Flutter bye

[Faith Augustin]

1st Vhalar 717

They'd been awake early this morning to take part in the tradition here on Scalvoris. It was the start of the Immortals Festival and all the shops were shut for an eight trial period after noon today, so Faith had a shopping list of things to get. However, first she had to make her way to the docks which were where those who were catching the flutterbus to Desnind would disembark from. She had with her a basket which was large enough that she used both hands to carry it.

Scalvoris was busy, people were out on the streets, dancing and celebrating the fact that it was the 1st Vhalar and nothing truly weird had happened. No ghostly mists, no shadow creatures or boiling waters. All in all, it was just as weird as usual on Scalvoris and that was that. Still, singers and dancers lined the streets, acrobats performed and it was very much a party atmosphere in the air. It was contagious, Faith had to admit, as she continued to walk to the docks and looked around at the sights. Ribbons fluttered everywhere from the festivities this morning and the air was crisp with the promise of autumn.

The first trial of Vhalar was a pleasant one, weather wise. Faith looked around at the people gathering as they waited for the flutterbus and then she caught sight of the two she was looking for. Kali'rial and Pash. As she caught sight of them Faith could not help the slight smile which lifted her lips. Kali was still, patient and watchful and Pash was moving. Not a lot, just fidgeting slightly here and there. It was very much them, Faith thought and she made her way over to where they were.

"Good morning. Happy Vhalar's Trial," she said with a smile to them both, before unceremoniously handing Pash the basket. "Food for the journey. Savoury pies, dried meats and half of that basket is filled with desserts." She gave a grin to the two of them and then added, with mischievous sternness to Pash, "I'm expecting you to share, you know. Just to be clear." Glancing over at the docks, where people were still milling about, rather aimlessly as far as Faith could tell, she breathed in and then looked back at them.

"I was wondering if I might ask you both a favour, if you don't mind? I wanted to ask you if you'd bring me something specific back from Desnind. I know Padraig and I are going there later on in the season, but Kali your connection there will mean that you can get the traditional viewpoint and Pash, maybe you could put a biqaj perspective on it. If you didn't mind, that is." Faith looked at the pair with earnest eyes, "I don't want to impinge on your time too much, but I wonder if you'd collect up or write down traditional songs for me, both Sev'ryn and Biqaj?" It had to be said, as Faith asked she looked absolutely delighted, excitement lighting her face as she asked. Of course, she didn't tell them what kind of song, but waited for them to ask or work it out.

Ledger

Item	Cost	Total
Flax Basket	3gn	3gn
Selection of pies, preserved meat, etc(homemade)	12gn	15gn
Green Sand (keeps cool)	5gn	20gn
Selection of Desserts (home made)	10gn	30gn

[Pash Raj'oriq]

To say that Pash was nervous would have been a vast but kind understatement of the truth.

He was terrified.

Of flying, of meeting Kali’rial’s only surviving family, of being in Desnind as both a Biqaj and an Empath. He’d hardly slept the trial before, between struggling through the terrible storm together, the setting of the suns, and celebrating the turn of the new arc in the tradition of his people, between holding The Muse together and sharing his heart with the dark-haired Sev’ryn who stood at least more visibly composed next to him. And yet, here he was, calloused fingers fidgeting with the worn woven strap of the lute over his shoulder, domain bag filled with everything he figured he’d need and then some, if only because he had no idea how to survive a twenty-eight-trial journey in the air. None at all.

Immortals, was it even possible?

"We can jus’ sail there, y’know. It’ll take longer, but—" Pash had offered for the millionth time, already committed in some part of his mind even if the rest of him was not. He shifted on his feet and glanced at those who’d gathered for the flutterbus, Niv and Kali the only faces he knew other than in passing. It was with a little regret that he knew they’d be missing the celebrations for all the Immortals in the beginning of Vhalar, for the festivals seemed rather exciting each in their own ways. But the seafaring musician knew what was important; he was already swallowing his fear for the woman he loved.

