[Haven] The Not-Sleepover

[Elisabeth Black]

99 Ashan, Arc 722

Haven

Most everything was ready. Settlers rushed around Haven, making last-minute preparations to the chapel and settlement for the wedding of Elisabeth Angelus and Balthazar Black. It was to be a simple affair, per their wishes, but the people that lived in Haven had gone a bit overboard in their excitement for the event, fussing about, sprucing up the place. It was a celebration and they would soon be receiving guests.

Some, such as Elisabeth's adoptive parents – Vin and Rilith Hallowswift – had already arrived and pitched in with the work. The young woman had to admit that it felt good to see them again, and it appeared they felt the same about her. However, there had been a bit of explaining to do regarding some of her more publicized adventures, but it had been time well spent. She got them settled into the guest house and finally was able to turn her attention to the night's main event.

Per Scalvoris tradition, the night before a wedding, the couple and their officiant would share a meal together and spend the entire night awake, not talking about the wedding. Elisabeth didn't fear running out of things to discuss, considering all the trio's mutual ties. Still, a small part of her wondered how the tradition of essentially making the three primary participants in a wedding sleep-deprived on the big trial had come about.

Arriving back at Haven House, Elisabeth stepped in, immediately greeted by the soft howls of the true leader of Haven – Sir Storm. The trial had been exceedingly dramatic for him, having had to endure a bath, gently given by Delilah, who insisted he be fresh and clean for the wedding, and the subsequent brushing and drying out on the warm sand. The farmer's daughter must have dropped him off while Elisabeth was out, and now, loudly, the feline demanded dinner.

"Yes, yes…silly cat. How dare we ignore you?" Chuckling, Elisabeth sauntered over to the nearby kitchen and grabbed some pieces of fish, clam, and potatoes that she had prepared in a savory seafood gravy, setting the bowl down for him to eat. "There. Now I need to get to the boys' dinner. Darius is coming to visit, and then tomorrow, lots of people will be here to play with you." Storm, of course, wasn't interested in whatever she was babbling about. At least not until the food was gone.

Knowing they needed to have a simple meal, Elisabeth planned one of steak, potatoes, and assorted sautéed vegetables. Her cooking skills had greatly improved over the seasons, and while she didn't do a lot of it, she did enjoy making meals for Balthazar when he was home. It was a meal she had made several times before and felt comfortable enough with the process to prepare it for company.

The potatoes cooked while she set place settings at the end of the large table in the main room, and leaving them in the pan for a few bits at a time was the best way to ensure a golden crust. If she didn't busy herself with other things, she'd just fuss with the potatoes in the pan and probably mess them up.

Steak was something that was easy to mess up, as Elisabeth had found the first time she tried to make it, but seasoning and searing it with simple salt and pepper was a process she had practiced, knowing it was one of Balthazar's favorite foods.

As she stood, sautéing the mixed vegetables, Elisabeth noted the mushrooms and considered what it must take to grow them. Perhaps she'd have the look into that.

Elisabeth was just finishing up the food, knowing that the two men would be along soon, and they could get started celebrating. The settlers had been clear with her – once Darius arrived, Elisabeth and Balthazar's involvement in set-up was done. It was their wedding and, thus, time to focus on them and enjoy the moments.

A huge thank you to Visna for the beautiful template!

[Darius Baer]

Arc 722, 99th of Ashan

The familiar clatter of the anchor's chain rattling its way through the hawsepipe filled Darius' ears as the crew of the Libertalia furled its sails and dropped anchor. They were in the small bay near Haven, arriving as the sun was nearing the horizon beyond the settlement.

Astra was with him, as she usually was on ship journeys, but he had also brought a passenger: Josef Baer.

Darius' father would have balked at the idea of being a passenger. The man had spent much of his adult life on boats around Scalvoris and Viden, and he had insisted that he take on some of the sailing workload aboard the Libertalia. But in truth, the journey from Hopetoun to Haven was so short that it was easy enough to have him keep watch, and he had done his part.

