Logs:Baby Birds
| |
|---|
| |
| RL Date: 30 May, 2014 |
| Who: Devaki, Dilan, Lilabet, Madilla, Sealene, Vinien |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, High Reaches Hold |
| Type: Log |
| What: A scheduled playdate leads to further complications for Madilla. |
| Where: Orchards, High Reaches Hold |
| When: Day 11, Month 12, Turn 34 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Esiara/Mentions, H'kon/Mentions, Issedi/Mentions, Raija/Mentions |
    |
| Orchards, High Reaches Hold Sheltered from the winds while still open to the sunlight, High Reaches Hold's orchards provide ordered row after ordered row of carefully cultivated fruit trees. Even here, inland from the main hold, the faint tang of salt is recognisable in the air, mingling with sweeter scents from the fruit; on fine days, this can be a pleasant spot indeed to spend a few hours. It's a cool winter's day -- the sun is out but it is a pale imitation, and certainly not enough to burn away the thick layer of snow that built up on the ground overnight. The day's started with a mid-morning brunch to welcome Dilan, Lilabet and Madilla. Together with Vinien, Sealene and Esiara -- and their parents -- it's quite a gathering, though Issedi remains pleasant and cool, taking Esiara for her mid-day nap as the brunch nears its end. That done, there's some work to ensure all the children are suitably rugged up for the outdoor weather, before they walk out towards the orchards. The trees are bare, leafless branches stretching for the sky. Almost immediately the children launch into a snow fight, ducking behind rows of trees, giggling and laughing. Sealene's doing her best to trail Lilabet, and so it's probably no surprise that it ends up as a girls vs boys fight. Devaki's grinning as he watches them, but he sets a slower pace for him and Madilla to walk at. "Issedi's pregnant," he confides, out of nowhere, glancing over to gauge her reaction to that. Lilabet's early diffidence at being here has been largely ameliorated by the time they make it out of doors, and that may well have something to do with Sealene; she seems pleased by the younger girl's attentions. Now, as the snowballs begin to fly, pre-teen moodiness has been replaced by a competitive edge... and a certain amount of bossiness that Dilan is no doubt glad to be well away from. Madilla's got a mother's watchful eye on the festivities, and doesn't turn, not even for Devaki's confidence. She tucks her hands carefully into the pockets of her coat and says, quietly, "Congratulations. That's good. You'll want another boy, of course. Heir and a spare." She's probably aiming for neutral, but the positivity escapes all the same: she's genuinely pleased. Certainly Vinien seems glad to be pitted against the girls, gesturing towards Dilan for one of the trees with low enough branches that they can clamber upwards. Of course, this means stuffing pockets full of snow as ammunition, too. "We haven't told anyone else, yet. Issedi's superstitious about the first trimester." Devaki seems indulgent of the notion, but obviously pleased nonetheless. The grimace at that phrase -- heir or spare -- earns might not be visible, since she's watching the children. "It would be... nice. But," he slows further, voice going softer, "I want to talk about Dilan. He's been talking a lot about riding the last few months. He wants to be a brownrider, he tells me." Weyr-born though he is, Dilan's experienced his fair share of trees, and is positively gleeful for the opportunity to gain height over his half-sisters. Lilabet's eyes roll, as she leans down to whisper something to Sealene - something about waiting them out, because their ammunition won't last forever (so there). "She's right to be careful," is Madilla's immediately response, though she's already inhaling abruptly for that mention of her son. Her chin lifts and now, more than ever, she doesn't look at Devaki. "He's close to Arekoth. As close as a person can be to someone else's dragon. It's what he wants. Has wanted, for a long time." Vinien settles into the fork of one of the branches, his back against the trunk, making a snowball from the pile in his pockets while he grins over at Dilan. With an enthusiastic nod at the older girl's suggestion, Sealene picks the tree next to Lilabet's to hide behind. Waiting is dull, though, and she leans out just the tiniest bit to peek -- and is soon pelted with snow, earning a dismayed cry. Devaki's frowning, just the slightest. "I'd like for him to know the Holder part of his heritage, too. Where his father's family comes from." He pauses, briefly, as if picking his words carefully, "If he's going to be a