• Closed • Nestled in the trees.

[Faith Augustin]

59th Vhalar, 717

"It's beautiful," Faith said, looking at him and her smile showed her absolute delight at the place. They had booked themselves in to the Inn here and Faith had been wide eyed with amazement from the moment they arrived. Their room, nestled amongst the trees, was lovely and as he came back in to the room, having just made sure that Cyrus and Katie were settled, Faith was standing in the window looking out.

The trip from Scalvoris had been a strange one, but she had delighted in the sights. The change in temperature, in climate and in environment astonished her and she drank it in. The pregnancy which delighted her and took so much of her thought that she really wasn't sure what she'd spent all her time thinking about before was obvious now. At the beginning of the season, she'd had a small and neat bump which could be hidden by loose clothing. Now, though, nearly sixty trials in to Vhalar, there was no hiding it. She wasn't yet at the point of so pregnant that it was all that was to be seen and, in fairness, she'd started the illusion of a pregnancy which she had experienced in Rharne at much later than this. As they'd arrived, Faith was just hitting that point where she looked and felt healthier than she ever had.

"I've never seen anything like it, Padraig, look." There was so much to see, so much to do and, alongside the feeling of being healthy and happy, Faith was full of energy. Sometimes, it bordered on scary. "I'd like to explore. Can we explore? There's a fire pit and a bow maker. The temple to Moseke." More often than not Faith had a hand on her stomach and this was no exception. "I'd like to go there. We have so much to be thankful to her for. She took my scars." Inside, outside, there were scars. Truly, in that hall where Moseke had stroked her cheek, Faith's true healing had begun.

Faith turned around and smiled in delight, "Are we really going to do this? Get married here?" It was perfect,there was no doubt. Just them, their immediate family and their closest friends. No big party, no big fuss. Just them and their love. "I suppose that might be something to do, actually." Motioning out of the window, Faith's expression told more of the emotion she was feeling than her words. "If you aren't busy,that is, we could go find a place to be married."

There was the temple, she said, or there were the woods. There was all of where they were, in honesty."I know that you say," she explained, with a serious gaze in her silver eyes, "that what you want is what I do, but Padraig, this is perfect. Just here, just us. Perfect. Wherever here it is. It's perfect." Stepping into his arms, Faith lifted her head and kissed him. "So, shall we go decide where we both want to do this?"

[Padraig]

"The most beautiful thing I've ever seen, or will ever hope to see," Padraig agreed when he reentered their suite in the trees. Clearly, his focus was on her, and not their surroundings. Still, he smiled and added, "This place isn't bad either." Desnind was, if he was honest, a sort of forested paradise. Though who knew what Cyrus had thought? It was Katie who'd gushed and Luna who'd looked round in wide eyed wonder. Typically, whether he was or not, Padraig's grandfather had made a show of being only mildly impressed, so much as to wonder whether he was, or no.

Pregnancy suited her, nonetheless. The last time around, illusion in large part, couldn't compare. She glowed from within and her eyes shown with happiness. It was all Padraig wanted, and pleased him just as much to see it. As a scholar as well, he couldn't help but be fascinated by the process that unfolded slowly, and yet also quickly as her condition became all the more apparent. It caused him to become more protective of her as well. A real trick, since he'd already, and always had been.

"Of course we can explore. As much and as often as you'd like to," he said while unpacking a few books he'd brought with him. "The temple. The bowmaker. All of it." And why not? So far as he could tell, from what he'd seen so far, it would be a wonderful place to get married. They'd always done unconventional and this was certainly that. They should though, probably start looking for the perfect spot. "It's perfect, yes, and there's no time like the present. I think that Cyrus said they'd be doing some exploring on their own, and would take Luna with them. So shall we?" he asked, reaching out to take her hand.

[Faith Augustin]

The most beautiful thing he had ever seen or ever would hope to? Faith turned to look at Padraig with a smile of shy delight on her face. "You say that now," she replied, her voice betraying more emotion than she managed to speak. "You wait until this one looks at you, or wraps tiny fingers around yours." Then, she was sure, he would know what real beauty was. However, unable to help herself, Faith looked up at him and grinned. "Or them, of course." It was easy to tease but he knew her too well. The thought of those possible multiple children growing in her belly paled her face and widened her eyes somewhat. Whatever happened, they would love their offspring and had more than enough of that particular commodity to go around.

