![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
haebinI am sorry for being a day late but I didn't forget it. ;)
Hoping all of you will enjoy my newest chapter. And thanks for reading, it means a lot to me!!
As the sky darkened and evening fell over the bay, Trálír had to return to the castle and leave Anwyn behind. But the next day, the young woman was so eager to continue with the exercise that Trálír immediately dismounted his stallion and followed her to the spring, where Anwyn wanted to show him that she had spent half the night getting a better feel for the dagger.
Anwyn stood with her back to him and gave Trálír a prompting look over her shoulders, so he came closer and stood behind her. His fingers slid over hers, clutching the hilt of the dagger and he tried to concentrate on the exercise and not give in to the thought and desire of pressing his lips to the tender skin of her neck.
She immediately asked him if now was the right time to throw the dagger and when she heard his affirmative answer, it only took a moment before she threw the dagger towards the target.
Trálír felt the disappointment of the missed throw flood through her body. Wordlessly, the elf stepped behind the tree, grabbed the dagger and returned to Anwyn, where he confessed to her with a sympathetic look in his deep blue-green eyes that it had taken him days to even come close to hitting the target when he had to learn how to throw a dagger.
Trálír saw the fighting spirit awaken in Anwyn's fawn eyes and realized that she was far from giving up.
By the end of the day, every throw of her dagger was crowned with success when it came to hitting the tree trunk. And as she practiced diligently over the next few days, it wasn't long before Anwyn also hit the target. When this happened for the first time, she whooped with joy, threw herself into Trálír's arms and kissed him enthusiastically.
Today, in the fifth year of their affection for each other, the dagger was Anwyn's favorite weapon. It was quickly at hand and she could use it to keep enough distance from an attacker in case she was attacked.
While Anwyn approached the beach with the babbling toddler in her arms, she kept an eye on the immediate surroundings.
Seeing no danger, she lowered the half-elf, who was wriggling in her arms with excitement, to the ground, who started to move with his chubby little legs and babblingly pointed forward to the boat, which at that moment docked on the shore. She saw her father get out of the boat, while his companion also jumped into the water and pushed the boat closer to the shore, far enough into the sand so that they could tie it to the trunk nearby. When Doran saw the little half-elf running towards him, laughing happily, he stepped through the knee-deep water and lifted him into his arms before the child could even touch it.
“Adaron... Adaron...” squeaked the little boy, which was the elven term for grandfather. Anwyn approached the two of them with a tender smile and gently placed a hand on her father's upper arm. The old fisherman beamed blissfully at his daughter and forgot the physical pain that had plagued him so much during the cold season.
“It was a successful catch,” he greeted Anwyn with these words and glanced over his shoulder. “He's very talented.”
Anwyn followed his gaze and smiled as she saw the man lean forward to heave a large net full of fish out of the boat.
“Go ahead, father. I'll carry the remaining two baskets into the yard,” she said, seeing the relief in his gaze as he nodded gratefully. The little boy in his arms squealed happily and Anwyn heard her father answer his incomprehensible tales in an affectionate voice.
Anwyn stepped out of her boots, then into the cold water. When the water reached just below her knees and she reached the boat, the half-elf turned to her with a smile.
“As your father said, our catch was successful today!” There was no mistaking the pride in his sympathetic voice.
Anwyn laughed.
“A large part of that is down to you, Conall,” she replied. ”My father wouldn't be able to catch so many fish on his own these days. We are happy that you have decided to take up the work of a fisherman.”
Conall heaved one of the nets, which was filled to the brim with fish, over his shoulder while he turned the net with his left hand so that he could hold it above the ground and thus avoid dragging the catch behind him, while Anwyn placed the two full baskets on top of each other and then picked them up with a groan.
“And we are grateful and happy that you have given us the opportunity to find a home on your farm,” the half-elf replied as he and Anwyn made their way to the aforementioned farm. “The work of a fisherman is hard and exhausting, but it fulfills me more than the work I did at the Blackwater Castle. What's more, living with you and your father has enriched the lives of my wife, my children and myself. Thank you for that.”