dragon rider -- if that's what he wants -- I won't stop him. But that won't be for Turns yet, and I'd like for him and Vinien to spend some more time together, before Vinien's training starts in earnest." Dilan lets out a gleeful war cry as Sealene gets hit, calling down a few choice taunts... none of which are all that clever, but then, he is only seven. Lilabet's rejoinder is significantly more refined, and just short of being outright cruel. The snowball that hits the tree just above the heads of the two boys? That's just a warning shot. Below, Madilla's swallow is audible, and when she speaks, her dismay is apparent. "You want him to live here," she concludes. "For longer than just visits." The refined rejoinder from Lilabet earns a slightly more crass one from Vinien -- words he's undoubtedly learnt from one of the sailors, along with a snowball that hits the other side of the tree she's hiding behind. "A Turn, maybe. Fostering is a tradition amongst the holders, to learn about other Holds. As an eventual rider, it would be beneficial to him, too." A hesitation, as he reaches for Madilla's arm, fingers squeezing gently in reassurance. "I'm not planning to take him, Maddy," he murmurs. "He's weyrbred -- I won't take that from him. But he's... he's my son, too. I never got... I'd like the experience of putting him to bed at night. Taking him with me on rides to the outlying holds. Watching him and Vinny ganging up on their sisters," he glances towards the children, the cries from the group making him grin, now, before he looks back at Madilla. "I should wash your mouth out with soapsand!" calls Lilabet. "Dilan, don't listen to him. You either, Sealene." Not that the snowballs stop flying. It's only as Devaki's hand reaches for her arm that Madilla manages to turn her gaze away from the children and towards him. There are no tears in her eyes, but that doesn't mean there's not conflict: raw and earnest and struggling. "I know," she says, very softly. "And I don't want to keep you from him. It's just... you know how I feel. The things I worry about. That he will end up feeling his life is lesser, that his ambitions are lesser, because I'm his mother and not Issedi. Or... at the Weyr, he's just another boy. Here..." He's not. Vinien sticks a tongue out at Lilabet. "When I'm Lord I'm going to ban soapsand." A beat, "And girls too!" Sealene stamps her foot, yelling, "You will not!" "Will too!" "Will not!" Devaki's used to their squabbling enough that he doesn't intervene yet, instead murmuring to Madilla, "Here, he's my son," he says, as if that should be -- is -- enough. "Issedi, for all that she's not happy about it, will treat him well. She can't help it -- she has a soft spot for children. Besides, with you and Arekoth's rider visiting him all the time, I'm sure Dilan won't feel any lesser at all. No holder children get such treatment." He exhales, running his hand down Madilla's arm and reaching for her gloved hand in offer. "We can talk to him about it. See how he feels. After we smoosh snow down our children's tops -- what do you say?" He's grinning, unrepentantly all of a sudden. "Ye-es," exhales Madilla, which is, for the record, confirmation of all that Devaki has said rather than agreement to the proposal. Her gaze has gone back to the children, and especially to Lilabet who has her hands on her hips now as she attempts to tell the others - all superiority and flair - to stop acting like babies. Dilan, on the other hand, squeals simply for the sake of doing so, throwing handfuls of snow down at the girls. Devaki's hand, and his suggestion, abruptly shake the healer out of her thoughts; she hesitates, rather than respond immediately, but ultimately takes that hand. "Just..." She's still serious, still worried, though clearly trying not to be. "No pressure." "No pressure," Devaki promises, squeezing her hand through the material that separates them. The grin that he gives a moment later is eerily reminiscent of Dilan's, leading Madilla towards where their children are gathered. He drops her hand to scoop up some snow and, unsurprisingly, moves towards the trees to side with his two sons, passing snow up towards them to given them extra ammunition. Sealene squeals with surprise and laughter as their area gets pelted with more snow. It's almost too reminiscent of Dilan's - enough that Madilla visibly starts, causing her to lag behind just a fraction. Whatever she's thinking about - and it's quite clear that Dilan and Devaki are likely at the forefront of those thoughts - does, at least, get pushed aside as the Lord defects to the 'boy' side; Madilla puts one hand on her hip to eye the trio, then