But that was not why he was on the ship in the first place.

"You'll be fine, lad," the older Baer reassured his son. "Just remember what we talked about."

"Aye, Da," Darius nodded. "Thank you."

The 'what we talked about' was in reference to the Scalvorian wedding traditions. As officiant, it was incumbent upon Darius to known what he was doing, and Josef - having been married before but also having officiated a wedding himself - was an obvious source of counsel.

"I'll see you on the morrow, lad," Josef added.

"Aye."

"You'll do a fine job, Darius Baer," came Astra's voice, and the half-biqaj first mate hugged him farewell. "I just know it."

The brunette's eyes were bright orange, which Darius recognised as being a sign of respect. In essence, she was proud of him, even if she hadn't said so in words, and that realisation brought a grin to his lips.

Darius gathered his items, which amounted to little more than his longsword and the knapsack he usually carried with him - he had a small chest of wedding items, but they would not be retrieved until the following trial - and pulled his coat a little closer to himself. Then he swung one leg over the taffrail of the Libertalia and climbed down the rope ladder and into a longboat.

Rowing himself to shore, Darius could see how his ship was bathed in the orange light of the setting sun. Its naked masts pierced the skyline as the large vessel loomed over the small bay. The Scalvorian wagered that it would still dominate the view, even for anyone who was standing on the beach.

Before long, the bearded blond was one such person, as he hauled the longboat up the sand and beyond the high tide line. As the hull passed the broken line of seaweed in the sand, he offered his crew a distant, departing wave, and made his way into Haven. The first settler he encountered would be politely asked to take him to Balthazar or Elisabeth.

[Balthazar Black]

99 Ashan 722

Balthazar had chosen to spend his afternoon in a way that he had to admit, felt a little unusual. It was almost his wedding. He should have been excited and going around the settlement helping with all the last little things they needed to do. He had in the morning but he slipped away and wandered to the beach for a few bits by himself. He knelt down on the sand and closed his eyes. He let the sound of the waves wash over him and the scent of the ocean air drown him while he slipped into his breathing pattern. He wanted some time with his thoughts but the further into his thoughts that he went the less aware he became of the things stimulating his senses.

Elisabeth had something like family. She had people she'd grown up with who had come to attend the wedding. Balthazar did not. His parents, both natural and adoptive were long dead. He had friends. He had many friends. He could have filled the seats with the people he knew and felt would have appreciated an invitation but it wasn't the same. The closest he came to his family was through the visions Vri's mark could grant him. Small pieces of the lives before his own that had lead to him. He went out to the beach in hopes that he could delve back once again and find some comfort or answer to what troubled him. His eyes closed, the world around him faded from his perception and was replaced with another entirely.

He was at a party. It looked nothing like the celebration that they were having now but he could tell it was the same sort. A wedding. Someone's wedding. His father's? His grandfather's? He couldn't tell. All he could perceive in the brief flashes of sight and sound was that everyone was having a good time. They were doing what they should have been- celebrating. They were doing what he should have been.

Balthazar took a few more deep breaths and left his trance behind. Thank you, Vri. Balthazar did not know if the Immortal chose which visions they saw when the marked delved into their genetic memory, but he was grateful all the same. The mage rose to his feet as one of his company approached slowly from behind him. "What do you need, Lance?" Balthazar asked as he dusted the sand off himself.

"Hopetoun's leader has arrived. I saw him rowing to shore." The archer replied. He had seen Darius's ship arrive but had to go a distance down the beach to find Balthazar. The mage had picked his location for privacy after all.

"Well we had better get to him then. Show me and then go get Elisabeth." The archer was quick to follow Balthazar's instructions and he lead the mage to where he had spotted Darius rowing in. By the time they arrived, Darius would have already been able to find a settler to ask for guidance but Balthazar announced himself and assumed the role of guide, "Darius!" Balthazar called out as the archer named Lance went off to tell Elisabeth that Darius had arrived. "How have you been?"