Faith’s voice interrupted his words, her smile and greeting timely and not unwelcome. She shoved a basket at him in a fashion that was both humorous and awkward, and he found it was brimming with delicious, thoughtful things. He managed a relieved but wary smile, slowly washing his lagoon blue gaze from the basket’s tasty contents to the shorter woman on the other side of it, chuckling at her warning,

"Ry’tsam, Faith! Thank y’ much for th’ thoughtful gift. We’ll be back, y’know. Y’ didn’t need t’ pack us snacks for th’ rest o’ th’ arc, an’ I promise … I’ll … share." She did, she knew. Pash would have to muster up some self control so as not to nervously consume it all in a trial or two just to feed the terror he suspected he’d be feeling for almost three ten-trials on the back of a giant moth. A flying insect. Immortals, what was he doing again? At least they didn’t have to fly back, strangely enough, having traded the strange owner of The Spirit of Adventure an epic ballad about cats for two pairs of shoes he insisted could magically bring him home, wherever he decided home was, with just a thought regardless of the distance. They had their limitations, but he’d come to trust the man who never left his own shop over the past few seasons, despite all of his eccentricities.

Speaking of songs, Faith’s request was unexpected. Pash blinked for a moment, resisting the urge to retort that his perspective as a Biqaj in Desnind meant much less than as a musician. Songs? What did—she’d said she sang—

Oh.

Ooohhhh.

The salty bard’s grin grew sly from over the basket he held in his hands, and his dark-haired employer, frequent healer, and friend would see the shift in colors of his irises from lagoon blue to amused emerald green as his entire expression warmed noticeably, nervousness and fears melting away for a moment or two as he jumped to conclusions as he was often creatively, curiously, insatiably apt to do. It wasn’t the morning after sleeping in total darkness that shown on Faith’s features, it wasn’t excitement over the festivities, or the satisfaction of a good deed, no, was that a different sort of glow? The inescapable shine that only those who grew new life could bear for all mortality to admire. He shifted how he stood, leaning toward Kali’rial before she could give her answer, the baritone of his voice both taunting and conspiratory,

"Aye, we can collect some songs for you, an’ bring ‘em back. Kali’ll have t’ sing them in Xanthean, though, no’ me. I can jus’ carry th’ tunes." Pash agreed, but there was an intensity to his attention. He clearly struggled to word his question carefully, pausing for longer than was normal for the tall Biqaj who usually spoke too much, too fast. He didn’t want to give his suspicions away and be wrong, but it was like holding too much water in too small a waterskin, having come from a large enough family that there were certain things he’d seen before and understood in a poetic sort of way,

"Who—er—what d’ you need ‘em for, anyway? Y’ expectin’ t’ start doin’ some entertainin’ at Cally’s instead o’ me?" He wasn’t clever, not really, just a fool, mischievous and yet attempting to be gentle with his asking.

[Kali'rial]

1st Vhalar, 717

Kali'rial stood calmly, amongst the throng of people waiting at the Flutterbus Departures area, her rucksack all packed neatly on her back and her Mastercraft bow tied to it along with a newly purchased lantern. Slung over her chest was The Huntress. One could never have enough bows, so it seemed, her old bow destrung and packed carefully in the rucksack. Laying on her feet in his spirit form was Sarkis, shooting unhappy glances at the crowd around them.

"We already covered this, and it was just way too long. Besides, we have our...boots. If we sailed there, then we'd also have to sail back. It's fine, it's all just...fine." Her voice had faded as Faith came over, the calm tone and demeanour completely and utterly hiding something she would die before admit.

The Sev'ryn huntress, wolf-walker of Karem and almost the last of her family line was terrified of bugs. Utterly, hopelessly terrified. In reality she wasn't maintaining a sense of stoic calm, she was in fact, trying to internally meditate so when they had to climb onto the fluffy back of the giant moth she didn't have an epic meltdown.

It was still a risk.

Shaken from her inner conflicts, the woman's fiery gaze shifted across to Faith with a welcoming smile, chuckling as she shoved the basket at Pash with announcements of food stuffs. Anything Faith has made would be incredible, so the Sev'ryn was entirely prepared to fight the Biqaj for her fair share.

"Moseke bless you Faith, and thankyou for the gift. I'm sure it will be a welcome delight to have on the journey." Listening as the beaming young woman, Kali'rial nodded slowly, noting the ridiculous grin on her lovers face. Was he really that excited that Faith wanted them to bring home a few sonnets? As the sunkissed bard agreed to the ask she began to nod again in agreement, until he suggested she would sing them. Snapping her gaze firmly on the sailor as he spoke, the huntress felt her cheeks burn as she quickly looked back at the raven haired girl.

"I don't sing." The serious young southerner said quickly, knowing that on occasion she may have hummed a tune or two. And sometimes when on a longer hunt she would dabble in a melody, but singing for someone else...it was not worth the suffering for either party. Brushing aside Pash's suddenly bizarre behaviour, Kali smiled at Faith warmly.

