Closed Let Sleeping Captives Lie (Lian)

[Waisana]

14th Winter 514AV

The close of day brought a feeling of elation to the teen. Finishing work for the day was always a relief as was the thought of gaining some rest in the near future but today she had a different reason to be happy. A few days before she had patched things up with Seirei. The rift had grown up between them unbeknownst to the doctor, a misunderstanding stopping the captive from coming to see her but once she had found out, she had corrected things between them. So she hoped at least. There was only one way to ensure that she was believed and that was to show the captive that they were truly friends. Tonight had been marked out as a time to visit Seirei.

She hadn't told her that she was coming of course. Friends didn't have to make formal appointments and it wasn't as if the girl would be out, especially not at night. The only thing she was dreading was that she might come in contact with Lian. The hunter was sure to be at home given the lack of light he now had to work with but that didn't mean that she had any intentions of interacting with him. It wouldn't be a nice thing to witness the two of them arguing as inevitably seemed to happen every time the pair got together. She would arrive, give a small acknowledgement of the man's presence and then separate herself and Seirei from them so they could discuss things in private. The man shouldn't interfere but it was his home and so it was his domain, not hers. In the healing tents, Waisana had always had the power to be argumentative and sharp with him if she so wished but not in Lian's pavilion. He would have every reason to kick her out and so being on her best behaviour was a painful necessity if she was required to interact with him at all.

The Windrunner pavilion was found easily enough, some light source illuminating it from inside to keep shadows at bay. The tents around it were lit up in a similar way, which helped matters as she could be sure that she had the right one. Her head was thrust in through the flap, the rest of her body following cautiously as her eyes adjusted to the lighting conditions within. The inside was examined quickly, searching for the object of her visit but only finding Lian himself. It was to be expected that Seirei would keep away from the man as much as possible, even within the pavilion and so it shouldn't have come as a surprise, or a disappointment, to find the young woman absent.

As her eyes returned to the hunter, Waisana became aware of being in his home without an invitation. "Lian!" she called softly to get his attention, signing a greeting once she was sure that he was aware of his presence. "Sorry to intrude. I wanted to check on Seirei. Is it all right for me to be in here?" A show of courtesy seemed necessary. She wanted to see her friend and the ends justified the means, or so she hoped. She waited hopefully, a little afraid that the man would say she was unwelcome and tell her to leave.

[Lian Windrunner]

Today's hunt had been a successful one in Lian's eyes. Though he had little to show for it, he had brought his hunting cats out to assist him. Between him, and the two cats, they had managed to bring down a single deer. He had also managed to bring down a couple of rabbits. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep his cats fed, at least. And given the season, he couldn't really expect much success with his limited hunting skills. Hunting in winter was difficult due to the weather. Some of his potential prey, such as the ground squirrels were hibernating this time of year. It was easier to follow a trail made in the snow than it was to follow faint imprints in the dirt, but prey was often harder to find. What prey there was to be found was usually thinner than he would have liked since food was scarce for them, too. And as the prey grew scarce, the predators would grow desperate. At least, with my Webbing to help me, I can still find some prey. Lian mused. Lian glanced at his quiver. It was still full of useable arrows, but it was a mute reminder that he hadn't made any new arrows lately. He would need to set a day aside to do that before he started to run out of useable arrows. There was no such thing as having too many arrows, after all. You never knew when you would lose or break several in a bad day of hunting. A familiar, but very unexpected voice called his name, disturbing his thoughts. Startled, he looked up with a puzzled frown. Why was Waisana here? The healer signed a greeting, and Lian reflexively signed one of his own in return. He watched her, waiting to see why she had come. He didn't have to wait long. She wanted to see Seirei. Lian should have guessed as much, though he wished she had come when he wasn't there. Still, at least she was polite enough about invading his home. And as far as he knew, she was the only Drykas that Seirei actually felt comfortable with. So for her sake, he would tolerate her. "It's fine" Lian said gruffly. The hand sign that accompanied his words was not quite one of displeasure, or annoyance...but it did betray his discomfort at the situation. He definitely would have appreciated some warning that the healer was coming. "Seirei's asleep, though. It's hard for her to get any rest, so I don't want her to be disturbed." Lian hesitated for a tick. It would be far easier to end it there. Tell Waisana to come back later, preferably at some time when he wasn't there to suffer her presence. But now that Lian was starting to see Seirei as more than just a captive, he wanted to know as much as possible about what to expect when she gave birth. It was more than just wanting his child to be born safely...he wanted Seirei to be safe as well. And not just so she would be able to breed again in the future. "Perhaps we could talk, instead? I want...no, I need to know what to expect when the baby is born. What should I be looking for? Are there any warning signs if something starts to go wrong? Is there anything I can do to make it easier for her? And what about after the baby is born?" Lian's tone and hand signs showed that he was worried about more than just the baby's health. He was worried about Seirei as well. And while the concern for her ability to bear more children in the future was there, it was obvious that his concern for Seirei went beyond just that.