hurries to join the girls. They, at least, have one advantage: the healer's shawl, removed from her shoulders and promptly piled with snow, to be hurled en masse. There's a flurry of exchanges, the boys side having the advantage of height, and the girls side having the advantage of the boys not being able to hide behind cover. Eventually, Devaki breaks ranks with a 'war cry', swooping in to try and steal Sealene, lifting her into the air before collapsing on his back, the girl giggling and smooshing snow into his face. This prompts a flurry of flying snowballs from above aimed at the pair, though the boys quickly run out of ammunition. "Fight back, Sealene!" instructs Lilabet, commander to the end. "Don't let him take you alive! Mama, come. We need to storm the trees." Devaki - the enemy! - gets a scowl as she goes past, her arms full of snow; Madilla, not quite as enthusiastic a participant, dutifully follows along, and though she has raised eyebrows of her own for Lilabet's tactics (which involve taunting Dilan about being too scared to jump down, as if he were a child Raija's age) - well. It doesn't take long before Dilan is caught, snow dripping down his back as Lilabet crouches on top of him, triumphantly rubbing it into his hair. "We won, we won, we won," she announces, gleefully, to which even Madilla can't help but laugh. Of course, that doesn't preclude a surprise 'sneak attack' from Vinien, crouched by the base of the tree and pelting Lilabet with some snow in revenge. He manages now more than a couple of shots before Devaki scoops him up under an arm, Sealene already squealingly wriggling under his other. "Come on, you lot. Time for some hot chocolate and drying out by the hearth, before your moms collectively decide whatever cold you get next is my fault." He winks at Madilla, before dropping Vinien to the ground: Sealene meanwhile gets to ride on his shoulders. Lilabet squeals as Vinien gets her, and poor Dilan gets a few extra handfuls of snow shoved down the back of his coat for good measure, but then, with a sigh, she lets her brother up. The transformation between 'rampaging snow hooligan' to 'grown up and responsible pre-teen' is effectively immediate; "Come on, Dee. No, don't give me that look: the game is finished. No more retributions," she says, sounding more like a mother than her own mother. The corners of Madilla's mouth turn up in answer to Devaki's wink, though she's more like her daughter than her son on the way back up to the Hold: quiet and reflective, rather than full of beans. "You were born to have a big family, weren't you?" Madilla murmurs, likely overheard by her daughter, but not Dilan, who is now chattering away at Vinien. With a grin at Lilabet, Devaki gives her a little nudge, "You got Dee good," he says as if confiding, although Sealene can hear and giggles, "She did!" With a glance at her mother, now, the Lord's smiling. "All of the Islanders were my family. All the children were my brothers and sisters. We ate together, played together, worked together." He sounds strangely wistful, like for all the hardships, he misses those days. "I always wanted a big family, and I'm infinitely grateful I can have that. That all of my children can have that, too." Lilabet is not quite too old to appreciate that particular remark, and gives Devaki and Sealene a glance that is smugly self-satisfied. "I did," she confirms, firmly, gaze wandering towards the two boys, and then falling away from them. She misses the very visible wince that Madilla displays for that last remark on Devaki's, and the lifted chin that follows, though the stiffening of her expression suggests she's very conscious of the remark itself. Madilla, after a moment, exhales. "I had a childhood like that, too," she says. "I do understand. And... I am glad that we're part of your family." "You are," Devaki replies, without hesitation. As they pass into the courtyard, he adds, "I'd like to meet your adopted daughter, too, when you're ready. H'kon, as well." He allows a moment for that to sink in, before he twists to view the pair of boys, "Last one inside is a smelly wher!" Taking a firm grip of Sealene, he begins trotting towards the entrance, though the boys will surely beat him, since he's not straining ahead. Madilla doesn't have an answer to those references to Raija and H'kon, not one that springs to mind in the time before the boys are thrown into action once more: Dilan, certainly, can never resist a challenge, and hurtles ahead. "It's not meeeeeee," he calls, delightedly. Very calmly, Lilabet takes hold of her mother's arm and escorts her onwards, allowing the pair of them to bring up the rear. "We