[Soothing Waters] Soap and Steam {Wanda}

[Hadyn Skellig]

10th of Winter
513 AV
Morning

Hadyn brushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear quickly as she entered Soothing Waters. Her son was (surprisingly) still asleep on her back, unmoved by the jostling and noise. To leave the comfort and boredom of their apartment was both exciting and daunting for the new mother, her body still sore from the affects of labor. But the midwife advised she come by Soothing Waters and check in with her a few days after she'd recovered.

Stopping before the desk the brunette placed a hand on the counter, glancing over her shoulder to confirm the boy was still asleep. The baby was secured to her back by a long grey cloth that wrapped around her shoulders in the front and tied securely beneath her breasts. The technique had been practiced at least twenty times before she felt confident to take her son out like this. Now he sat slumbering on her back and she was free to use her hands.

"Morning," she greeted the young woman behind the desk. "Here to see Viola, if she's around."

Hadyn glanced to the side, somewhat concerned at the emptiness. She knew Viola preferred appointments but the woman had also told her to stop by whenever she felt up to it. So here she was. If the midwife wasn't available the brunette wasn't quite sure what she'd do. It had taken all manner of courage to strap the boy to her back and traverse the streets of Syliras. Disappointment would send her wandering around until the baby awoke.

[Wanda Endust]

Wanda found herself pacing the length of the room. A couple other healers were milling about, none too busy. Considering the crowds they'd had since the cold season began, today was quite quiet. Too quiet. Almost eerily quiet. Then again, it was still pretty early in the day. People did have to work and, much to Wanda's dismay, most people didn't set time aside for a visit to the bath house but once every so often.

Viola, one of the veterans at the bath house, had had to leave just chimes ago. For what reason, Wanda didn't know. But before the older lady had left, she'd muttered something about seniority, frowned, and left Wanda in charge.

That much was surprising to the teen. She seemed to have garnered a bit of a reputation for being a headache to those in charge, but the customers seemed to like her.

Either way, Wanda's steps carried her past the open doorway leading to the reception area. From there, she heard the approach of a woman, and her request.

She paused, listening. If someone was here to specifically see Viola, it meant that they were probably pregnant or in the company of a baby. Of course, they may also be in labor, but considering the calm tone of voice the customer had, Wanda ruled that option out.

Before the receptionist could reply, the teen leaned through the doorway. "Hi, hello, sorry! Viola's not... here right now, but she told me to take her clients if ask for her."

It wasn't difficult to put confidence into her voice -- she was typically brimming with overconfidence anyhow. But there was one thing that did bother her: she'd never ever had experience with babies. Sure, she may have worked on pregnant ladies in the past, but she could tell from the actual baby strapped to the woman's back that the days of expectation were over for her.

Fortunately, Wanda's mother was -- or had been -- a midwife. She could only hope that she'd unconsciously picked up on some things.

"You can come on in if you like."

I guess, she added to herself, putting on a brave face and stepping aside as if she had a clue what she was doing.

[Hadyn Skellig]

Dark eyebrows rose as the receptionist was quieted by the voice of another. Both Hadyn and the receptionist turned to see a young woman peeking around a door frame, addressing the former with a tone of careful authority and bidding her welcome. With a glance to the seated staff Hadyn figured she may as well go in. Viola not being present wasn't the worst outcome. The midwife was prickly at best and didn't seem to appreciate the brunette's barrage of sarcasm or quips. Shrugging one shoulder mother and baby joined the girl, following her in.

"Thank you," Hadyn replied with a smile to her. She was a pretty thing, unfamiliar to the weaponsmith but that didn't mean much. It wasn't often she dropped by this side of Soothing Waters, her rendezvous involving the baths mostly. "Viola suggested I pop in. Didn't think to inquire about her bells. Hadyn Skellig, by the way. One of her less favored patients."

With another simpering smile Hadyn glanced over her shoulder. Liam was staring wide eyed at the scenery, hands opening and closing where his arms were suspended by the wrap. Blue eyes settled on nothing in particular, mouth hanging open as though he might ask a question.

"Hope you don't mind," the brunette added. "Are you her apprentice?"

The weaponsmith wasn't sure midwives took apprentices but it would certainly make sense. All the knowledge stuffed inside Viola's narrow head had to come from somewhere and it probably ought to be passed down. This young woman appeared the right age to take under the midwife's professional wing.

