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 Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:37 pm
Sylvirah reached for the edges of Ada’s saddle and hung the well-worn barding on the wall. The chiavi maneuvered around her freshly cleaned nest and kicked at a few of the larger piles of hay to readjust the space. While her mistress worked, sounds of the avian making a few curious clicks and chirps before getting everything ‘back in order’ filled the space.
With Zyphire back for the season Sylvirah had taken the opportunity to go on a solo hunting venture. While it was only a few days it gave her time to process what happened over the last few months without worrying over the children. The engagement had been something truly grand that brought the two of them closer than ever before, but…what happened before stuck with her.
The Ild’vann were more stable now than they’d ever been which was a great comfort to her. Five times she’d been with child and four times they’d been born healthy. Not even one had been lost due to starvation, illness, or frost. One, however, never came to be. She’d barely known she was expecting before it was gone and now…things were complicated. Sylvirah had left on this trip to clear her head, and that may have worked if she hadn’t come back expecting again.
How was she going to bring that up to Zyphire?
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:38 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
A few days alone with the children had kept Zyphire quite busy. While the Shifter was tempted to try and join Sylvirah on her hunting trip he also understood that she needed the alone time. So many things had happened over the last year and it felt like neither of them truly had time to stop and think about it all. Even their recent date to a festival had turned into an exciting event, one that Zyphire would cherish, but still something that had not truly given them time to simply think and sort through recent events. So while Sylvirah hunted, Zyphire baked. There was a variety of baked goods cooling around their kitchen, a wide space he had helped to rebuild and expand over the years which easily held all the sweet hand pies and fresh bread, and even a pot of stew was boiling. Fresh vegetables from the root cellar, some spices from Oba, fresh meat from his own hunt yesterday in the nearby woods and all diced and put together in his own special broth that would surely warm any hunter coming in from the cold. Only the excited chirping from Tiki as she peered outside had alerted him to Ada's descent and even then Zyphire forced himself to not run straight to the stables.
Instead Zyphire packed some hard cheese and fresh rolls, dusted with cinnamon and roasted nuts, to bring out whenever he could leave the stew to simmer. Hanging the basket on his arm, the Shifter walked across the yard until he entered the stables to look for Sylvirah. "Back so soon?" His voice rang out teasingly as he peered around the corner, his pale gaze bright as he located the iceling huntress.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:39 pm
“I could leave again, if it would please you.” While the meat from her hunt had already been left with the village, the hides were her own. Sylvirah had already hung more than a few on racks while she waited for a chance to trim the fat, but many more awaited her attention. While she hadn’t brought her children on the hunt with her she fully intended to have them help her with the tanning; after all, they needed to learn.
For the time being, however, she tied off the last hook keeping a swath of mammu hide aloft and brushed her hands off on her leathers. Even as she moved closer to Zyphire the chiavi barely acknowledged him. She raised her head just long enough to see that yes, the man was here, before going back to organizing her space.
“Mmm, rolls?” Sylvirah gave the air a sniff and craned her head to look into his basket as she neared. When she was close enough to reach him Sylvirah placed a hand on his bicep and leaned up to give the Shifter a kiss.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:39 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Zyphire pressed his lips together at the very notion of Sylvirah leaving again. It was tempting to tease her more, but at the same time he worried that wrong words would actually send her flying away once more. So all he could do was watch as she finished up and came his way. "Mmhmm, rolls are for those who want to stay." He managed in between snagging her lips for another kiss, a playful bite ending the second as he slowly pulled away. "There's stew inside as well if I can entice you to stay the night." He joked quietly as he studied Sylvirah, as if marking everything to memory before losing the chance to see her again.
"Do you need some help out here before settling back in?" He asked before quirking a brow, his spirit roused by the kiss. "That is if you find yourself wanting to stay?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:40 pm
The temptation to take off once more lingered in her mind. Even when he mentioned it her face betrayed the struggle and the smile Sylvirah gave was strained. “I think I can manage a night.” Taking off for another hunt would just be pushing off the inevitable anyway. Besides, while she needed a break Sylvirah truly did miss her family. “You could help me hang the hides. I kept more than we needed because I want to teach the girls how to tan them.” While they’d already been shown the basics Sylvirah wanted to make sure with her own eyes that they could do it without supervision.
