The Wolf, the Butterfly, and the Kraken

Chapter 59

Joann

At work the next morning Arda took one look at me and said, "Either you had a really good night, or-" and I started crying again. "A really bad night. Did little Oshie's presentation go that bad?"

I shook my head no. "It went very well. Inspiringly well."

Arda blinked, then said, "Ah, and uh, Vam wasn't -uhm- up for the occasion?"

I sighed in frustration, "No. He was. But I can't have anymore meron ceremonies. Not after how badly Oshie's went. Not one priest will touch me. The child would have no place in Lyngara."

Arda was a bit confused, but asked anyway, "What if you just stayed in Venera?"

I looked at her flatly, "My husband can't even come in here because he might cause someone to have heart palpitations, and literally scare them to death. If you ever saw the looks some people give him you would never suggest that."

Arda eyed me for a long moment. "How old were you when your mother died?"

I didn't know why this had anything to do with our conversation. "I was 6."

She nodded knowingly. There were no patients in the building yet. She brought me over to a tub. "Have you ever heard of a water wrap?"

I frowned, "Is it some sort of poultice?"

She chuckled. "No. It's the reason I have 4 children, instead of 4 dozen. It's a watercaster thing. You can have all the intimate time you want, without having a child." She then proceeded to show me how to wrap a penis in water, and have the water catch the semen, and pull both the water, and semen from my body. I was intrigued.

The work day seemed to go on forever. Then there was dinner. Vam had gone ahead and told Bryn and his family to join us. I wasn't really looking forward to this. I had found that the people who saw Vam and I as 'the couple from Finton' never really saw us as normal people.

Maisey, Oshie, and Bryn were challenging Kauhl while Jerome watched curiously. The children were all over my father-in-law. I smiled, "You should just submit Kauhl. You don't stand a chance against 3 mighty warriors such as these."

Kauhl laughed, and promptly pinned Oshie and Maisey with his hands, and Bryn with a foot. "I am Kauhl the undefeated, for a reason."

I was not impressed. "You mean except for your mate, and a tiny watercaster, who was unarmed and pregnant. Other than us you are undefeated."

Maisey perked up at that, "Truly? Mother defeated you?"

Kauhl frowned, "Yes, and she will never let me live it down." He let the pinned children up, advising Bryn, "Try to remember to dodge forward, and backward, not just side to side."

Bryn looked to Oshie for translation, and he told him what had been said.

I asked Jerome, "Where is your lovely wife?"

"She's downstairs, in the kitchen. We brought some vegetables, and she's preparing them. Your husband was working on a goat last I saw."

I smiled, "He makes an excellent meal of roast goat." I headed downstairs towards lovely smells, and laughter.

Vam was laughing, "He actually said that? And you stayed for the rest of the meal?"

Candida laughed, "Yes, and looking back to when I was 16, I only stayed because I didn't think it would be proper to leave." She was preparing a salad, and was no stranger to an apron and kitchen knife. "Anyways, he realized he had offended me, apologized, and then we went for a stroll where I could cool off, and he won me over. We've been together since. How did you and Joann meet?"