"I can certainly bring some back. Traditional is a broad ask though. Are you looking for something specific? I know quite a few good solid hunting songs, oh and one rather inappropriate one about...well it's about hunting too, but not of the animals." Her smile turned slightly wicked and she chuckled a little to herself. At her feet, the unseen wolf pricked up his ears and looked at her with what could have been interpreted as shock, before resting his head on his feet again.

[Faith Augustin]

When Pash got a look of dawning realisation on his face, Faith couldn't help but smile. She'd told him, after all, about the song she had sung to her unborn child back in Rharne. He had put two and two together and Faith sent a prayer of thanks to Famula, Vri and Moseke for the souls of these two, the love which friendship was and the lives of her friends. She shook her head at their thanks, "It's my pleasure," she said, of the food. Then she added something to that because these two people knew, but at the same time did not really understand, some pretty specific information about her. "I know it's good manners to say that, but it really is. For such a long time I had nothing, was not allowed to own anything. I could never give a gift to a friend. So, it is my very genuine pleasure to be able to do so now to you both." As a slave, her greatest act of defiance had been to bring cakes to Padraig. Only to discover, some time later, that he preferred savoury to sweet.

Kali said that she didn't do singing and Faith smiled. There had been a time when she would have said the same, but time and circumstances had changed that and now, at least, she could carry a note. However, when Pash asked if she was expecting, then Kali asked what kind of songs, Faith's face showed the genuine delight she felt at the words which she spoke. "I'm not going to be singing in Cally's no. But I'd like nursery rhymes, traditional songs for babies." She put her hand over her stomach, flattening the loose top she was wearing and allowing them to see the small and neat tiny little bump. "For this baby, particularly."

Her delight was evident and Faith looked between them, "We found out at the beginning of Saun, but we haven't told anyone." Which meant that yes, she'd been pregnant when she bullied a man into rowing her to their boat in the storm. Not only had she been pregnant, but she'd known it too. She just hadn't mentioned it because there was no point in further complicating an already difficult situation. "Early stages, things happen. But now, well." she shrugged slightly, "I couldn't let you leave and not tell you. That would just be awful. I wanted you to know. I'm going to tell the staff at Cally's over the next few trials, but we want to tell our friends first." Their friends were the people they wanted to tell before the rest of the world and this pair came in that category. She looked at them, then and blurted out the truth of it, something she was doing more and more since the pregnancy. "I didn't have a childhood. I don't know what a mother does, not in any way other than book learning or what I've been told. So, I'm afraid. But this baby is planned and wanted and loved." She shrugged slightly and then smiled with genuine mischief, "and we can only hope that it is also forgiving." Or give thanks that she was the only one in the family who could remember every moment since birth, she supposed. "So, songs, traditions, those things that families have passed down through generations, but I don't. They are all very, very welcome." As though remembering the manners she had temporarily forgotten, she added, "Please. Thank you. If you would." Looking a little awkward. she smiled at them both, unsure of what one was supposed to do when telling friends this sort of news.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

"—don’t sing, eh?" Pash was chuckling at her seriousness, his expression implying that he was barely containing an entirely inappropriate comment to disprove that assumption, the emerald of his eyes mischievous and his wink sly, words almost a whisper because he couldn’t help himself entirely, "Qes, qes y’ do, qua’ma."

Still, he didn’t give details, for Kali’rial hadn’t caught on to what Faith was implying. She couldn’t have. She’d been unconscious when their dark-haired employer and friend had revealed to the tall Biqaj the reason why she’d once learned to sing, why she’d once collected stories. His smile softened at her admission, at her reminder of a life she’d only slowly, carefully, purposefully begun to leave behind. The basket was just another step, and Pash was clearly grateful, but also distracted,

"Ah—aye—a baby!" Pash enthused, arms full of said basket and clearly frustrated that he had to put the object and its delicious contents down. He couldn’t do it fast enough it seemed, oozing a delight at Faith’s finally clear declaration, his grin broadening into something bordering on the stupidly excited. Setting the basket to one side with a hurried ‘excuse me’ to the others gathered waiting for the flutterbus that was for the salty bard momentarily and happily forgotten, he didn’t pause to ask permission. Instead, a gentle, eager hand reached to warmly place a palm over the small but present bump Faith revealed, his movement respectful and clearly one of admiration,

"Welcome to adulthood!"

