The Wolf, the Butterfly, and the Kraken

Chapter 39

                           Joann
  Oshie and Alden played in Finton with the warriors under a field birthing tent. I hadn’t seen many of them before, but when Spring seemed late and ewes, horses, or even fluffers were birthing they would go into one of these tents. It would keep the cold off the lambs, and it could be put away when the sun shone a bit warmer. This turned out to be perfect for holding most of the warriors.
  Alden had used some earthcasting to make supports, and it had been pulled into an upright position where he secured it to the ground. All the warriors marveled at its size, and that the boy knew what to do with it.
  I continued to treat warriors. Some even started coming directly to me when it was not a life and death situation. Alden’s mother, Franny, arrived with 3 wagons of supplies, and insisted that the council memberrs get her finest quilts personally delivered, as a thanks for protecting her son. The rest of the wagons were unloaded per the treaty guidelines.
  Franny had brought a lot. There were blankets, food, games, and medicines. It was good to see her. She actually smiled when she saw Vam. I asked if she was staying for a bit.
   “I can’t. I need to get home to Anna for Midwinters. Alden has to come too.” She paused, then said, “You know I am really proud of what you’ve done here. You’re really making a difference.”
  I blushed a little at the compliment. “It’s not just me,” I pointed out.
  “No, but you certainly help. There is more hope for peace now.” She hugged me, gathered up Alden, and they headed home.
  Lord Eureces had long since left for Centris, and Clarissa had made it very clear that she didn’t want us around during parties and such. So we stayed in Finton, and were quite welcome.
  We celebrated Midwinter with a strange combination of Veneran songs, Lyngaran stories, and very simple food. We each sang a new verse of our battlesong. Oshie watched wide eyed. He stayed awake as long as he could, and finally fell asleep when the moon was high, and he was told a tale about a hunter looking for something. After searching high and low he realised it could not be found alone. The hunter found honor and valor in acting to help others. This hunter was named Reega.

                          Eureces
  Centris had been loud and festive these past two days. Many had congratulated me on how well we were doing in the South against those beastlike monsters. Lady Eureces draped her arm over mine, taking each compliment as though she had been mired in the freezing mud next to me. I wore my smile for the crowd, but eventually excused myself from the crowd to spend time with the one person I had missed the most.
  Clarissa was lovely. She could seem cool to some, but she had a good heart. I had known that when we were children. I had known that when she told me we were expecting. I had known that the night we were going to run away to be together  somewhere in the Northern lands. We were trying to escape my betrothal to Elyse. Somehow Elyse had found out I was running away with a common girl, just a merchants daughter. She almost killed Clarissa, and did kill our unborn child, and Clarissa’s element. I hated Elyse.
  Clarissa was in her rooms. Usually she was upset to have Elyse around. Tonight she was smiling at something. “Took you long enough to escape.”
  “Happy Midwinter.” I traced her smile with my finger. “I think this is the loveliest thing I have seen tonight.”
  She chuckled, and hugged me. “I have missed you. I have a confession.”
  “Oh?” Did she poison Elyse’s drink? I knew I had given it plenty of thought over the years. The only thing that stopped me was the thought of the three children I had fathered for her. She’d wanted one son to be an heir, another for ‘backup’, and a daughter to arrange a marriage to a powerful person to. Sometimes I wondered if they truly knew how much she was just manipulating them.
  Clarissa nodded. “Yes. I was upset with you when you sent Joann and Vam to live here. I was embarrassed to be hosting such a family. However, I have come to like them. They work so hard when they are here. They are kind. Vam has made friends with the entire staff, and at least half the dockworkers.”
  “And Oshie?” I knew she struggled around babies and children.
  She smiled and nodded, “He has me playing childrens games. He is so talented for a small child. And he has inspired me.”
  Oh boy. Every time a woman said she had been ‘inspired’ it cost me a lot of money. But then again Clarissa didn’t say it too often. “What has inspired you?”
  “Just having an hour of fun with a child. It made me wonder something. What about all the children who have lost parents during this war? Wouldn’t it be nice to offer them some fun?”
  This was the woman I knew, and loved. I sat next to her. “Yeah? Any specifics?”
  “Maybe a place they can go to swim, or be with animals, or create art, eat fun food, sing songs. Is that silly?” She looked at me curiously.
  “I think it sounds great.” Extremely expensive, but very worthy. “We can correspond more about it.” Business could wait until later. Tonight, for a bit, I was just a man with the lady he loves.