[Waisana]

The hunter's puzzled look was entirely understandable. She didn't think he'd even fully registered who she was when he returned her greeting, the gesture done out of habit rather than any real desire to say hello. His normal attitude towards her began to assert itself almost as soon as he'd gotten over his surprise, the gruffness of his tone undermining his words. The signal of his discomfort was unexpected but not at all surprising given the situation. Her eyes remained on his hands, expecting some further permission or a gesture to indicate where his captive was. Instead, she received a disappointing bit of news.

This far into her pregnancy sleeping would be difficult for Seirei and, with that in mind, Waisana wasn't going to disturb her. It wasn't because of what Lian wanted. The healer had a better sense of what was good for the captive than her captor did and she didn't need to take advice or orders from him to be sensible. With no opportunity to talk to the girl though, there was no reason for her to be there. She had no desire to stay and converse with Lian, at least not willingly, and she doubted that he'd be inclined to speak with her either.

"I'll take my leave," she told him, turning away to do just that when his suggestion caught her off guard. Her head whipped back, a blurted "What?" escaping her. Cheeks flushed at her bluntness and she hoped it wasn't visible. The hunter was stared at as the teen tried to make certain her ears hadn't deceived her. The reason he wanted to talk to her became quickly apparent but she still found it odd. Could he not asked someone else if he needed that information? Had he taken the opportunity to talk to her because it had presented itself to him? Opportunity seemed the only reasonable explanation. Not knowing things must have been really bugging him though if he was desperate enough to ask her.

The healer's head cocked to the side as she considered his questions, moving to sit across from him. This would be a long discussion, she sensed. She seated herself comfortably before hazarding any answers, taking her time to choose her words wisely. "Seirei knows what to look for. It's her body and she knows it better than you do. There are subtle signs that she would recognise but you wouldn't. She has been warned. If something serious happens, you will notice. If she miscarries so late, there will be a lot of blood. Pain. She'll tell you. It doesn't matter how she feels about you, if something goes wrong she'll seek your help," she told him firmly, the conviction in her voice clear.

The space between herself and Lian was contemplated in silence. The man had shown that he cared about Seirei in this situation. That was a positive change from their previous conversations certainly and it seemed important to encourage this way of thinking. She would be telling the truth as well of course. "If you want to make things easier then she needs to be made comfortable. She needs rest, she needs to be kept calm and most importantly, she has to be able to do as she must. You can't control what she does, you can't smother her, or you'll stress her out. She needs to feel safe for her own sake and for the baby's. What's good for Seirei is good for the baby, especially after it's been born. It will need to be fed for maybe two seasons on her milk and they'll bond. It will pick up on her feelings, become agitated if she becomes agitated. They both need to be kept calm."

A number of emphatic gestures were used, making certain that key points were driven home for the man, particularly the need for independence and calmness.

