Harper hums understandingly, feigning being properly chastised, and privately amused at how Edmund sticks both feet right into the proverbial trap. Not that he reveals it so soon of course; the boy doesn’t seem to run out of things to say on the topic. So he waits yet again for the flow to turn to a trickle, wanting to interject at the right moment.
Seeing the boys fingers fiddling anxiously, Harper squeezes him a smidge closer with the arm wrapped around his shoulders, and his other hand settles gently over those little hands. “Edmund, look at me?” he requests softly, and if the boy does he’ll find a warm, understanding smile.
“I’ve been in a lot of wars. They make people feel a lot of things all at once; what you’re feeling is totally normal. You want to help, you want to do more, because sitting around and worrying hurts.” Even if all Edmund is old enough to understand is that his brain rejects the notion. “Being bigger or older just to run messages or supplies wouldn’t matter. We have adults for that. And nothing would ever come to you kids, because Safrin has ensured you will all be safe no matter what.” He pulls the Safrin card yet again, knowing there’s no way Edmund could object to the herald’s power. Gently rubbing the skin of Edmund’s hands, Harper levels him with a sincere look. “You’re not a baby, so I won’t tell you everything will be perfectly alright. But if we have to worry about you on top of fighting, that makes us distracted and more at risk of making mistakes. You’re already doing the right thing by staying out of it - why? Because it enables us to relax, to feel more confident in knowing that no matter what happens to us, you’ll be okay.” In his eyes Edmund is still so, so young, but undermining his maturity and independence would get Harper nowhere.
“And it already hurts us right here and now to see you worry and try to help. Do you know why?” He uses each word intentionally, so that Edmund knows the gravity of it all. That his potential actions have so much weight and potential for harm. “Because as parents our job is not just to keep you safe physically. It’s to make sure you’re happy, and have a good childhood. We see you worrying, and being upset about the war, and we see your childhood being effected. And we see ourselves failing you. And if you age a little more? Then those are years of your childhood we couldn’t give you either, and we’ve failed again.” Harper knows it’s common in Caido, but he can’t help but mourn every time he sees a child age overnight, all too aware of how precious those lost years are.
Seeing the boys fingers fiddling anxiously, Harper squeezes him a smidge closer with the arm wrapped around his shoulders, and his other hand settles gently over those little hands. “Edmund, look at me?” he requests softly, and if the boy does he’ll find a warm, understanding smile.
“I’ve been in a lot of wars. They make people feel a lot of things all at once; what you’re feeling is totally normal. You want to help, you want to do more, because sitting around and worrying hurts.” Even if all Edmund is old enough to understand is that his brain rejects the notion. “Being bigger or older just to run messages or supplies wouldn’t matter. We have adults for that. And nothing would ever come to you kids, because Safrin has ensured you will all be safe no matter what.” He pulls the Safrin card yet again, knowing there’s no way Edmund could object to the herald’s power. Gently rubbing the skin of Edmund’s hands, Harper levels him with a sincere look. “You’re not a baby, so I won’t tell you everything will be perfectly alright. But if we have to worry about you on top of fighting, that makes us distracted and more at risk of making mistakes. You’re already doing the right thing by staying out of it - why? Because it enables us to relax, to feel more confident in knowing that no matter what happens to us, you’ll be okay.” In his eyes Edmund is still so, so young, but undermining his maturity and independence would get Harper nowhere.
“And it already hurts us right here and now to see you worry and try to help. Do you know why?” He uses each word intentionally, so that Edmund knows the gravity of it all. That his potential actions have so much weight and potential for harm. “Because as parents our job is not just to keep you safe physically. It’s to make sure you’re happy, and have a good childhood. We see you worrying, and being upset about the war, and we see your childhood being effected. And we see ourselves failing you. And if you age a little more? Then those are years of your childhood we couldn’t give you either, and we’ve failed again.” Harper knows it’s common in Caido, but he can’t help but mourn every time he sees a child age overnight, all too aware of how precious those lost years are.
Harper