Laughing, Anwyn shook her head. “You don't need to thank me every day, Conall. You and your family have also become a great asset to us. For one thing, you help my father, whose physical ailments have increased over the last two years. He doesn't feel useless and he feels comfortable in your presence. And he loves your children, Conall. They already call him grandfather and I don't think you could make him any happier.”
He would probably only be happier if he had a grandchild of his own, Anwyn thought sadly and tried to push this thought far away from her the next moment. Marrying Trálír and starting a family was not an option for her, no matter how much Anwyn longed for it in many lonely nights.
“Have my sons behaved well?” the half-elf asked as he walked alongside Anwyn along the sandy path. Her answer to this question was a loud laugh, which made Conall frown. She saw the concern in his gaze and shook her head placatingly. “Your son Brin decided to let the chickens out of the run today, so they scattered all over the yard. The excited clucking, the happy laughter of your older son and the enthusiastic giggling of your youngest were quite an experience with the loud barking of Yarrow, who excitedly tried to drive the pack of wildly scampering chickens into the run,” Anwyn informed Conall, who shook his head wide-eyed in bewilderment.
“How does the little fellow keep coming up with such outrageous ideas?” he asked himself, looking at Anwyn contritely.
“His answer was that his favorite chicken, Tard the Chicken, told him that it would be much more interesting to peck for worms in the yard than in the boring run. Eleri and I had a hard time catching all the chickens again.” Anwyn grinned with amusement.
“By the gods,” Conall said, rolling his eyes. “This boy…”
“Maybe you have a little druid in your family? That would explain why your boy is always talking to the animals.”
Sighing, the half-elf shook his head and replied: “Not that I know of. There's not a drop of blood of a druid, ranger or mage in my family tree.”
Anwyn nodded indulgently and pushed the open gate they had reached a little to the side so that she and Conall had more room to get through.
“Don't be angry with him, Conall,” Anwyn said. “He is a small child and there was no malice behind his actions. Apart from a little excitement, nothing has happened.”
“I know, I know,” he replied with a sigh, not managing to hide the amused twinkle in his green eyes.
Conall pointed to his house, which had been built behind Anwyn's and her father's.
“I'll take the fish there so Eleri can start washing them.”
“I'll follow you in a moment,” Anwyn replied with a smile. “Let me check on my father and your little one first. And maybe I should also keep an eye on the chicken, perhaps it is a shapeshifting druid after all?”
The half-elf's loud and warm laughter still rang in Anwyn's ears as she dropped the two baskets on top of each other to the ground and then stood up with a groan.
Anwyn pushed open the half-open door and saw that her father had taken a seat at the table, Conall's youngest son on his lap, pressing his chubby hands into the folds of his old, somewhat damp linen shirt and babbling excitedly to himself. Doran was unable to understand a word he was saying, but the genuine interest in his gaze and the loving expression on his face towards the toddler showed Anwyn how much he enjoyed being around others again. And perhaps Brin and Elyan reminded him of what Anwyn was like as a child, bringing back long-forgotten memories.
“I'm very sure Elyan will tell you about his rather eventful day,” Anwyn said with a smile on her lips and stepped into the house before finally sitting down opposite her father with the child in his arms. Only then did she notice that the little dog named Yarrow was looking at her father and the child, wagging his tail and with a concentrated gaze.
The old fisherman raised his eyebrows with interest and looked at the little half-elf with a mischievous grin.
“Well, is my daughter right? Have you had an exciting day?” he asked and the child squealed happily and jumped up and down very agitated. Yarrow began to bark affirmatively at this moment and ran to Anwyn, who leaned down with a tender smile to the little dog, who reached just above her calf, and gently scratched him behind the ears. Only a moment later, the male dog sank onto his side, then onto his back, stretched out all four paws and presented his belly, a clear sign that she should pet him. With a laugh, Anwyn gladly complied with Yarrow's request and began to scratch him, while her father shook his head with a smile.
“You spoil him too much, Anwyn,” he said, pointing with his chin in the direction of the dog, who closed his eyes in pleasure.
“And you don't?” she replied with a laugh. “I know very well that you always leave him some sausage or cheese under the table at the evening meal.”
Doran cleared his throat sheepishly.
“On purpose!” Anwyn added, amused. “And that doesn't just apply to the dog. You also love to spoil Conall's sons. You spend every spare minute with them and read their every wish from their eyes, no matter how hard or exhausting your day was.”