[Wanda Endust]

Wanda released and inward sigh of relief as the woman kindly followed without incident. She wasn't sure what Viola would do if the masseuse had to tell the older woman that she'd driven a client away -- that woman's look of calm disapproval could be nerve-wracking. Wanda had thought herself lucky that she didn't have to interact with most of the healers all too much. Until, of course, the occasional judgement call was made to leave her in charge, however short such a time frame might be.

Now, she was considering herself fairly unlucky. Wanda fought to hide her uncertainty as she eyed the infant strapped to the mother's back. She'd managed to unconsciously avoid small children in general for most of her life, and that left her in an odd predicament. She couldn't say for certain that she disliked children. In fact, she felt that she might actually enjoy spending time with kids. But she rarely ever had. How was she supposed to treat them? They were like ordinary people, right? The fact that some folks seemed to speak to their kids like pets had always struck the girl as odd.

"Hm? Oh, no problem!" she chirped as her mind returned to the task at hand. As the woman spoke, Wanda led them to one of the cots closest to the door but against the wall. A couple other healers were also engaged with clients (nothing too serious, from the lack of pained moans), though none looked up from their stations.

The apprentice question caught Wanda off guard for a tick, and it occurred to her that she really wasn't qualified to do this kind of thing. Then she steeled her nerves.

Sure you are! she told herself with conviction. She was a masseuse -- a pretty darned good one -- and had picked up a bit about regular ol' medicine. She felt she had a good head on her shoulders, whether or not there were some who would disagree.

"Not her apprentice, no," she answered with a small toothy grin. "But my mother was a midwife. I learned a thing or two from her." She shrugged, motioning lightly to the bed in a nonverbal suggestion that the woman should sit. "I'm normally a masseuse here, but Viola must'a figured I was good enough to leave in charge while she stepped out." That sounded good, right?

"Anyhow, it's nice to meet you --" the woman had introduced herself as 'Hadyn Skellig', right? Would that be miss or missus? Considering the baby, Wanda felt it was probably okay to assume the woman was married, though she did briefly wonder where the father was. "-- Mrs. Skellig! I'm Wanda Endust, but you can just call me Wanda. Now, let's take a look at this little guy, eh?"

[Hadyn Skellig]

Hadyn followed the girl obediently, glancing this way and that to see who was about. She was reasonably familiar with her surroundings, having waddled through these chambers a few times during her pregnancy in the footsteps of the midwife. Part of her was glad Viola was absent. They didn't get on well, she and Hadyn. Probably had something to do with the weaponsmith's uncanny ability to either ignore or subvert any suggestion to rest or take it easy. The midwife was equally displeased with her client's lack of a husband though the brunette figured this had more to do with Viola's personal opinion of her then a rational professional one. Women raised children alone all the time.

Once the girl selected a suitable pallet Hadyn did as she was instructed but not before undoing the tie below her breasts to loosen the cloth. Once it was sufficiently undone the woman placed a hand on her son's back and guided him down and around her back until her other arm came around and she was holding him on her hip. While there she made quick work of undoing the rest of the grey scarf-like material and finally set the baby down on the pallet first. Blue eyes stared up at Hadyn first before he looked at Wanda, lips parted. His expression indicated indecision. Did he like his new surroundings? having not yet made up his mind the infant stared at his toes. He was dressed in a brown tunic like gown, his dark hair covered by a cap. Sitting beside him the brunette looked up at the girl. Unsurprisingly she assumed the mother was married. It was not the first nor likely the last time that mistake would be made. Hadyn merely smiled, the incorrect title hardly seeming to bother her.

"Pleasure Wanda," she replied at length. "Not a missus though. Just Hadyn. And this is Liam." She gestured with a cant of the head to her son who'd become enthralled by the material of the cot. The weaponsmith rested a hand near his bottom to make sure he stayed upright before looking at the blonde once more.

"Can't honestly say I know much about babies," she admitted with a quick frown before shrugging it off. "He's a quiet little thing, though. I'd heard infants are all lungs and screams. He cries well enough but he's mostly wide eyed. Doesn't have much to say. Yet."

