30th Fall, 515AV
"Isn't he just the most handsome thing you've ever laid eyes on?" Royce demanded, beaming from ear to ear as his grey eyes turned from the squalling newborn to his surrounding family. The Windstride pavilion all nodded dutifully and cooed over the baby boy: Brazen, a combination of the names belonging to his new grandfathers. "I still can't believe he's real. Can you, love?" Royce's gaze flickered to his wife, who tiredly nodded. Both new parents - in fact, the entire of the Windstride Pavilion - look thoroughly exhausted but happy.
"He's a thing of beauty." The matriarch of the family, Mea Windstride, confirmed with a gentle smile. She had found that being a grandmother suited her perfectly well, despite the dark circles around he eyes.
Standing to the left of the newborn’s fur bed stood Ife. She too was amazed at the little life her brother and his wife had bought into this world. Brazen's birth had been twenty days too early, and for those initial five bells of agonising labour, everyone had feared the worse. But they needn't have. Brazen was born perfectly healthy and with a good set of lungs on him.
Already, after a mere five nights of his interrupting bawls, Ife was starting to forget what a full night's sleep felt like.
As the first-born son of the Pavilion's heir, Brazen's birth was a true reason to celebrate. Royce's newfound paternal pride and joy had taken the form of an elaborate celebration, consisting of a blazing fire, plenty of food, drink, and many guests. Practically anyone who at some point had interacted with the Windstride family had been invited. In the mind of new father Royce, everyone in Endrykas should be blessed by laying their eyes on his precious boy.
The rest of the pavilion, however, were less enthusiastic for this celebration. Braken regarded the feast as a massive hunting ordeal in which he simply could not fail; Mea wondered who would be expected to clean up after all the guests had left; and the new mother simply wanted to sleep. Even the guest of honour himself, baby Brazen, was not best pleased that his evening would be spent being passed around complete strangers.
Only Ife shared her brother's enthusiasm for the upcoming feast. Usually she would dread such an evening, what with all those awkward introductions and boring conversations. But not tonight: tonight, her stomach was fluttering with excitement and she could barely keep still. Though she tried to mask her enthusiasm as purely due to the birth of her nephew, Braken's hard gaze suggested to Ife that her father, at least, knew the real reason for her undeniable happiness.
It had been a little over ten days since Ife had returned from her hunt with Graham Whipmane. Braken had watched his daughter return, taking note of her crinkled dress and damp hair. The change in her mood had been equally as obvious: she was giddy, breathless. When he enquired as to why their hunt had been unsuccessful and her hair so wet, her reply had been cagey.
And as a father, it was his duty to fear the worse.
It wasn't that he disliked Graham: quite the opposite was true. But when Braken had imagined his precious Baby Bird growing fond of a man, he had not expected her chosen suitor to be someone so much older than she. There was something... odd about it all. Why was Graham not yet married? What was wrong with him?
Despite her father's concerned glances, Ife found her happiness and excitement impossible to resist. She had kissed men before, of course. But this time felt... different (how stereotypically girlish did she feel thinking this!). Graham invaded her thoughts at the most inconvenient of times, and whenever she spoke to Royce, Ife found herself silently begging him to speak about his friend.
"We should probably get outside," Mea Windstride murmured, gently stirring the tired family into action, "our guests will be arriving soon."
They slowly dispersed, with Royce clutching hold of his new son gently and carrying the infant out to sit beside the roaring campfire. Ife, however, remained inside. Her fingers toyed with the elaborate plait Mea had twisted into her hair. Her happiness was slowly giving way to nerves, and she found herself peeking outside of the pavillion to search whether Graham had already arrived.
"A drink, to celebrate." Braken offered causing Ife to gasp and whirl towards him. His dark eyes were untouched by the smile on his lips. As he passed the wine to his daughter, Braken landed a delicate kiss on Ife's forehead and whispered, "Be safe, Ife. Stay out here with everyone else."
Left with her father's cryptic message, the redhead sipped on her wine.