The son Anwyn addressed, the half-elf's youngest, yawned and nuzzled Doran's chest, his face softening at the gesture.
“You're not wrong, Child,” he admitted softly and stroked the child's back gently.
Anwyn straightened up, scratched the dog behind the ears once more and then looked at her father, aware that the dog was looking at her sadly with its big brown eyes. He couldn't understand what was stopping his mistress from continuing to cuddle him.
“Let me take the child to his mother, then I'll help you change and treat your hands. You shouldn't sit on the chair forever in that damp shirt that got wet while working at sea. You'll catch your death and none of us want that to happen.”
Shaking his head, Doran waved Anwyn's words away with his hand.
“I don't need any help,” he muttered in a grumpy voice, but didn't object when Anwyn stood up and took the now somewhat tired-looking child from his arms.
“While I take Elyan to his mother, I'm sure Yarrow would appreciate some attention.” When the dog heard his name, he pricked up his ears and straightened up.
With a smile on her lips, Anwyn took Elyan in her arms and walked out of the house, sure that her father would immediately bend down to the dog and pet him as soon as she was out of his sight.
Anwyn walked with the half-elf in her arms past the newly planted beds and animal enclosures, for since Conall and his family had moved to the farm, they had steadily expanded it. She remembered Trálír's words two summers ago when he had told her that Ulthred and Conall wanted to leave the castle. Ulthred and his wife moved to the Sword Coast, where they found a new home in Daggerford.
Daggerford was close to Waterdeep and although this town had focused on farming, it still had big ambitions when it came to their neighboring town. The community wanted to expand and as Ulthred was gifted at building houses, stables and the like, this was the perfect place for him to settle.
Anwyn learned that Conall was also planning to find a new home on the coast and follow in the footsteps of his uncle, who also worked as a fisherman in his homeland. And while she and Trálír were talking about how hard the work as a fisherman was and how her father was getting older and his health was deteriorating, he had the idea of suggesting to the half-elves that they move to the village.
Just two evenings later, Conall, his wife Eleri and their son Brin were sitting in Doran's house, listening to Trálír's proposal and looking hesitantly at the old fisherman and Anwyn.The half-elf did not want to dispute her father's rank when Anwyn had the idea of offering him and his family a new home on their farm.
At the moment, the homestead was far too small for a second house, but with a little planning and a lot of work, it would be possible to wrest a little more space from the forest, enlarge the yard and build a second house. Trálír raised his eyebrows in surprise as he listened to Anwyn's words, but nodded in confirmation when she exchanged glances with him.
Conall could hardly believe these words, but when he heard Anwyn confirm her words once more and her father also gave his approval, they decided to accept Anwyn's offer.
The very next day, the planning begun and Tralir and the half-elf could hardly wait to put it into action. A few days later half of the wall around the courtyard was removed, land was measured out, trees felled and the ground cleared of roots and weeds.
While the foundation stone for the second house was being built, Anwyn had invited the family to spend the night in her house.
She was aware that the room was too small and cramped for all of them, but she also knew from the past that even a donkey and two goats had found room when winter had set in and the old stable had not been sufficiently protected. If they only wanted to, there could sleep five in this house. Anwyn also wanted to avoid Conall, his wife and their young son having to spend the night in a tent, as life outside the courtyard wall was still dangerous. And she also wanted to prevent Conall from falling into debt if he wanted to live in the village inn for several tens of days.
Anwyn left her campsite to Eleri and her son while she slept on a hide at the end of her father's camp. Conall curled up in front of the fireplace.
And even though they lived so closely together for the entire summer, there was never a disagreement. They all knew what tasks they had and did them with enthusiasm, whether it was felling the trees and building the house, Doran's work on the sea or gutting the fish, which Anwyn and Eleri did.
In late fall, everyone celebrated the half-elf family's move into the new house, which had two rooms. At the front was the living area and a fireplace, at the back there were two smaller areas, one for Conall and his wife and one for their son.
Eleri, who was carrying a second child at the time, could hardly believe her luck and thanked Anwyn and her father several times with teary eyes for a house of their own and a new home.