Hadyn smiled at the masseuse before relinquishing control of the baby, scooting a fraction to the side so Wanda could sit too if she so pleased. Her hand still lay near enough to catch the boy if he decided to tottle off. Brown eyes watched the blonde before making a quick sweep of the room.


OOCFeel free to NPC the baby

[Wanda Endust]

Just Hadyn, huh? Wanda mentally slapped her forehead for having assumed that the woman was married, though the woman didn't seem to mind too much. Besides that, the name carried a sort of independent solidarity that reminded her of a boulder, and thus it made some kind of sense in that respect that the woman could be supporting herself.

Wanda returned the woman's grin, but decided to forgo the extra space on the cot. If she sat, she'd need to lift the infant to her lap for the angle to be right to examine him. And, seeing as it was her first actual time closely interacting with such a youngster, it would probably be best for her to avoid any and all situations in which she might drop him.

Instead, Wanda knelt before the pallet. "Liam, hm? That's a nice strong name," she cooed, more to the child than the mother, and the child responded with a wide-eyed blink, attesting to the validity of his mother's words. The teen's thoughts flashed to her own mother for a moment -- what would Alta Endust do? Wanda had only rarely ever seen her mother during work, and she had a difficult time picturing the steely woman actually being good with kids. Or perhaps she was less temperamental with babies because they couldn't talk back? Either way, she couldn't have been too bad of a midwife. She'd been able to keep her job, after all.

"I'm not too experienced with them myself," Wanda admitted as she glanced back up towards the new mother. "But I suppose they're just like regular people. Only... smaller." Or, at least, that was what the masseuse told herself as her hands moved to gently probe the infant's chest through the cloth. Almost immediately her fingertips were met with the pulsing beat of the child's heart. "A good strong heartbeat," she commented. That was usually a good sign, as far as she could tell.

Wanda's hands were branching out along Liam's wiggling arms when he suddenly giggled and snatched one of her forefingers in his own chubby hand. "Ey!" she chuckled, relinquishing resistance as he swung her hand about and stuck the finger into his tiny mouth with some baby babbling. "Eh, strong grip too," she noted jovially, then scrunching her brow, "Doesn't feel like he has any trouble eating either!" she joked, wiggling the tip of her finger as she withdrew the captured digit.

It occurred to her that, though not entirely profound, these qualities were likely indicative of a healthy little baby boy. Of course, there were some number of other things she would have to check if she wanted to make sure she wasn't missing something. But what should she check? General health was usually tied up in eating, vision, hearing, and reflexes, right? She'd need to check his circulation too -- she'd been about to do so before the little fellow had interrupted her trailing hands.

As she pondered, another thought occurred to the blonde, though almost entirely fueled by her own curiosity. Raising an eyebrow, she tilted her face back towards Hadyn, allowing the baby to toy with a lock of hair that he'd managed to get a hold of. "Well, he certainly sounds like a bright little fellow, and pretty strong too. Do you think he'll join the Knighthood?"

[Hadyn Skellig]

Hadyn watched the girl with a polite smile, relishing in the distinct lack of chastisement she often anticipated when coming to Soothing Waters. Wanda was significantly kinder and more polite than ol' Viola and it didn't bother the weaponsmith terribly that the young blonde was unfamiliar with babies. That made two of them.

She listened to the masseuses assess Liam, nodding here and there in agreement and smiling as the boy giggled. He was, in fact, quite healthy as far as Hadyn could tell. And though her sleep schedule was much affected by the uncomfortable bells he took the lad was seemingly undeterred by the world around him. His mother was often treated to laughter and sudden smiles that warmed her heart. All in all he was the happiest baby she'd ever seen - though it wasn't saying much.

"He's enthralled by all things new," she replied with a grin, leaning back on her arms, palms flat against the cot. Viola warned her against feelings of jealousy or inadequacy when Liam was around other women but all Hadyn felt was relief. He was getting on well with Wanda and charming her on top of it. The more he enchanted people the happier the brunette felt. She worried over the loneliness he might experience as he grew up with only her in the home. She'd had three older brothers and both parents to keep her engaged and socialized (though the latter was arguable). Liam had just her. So when someone else came into their lives, if only for a brief moment and her son took to them Hadyn was pleased - not envious.

The girl's question caught her off guard, the thoughtful expression on her face melting into one of surprise. Brown eyebrows rose as she looked at Wanda replaying the inquiry in her mind. The Knighthood. Replacing the bemused visage with a smile the weaponsmith shrugged one shoulder lightly, gaze fixed on the baby.

