jenny dismissed his words.

"I really don't want to impose."

Ikarus doesn't want the children's parents to scold them for allowing a stranger into their house.

"Come on Ikki! It'll be fun!"

Ikarus looks at Aemon's glowing face. Those big blue-purple eyes sparkling, the adorable pout on his little face...

`That should be illegal`

His resistance soon shatters, Aemon`s cuteness is way too powerful.

Jenny laughs at the sight before her, she knows very well how hard it is to say no to her little brother when he's looking at you like that. She has had six years to develop some immunity, but the stranger is completely helpless.

"Okay." He finally gives in.

"Yay!"

Aemon pumps his fist into the air.

Ikarus and Jenny smile at the boy's childlike enthusiasm.

***

After leading the goat to the barn the three enter the house.

The house is one story high, the first room is the common area and the other two rooms are the bedrooms.

The common area has a fireplace, a table with four chairs and several cabinets. It is simple but homely.

"And your parents?" Ikarus is surprised that there is no one in the house.

Aemon looks down and Jenny places a hand on his shoulder.

"Our father is a sailor, he is at sea. And our mother..." she doesn't finish her sentence. The pain in her voice says all there is to say.

Ikarus clenches his fists in anger.

`This world...`

"Are you hungry?" Jenny asks changing the subject. "I have prepared stew."

Aemon jumps up excitedly and runs to the table.

Jenny follows him, smiling amused.

Ikarus sits next to Aemon. The girl takes out two wooden plates and two wooden spoons and places them in front of the boys. She goes to one of the cupboards and pulls out a pot, then places it on the table. She serves them each a plate full of stew.

`Smells great!`

Taking the first bite, Ikarus's eyes shine brightly.

"It's delicious!" Jenny blushes. "Definitely the best food I've had in all my time in Westeros!" The girl blushes an even darker red.

"My sister is the best cook!" Ikarus nods in agreement.

After dinner the three of them go to bed, the siblings in one of the bedrooms and Ikarus in the other.

***

The next morning Ikarus wakes up to the sound of a rooster.

'A rooster?' He looks puzzled at the ceiling above his head as he recalls the events of the previous day.

He gets out of bed and stretches like a cat.

`It's the first time in over a week that I've slept in a bed. I could get used to this`

He leaves the bedroom, he doesn't see anyone in the other room so he goes outside.

The sun is rising over the horizon.

As he watches the sunrise, Ikarus hears the faint singing coming from the barn, walks towards it and sees Jenny milking a cow.

He leans on a beam and listens to her sing.

"Oh Danny Flint you'll never escape

The Fate the Gods have written

And life must seem the cruelest jape

Oh Brave Young Danny Flint."

`She has a beautiful voice.`

`Brave Danny Flint` is a sad and pretty song about Danny Flint, a girl who disguised herself as a boy to join the Night's Watch but ended up raped and murdered.

"That is a pretty sad song."

Jenny looks towards Ikarus, surprised by his presence.

"It 's early."

Ikarus approaches the girl and helps her up.

"I don't like to waste daylight."

"You are a weird one Ikarus."

"Your brother told me so." The shinobi smiles and picks up the bucket of milk.

Ikarus accompanies Jenny to the house, where he leaves the milk on the table.

"Aemon is still asleep." Jenny enters the boy's room and watches him sleep, Ikarus walks over and looks at the boy lying on the bed. He has one leg dangling off the bed and is stretched out like a starfish. The Senju can't help but smile fondly.

"Yesterday you said you're traveling through Westeros." Jenny closes the door to the boy's room.

Ikarus looks at her curiously, wanting to know what the young girl wants to ask.

When she doesn't say anything he looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I assume you will continue your travels today."

"Aye, that would be the reasonable thing to do."

"Aemon will miss you, he has grown very fond of you."

"Only Aemon?" Ikarus smirks. Jenny punches him in his arm in response to his taunting. "Ouch!"

Ikarus exaggerates the blow, throwing himself to the floor. Jenny laughs at his nonsense.

"I could stay a few days if it's not a bother." The girl's face lights up.

"Really?!"

"Sure, I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere."

The two teenagers work together to prepare breakfast, scrambled eggs with baked bread. The smell of food wakes the little boy who staggers out of his room, rubbing his eyes.

As the three of them eat breakfast, Jenny tells Aemon the good news and he jumps of joy, hugging the older boy.

"Yay! We can play knights, and hide-and-seek, and-" Ikarus ruffles his hair as he smiles softly.

He has grown very fond of this little boy.

***

Ikarus's stay at the farm lasts longer than expected. Between helping Jenny with the farm chores and playing with little Aemon, time flies. A few days turn into a week and a week into two.

The more time he spends with the siblings the less he wants to leave them behind. In a short time those two children with blue-purple eyes became his family.

`And why do I have to leave them behind?` Ikarus is sitting under a tree watching the two siblings play. Aemon is chasing after his sister, both of them laughing happily.

`I have no urgent mission. Andros told me to live my life to the fullest. Do whatever makes me happy. Aemon and Jenny make me happy.' As he watches the siblings he feels a warmth in his chest, what he feels for these two goes beyond friendly affection.

`Most of the people who were isekaied chase after riches and glory. I wanted that too but I don't think all the gold in the world makes me happier than Aemon's smile.`

Money and fame doesn't bring happiness - Ikarus has it clearer than ever. He now understands why Fern came back to Frostwood after the Rebellion.

"They are my happiness." Ikarus mutters under his breath as he looks fondly at the siblings who are approaching him.

"Ikki join us!" Aemon yanks him by the right arm.

"Come on Ikarus." Jenny tugs on his left arm.

The shinobi allows himself to be picked up with a smile and joins the friendly chase.

***

"...and then Hamura told his brother-"

"Ikarus." Jenny interrupts Ikarus who was telling the story of the Otsutsuki brothers for the umpteenth time to young Aemon.

Aemon is in love with the stories that Ikarus tells him about his homeland, or the stories of the Narutoverse rather. His favorite story so far is the one about Gaara, the Kazekage became the boy's idol.

"Huh?" Ikarus looks questioningly at his friend.

"We are running out of condiments, flour and other things." Jenny lists the items that are running low. "Normally I'd wait until father comes back – he's the one who buys supplies in the village but since you're here…"

Ikarus nods his head understanding what Jenny means. She wants him to go shopping.

"I also want to go!" Aemon pouts.