Hoping all of you will enjoy my newest chapter. And thanks for reading, it means a lot to me!!
As the sky darkened and evening fell over the bay, Trálír had to return to the castle and leave Anwyn behind. But the next day, the young woman was so eager to continue with the exercise that Trálír immediately dismounted his stallion and followed her to the spring, where Anwyn wanted to show him that she had spent half the night getting a better feel for the dagger.
Anwyn stood with her back to him and gave Trálír a prompting look over her shoulders, so he came closer and stood behind her. His fingers slid over hers, clutching the hilt of the dagger and he tried to concentrate on the exercise and not give in to the thought and desire of pressing his lips to the tender skin of her neck.
She immediately asked him if now was the right time to throw the dagger and when she heard his affirmative answer, it only took a moment before she threw the dagger towards the target.
Trálír felt the disappointment of the missed throw flood through her body. Wordlessly, the elf stepped behind the tree, grabbed the dagger and returned to Anwyn, where he confessed to her with a sympathetic look in his deep blue-green eyes that it had taken him days to even come close to hitting the target when he had to learn how to throw a dagger.
Trálír saw the fighting spirit awaken in Anwyn's fawn eyes and realized that she was far from giving up.
By the end of the day, every throw of her dagger was crowned with success when it came to hitting the tree trunk. And as she practiced diligently over the next few days, it wasn't long before Anwyn also hit the target. When this happened for the first time, she whooped with joy, threw herself into Trálír's arms and kissed him enthusiastically.
Today, in the fifth year of their affection for each other, the dagger was Anwyn's favorite weapon. It was quickly at hand and she could use it to keep enough distance from an attacker in case she was attacked.
While Anwyn approached the beach with the babbling toddler in her arms, she kept an eye on the immediate surroundings.
Seeing no danger, she lowered the half-elf, who was wriggling in her arms with excitement, to the ground, who started to move with his chubby little legs and babblingly pointed forward to the boat, which at that moment docked on the shore. She saw her father get out of the boat, while his companion also jumped into the water and pushed the boat closer to the shore, far enough into the sand so that they could tie it to the trunk nearby. When Doran saw the little half-elf running towards him, laughing happily, he stepped through the knee-deep water and lifted him into his arms before the child could even touch it.
“Adaron... Adaron...” squeaked the little boy, which was the elven term for grandfather. Anwyn approached the two of them with a tender smile and gently placed a hand on her father's upper arm. The old fisherman beamed blissfully at his daughter and forgot the physical pain that had plagued him so much during the cold season.
“It was a successful catch,” he greeted Anwyn with these words and glanced over his shoulder. “He's very talented.”
Anwyn followed his gaze and smiled as she saw the man lean forward to heave a large net full of fish out of the boat.
“Go ahead, father. I'll carry the remaining two baskets into the yard,” she said, seeing the relief in his gaze as he nodded gratefully. The little boy in his arms squealed happily and Anwyn heard her father answer his incomprehensible tales in an affectionate voice.
Anwyn stepped out of her boots, then into the cold water. When the water reached just below her knees and she reached the boat, the half-elf turned to her with a smile.
“As your father said, our catch was successful today!” There was no mistaking the pride in his sympathetic voice.
Anwyn laughed.
“A large part of that is down to you, Conall,” she replied. ”My father wouldn't be able to catch so many fish on his own these days. We are happy that you have decided to take up the work of a fisherman.”
Conall heaved one of the nets, which was filled to the brim with fish, over his shoulder while he turned the net with his left hand so that he could hold it above the ground and thus avoid dragging the catch behind him, while Anwyn placed the two full baskets on top of each other and then picked them up with a groan.
“And we are grateful and happy that you have given us the opportunity to find a home on your farm,” the half-elf replied as he and Anwyn made their way to the aforementioned farm. “The work of a fisherman is hard and exhausting, but it fulfills me more than the work I did at the Blackwater Castle. What's more, living with you and your father has enriched the lives of my wife, my children and myself. Thank you for that.”
Laughing, Anwyn shook her head. “You don't need to thank me every day, Conall. You and your family have also become a great asset to us. For one thing, you help my father, whose physical ailments have increased over the last two years. He doesn't feel useless and he feels comfortable in your presence. And he loves your children, Conall. They already call him grandfather and I don't think you could make him any happier.”