He offered a phrase of praise in chagrined, hushed Rakahi—a traditional response to the announcement of pregnancy despite knowing this was not truly her first. The seafaring musician was as aware that she probably had no idea what he was saying as he was that he was plainly admitting that according to his people, his childlessness still labeled him as not quite the man he so oft pretended to be, "Congratulations!"

Pash was polite enough not to let his hand linger, but his grin did. He turned to heft back up the basket, far more sore and stiff and tired than he cared to let on after the storm the trial before,

"I come from a large family," he paused, faltering slightly over those words, though it was perhaps only noticeable in the way his baritone wavered at family. He had left them broken and needing him less than an arc ago and he had lost more than just a brother. Now was not the time for such admissions, however, such memories and truths. He would make things right, one day. He would, "A lovin' one full o’ cousins an’ nieces an’ nephews. I often had t’ watch th’ littles, if only ‘cause I was eldest."

He’d been responsible, sometimes. He’d been trouble other time, too.

"I’m more’n happy t’ share what I can with you, ‘f only ‘cause I’ve—" Pash shifted the basket with a smirk, flustering himself far too much over the talk of family not only in Faith’s presence but also more so in Kali’rial’s. A bit of color had risen to his sea-swept cheeks and while he was neither ashamed nor upset by most of his life decisions thus far, he also had very clearly felt a shift in the tide. That, too, remained unspoken and yet perhaps not un-implied, "—‘cause I’ve no’ yet made such choices m’self."

That felt awkward and yet sincere, the salty bard choosing to look away from both women to stare into the contents of his basket and chew the inside of his cheek, caught between a happy pregnancy and the dark-haired Sev’ryn he loved with words like family still sweet and sticky on his lips.

[Kali'rial]

1st Vhalar, 717

Shooting the cheeky bard a look that spoke volumes, the huntress turned back to smile at the healer with warmth, nodding gracefully at her openness about the depth of her gift. It only made the basket even more valuable in the Sevir's eyes.

For this baby in particular.

There were lots of other words, sweet beautiful words. They were the among the first to be told? As their friends. Kali looked at Faith for a moment. Her Amber gaze shifted down to her friends little belly, then back up to her face again. Pash had moved already to touch the young woman's bump, saying things in Rakahi she kind of understood but not quite.

She blinked.

Suddenly the southerner moved, Sarkis jumping off her feet as she all but tackled the raven haired woman with a hug. She may have even let out a squeal, causing a couple of passengers to stare at them all for a moment, before shaking their heads and returning to their conversations.

"Faith?! I had no idea! Congratulations to you and Padraig!" She said enthusiastically, before pulling back and holding the younger woman by the shoulders, a massive grin on her usually calm face. Turning her gaze down, the huntress spoke softly.

"Moseke bless and guide your growth little light. May She give your feet purpose and your body strength." Taking a breath to compose herself, the brunette stepped back with a blush.

"Apologies Faith, that was entirely inappropriate." Bowing her head, she took another deep breath to resettle herself. As Pash spoke about family, Kali'rial took his free hand and squeezed it gently. She knew his pain, to some extent with her family, but she was an only child. To be responsible for younger siblings was something she had no experience with.

Moving with confidence that he was still unseen, Sarkis had shifted to sniff around Faith. He could smell a presence, could hear it, and he wasn't blind to Kali's reaction. The problem was he couldn't see anyone. Looking back at his companion, the wolf tilted his head with a quizzical expression and a silent question. The brunette looked at him again, equally confused by his comment, then back to the woman with another smile.

"I will gladly bring you songs from home. Wonderful songs that will give your little light beautiful dreams and knowledges of Desnind and The Great Mother. You will be an amazing mother, Faith. Look at all those who you care for and protect already. There is much love between you and Pad, and it's ready to be shared with another." Turning her orange eyes on the morose bard beside her, the Sev'ryn smiled softly.

Maybe one day...she supposed she hadn't made any of those choices either.

Beside her, the wolf yipped in frustration, having waited patiently for the woman to answer him. The huntress sighed a little before looking at Faith with an apologetic smile.

"I have to ask you a question, for a friend. Is there any reason, uh, why he can't see you?" She nodded to Sarkis, who had shifted into his solid form with a gentle ease, sitting beside Kali and staring at the space where Faith stood with an intense stare. If anyone else noticed him, they didn't appear to react.

[Faith Augustin]

They didn't understand, of course. They couldn't. But yet, they understood. That basket meant more than a gift, it meant freedom to give, understanding the value of the freedom to do that and choosing the people to exercise that freedom with. It meant that they were her friends and she understood how important that was. If there was only one part of the horrors which had been her childhood which Faith was grateful for, it was that it had made her understand just how important the little things were. She did not, could not and never would take people or things for granted.

