V5 Chapter 25 When did I agree to this??

" Night."

Amon punctuated as he got comfortable and fell asleep, leaving Philomel alone with Little One. She stares at the baby, examining his rosy chubby cheeks, his gapping drooling mouth, and sharp crystal-blue eyes under the candlelight. A long moment passed as the baby stared at her and she stared at him. Philomel's mind slowly processes what just happened. Amon dumped the baby on her and went to sleep, which means, she would have to look after it until Amon woke up.

" You! You can't just leave him to me?! What do you expect me to do with him?"

She finally argued as her gaze shifted from Little One to Amon's back. She waited for a moment for Amon to respond, but no reply came.

" Among? "

She nervously calls out, her eyes glued to the baby that she was holding in both her hands. Little One soon got bored, staring at her, and started to blow bubbles with his own drool.

" Among."

She calls out again, holding the baby at arm's length now, not wanting any of the drool to get on her.

" Amon!"

She finally yelled out his name correctly, hoping that it would get his attention and answer her. But unfortunately for her, he was already deep within the land of Morpheus. His own personal paradise, which was that river near Luxtorious. That somehow thought to include Adrian and the water spirit, in the background... Again... But this time they were playing poker around Adrian's barrel with a bunch of chipmunks. Man, that guy really loves rivers.

Philomel slowly got up, holding the baby like he was a ticking time bomb that could go off the minute she hold him crooked. She inches her way towards Amon's sleeping back, sitting on the edge of the bed as she gently puts him down a distance away from Amon.

" Here play with the pillow again. Play with it all you want while I wake up, your caretaker, okay? No crying or popping or peeing allowed until then, okay?"

She explains with extremely slow words as she places the second pillow next to him. Little One rolls on the pillow, holding both his feet with his little hands as he tries to sit back up.

" Amon."

She shook Amon as she whispered his name harshly into his ear but even that didn't separate him from his beloved river in his personal paradise.

" Amon if you wake up, right now. I promise never to say your name wrongly ever again. Cross my heart and hope to die, kind of promise."

Philomel tempted, as she grabs his shoulder and shakes him again, but still no reply from Amon. She pouts as she pokes Amon's cheek, noticing the clay still covering him.

" He was so exhausted that he forgot to take off the clay that he hates wearing so much."

Philomel silently realized.

"He spent the whole night guarding that stable doors just like he has spent years guarding our cave entrance. When was the last time he has gotten a good rest? He even admitted that he had never been back to his home in 3 years... How lonely that place must be without his parents... How painful it must be, to consistently be reminded of the death of both his parents the minute he opens the door, to be greeted by darkness. A fate that he doesn't want the baby to grow up to."

Philomel reminded herself as she turns back to Little One. Little One by this point, was extremely bored and decided to pull on Amon's shirt, knowing that would get Amon's attention and play with him. Little One tugs once, twice before Philomel stops him and scopes him up into her arms.

" Why don't we let Amon sleep and we play together instead?"

She gently asks as she rests her cheek against Little One's head.

" Ait rat rooo!"

Little One babbles as he looks up at her.

" Yeah? You like that idea?"

She did her best to speak in a soothing tone as she turns the baby to face her and places him back on the bed. That being said, what exactly can she do to keep a baby entertained? Maybe it's like keeping a dog entertained?

" Shake."

Philomel ordered with an outstretched hand to the baby. Little One lay on his belly and look up at her.

" Come on, shake. Like this."

Philomel places her hand in Little One's hand before gesturing and repeating the command.

" Aiy?"

He babbled as he continued to look at her.

" Hmm... Maybe that's a little too advanced for you since you are a ..."

She stopped mid-sentence, realizing that it wasn't nice to call him dumb.

"He is extremely young after all, I bet he can't even tell the difference between Amon and me."

Philomel silently realized.

" Hmm... Since this might be the last time you'll be with us. I guess I could put in more effort to at least entertain you, at least then Amon can get as much rest as he can."

Philomel decided as she scoops up the baby in her arms and proceeded to exit the room. The main area was mostly silent other than the occasional noise coming from the kitchen. She could see the Elder elf's back as the older women made preparation for dinner. The pure white wolf sat on the ground, his back against the main door, his ears flicked up as soon as he heard the door softly closed behind Philomel.

Philomel's gaze shifted to the wolf when she noticed his stare. She silently wondered if he was contemplating whether he was going to eat her or not, like the many stories her father told her. But soon concluded it couldn't be so since the Elder elf was just a distance away and she could stab that wolf right in the neck with her hidden blades if he tried anything. Little One immediately started squealing and squirming as soon as he laid eyes on the huge wolf.

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