"After the birth, Seirei will need help. She won't know what she's doing, she'll make mistakes. She needs someone there to help her, to support her. The girl is young, still a child herself and she might not cope without you. A lot women can become..." She searched for an adequate term, "melancholy after having a child. They can be sad then happy, they can get very upset, cry for no real reason. You need to watch her in case it lasts and gets worse. She'll be afraid and needs someone there who can reassure her. Show her all the support available, tell her that I'm here to answer her questions if she feels helpless or useless. Share the burden, don't leave her alone with it. That's all you can do." A shrug as her eyes rose to catch Lian's, flickering briefly over his face to gauge his reactions.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian noticed when the healer's cheeks flushed, presumably because of her blunt response to his request that she speak with him. He chose not to react to it, though. Things were awkward enough between them as it was. Lian had no desire to make matters worse. Besides...if he did react to it, Waisana might feel embarrassed, and get angry. If that happened, he was unlikely to get the answers he needed. Lian listened intently to Waisana's words. He wasn't at all sure that he agreed with her in the belief that Seirei would seek him out if something was seriously wrong, and his doubt was conveyed in both his hands and his posture. But he didn't say anything to protest the healer's words. He just hoped that she was right. Even if she wasn't, it sounded as though he might well notice if something happened, anyway. Seirei wouldn't be able to hide the fact that she was bleeding heavily if she miscarried. Well...not if he were actually around to see it, anyway. He would have to cut back on his hunting so he could be around the tent more often. Perhaps he could use the time to make some more arrows, and repair some of the others that were starting to show some wear. Or perhaps he could set aside a few days where he went to the Hunter's Allegiance to get some much needed practice in rather than go out hunting. He could return home early, say by mid afternoon, and claim that it was too late to go out hunting. He could even return home to check up on her in the guise of coming back to get something he needed. He would just need to have a legitimate reason not to go hunting so that Seirei wouldn't feel as though he was keeping an eye on her...even if he was. And when he did go out hunting, he could ask one of the neighbors to check in on her once in a while. They would probably be willing to do so if he promised to bring them back a few rabbits or something in exchange. Lian frowned thoughtfully. He could make sure that Seirei got plenty of rest. And he would do everything in his power to make sure she was comfortable. Independence wasn't a problem, either. He had no intentions of refusing to allow her to work with wood the way she loved to do, or confine her to the tent. He wasn't so foolish. Lian didn't want Seirei to strain herself, but from what he was being told, Seirei would know what she should and shouldn't do. So he wouldn't try to stop her from doing anything she thought was okay. He would offer to help her when it looked as though she needed it if he thought she would accept the offer...but Lian didn't think she would. It was painfully obvious how little she trusted him...and it was equally painfully obvious why that was. The real problem would be in keeping Seirei calm. "Do you have any suggestions on how I can keep Seirei calm?" he asked, almost desperately. "I know it's my fault that she doesn't trust me...but it sounds as though that might hurt her now. How can I keep her calm when my mere presence is enough to upset her sometimes?" Lian's regret showed in his posture, hand gestures, and tone. He truly regretted how he had handled the situation with his captive. Not breeding her wasn't an option. It was her purpose as a captive. But he could have asked her for children as payment for saving her life. Or he could have explained the desperate need his people had for children, and offered something in exchange. Something. "We have been talking some, and getting to know each other a little better. I think it's helped a bit...at least, I hope it has. But for something like this..." he said ruefully. When Waisana told him that he would need to support Seirei, he began to panic slightly. His hands fidgeted restless, half forming a number of signs that betrayed what he was feeling. What did he know of supporting a new mother? Lian knew how to be an older brother, and a good one, at that. He knew how to be a role model for someone younger than he was. But a father? As much as he longed to rebuild his family, Waisana's words made him realize that he had no idea how to be a father. "I..err..." Lian swallowed hard, and tried again. "How?" he demanded, with wide, anxious eyes. "A father provides for his family. I can do that much. I'm a hunter. I can provide for them that way. But that's not what you mean, is it? When the child is older, I will be able to help teach him or her what they need to know. Stuff like how to ride, how to hunt...things like that. But that's for years in the future. Not immediately after Seirei gives birth. How...what..." Lian took a deep breath, and tried to shove his panic aside. It didn't help much, but his next words were more coherent, at least. "You said that Seirei will be melancholy after she gives birth. Is there a way I can help her feel better when it happens? If I see that it's lasting too long, or getting worse, what should I do? How long is too long, anyway? I...I don't think she's going to be willing to be reassured by me, but I'll do what I can..." Lian took another deep breath, and focused on the rest of what Waisana had said. Then he nodded. "Yes. I can do that. I'll make sure she knows that she can go to you with any questions she has. I'll help in any way I can...but I don't know how much she will let me help. I won't leave her alone, but I don't know if that will make her feel any better or not when she trusts me so little. What if I just end up making things worse by frightening her? Will you help her, too? Check up on her whenever you can, and make sure we're doing things right? Make sure that I am doing things right? She might tell you things that she wouldn't tell me because she trusts you. And...I...I just don't want anything to go wrong. I don't want to do anything wrong. I need my child to be okay. I need Seirei to be okay too, because she's the mother of my child. I can't...I can't lose my family again, Waisana. I just can't." Lian shuddered as he fell silent. Losing his parents had devastated him. Losing Lukar and Lily had nearly killed him. For a long time afterwards, he had wanted to join them. He still wasn't sure what had prevented him from doing so. And if he lost this child after he had finally regained a family...he wasn't sure what he would do.