"Who knows," she answered hesitantly. "Possibly. They do like to swoop in an' catch them young, don't they? He'd be followin' his father that way. I'm a weaponsmith," Hadyn added with a measure of indecision. "Can't say he'll want that life either. We'll have to see."

She fell silent for a moment, ruminating. No one had brought it up quite as bluntly and honestly the woman really hadn't considered it. She didn't much care what Liam set his hand to as long as he did it with pride. Of course the thought he'd join the legion of Syliras' soldiers wasn't exactly appealing. But as she considered it Hadyn realized it didn't matter. Fleetingly she wondered what Orion's thoughts were on the matter. Realizing she was staring into space she flashed Wanda a warm smile.

"What've you, then? How'd you manage to find yourself in the service of other folk's bodies?" she offered the blonde another smile, hoping not to offend her by the implications. Toiling away massaging someone's skin day in and day out with no return pleasure for herself never suited Hadyn. But Wanda was young and lovely - she was likely tipped better than the weaponsmith made in a season.

[Wanda Endust]

Wanda's hands eventually managed to evade Liam's grasp long enough to trail their way down his wrists as she nodded along to the mother's words. She herself wasn't all too familiar with the Knights' recruitment practices, despite having grown up around the order. However, it did make sense that they would begin training as young as possible.

But just how young did they go? Certainly not infants -- she likely would've heard something about that kind of thing by now.

As far as Wanda was concerned though, Hadyn seemed to have the right idea. One of the things a good amount of new parents seemed neglect was the idea of letting their children follow their own path. It was a fallacy that she herself had experienced first hand, with both of her parents trying to pull them into their respective professions.

But the woman was a weapon smith? Wanda arched a eyebrow lightly, returning her peering gaze to the woman out of the corner of her eye as her hands continued to feel along the baby's delicate skin. Weapons. That was another thing Wanda knew very little about -- or smithing in general, really. It was one of those things that her mother had always bit her thumb at. 'Too much brawn and not enough brain.' And yet, Hadyn seemed to have a good head about her. (How much did Wanda's mother really know about smithing anyway? It stood to reason that the answer was "not very much at all.")

Wanda's train of thought veered slightly when she realized she'd been spending the past couple chimes searching the child's wrist for his pulse and had yet to find it. Her heart froze for a second, until she realized: baby fat. It was likely obstructing her touch from the vein's location. Where else could she try? The neck? Same issue.

Her fingers glided back up towards Liam's shoulders. She had to be missing something -- where did the major arteries run again? There was one somewhere here between the elbow and shoulder, right? On the inside of the upper arm. There it was!

Wanda breathed a small sigh of relief as she ran two fingertips over the fragile skin, feeling as the infant's tiny vein pulsed.

One. Two. Three. ... It took a strange dichotomy of the mind to count the ticks and heart beats separate, and Wanda found herself gazing straight ahead, unblinking as she concentrated. Ten ticks passed, enough time for Wanda to estimate the child's heart rate. Nineteen beats every ten ticks put him at about... What, around 120 beats each chime? Wanda furrowed her brow. It was higher than a normal resting rate. Was that normal for babies? Liam certainly didn't seem like he was having trouble breathing or anything as he flailed his feet around under Wanda's face.

Ah, his breathing! That was it -- infants' lungs must be much smaller than a grown human's. They'd have to take more breaths to get the same amount of oxygen. It stood to reason that having to take more breaths meant having a higher heart rate. Right?

Wanda pondered this a bit more until she realized Hadyn had ceased speaking. The preoccupied look in the other woman's eye told her that her mind must've been somewhere else. The masseuse parted her lips, ready to relay her findings, when the woman snapped out of her reverie.

In service of other folk's bodies? Wanda snorted to herself -- how far should she read into the choice of words? "I can't decide whether that makes me sound like a gravekeeper or a harlot," she joked, tacking on a cheeky grin. "But, I, eh. Well, I guess I just really enjoy massage, y'know? The power to heal folks with just my own two hands," she shrugged. "All these doctors and everything, they've gotta rely on medicines and the like, but there's something special about the power of touch."

"How about you? Working as a smith, I mean. I always supposed the forge workers were mostly men," she admitted with a sheepish grin. "What's it like?"