When Padraig said that this place wasn't bad either, Faith laughed. "You are incorrigible. Behave yourself, professor Augustin." Faith gestured to the window and her expression was entirely genuine. "It's such an amazing sight. I look around and I think that we could live here and be happy. But then, of course, I realise why." Lifting herself up on to her tip toes, Faith kissed him softly, "Because as long as we are together, we could and would be happy anywhere. But it's beautiful, no doubting it. Peaceful too."

She looked at the books he'd brought and she raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning on studying here, too? Padraig..." Faith shook her head with a fond expression of exasperation. "We are supposed to be having a holiday. A break. A pilgrimage to Moseke's land to thank her for all she's given us, to ask for her blessing on the baby." With a glance to the books, Faith considered for a moment and decided there and then that she would consider it a personal challenge that those tomes go home unopened.

"You know, I warned you when you made me that cup of tea," she took his hand and walked out with him, "that you would spoil me. You have done that and more." She hugged herself close to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. She had told him, in fact, that she would be a most disobedient slave and would have to be killed. All because of a cup of tea. To some, this was worse, she knew; Faith realised with a smile that she did not care. "Well, there is the forest, but there's also the temple. I think lets start there. I'd like to take an offering, I brought these." Stones, small and smooth from the river in Scalvoris. Faith considered as they walked. "There's a winery here, so the Innkeeper told me. We should pop and see it." She wasn't suggesting that to-trial, not until after they were wed, but it sounded exciting.

"Where would you like to start?" Faith asked, delighted anticipation on her face.

[Padraig]

Or them? The very suggestion of two, or more at once caused the briefest waves of panic to surge through his veins. It might have been evident in the spark that lit up his eyes and was gone again in an instant. He'd prepared himself for one? More. Not so much. Not yet. But ultimately if it was the case, then two, three, all would be welcomed with the same enthusiasm as one. He didn't say so though, she'd simply have to know it. "When I look into his, or her eyes for the first time," Padraig reassured her with a genuine smile, "It will be like looking at you for the first time, all over again."

"Incorrigible?" he asked then with a wide grin. "May I ever be then." But she was right. It could be anywhere on Idalos. Here, back in Scalvoris, They'd be home nonetheless. He laughed though and shrugged, a little guiltily when she mentioned the books. "Probably not. Besides, there are so many trees here in close proximity that a clear view of the night sky would only be possible, was I to have an observatory built in the treetops." And then? The view would be spectacular.

But he wasn't done spoiling her, he added as they'd headed out. In fact he intended to spend a lifetime doing just that, again and again. So where to start? "The temple it is then," he agreed. "Then the forest maybe." And though he'd already believed that the temple to Moseke would be a good choice, it was all the more apparent once they arrived there. In fact, based on what he saw alone, he couldn't imagine a better place to reaffirm, what they, each of them, already knew to be true.

[Faith Augustin]

His expression when she used the word "them" made Faith feel more than a little guilty and she put her hand in his, squeezing gently."My apologies," she said, softly, her voice quiet and genuine. "I should not tease you. It is both unkind and unnecessary." In truth, Faith was beyond terrified at the prospect of multiple births. At least, she supposed, it wasn't exponential. In truth, the fear she felt at the thought of being a mother to one child was only slightly less than the thought of being so to more than that.

She returned his smile when he spoke about looking at their son, or daughter, for the first time and Faith shook her head. "I don't think it will, you know. I don't think it will be like anything else." So she assumed, anyhow. Faith nestled her head against his shoulder and just stayed there for a brief while. He seemed so, was so happy and excited and so was she, for all that she prayed that their child was forgiving.

An observatory in a tree house? That sounded wonderful, Faith thought and said so. "With so few houses and towns, the view would be amazing, wouldn't it? I dreamed of a house like they have here, you know." She slipped her arm into his as they walked out, focusing on when it was, retrieving the memories. "It was when I was thrown from the horse on the campaign. I played a game of chess against a Sev'ryn called Ti'niva. It was a very odd dream, but then I was concussed, I suppose."

They went first to the Temple and Faith's expression told it all, she was entranced from the first sight of it. "Oh, Padraig look at it." Her voice was barely above a whisper and she held on to him with an awestruck expression. As they looked at it, then went in and looked around it, Faith's eyes widened and she was quiet, just looking at the place. Her hand held his tightly as they looked around and Faith would have to admit that she would find it hard to imagine anywhere better.