should bring Raija, next time," announces the pre-teen, loud enough that it's plain she's aiming for her words to carry. "She hates being left out of anything. She can play with Esiara." Vinien's a short step behind his older half-brother, gasping, "Not me either!" with delight as he glances over his shoulder. His nose wrinkles at Lilabet's words. "More girls? Eww. Why can't you have another boy?" He's looking somewhere between Madilla and Devaki, so it's hard to tell if that's directed at his father or the healer. With a grin, Devaki says to Madilla, "You heard the little Lord. A boy next for you." Grinning at mother and daughter, he says to Lilabet, "I bet Esiara would love that." "Yeah!" says Dilan, turning on his heel, one hand on each hip. "Why do there have to be so many girls?" Normally, Lilabet might have something to say about that, but she's still watching her mother, and Madilla... Madilla glances around from one face to the next, and abruptly laughs. "That implies there will be a next. Raija has been plenty, I'm sure." It's for Devaki's sake that LIlabet's eyes roll, surely. "We'll bring Raija," she declares, ignoring her mother. "Or they well. I may be at Harper Hall. Come on, boys--" She steps forward, aiming to usher the two boys in, as bossy as ever. Vinien's busy mimicking Dilan, hands on his hips -- at least until Lilabet moves to usher them on, with a roll of his eyes, though there's a heartfelt, disgusted (and super quiet), girls! shared with his half-brother. Devaki crouches, setting Sealene down -- the girl quickly runs to try and catch up with the other children. "Harper?" The Lord says, looking after their respective children. "Hard to believe she's old enough for that already." There's an air of sympathy in there, in the acknowledgement that Madilla's daughter will leave soon. As much as he looks up to his sister at home, Dilan's quick to roll his eyes and agree here: everything is different, when you've a brother. Madilla's silent for a few moments as she watches the children head indoors, before, finally, she lifts her gaze to nod at Devaki. "She wants to go after turn's end. I'd like her to wait another six months - she's not twelve yet, after all. But either way... it'll be strange, if she's gone, and if Dee's here with you. Will your girls be fostered, I wonder? One hears rumour of planned marriage alliances." A brief hesitation, before Devaki says, "It's the way of things. Issedi would insist it's the way of Bloods, and whether or not I feel strongly for or against it -- it's the right thing to do. It will strengthen our relationship with the other Holds, and... yes. One day, it's a good bet that my girls might go onto marry other Lords-to-be, and that Vinien's bride will be the Blood of another Hold. It will help him, and our people -- for him to have strong relationships that might someday serve our people." There's a difference when he's talking, now -- it's the voice of the Lord rather than the father. Though it's the voice of the latter when he adds, "It doesn't make it any easier, knowing it's the right thing to do, letting them go." Madilla knows and understands the Lord rather less than the father, but she listens with solemn attention, biting down upon her lip as, carefully, she nods. "No," she agrees. "It never makes it easier. At least... at least Lilabet chooses to go. She chooses her path. And Dee... he will, too. That's what I wanted for them. And that's why... if he wants to live here, with you, for a turn, I won't stand in his way. But if he decides he wants to come home, or if he doesn't want to stay at all..." "It will be his decision," Devaki agrees, with a brief, pained smile, as if he rather suspects such a choice might not go his way. He doesn't seem keen on lingering on the topic, though. Glancing away quickly, he walks in the direction the children took. "Come on, or they'll drink all the hot chocolate themselves." Madilla meets Devaki's gaze, at that, acknowledging the smile, but also echoing it, as though she is not quite so convinced. She exhales, dropping her gaze towards her breath as it freezes in the air; then, hurriedly, she lengthens her stride to accompany Devaki. "Surely that's just one of the perks of childhood. Let them spoil their dinners; just this once. Before they're all too old to care." "I'm less worried about their appetites; I want some of it for me," Devaki laughingly confides as he leads the way to join their children. "Men!" Because Madilla, of course, in all her prematurely middle-aged roundness, looks exactly like the kind of person who resists all food-related temptation. But at least it makes her smile. |
Leave A Comment