The Magician's Witch

Chores and Future Plans

Near dawn, Erik disentangled himself from his bride-to-be as she slept on. She barely noticed as he moved around; the excess of activity of the last few weeks had caught up to her, and she slept soundly. He leaned over Eilis, placing a hand on her belly, kissing her temple, and watched as her lips curled up in an unconscious smile.

Careful not to disturb her, Erik reached for his saddle bag, pulling out a tablet, charcoal pencil, a ruler, a protractor, and a compass. Slowly, he began to sketch out plans to expand the cabin; solidify the foundation; add a root cellar; which wall would be pushed out, adding windows.

When it was done, he sat there calculating how long it would all take. He grimaced. With everything else Dara and Malid, Laleh and Bakhita were already working on, the house would not be ready before the baby was born.

Erik put his tablet aside, then pulled on his clothes. Eilis slept on. He leaned over and kissed her one more time, then quietly slunk out of the tent.

Eilis awoke to hear the distant sound of the ax and the new rooster announcing the dawn. She turned over, but already knew that Erik was not there; he was already up and working. Eilis buried her face in her pillow with a groan. She smiled into the pillow as she recalled last night. She turned her head to the side, lifting her left hand to her sleepy vision. The emerald embedded in the heart flashed and glittered. Her smile widened to a grin.

A hand smacked the outside wall of the tent, making Eilis yelp. Bakhita's muffled voice called to her. "Breakfast."

Eilis groaned again. She wanted to stay in bed all day. Then her stomach growled.

"Oh sure, now your appetite returns," she scoffed.

Eilis dressed quickly and left the tent, closing the flap down. She looked for Erik. She heard the ax again, and Eilis determined that he was splitting wood somewhere behind the shack. She smiled and shook her head.

When she came into the house everyone turned to look at her. And, here we go again, Eilis grumbled to herself as she felt the blood creep into her cheeks once more.

"Sleep well," Laleh asked sweetly.

Eilis narrowed her eyes at her. "As a matter of fact, I did," she responded in a light tone.

"Yes, but for how long," Bakhita piped in.

Eilis grinned. "I feel rested, so long enough."

Malid was the first one to notice the ring. "Erik proposed," he asked.

Eilis felt the blood rise to her cheeks again as the rest of the room went silent after Malid's question. She smiled and nodded.

Laleh and Bakhita gasped, scrambling to their feet. Bakhita grabbed her hand, twisting it this way and that as the emerald flashed and flickered.

"It's beautiful," Laleh gushed. "Did he design this?"

Eilis giggled. "Well, he had it made, I think. But the design is famous in Claddagh, which is a little village on the coast of Ireland. There's a whole legend behind the ring." She briefly told the same story she had recited to Erik all those months ago. Laleh was misty-eyed by the end.

"And Erik had this made simply from hearing that story," Bakhita asked.

Eilis shrugged. Yet another facet of Erik's mysterious abilities.

Breakfast was passed around. Eilis took her plate and Erik's, saying she would deliver it to him. She left the room and walked around to the back of the shack.

As she came around the corner, the ringing of the ax became louder. She stopped to watch as Erik swung the ax with practiced heft, bringing the blade down precisely on the log, and slicing it in two. He picked up the now split wood, adding it to a sturdy-looking stack that was already substantially high. He took another log, placed it squarely on the stump he was using, and lifting the ax above his head, split it with a loud, satisfying thwack. He picked up the split logs, placing them on the pile.