Pondering it a moment longer, she added, “I also wanted to talk to you about something.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:42 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Zyphire felt his spirit take a dip at the sight of the strained expression, but he did his best to smile warmly. "One night is fine. At least you can rest and take some of the food I prepared....I may have gotten a bit carried away." Thankfully they had a large enough family that enjoyed his cooking and the rest could always go to others in the village. It wasn't the first time Zyphire would trade such things for favors or something small. As he spoke the Shifter started to move towards the hides, preferring to keep his hands busy else he do something else far more distracting. "That's fair enough. If they do a decent job tanning the hides then we can trade the extras to others who need them."
His hands paused over one of the hides, his fingers skimming across the tough brown fur before he slowly glanced back towards Sylvirah. "Hmm? What's on your mind?" It most definitely felt like a loaded question but while Zyphire sometimes liked to dance around matters it was completely different with Sylvirah, especially as of late. If anything he would love to know what was going on, even if it was hard for either of them to truly address.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:43 pm
Just a bit? She wondered what kind of spread they would walk into later. He’d already mentioned a stew and if Zyphire was meeting her with rolls and cheese then it was likely that the kitchen would be full. To this day Sylvirah didn’t know how to properly react to that much food beyond staring at it. The fact that they had enough resources for Zyphire to spend his free time making it all was crazy to her.
Reaching over for a roll, Sylvirah took a bite as they moved over towards the hides. Tact had never been her strong suit so when she’d swallowed the huntress let it out. “I’m pregnant.” She pinched off a piece of the roll and took another bite. The way she said it could have been casual if it weren’t for the near hesitance toward the end.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:43 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"Okay, so you're..." Zyphire blinked before twisting towards Sylvirah, the half hanging hide forgotten. "pregnant." He repeated the word quietly as it processed it. Sylvirah had been pregnant several times before but after what happened with the last pregnancy the man was obviously wary. Concern creased his brow as he reached out towards Sylvirah, his hand lightly grazing her shoulder as if afraid to do much more. "How are you feeling then?" It was both a blessing and a concern. Did they need a healer? Should she be hunting like usual or should he try to convince her south for warmer weather and more options for skilled healers?
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:44 pm
She nodded slowly and swallowed the bit of roll. The taste of cinnamon lingered on her tongue as she watched him process it all. “I feel fine. I’ve been ill in the morning and tired, but that’s no different than the others. Everything is so…typical that it puts me on edge.” So many of the symptoms she’d felt before she was experiencing now, and the warnings just weren’t there. The lack of physical distress, though…what if that was a bad sign?
“I didn’t expect this to happen again so soon and I don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad one.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:45 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"I see." Zyphire rested his hand on Sylvirah's shoulder, his gaze looking for any traces of weariness or anything abnormal in her expression. She seemed alright especially since she was eating the roll which he hoped would stay down. "I mean, it is possible that everything is alright." Zyphire replied quietly before moving to tuck a stray stand of dark hair behind Sylvirah's ear, his hand lingering against her head for a moment before returning to his side. "The last...misfortune didn't damage your womb according to the healer, correct?" Each word of the question hurt like a shard of glass digging into his chest, the phantom pain a reminder of their loss. "It does happen that spirit babies can be born, a child of hope after such a loss." He moved to finish hanging the hide, the man's thoughts swirling. What did they watch out for? Surely a healer could tell them something to guide them this time, the fear slowly stretching behind the family like a shadow ready to take more from them.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:46 pm
[6/10]
Raising her hand, Sylvirah laid it atop Zyphire’s and shook her head. “The heks didn’t say anything was wrong.” If it wasn’t for Zyphire’s insistence she wouldn’t have seen a single healer during any of her pregnancies, but after what happened last time Sylvirah didn’t mind having that extra assurance. Going forward she wouldn’t complain about the extra visits or the probing magic. If everything was okay, then she would endure.
She stepped away from him to lift up the next hide and lugged it onto the rack. The bloodied fat made hanging onto the fur harder, though the hooks were quick to pierce through. “The last visit I had he said I shouldn’t have any problems carrying, but I still…I don’t know.” Lifting a dagger from her belt the huntress started to shave away at the hide while she mused. “I want so badly for our family to grow, but what if this is a sign Zyphire? What if we’re overreaching?”
