Theanore and Archibald were at the edge of the apple grotto territory, looking at the dirt road.

“Archie, this is not a good road.” Said Theanore. Her shoes were muddy and the edges of her dress were too.

“Mm.” Said Archibald.

“Ants, line up.” Said Theanore and a builder ant appeared.

“Make this road out of stone, all the way to the nearest village.” Said Theanore to the ant, and more joined it as they went to the nearest cliff and started breaking rock from it.

“What next, Archie?” Asked Theanore.

“Wall and gate.” Said Archibald, and he stretched his hands. “Big.”

“We don’t need them, Archie. We want people to come and visit. Tell you what, we will make you a clay house and put a wall and gate around it.” Said Theanore as she tried to cheer up the boy when she saw him pout.

“And ants will live inside?” Asked Archibald. He didn’t want another toy. He wanted something useful.

“Just one, I can’t make big houses.” Said Theanore. Truth be told, she couldn’t make houses at all. But she had already told Archibald that she was going to make him one, and so she wanted to avoid disappointing him.

“We haven’t done much with the lake.” Said Theanore as she led Archibald towards it. The ants were carrying stone slabs towards the road while some of them making lines in the mud.

“Flower garden?” Asked Archibald, and Theanore smiled.

“Yes, flower garden. And a pier and some boats for fishing. But not with nets. Mari told me once it is a nightmare for the fist.” Said Theanore.

“Oh.” Said Archibald as he toddled next to Theanore. Then he yawned and sat on the grass.

“Archie, you can’t sleep here.” Said Theanore, trying to get the boy up. The problem was that he was too heavy for her, and he had a mischievous smile on.

“I nap now.” Said Archibald, closing his eyes. Theanore huffed and thought about what she could do. Then, without a shred of mercy, she tickled Archibald’s neck until he was up.

“Big sister cheats.” Said the baby and Theanore poked him on the nose.

“And Archie doesn’t listen. Come on, it is not your nap time yet. We can make it back to the house.” Theanore led the boy to Crassus’ house and got him inside and in bed, where she tucked him in.

“Bedtime story.” Demanded the boy. Theanore kissed his brow and told him the story of Zippy the elf. It was Archibald’s favorite. Just as the boy’s eyes were closing, he yawned again and gripped Theanore’s hand.

“Big sister, stay. Keep the bad dreams away.” Said the boy. Theanore frowned. What bad dreams?

“Archie, do you have bad dreams?” Asked Theanore concerned.

“I dream, I don’t wake up. Like mommy and daddy.” Said the baby, and Theanore sighed. There was nothing she could do about something like this. She, too, got bad dreams too every so often. Of her grotto burning up and everyone leaving. But she needed to be brave. And Archibald needed to be brave too.

“Archie, bad dreams are just dreams. You are a big boy. You have to be brave and strong.” Said Theanore. Archibald nodded and closed his eyes. Theanore stayed with him until his breathing evened out and then went outside. There were two more hours before her lunch bedtime.

“Tania, if Archie wakes up from a nightmare, tell me.” Said Theanore to the air.

As you wish. You are close to another achievement. You finish with the tasks by the lake, and you will get it.

“Well, that is great!” Said Theanore, exited. What else could she do with the lake besides of making flower gardens, a pier and boats? Plant more trees, maybe? And then one of them could give birth to another nymph!

“Ants, line up.” She said, and an ant came to see her.

“Ok, you are to build a pier and boats by the lake, and we are going to plant more trees. We will need hay to keep them warm, so get it to the lake.” Commanded Theanore, and she went to the shed by the house to see what type of seeds she had.

She had acorn seeds and more apples. She also had some peaches and even a lemon. Not only that, but she took some seeds from each of the bags and placed them in her satchel. Then she went by the lake.

By the time she reached there, the ants had already made holes in the wet soil for the planting of the trees. She began to place seeds and then had the ants help her cover them up with soil and then hay.

When she was done, the area around the lake looked like it was visited by a mole. She heard a giggle come from one of the mounts, and she thought it was one of her pixies, but then she looked into the lake water and saw a little girl.

Theanore squealed. Could it be? Was this a nymph? Was she her sister or her daughter? The girl had red hair and green eyes and freckles. She looked like the perfect blend of both her and Marinus.

“Hello, are you a nymph?” Asked Theanore, the little nodded.

“Hurry and put some mana into your seed to make it into a sapling. I am Theanore, and I am a nymph too.” Said Theanore excited. The little red-haired nymph clasped her hands together and smiled brighter.

“Mommy!” Said the nymph and then got a thoughtful expression on her face, but nothing happened.

“I don’t have mana.” Said the little nymph. “I am tired now. I will sleep. Mommy, will you come by when I wake up?”

“Of course. Your name is Mary.” Said Theanore happily, then she got some black text.

Achievement unlocked: Motherhood.

Theanore the nymph had found the single seed in her storage which had a little nymph in it. She unknowingly spends one million mana to give the nymph inside the seed strength. The new nymph has only one mana, but soon she will be able to absorb wealth, just like her mother.

“Tania, tell me when Mary wakes up. And when she can absorb wealth too.” Said Theanore, overjoyed not to be the only nymph at the grotto anymore. Now she had two children to look after on her own, Archie and Mary. She hoped they could become friends.