Last time, the five elves finally came up with a name for the Charr cub. Flintlock Burnfur. Flintlock began talking and understanding things, which only means that she would begin understanding more and more things.
The next two months were very interesting months indeed. Flintlock was given her own bed, in Shani’s room so the you cub could sprawl out on her own. It did take a while, mind you, because Flintlock loved to go to sleep with Shani or Unia and listen to their heartbeats as she’d drift to sleep, purring away.
She began to meet the other children, though they seemed afraid of her at first. Wren, Abisayo and Pania all warned her that the human children were much different than she. They were smaller and more fragile.
Eventually, Flintlock began to lose her baby teeth, and grow new teeth fit for a young cub. Though, even those teeth would begin to come loose to make way for her adult ones. Pulling out Flintlock’s baby teeth proved to be a time consuming thing.
“Okay, Flintlock,” Shani would caution the cub. “This is gonna hurt. I will not lie ta ya. But thet tooth has ta come out.”
“It hurts!” she’d cry and whimper. The pain was unbearable.
“Here,” Shani would say as she held out her arm. “Take my arm, an’ hold on tight.” Flintlock hesitated momentarily, but the encouragement of her mother showed through. Flintlock held onto Shani’s arm tightly. “Now open wide, an’ I’ll be quick an’ yank thet tooth out. It has ta come out, baby.”
Shani and Flintlock locked eyes and each took a deep breath and nodded. Shani held a pair of sterilized pliers at the ready. She knew which tooth to go for as Flintlock had shown her. The human dentists couldn’t help, and it was too far to go to Lion’s Arch or the Black Citadel. When they were ready, Flintlock opened wide. Shani didn’t hesitate, she took the pliers and grasped the tooth, yanking hard.
She’d manage to pull it out, and Flintlock gave a small yelp, but tested the now vacant area against Shani’s arm. Shani let her, knowing Flintlock was just testing it out. She’d not harm her mother.
“There,” Shani would say as she held up the tooth for Flintlock to see. “It’s out now. An’ you, well, you were very brave. An’ you didn’t even cry.” Flintlock smiled and seemed to blush. “I am very proud o’ you, baby,” Shani would say, and give her a big hug. “Now, what do you wanna do?”
Flintlock looked up to her mother and beamed. “Ice cream?” she’d ask.
Even with the encouragement, Flintlock was still a cub, and still learning. And there were still things that scared her.
One late night, a rain storm started, complete with thunder and lightning. A loud crack roused Shani from her sleep. By this time, Flintlock was sleeping in her own bed, not far from Shani’s. But as she adjusted to the darkness in her room, she saw a small face with wide eyes.
“Flintlock?” she’d say quietly. “What’s the matter, baby?”
“I’m… the thunder is loud,” she’d say, trying hard not to say she was scared. “Can I sleep with you, mama?”
Shani would take a deep breath and nod, then push back the sheets and help Flintlock up. And once the two were back in bed, Shani would sing to drive away the fears and doubts, and help the little cub to sleep. She’d sing songs from far off lands, that told stories. Each time would be a different one. Songs befitting a Charr.
All hail to Ulfric you are the high king
In your great honour we drink and we sing
We’re the children of Skyrim and we fight all our lives
And when Sovngarde beckons everyone of us dies
But this land is ours and we’ll see it wiped clean
Of the scourge that has sullied or hopes and our dreams
lyrics from The Age of Oppression, from Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls V, as performed by Malukah
Turn the Page 