He would probably only be happier if he had a grandchild of his own, Anwyn thought sadly and tried to push this thought far away from her the next moment. Marrying Trálír and starting a family was not an option for her, no matter how much Anwyn longed for it in many lonely nights.
“Have my sons behaved well?” the half-elf asked as he walked alongside Anwyn along the sandy path. Her answer to this question was a loud laugh, which made Conall frown. She saw the concern in his gaze and shook her head placatingly. “Your son Brin decided to let the chickens out of the run today, so they scattered all over the yard. The excited clucking, the happy laughter of your older son and the enthusiastic giggling of your youngest were quite an experience with the loud barking of Yarrow, who excitedly tried to drive the pack of wildly scampering chickens into the run,” Anwyn informed Conall, who shook his head wide-eyed in bewilderment.
“How does the little fellow keep coming up with such outrageous ideas?” he asked himself, looking at Anwyn contritely.
“His answer was that his favorite chicken, Tard the Chicken, told him that it would be much more interesting to peck for worms in the yard than in the boring run. Eleri and I had a hard time catching all the chickens again.” Anwyn grinned with amusement.
“By the gods,” Conall said, rolling his eyes. “This boy…”
“Maybe you have a little druid in your family? That would explain why your boy is always talking to the animals.”
Sighing, the half-elf shook his head and replied: “Not that I know of. There's not a drop of blood of a druid, ranger or mage in my family tree.”
Anwyn nodded indulgently and pushed the open gate they had reached a little to the side so that she and Conall had more room to get through.
“Don't be angry with him, Conall,” Anwyn said. “He is a small child and there was no malice behind his actions. Apart from a little excitement, nothing has happened.”
“I know, I know,” he replied with a sigh, not managing to hide the amused twinkle in his green eyes.
Conall pointed to his house, which had been built behind Anwyn's and her father's.
“I'll take the fish there so Eleri can start washing them.”
“I'll follow you in a moment,” Anwyn replied with a smile. “Let me check on my father and your little one first. And maybe I should also keep an eye on the chicken, perhaps it is a shapeshifting druid after all?”
The half-elf's loud and warm laughter still rang in Anwyn's ears as she dropped the two baskets on top of each other to the ground and then stood up with a groan.
Anwyn pushed open the half-open door and saw that her father had taken a seat at the table, Conall's youngest son on his lap, pressing his chubby hands into the folds of his old, somewhat damp linen shirt and babbling excitedly to himself. Doran was unable to understand a word he was saying, but the genuine interest in his gaze and the loving expression on his face towards the toddler showed Anwyn how much he enjoyed being around others again. And perhaps Brin and Elyan reminded him of what Anwyn was like as a child, bringing back long-forgotten memories.
“I'm very sure Elyan will tell you about his rather eventful day,” Anwyn said with a smile on her lips and stepped into the house before finally sitting down opposite her father with the child in his arms. Only then did she notice that the little dog named Yarrow was looking at her father and the child, wagging his tail and with a concentrated gaze.
The old fisherman raised his eyebrows with interest and looked at the little half-elf with a mischievous grin.
“Well, is my daughter right? Have you had an exciting day?” he asked and the child squealed happily and jumped up and down very agitated. Yarrow began to bark affirmatively at this moment and ran to Anwyn, who leaned down with a tender smile to the little dog, who reached just above her calf, and gently scratched him behind the ears. Only a moment later, the male dog sank onto his side, then onto his back, stretched out all four paws and presented his belly, a clear sign that she should pet him. With a laugh, Anwyn gladly complied with Yarrow's request and began to scratch him, while her father shook his head with a smile.
“You spoil him too much, Anwyn,” he said, pointing with his chin in the direction of the dog, who closed his eyes in pleasure.
“And you don't?” she replied with a laugh. “I know very well that you always leave him some sausage or cheese under the table at the evening meal.”
Doran cleared his throat sheepishly.
“On purpose!” Anwyn added, amused. “And that doesn't just apply to the dog. You also love to spoil Conall's sons. You spend every spare minute with them and read their every wish from their eyes, no matter how hard or exhausting your day was.”