"Isn't he just the most handsome thing you've ever laid eyes on?" Royce demanded, beaming from ear to ear as his grey eyes turned from the squalling newborn to his surrounding family. The Windstride pavilion all nodded dutifully and cooed over the baby boy: Brazen, a combination of the names belonging to his new grandfathers. "I still can't believe he's real. Can you, love?" Royce's gaze flickered to his wife, who tiredly nodded. Both new parents - in fact, the entire of the Windstride Pavilion - look thoroughly exhausted but happy.
"He's a thing of beauty." The matriarch of the family, Mea Windstride, confirmed with a gentle smile. She had found that being a grandmother suited her perfectly well, despite the dark circles around he eyes.
Standing to the left of the newborn’s fur bed stood Ife. She too was amazed at the little life her brother and his wife had bought into this world. Brazen's birth had been twenty days too early, and for those initial five bells of agonising labour, everyone had feared the worse. But they needn't have. Brazen was born perfectly healthy and with a good set of lungs on him.
Already, after a mere five nights of his interrupting bawls, Ife was starting to forget what a full night's sleep felt like.
As the first-born son of the Pavilion's heir, Brazen's birth was a true reason to celebrate. Royce's newfound paternal pride and joy had taken the form of an elaborate celebration, consisting of a blazing fire, plenty of food, drink, and many guests. Practically anyone who at some point had interacted with the Windstride family had been invited. In the mind of new father Royce, everyone in Endrykas should be blessed by laying their eyes on his precious boy.
The rest of the pavilion, however, were less enthusiastic for this celebration. Braken regarded the feast as a massive hunting ordeal in which he simply could not fail; Mea wondered who would be expected to clean up after all the guests had left; and the new mother simply wanted to sleep. Even the guest of honour himself, baby Brazen, was not best pleased that his evening would be spent being passed around complete strangers.
Only Ife shared her brother's enthusiasm for the upcoming feast. Usually she would dread such an evening, what with all those awkward introductions and boring conversations. But not tonight: tonight, her stomach was fluttering with excitement and she could barely keep still. Though she tried to mask her enthusiasm as purely due to the birth of her nephew, Braken's hard gaze suggested to Ife that her father, at least, knew the real reason for her undeniable happiness.
It had been a little over ten days since Ife had returned from her hunt with Graham Whipmane. Braken had watched his daughter return, taking note of her crinkled dress and damp hair. The change in her mood had been equally as obvious: she was giddy, breathless. When he enquired as to why their hunt had been unsuccessful and her hair so wet, her reply had been cagey.
And as a father, it was his duty to fear the worse.
It wasn't that he disliked Graham: quite the opposite was true. But when Braken had imagined his precious Baby Bird growing fond of a man, he had not expected her chosen suitor to be someone so much older than she. There was something... odd about it all. Why was Graham not yet married? What was wrong with him?
Despite her father's concerned glances, Ife found her happiness and excitement impossible to resist. She had kissed men before, of course. But this time felt... different (how stereotypically girlish did she feel thinking this!). Graham invaded her thoughts at the most inconvenient of times, and whenever she spoke to Royce, Ife found herself silently begging him to speak about his friend.
"We should probably get outside," Mea Windstride murmured, gently stirring the tired family into action, "our guests will be arriving soon."
They slowly dispersed, with Royce clutching hold of his new son gently and carrying the infant out to sit beside the roaring campfire. Ife, however, remained inside. Her fingers toyed with the elaborate plait Mea had twisted into her hair. Her happiness was slowly giving way to nerves, and she found herself peeking outside of the pavillion to search whether Graham had already arrived.
"A drink, to celebrate." Braken offered causing Ife to gasp and whirl towards him. His dark eyes were untouched by the smile on his lips. As he passed the wine to his daughter, Braken landed a delicate kiss on Ife's forehead and whispered, "Be safe, Ife. Stay out here with everyone else."
Left with her father's cryptic message, the redhead sipped on her wine.