[Elisabeth Black]

99 Ashan, Arc 722

Haven

The knock on the door of Haven House was expected. Elisabeth had known that Darius would arrive soon, and Lance, one of Balthazar’s new men, stepped in to give her that news. Nodding quickly, she sent him back on his way, giggling -after the door closed- at how formal the new ones were. Haven’s leader would wear them down soon enough, for she wasn….wait.

Had she….giggled? Huh.

Having giggled exactly almost zero times in her life, Elisabeth concluded that she was in a stellar mood. Balthazar seemed a bit anxious, although he did a good job keeping it from her. Almost.

Considering the matter further while she set the table and moved food out, Elisabeth remembered when she and Balthazar had spoken of his dislike of being analyzed, which she understood. She, now, would counter with the fact that living with another person made one almost unconsciously aware of those tiny signals. He had certain tells that clued her into certain things, which she instinctively responded to without thinking about it. There was comfort in that for her. It was an intimate act between them, being able just to know.

Sliding the food under warming covers on the table, she quickly left Storm in the house and tracked down her friend and almost-husband.

Husband. That was going to take some getting used to. By that time the following trial, she would be Elisabeth Black, and life could get back to normal. Or as normal as it ever did for the couple.

It didn’t take long for her to locate the two men, giving the pair a warm smile. “Good timing, Darius! Dinner’s ready.”

After hugging the blond sailor, she led them back to Haven House, where the smells of dinner greeted them. The main room, where the large table sat, looked like a meeting room with a sitting area off to the side, complete with shelves full of books and a writing desk. A kitchen was visible at the back of the room, as well as a few doors that led into other areas.

Despite the size of the room, the interior was cozy and inviting. Elisabeth had spent time before the wedding attempting to turn the space into something unique, beyond just a meeting venue and the few rooms she and Balthazar used for themselves. Reminders of times gone by, such as the flaming crystal snowflake Elisabeth received at Saoire’s Feast. Neither of them spent much time there, but she wanted it to feel comfortable when they did.

A particular part of her was envious of Balthazar’s workshop. It was a place he could go and be as alone as he wished, yet she didn’t have a place like that. Maybe sometrial she would have something like it.

“Come in, Darius. I don’t think you’ve ever been inside Haven House? It’s mostly used for community matters, but we have a few rooms we use for ourselves. Balthazar had it built after he sold his house in Scalvoris Town and surprised me with it when I got back from the Forging.”

The food was already on the table, so she gestured to the chairs and smiled. “Might as well dig in before it gets cold.” A small pot with warm, damp hand towels was on the table, should either man want to freshen their hands or faces before eating.

Taking the covers off the food, they would see ample amounts of steak and fried potatoes with a bowl of mixed sautéed vegetables – plenty for the three of them. “Can I get either of you something to drink? Tea, purple whiskey, ale, rum, water?”

Yes, she was acting the part of the perfect hostess, and it was those simple actions that kept her mind off the subject of the wedding, which tradition forbade the three of them to talk about. Taking care of Balthazar and Darius was a good distraction.

A huge thank you to Visna for the beautiful template!

[Darius Baer]

Darius was receiving some helpful advice about clam farming when Balthazar found him. He had only been asking for directions, but the farmer - perhaps grateful for the company - had managed to pivot the conversation to talk about what he knew best, and the leader of Hopetoun made for a polite audience.

That said, he was pleased to be liberated by the groom-to-be, and he bade the farmer a polite farewell as he and Balthazar made their way towards Haven House.

"Well met, friend," Darius grinned as he shook the mage's hand. "I trust you are well?"

Darius was naturally tempted to ask Balthazar if he was feeling nervous. But there was a tradition of not discussing the wedding the trial before, and although where one was to draw that line was somewhat ambiguous, the bearded Scalvorian felt it was best to err on the side of caution.