The son Anwyn addressed, the half-elf's youngest, yawned and nuzzled Doran's chest, his face softening at the gesture.
“You're not wrong, Child,” he admitted softly and stroked the child's back gently.
Anwyn straightened up, scratched the dog behind the ears once more and then looked at her father, aware that the dog was looking at her sadly with its big brown eyes. He couldn't understand what was stopping his mistress from continuing to cuddle him.
“Let me take the child to his mother, then I'll help you change and treat your hands. You shouldn't sit on the chair forever in that damp shirt that got wet while working at sea. You'll catch your death and none of us want that to happen.”
Shaking his head, Doran waved Anwyn's words away with his hand.
“I don't need any help,” he muttered in a grumpy voice, but didn't object when Anwyn stood up and took the now somewhat tired-looking child from his arms.
“While I take Elyan to his mother, I'm sure Yarrow would appreciate some attention.” When the dog heard his name, he pricked up his ears and straightened up.
With a smile on her lips, Anwyn took Elyan in her arms and walked out of the house, sure that her father would immediately bend down to the dog and pet him as soon as she was out of his sight.
Anwyn walked with the half-elf in her arms past the newly planted beds and animal enclosures, for since Conall and his family had moved to the farm, they had steadily expanded it. She remembered Trálír's words two summers ago when he had told her that Ulthred and Conall wanted to leave the castle. Ulthred and his wife moved to the Sword Coast, where they found a new home in Daggerford.
Daggerford was close to Waterdeep and although this town had focused on farming, it still had big ambitions when it came to their neighboring town. The community wanted to expand and as Ulthred was gifted at building houses, stables and the like, this was the perfect place for him to settle.
Anwyn learned that Conall was also planning to find a new home on the coast and follow in the footsteps of his uncle, who also worked as a fisherman in his homeland. And while she and Trálír were talking about how hard the work as a fisherman was and how her father was getting older and his health was deteriorating, he had the idea of suggesting to the half-elves that they move to the village.
Just two evenings later, Conall, his wife Eleri and their son Brin were sitting in Doran's house, listening to Trálír's proposal and looking hesitantly at the old fisherman and Anwyn.The half-elf did not want to dispute her father's rank when Anwyn had the idea of offering him and his family a new home on their farm.
At the moment, the homestead was far too small for a second house, but with a little planning and a lot of work, it would be possible to wrest a little more space from the forest, enlarge the yard and build a second house. Trálír raised his eyebrows in surprise as he listened to Anwyn's words, but nodded in confirmation when she exchanged glances with him.
Conall could hardly believe these words, but when he heard Anwyn confirm her words once more and her father also gave his approval, they decided to accept Anwyn's offer.
The very next day, the planning begun and Tralir and the half-elf could hardly wait to put it into action. A few days later half of the wall around the courtyard was removed, land was measured out, trees felled and the ground cleared of roots and weeds.
While the foundation stone for the second house was being built, Anwyn had invited the family to spend the night in her house.
She was aware that the room was too small and cramped for all of them, but she also knew from the past that even a donkey and two goats had found room when winter had set in and the old stable had not been sufficiently protected. If they only wanted to, there could sleep five in this house. Anwyn also wanted to avoid Conall, his wife and their young son having to spend the night in a tent, as life outside the courtyard wall was still dangerous. And she also wanted to prevent Conall from falling into debt if he wanted to live in the village inn for several tens of days.
Anwyn left her campsite to Eleri and her son while she slept on a hide at the end of her father's camp. Conall curled up in front of the fireplace.
And even though they lived so closely together for the entire summer, there was never a disagreement. They all knew what tasks they had and did them with enthusiasm, whether it was felling the trees and building the house, Doran's work on the sea or gutting the fish, which Anwyn and Eleri did.
In late fall, everyone celebrated the half-elf family's move into the new house, which had two rooms. At the front was the living area and a fireplace, at the back there were two smaller areas, one for Conall and his wife and one for their son.
Eleri, who was carrying a second child at the time, could hardly believe her luck and thanked Anwyn and her father several times with teary eyes for a house of their own and a new home.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-16 01:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-17 03:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-17 07:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-17 03:13 pm (UTC)