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:47 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Zyphire gave a relieved nod. "Then we have to trust their word." He confirmed even though his heart twisted in his chest. It was rare for the Shifter to express fear, but this situation was one of the very few that actually had his nerves on edge. It would be very hard not to pamper Sylvirah this time, more so than usual. All he could do was hope for the best and stay by her side no matter what. Zyphire had already felt guilt over missing Silfi's birth, but recent events had made him feel even more protective than ever before.
Following Sylvirah's lead, Zyphire made certain to start hanging up hides. While he didn't interrupt her own work it was obvious that he was far less lax and more inclined to do a quick and steady job so that she would be less bothered by the remainder of the hides. If he could at least get half o them before she finished then that would be good. "If it was a sign then shouldn't the spirits not even give us a hope?" He mused after a moment, his expression somber as he pondered the possibility. "If we're overreaching then this is a cruel punishment indeed. I would prefer to just think that in life there are always trials and that unfortunately our loss was one of them." Zyphire pressed his lips together before finally opening his mouth to softly add. "It was one terrible mishap, but that shouldn't stop us from hoping for the future. If healers told us that your health could not endure more babies then I would say otherwise, but we've been told that you are perfectly fine for children if so desired. I love our family and am happy with our children, but I also do not want to let fear control our lives. If we are meant to grow then we shall overcome such things together and enjoy the life full of love and laughter that the fates have in store for us." The Shifter nodded as he watched Sylvirah to see how she would react. He wanted her to be happy and she had always wanted a large family full of life. They had health and plenty of space for children, so he would be fine supporting that as long as everything allowed. If her health ever slipped or they were advised to avoid more children because life could not continue in her womb then he would make certain to take measures that would prevent any future misfortunes like before.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:01 pm
[7/10]
Looking at her fiancé was hard. Whenever she turned to him and saw the myriad of emotions pulling at the corners of his face her heart caught in her throat. She’d almost debated not telling him at all until she was at a ‘safer spot’, or so the healer called it, but Sylvirah couldn’t do that to him. Zyphire was as much a part of all this as she was.
It was going to be so much harder to do her normal everyday routines now. Sylvirah was used to hunting while very pregnant, but now she wondered if she should stick closer to the village. At what point should she stop hunting all together? What would she even do if she couldn’t hunt? She wasn’t a baker or a cook like her partner, she wasn’t much good with animals beyond her own mount, and trading…Well, she had a barbed tongue instead of a silver one. If she developed physical ailments as well as the possible limitations she would pull her hair out.
“…We got soft.” Sylvirah answered with all seriousness. “I got used to life being easier here and forgot.” She’d grown up walking hand in hand with darker spirits so why was she so scared now? For a woman who had faced assassins and beasts four times her size the thought of going through that again tormented her mind. “I’m happy, really I am, and I agree. I don’t want fear to control me, but right now it does. It’s so…” She held her blade over the hide and only then did she realize she’d been scraping the same spot for the past couple of minutes. With a sigh, Sylvirah shook her head and stepped back to sheath it. “Sammen. Vi vil gjøre det sammen som alltid.” And she reached out for his hand. “I don’t want to fear this pregnancy. They’re beautiful things and I want the chance to have another son. We have so many daughters.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:10 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Zyphire took Sylvirah's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Then let's face this bravely and have a son." The Shifter understood Sylvirah's worries and despite his own travels had even taken far less risks in the last few years since raising a family together. How could he jump into a fight against assassins when his family needed him back in Zena? Simple trading and other such missions were fine, but the last time he had truly fought for his life was that time so many years ago back with Sylvirah back in her old village. Facing wild beasts...well that did happen a bit more still but such things were not always expected.
Still, all Zyphire could do was promise that they would work towards the future. "So happier thoughts then. What name would you like for our son?" A bold statement, but still he wanted to put the thought out there as if that would surely bring a son into being.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:26 pm
[8/10]
Sylvirah took a deep, albeit shaky breath and nodded. “To our son.” As soon she’d started to add the symptoms together the huntress had come home so now she supposed that was it until the child arrived. She would take smaller flights with Ada until she started to show, just so that her chiavi didn’t grow soft, but after that she would leave her in Zyphire and Ziya’s care.
“Torvald, maybe? I was thinking of a way to honor my grandfather. I have heard the name Hrafn, though, and I liked it well enough.” Happier thoughts indeed. Imagining another boy in the house was something she’d done since Yngvara was born. While she was still over the moon with her youngest daughters a part of Sylvirah always wondered if their first born hadn’t claimed his spot as the only son in the house.
“What would you name him?”
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