The look on their faces when she told them about the news that she and Padraig shared was more than enough to make Faith beam even more. Then, though, Pash just put the basket to one side, stepped forward and put his hand on her stomach. "Oh! Well look at you touching that." Faith had entirely not expected that but she lifted silver eyes to look at the bard and she beamed in delight. She didn't understand what he said, but her hand very briefly touched his, and tears prickled in her eyes. "Thank you. We are very happy."

He came from a large family? With cousins and nieces and nephews and younger ones running around? Faith was too disciplined, even in this moment, to look wistful, but she felt it. "I know that I am a twin," she said with a smile. "They kept my sister and sold me. She's still alive, somewhere, along with my half sister." Strange as it was to think, there was another person who looked like her. Still, now was not the time to give credence to such thoughts, so she smiled at Pash and then, of all things suddenly Kali'rial was there and she was hugging her.

Faith had a brief moment of panic, but the honest and heartfelt emotion pouring from the Sev'ryn woman was too much for the already emotional young mother-to-be and she returned the hug, wrapping her own arms around her friend with a brief but fierce embrace. When Kali pulled back, the tears which had threatened were escaping and she shook her head. "No, please, please don't apologise. I never dreamed I might see this trial." Reaching out she took Kali's hand and squeezed it, softly. Not inappropriate, not at all. "Actually, it is entirely welcome," she said, with a very genuine expression.

"And thank you, both of you. Traditions, songs, those sorts of things. And oh, Kali'rial, I hope so." Fear whispered to her, of course. Faith had no concept of family, not even of childhood. She knew, though, without a doubt that she would try and learn and she gave a brief and self depreciating smile to the two of them when she spoke next. "We hope that this baby is the forgiving kind."

Then, though, Kali had a question and Faith looked down at where the huntress did and there, now that she noticed, was a spirit animal. Her blessing from Moseke allowed her to see the familiar, but she had not paid attention. He did not see her? Faith's eyes widened in realisation and she nodded. Then, she reached up and removed a small shell necklace from around her neck. "I'm so sorry," she spoke directly to the wolf, then spoke back to Kali'rial. "U'frek gave me this. It does that. He was taking us to Ne'haer where we went through a portal to Oscillus and fought. My apologies." Faith loved wolves, and now that the wolf could see her, and she had noticed him, she included him in the conversation. "Now that I know you are there, I can see you thanks to Moseke's blessing. If you are more comfortable," she said to the wolf. He could make himself appear physically or not? There was only one kind of wolf she knew who could do that. "Karem?" Faith asked Kali with a raised eyebrow and a smile of delight for her friend.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

Faith didn’t object to his hand, and well, he couldn’t have helped it anyway, time and distance from his own family hardly dulling the pleasure he’d always taken in new life. Her tears were there and the tall Biqaj’s smile softened at her words, at her admission that she was a twin and yet unwanted. Who did such things? Multiple births were common among his people, and he had nieces and nephews and cousins who were twins, but no one in his family had ever felt the need to make such a horrible choice. Having lost a brother, he couldn’t ever imagine purposefully discarding a child,

“An’ y’ should be happy, friend. I’m sure Padraig be jus’ as excited as y’self, too. D’ you know when y’ can expect t’ be holdin’ that baby instead o’ just watchin’ it grow?” He probably could have done the math himself had he thought about it, but in their shared emotions, it felt easier to just ask.

Truly, Faith had been handed so many opportunities for redeeming what she’d lost. This baby was just another one of those gifts.

Pash’s already warm expression broadened at Kali’s uninhibited display of emotion and excitement, as if it was some sort of wordless, quiet victory. When Faith returned the hug, he may have even sighed, satisfied, the Empath enjoying the wash of it all even without the need of his magical sight,

“Forgiveness starts with you an’ Padraig, ot djal, an’ so I’m sure this noch—your babe—will be more forgivin' than y’ think.” The seafaring musician offered kindly, not privy at all to Sarkis’ struggles while the wolf was both invisible and communicating with Kali’rial. Faith revealed that her necklace was responsible for the confusion, and Pash remembered when she’d mentioned how she’d sailed with U’Frek and cooked for his Maker. He wasn’t sure where Oscillus was, however, and so he had to ask, curious as always. His hand may have strayed to scratch behind Sarkis’ ear once he made himself visible again, somewhat more fond of the creature over the past few ten-trials than he would perhaps have admitted out loud.

