Lem groggily woke up late into the day, he barely ever remembered the last time he's woken up past lunch. He was up pretty late last night baking the pies but more importantly, he had a wonderful evening the kids. He slowly rolled out from underneath the now stifling covers before equally slowly dressing.

Lem then wearily left his bedroom at the end of the hallway on the second floor and headed towards the stairs with uneasy steps. As he attempted to dislodge some crusting near the corner of his sleepy eyes, he noticed one of his son's bedroom door was still shut.

Why is nosal's bedroom door closed? He wondered. It was common practice to leave their bedroom doors open during the day, to allow a nice draft to air out their rooms during the day whilst they were out working the ranch.

He knocked tentative before hollering, "Oi Nosal! What're ya still in bed at this time?"

"Is nothing dad," came muffled whisper in reply through the door.

Lem decided to leave his son be and head downstairs for something to eat for he was quite famished.

But before he even took a step further, Lem couldn’t help but notice a faint wiff of the musk of sadness as he inhaled through his large nose. He hesitated for a moment on the threshold before deciding to tackle whatever it was that left his son feeling blue.

Better check on the pup, he thought with a yawn as he scrunched his eye to clear away the crusting from last night’s sleep.

"What happened boy?" Lem asked as he opened the door.

Inside he found his son curled up in the corner of his bed, under the covers with the curtains drawn shut and casting the bedroom in gloomy shadows.

"Is nothing," moaned the lump in a weak voice.

"*sigh* What the realms are you doing moping about in bed for? Did your brother mess with you again?" Lem asked his son in a interrogative manner as he went to draw the curtains open and letting some light into the room.

"No," whispered the lump whilst shifting about restlessly.

"What is it then?" Lem gentle inquired as he gentle sat on the bed.

“It was … It was the Owlmites," Nosal answered with a musk of sadness as he poked his head from underneath the covers.

With concern Lem noticed the pup had been crying with the tell-tale red rimmed eyes and a few crusted boogers.

What in the realms did you get up too, you wee pup? the Capyban questioned himself with a sigh.

"Tell me, what happened with the Owlmites?" Lem asked in a soft voice.

“It was horrible father, they got into a fight with a Lesser-Garuda and.. and then Dornmit helped them to beat it, whilst I was healing the ones that got hurt but…but…” said Nosal as he began to recount to his father the prior events with a shaky voice.

Ah it’s got to be something about his class that Kano was telling me about yesterday, when Xerneg was here, Lem recalled whilst listening to his Son’s story.

“So didn’t you do good son?” Lem asks as he tried to calm down the boy whilst slightly confused why his son had to be so hung up about Owlmites.

“No father, I couldn’t help them all…..there were so many dead father it was horrible. And their family were all so soo sad, I heard them father, they cry like we do when we’re sad and they put their dead in the ground just like us,” Nosal tried to explain in a pleading tone with his musk of sadness whilst looking up at his father.

Oh Realms, now that’s got to be terrible. Oh Realms and why do I have to deal with such a horrible thing in first thing when I wake up? No!No!No! Say something, be a father! Lem thought whilst slowly getting more flustered. He had totally forgotten that Kano also told him of this faucet of his Son’s skills and he didn’t even think that the Owlmites were able to comprehensively feel like that. To him they were just handy little Monsters that were there to protect his fruits, no more no less.

The large Capyban got up before dramatically walking across to room with heavy measured steps, to buy himself some time whilst he thought of something fatherly and proper to say.

“You’re mother would’ve know what to say, but now it’s up to me pup and I don’t know what to say,” he admitted with defeat. Nosal only to cocked his head in confusion but his sad expression grew worse at the mention of the deceased Gowin.

Good job bringing her up when he’s already all sad over there you blinker, Lem chastised himself. It’s probably best to just say how I fell, and hopefully it’l would come off as wise and comforting to the pup.

“Look pup, I just want you and you’re brother to be the best you can be…. I have to admit that I was disappointed that neither of you’s became Ranchers like me and followed a path that was more after your Ma, but you know what? I love you’s two anyways,” Lem began as he tried to convey his unconditional love to his son. But even he felt like he was grasping at hay straws and going slightly off topic.

“I’m sorry I mentioned you’re Mam there pup,” Lem corrected and eliciting a small flinch from the boy. “But it’s because she WOULD know exactly how to make you smile, when you’re sad. Look, what I’m saying here is that me and her are different. Just like how you are different Son.”

He nodded sagely as he finally felt that his bumbling speech was finally having some semblance of steering in the right direction. The Capyban decided to just plow on ahead, even as he felt unsure of himself. He found that parenting was so much easier when you were sure of what you were saying, even if it was absolute Beast dung.

“To someone like me, I care for the creatures we own and I think they have feelings, and to adventurers they might just be nothing more than a way to make a bag of coins. But to YOU Son, you’re special, because you can see everything and now you’re sad because you’re a good Capyban. You’re sad right now because you care so much and that’s why I think you have this special class. Because If you weren’t there to help those poor Owlmites then, I’d be sure that there would be a lot more dead.” Lem concluded honestly whilst staring down at his son.

On the bed Nosal nodded softly as the wise words of his father sunk in, with new tears in his eyes. But the boy wasn’t so sad anymore, he felt emotional in a different sense. After being reminded that he did save some lives, it took away some of the sting and the sad feelings he felt when remembering the events.

“So how bout you get out of you’s bed, mind you it should be when you’re ready pup. Then you come on downstairs and we can go take the pie on over to Da’Nittan eh?” Lem suggested with half smile before leaving the room with the door wide open.

Back in bed, Nosal wiped away his tears using the hem of his covers before he looked down at himself. His favourite vest was covered in tiny splotches of Owlmite blood and would need to be changed. But the boy felt electricity running up his spine that made him sit up straighter. He wasn’t so sad anymore, instead he felt pride at the good deeds he had done.

So with that feeling propping him up, the boy got up and changed into his second favourite yellow-coloured buttonless vest and headed downstairs.

Down in the kitchen, Nosal found that his father was already eating his breakfast as he entered the room. The little boy then proceeds to take out a stool before sitting opposite his father and taking a huge breath.

Lem notices that he was sitting there stiffly as if constipated but his son now had a bright glint in his eye and a stiff lower lip.

“Thanks father,” spoke Nosal as he looked his father in the eye.

“Pffft don’t thank me pup, it’s my job as your dad,” Lem replied after swallowing his mouthful of hay. “So where’s the other two idiots about at?”

“I don’t know father, probably out messing about,” replies the boy as he visibly sagged. He was glad that his father easily brushed the heartfelt thanks aside and didn’t make it more awkward than it had. Nosal then reached over for some of Lem’s hay, for crying and moping was hungry work.

“Hmmm, well looks like we can go give the pie with just the two of us ehh?” suggested Lem with a small little conspiratorial smile and a musk of joy as he got up.

His son echoed his expression and released the same musk but he didn’t forget to grab a handful of Yesterhay for the walk.

……………