"The journey here was uneventful," he offered, trying to make small talk about anything other than the wedding, "although the crew did catch a few fish a few bays back down the coast. I think that should keep most of them occupied for now, though I know they'll want to do their part tomorrow morning."

The Ashan air was crisp, and Darius cast his eyes over the surrounding area as they walked.

"Have the farmers in Haven started planting their crops yet?" he asked, half-expecting to see a settler doing precisely that. "Our Faldrass potatoes got planted just a few trials ago."

Natural curiosity drew him to examine Haven that evening - if only in passing - in case there were ideas he could take back to Hopetoun.

When he arrived at the house, Darius was greeted with a hug and given a brief explanation of the building's history, but he was quickly brought to a table with a meal that caused him to salivate.

"You must have been soeaking to Astra," Darius grinned at Elisabeth. "She always says the way to my heart is through my stomach!"

He sat down at the table, and was still taking in the sight of the delicious looking meal when the Videnese offered he and Balthazar a drink. He was tempted to ask if Haven had any cider, but then he changed his mind.

"Just water, please," he smiled. "It might be a long night, so it's probably best if I keep a clear head!"

To begin with, anyway.

[Balthazar Black]

99 Ashan 722

Balthazar could understand Darius's expression when he reached the man. Someone was in the middle of a conversation that they hadn't asked for and was being just a bit too polite to get out of it. Regardless, the mage's approach did not change. "I've been worse, for certain." Balthazar said in reply to Darius asking if he was well. Balthazar was nervous and he wasn't used to being nervous like this, but he'd been in wars so he knew there were worse feelings out there. Then again he didn't feel incredibly nervous fighting against the Creep and against Rhaum's creations. Fighting was just... too easy these trial. Marriage? Not so much.

Fortunately Darius tried to shift the topic for them by talking about the journey to Haven. Balthazar was grateful that the sailor made the effort because he was beginning to think too much of the one thing they couldn't actually talk about. Well... they could. What was luck really? Balthazar and Elisabeth had bad enough luck, they could endure a tradition that was only held in one place. Unless... maybe there were other places that thought the same. Either way, Balthazar was glad to think about the trip on the sea and the fishing that Darius's people had been able to partake in. While Darius spoke, Balthazar gestured for them to begin walking towards Haven House.

While they walked, Darius asked about the farmers in Haven and Balthazar gave a small shrug. "I'm not sure." Balthazar lied. He was very aware of what and how the farm was doing but he figured it would be better conversation for the two settlement leaders to have. However he did offer, "I suspect they have but I've been away in the mountains for a while. I was going to look into a metal but the university made it unappealing."

Elisabeth reached them just about then and Balthazar smiled at her when she did. She was quick to announce that dinner was ready and Balthazar couldn't help but wonder how embarrassing it might have been if the tides had been against Darius and he'd been later. They wouldn't have given him cold food but it still would have been work to fix. The trio returned to the house together and Balthazar gave Elisabeth a small side hug behind Darius as he went in. Did he feel a need to hide the hug? Not this time. It was just a habit.

When Elisabeth explained to Darius where he was, Balthazar's grin grew a little wider. She mentioned that he had it built for them after selling his old house and Balthazar felt compelled to point out, "There were actually a few people mad that I made a house larger than theirs at the time." Balthazar shrugged, "They didn't seem to get the point that it was going to be more widely used." Balthazar moved over to the table and pulled one of the damp hand towels from the pot to clean his hands. He knew that he didn't particularly care but Elisabeth wouldn't have put it there if she didn't care.

Elisabeth was moving quickly as ever but it felt like she was playing some version of a maid. The food was for her as well so when she began offering to get drinks, Balthazar stood up. "I'll get the water for Darius and I. Do you want anything? I'm sure you and Darius have plenty of things to talk about related to the settlements."