The dark-haired woman guessed at the Immortal and the tall Biqaj was quiet, giving his lover her moment to speak, though perhaps the grin that tugged at his expression gave the answer away along with the admiring swell of his mostly bare chest. He tried, he did, but Pash had far too many tells.

[Kali'rial]

1st Vhalar, 717

The young Sev'ryn gripped Faith's hand back with a warm smile, feeling a welling of emotions in her chest. The silvery eyed girl came from nothing, from ashes, and had built herself up. She deserved happiness and love, and a family.

Dropping her hand, the huntress turned her gaze on the seafaring Biqaj with an almost far away look. Would that be something in their path one day? The southerner allowed herself to dwell on that thought with a curious smile, before drawing her attention back to the wolf at her side as Faith explained her invisibility for him. Sarkis watched as before his eyes, the woman became visible, making a sort of half bark-half growl and wagging his tail when the raven haired woman addressed him directly. Tongue lolling from his mouth as Pash reached out to scratch an ear, the furred creature tilted his head into the movement, enjoying the sensation before he looked at Kali.

"Is this one also part of your pack? She should be. To hide from one of Karem's own pack is impressive. Please, introduce me." The brunette smiled at him, before looking back at her friend with a nod and a barely restrained grin.

"Yes, Karem found me, just a huntress from the south. She ran with me, and marked me. It was...I don't even have words to explain how incredible it was. It is." Looking over at the bard with amber eyes that almost sparkled with the reliving of the moment, she squeezed his hand again before turning back to the pregnant Faith.

"Sarkis is my companion, my bonded omega as a Wolf-Walker of The Great Huntress, and he would like very much to introduce himself to you. So, Sarkis, meet Faith. Faith, meet Sarkis." The canine sniffed Faith over, learning her scent and filing the details away for later, before landing a few wet licks on her hand. It seemed enough and as gently as he had shimmered into view, the wolf faded away again, laying down to rest his paws and head on Kali'rial's feet again.

"You're one of the pack now, I think. Wolves seem to be very connected with determining who belongs to their inner circle and who does not. It's...it's a strange and warm. A true sense of belonging." Taking a breath, the brunette shook off the lupine thoughts that were now a constant quiet chatter in her mind, focusing back on the question Pash had asked.

"Yes, when will we be able to meet the young one?"

[Faith Augustin]

"He is. We are." Faith said, when Pash said that he thought Padraig was as excited as she was. After all that they had been through together, the two of them, after the loss of Rose, the slavery and loneliness, the kidnapping and pirates, giant spiders and bank robbers; after all of that, this was what they had planned together. Because through it all, despite it all, maybe even because of it all, they were together and as in love as they could ever be. Her smile told more than her words managed, but that was because there were no words for what she felt.

Kali'rial's new companion, though, was a delight and Faith nodded to him. "It is an honour to meet you, Sarkis. Truly." Faith had sat in Karem's domain, her woods and she had met a number of the Velduris wolves. She understood, as Kali'rial spoke, what had happened. "It is a very well deserved honour, Kali'rial," Faith said with genuine gaze. She had no doubt that Kali'rial would make a devout follower of Karem and her place in the greater pack of Karem would be assured.

Faith had met Karem on a number of occasions now, Karem's daughter would be officiating her wedding but there was no need for such information to be shared here. It would be crass and unnecessary; when Kali spoke of being part of a greater whole Faith nodded her head. "The pack is strengthened by the individuals in it, and the individuals are strengthened by the pack around them. I believe it is true family." Looking down at where she could still see the wolf, Faith smiled.

Then, the talk turned back to the babe which grew within her and Faith's hand moved to her stomach. "I think.. According to the calculations we have made, the beginning of Cyrus. Twenty eight ten-trials takes us, I believe, to the twelfth of Cyrus. But it is not an exact science." She shrugged and gave a smile. Either way, whenever this child (or these children, she supposed with a slight tinge of fear) was born, they would be welcomed into the world with love from parents, grandparents, friends and family.

Faith glanced, towards where the people were starting to board. "I'm glad to have caught you before you left. Glad to have met you, Sarkis." She looked at where the wolf lay at Kali'rial's feet, her gaze directly on him. "WhenI see you next, there'll be no hiding it. Be safe in your travels." That said, she would hug them both -a rare and strange thing which later she would put down to pregnancy and it's strange impact on her emotions, and see them on their way.