[Hadyn Skellig]

Hadyn watched the girl, comfortable with her gentle poking and prodding of the baby - he certainly didn't seem to mind. A simpering grin crossed her lips when Wanda responded, canting her head to acknowledge the ambiguity of her question. Listening the woman nodded in agreement. It wasn't something she considered much but she admired Wanda for her craft. Admittedly she probably didn't have the patience.

"Probably a lot smellier than your job," she replied with a wink, leaning back against her arms, hands behind her on the cot to prop her up. "There's somethin' bout working with your own two hands. You said it well enough - it's satisfying. Although my hands likely keep yours in business, creatin' weapons so you can heal the poor idiots wieldin' them."

Hadyn smiled, resting her ear on the shoulder closest to Wanda and Liam, looking at them sidelong. The boy was completely entranced by the young masseuse, reaching for her clothes and hair wonderment alight in wide blue eyes. Crossing one leg over the other the weaponsmith dipped her suspended toe toward the ground a few times, pondering what else she could tell the girl about the forge.

"Workin' with the men isn't so bad," she added thoughtfully. "Grew up with three brothers so I never fit well amongst women. Far as I can tell men are more like dogs. Women, it seems, are akin to cats. An' I'm not much of a cat person."

Hadyn grinned, her gaze flicking to the masseuse before she picked her head up. It wasn't often the brunette shared her opinion of the sexes. It wasn't that she disliked women - though there were more than enough women that didn't care for her. Casting a glance to her son the woman shrugged, not entirely sure if that was the answer Wanda was looking for.

"Probably for the best he turned out a lad," Hadyn surmised with a smile to the baby. "Otherwise I wouldn't know what to do. Barely do as it is."

She fell quiet. It'd slipped out. She didn't like the notion of anyone, let alone a stranger, knowing she was terrified of raising this boy alone. Pressing her lips together the weaponsmith averted her gaze to stare at the floor beyond her feet. She worried her bottom lip before chancing a glance to Wanda and Liam.

[Wanda Endust]

Wanda chuckled at the woman's first comment. It was true enough -- a good number of the folks that came looking for some hands-on services usually came with injuries that were caused by something more than stress. Much of the time, they came from a particularly rough practice bout at the Pits, and there were always a few knights and squires who had pushed themselves too far during practice.

In a way, it disappointed Wanda to see so many people in need of healing help. They could prevent so many problems simply by having the self-awareness to take better care of their bodies. But that would put her out of a job, wouldn't it?

As far as cats and dogs, Wanda couldn't say which she felt more of a connection with. On the one hand, she did have very fond memories of her father. And she supposed she could be considered more of a daddy's girl, even if she would never admit to it out loud. On the other hand there was her mother, which, to Wanda, was enough of an explanation. Of course, her mother really did seem to embody all kinds of catty qualities -- but that hadn't kept Wanda from befriending other women. Just as her relatively brighter relationship with her father hadn't guaranteed that she'd form quicker bonds to other men.

Perhaps such things were only tied to relationships between brothers and sisters, and Wanda lacked either. "What about your mother?" she began half-mindedly as she turned back to give Liam a final once-over. It was a rather ambiguous question, not that Wanda noticed. The woman's admission of slight insecurity didn't seem to phase the masseuse.

She might not be a parent herself, or even particularly good with children, but it made sense to her that most parents had no clue what they were doing on their first try. She drew a picture of her own father in her mind. Twenty-something years old and suddenly faced with a daughter. Wanda didn't know much about her extended family, but Mr. Endust had often hinted that he grown up in a group of brothers, much like Hadyn here.

"Well, if you had a girl, she'd probably turn out a lot like yourself," Wanda noted with a lopsided grin. "If you hang around more guys than girls, then she'd likely have a childhood similar to yours, sounds like."

Wanda drew her hands across Liam's arms one final time, with a more relaxing touch than an information-probing one. She kept her fingers light as the child giggled and wiggled about. She was still not quite certain how much pressure was too much pressure, though her touch had grown more sure of itself in the past chimes. "Either way, looks like your little Liam here should be good to go. Far as I can tell, that is." A sheepish grin flashed across her face. "'Course, you might wanna take another trip here sometime to get Viola to take a look."

~ Wanda ~