Still, they should go and see the forest, she thought and she turned to tell him when a figure caught her gaze out of the corner of her eyes. In her peripheral vision she saw him and Faith gave a gasp of shock as she tensed next to him. Her heart, she was quite sure, stopped beating for a moment as she saw him and Faith took a step backwards. Then, however, she blinked and she realised that she was not seeing what she had thought. Breathing out, her thoughts were immediately concerned. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I thought I saw..." Faith looked at him and she shook her head. "I thought I saw something, but I didn't. It was just my eyes deceiving me." She looked up at him to reassure him; there was no fear in her eyes any more, she was shocked, a little embarrassed, but not afraid. "I'm just jumping at shadows is all. My apologies. Shall we go wander in the forest and decide where we're going to tell each other what we already both know?" Levity, she thought, that would help.

[Padraig]

"You can tease me all you like," Padraig assured her with a smile that made clear that the the sentiment was heartfelt. "And I'll promise to keep teasing you. It's what we've done since the moment we met, though both of us would have denied it. I can't imagine it any other way." Still, the idea that there was a possibility of twins or even triplets instead of a single child was a little terrifying. But only slightly, when compared to his already heightened sense of uncertainty about whether he'd be the best father to just one.

As for whether it would be like looking into her eyes all over again, or a completely new and wondrous experience, he merely smiled and shrugged as they'd headed out. It might be a combination of both, but at any rate it promised to be a thing of wonder. "You're growing a person in there," he said, in case she actually needed reminding. "That's a miraculous thing, in and of itself."

"Maybe," he said, when she told him about the dream she'd had, and the home she'd imagined. She had a head injury after all. "But the view of the night sky here would be spectacular, with so few lights on the ground polluting the view. "Having not seen it yet, I can at least guess that there'd be all the more numerous stars to see. Things that under other conditions, are too distant and faint to see with the naked eye." And a house in the trees. Not bad at all, he wouldn't think. Was she thinking along those lines? He simply smiled and told her, "Home is where you are."

The temple was perfect though, just as she said it was. It suited its surroundings and had a purpose of its own, but it was more than that. This wasn't what they had planned. In truth the idea had come on a whim. And yet maybe it was meant to. Now that he saw it he couldn't imagine a better place for them to marry. He was caught up in the thought when Faith tensed beside him and took a step back. Startled out of his own thoughts, Padraig looked her way and frowned curiously.

"Is something wrong?" She saw something, Faith said, and Padraig wasn't inclined to assume it was nothing. That she just imagined it. Their life together didn't tend to go so easily as that. So he looked around carefully. Around the temple, into the shadows, back out the door in back of them. But ultimately here was nothing there. Or didn't seem to be. But if she had imagined it, something told him that there was more to it. she'd been through things, they both had lately, that were bound to linger awhile. They did for him, though he tended to say nothing of it.

"It might have been a woodland creature that's wandered in, casting a larger shadow while it skulks around. Or a bird flying by outside." Quite logical assumptions, he thought, but Padraig tended to think that again, there was more to it than that. He'd keep an eye out. Not too far outwards, but on her. "Let's go then. A walk in the forest sounds nice, location hunting or not," he told her, then took her hand in his as they went.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

Thread Rewards

Always a pair, you two. I never cease to enjoy your dialogue and witty banter, and it’s fun to see you two exploring outside of Scalvoris. The seeping in of that kidnapping trauma into your lovely vacation plans has to come with a bit of stress, but you’ve got each other!

Faith

Points

XP:
15 | These points cannot be used for magic.

Fame:
N/A

Loot

N/A

Injuries + Overstepping

N/A

Knowledge

Skill Knowledge:
Detection: Peripheral vision can lie
Detection: The difference between what's there and what isn't
Endurance: Pregnancy: A long haul

Other Knowledge:
N/A

Padraig

Points

XP:
15 | These points cannot be used for magic.

Fame:
N/A

Loot

N/A

Injuries + Overstepping

N/A

Knowledge

Skill Knowledge:
Caregiving: Looking after a pregnant woman
Caregiving: Keeping an eye out to protect a loved one
Caregiving: Making a loved one feel secure
Detection: Reading fear in the face
Detection: Seeking out a reason for spotting movement
Detection: Considering the overall ambiance of a place

Other Knowledge:
N/A

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