Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1300

1300 - New Beginnings

"Don't worry, my love," assured Byrhtnoth, "money might be tight but we'll get through it. We have a roof over our heads, and most importantly, each other; the rest will come with time." He smiled at Olyff as she raised her hanging head to look up at him. She sighed deeply and said,

"You're right. This is only the beginning of our legacy, and it could be so much worse! Right, what's the plan of action?"

"That's the spirit! Now... I'll start off fishing to bring us dinner and if I have any fish spare I'll sell them in the village. You should start planting any seeds we have brought with us and taking care of the future crops. I'll see about buying us some chickens and cows and we can both take care of them." Olyff nodded in agreement.

"Oh, and don't be afraid to ride our horse, Beauty, in and out of the village! She's a strong workhorse and can easily carry any produce or other items you may want to sell or trade at the market."

Olyff gulped as she looked at her husband with slightly bewildered eyes. "I-I don't really know how to ride a horse..."

"Oh, don't worry one bit! Beauty is very gentle and she'll take it easy as you get used to her rhythm, one day at a time!" Olyff gulped but gave Byrhtnoth a kiss on the cheek before taking his hand and leading him into their stone bungalow.

And so started their year with great vigor and enthusiasm. Byrhtnoth knew all the best fishing spots in the general vicinity and spent many mornings reeling in any fish he could catch, at the river near their home and sometimes at the small lake a short distance from their property. There were few nibbles on his lure in the first few months of 1300 so he was only bringing back enough for a filling dinner for himself and his wife.

Olyff took time to learn and get confident on the family horse, Beauty. At first getting some bruises and saddle rashes, and somehow getting onto the saddle backwards, but as the year went on she learned to move in time with the horse, travelling to the market in the village with ease. She waited for the right moment to plant some seeds but with the torrential rains that plagued the early months of the year she had to stay patient.

The pair acquired a chicken coop and some cows to live on their land with the last of the coin, taking turns in collecting milk and eggs and feeding the farm animals. The coop had to be hand constructed by Byrhtnoth but fortunately his uncle at one point in time owned some cows and they had a cow shelter that stood on one corner of the farm. 

And of course, as they got to know each other closer they happened to spend some special nights together under the covers of their straw bed... what happens under those sheets stays under those sheets!

A few months pass by and one morning, when Olyff was riding Beauty into the village of Lughaven, she felt something stir in her stomach. She urgently dismounted her steed and hunched over to spit her breakfast gruel back up. She recoiled in disgust at what had just happened, looking around and hoping no passers-by saw what had happened. This was the first sign of many that signified she was with her first child!

Her next sign was the sudden repulsion to fish stew, which was the staple dinner in their house thanks to her husband's angling efforts. The smell of it made her stomach turn and so she began switching to milk based porridges and soups to ease her hormonal belly.

When the time was right and her baby bump was large enough to confirm her pregnancy she finally broke the news to Byrhtnoth, who was delighted to hear their family was going to welcome a third member. They began planning their future together, when to build a baby crib, collect the clean linens for delivery and, most importantly, what name they would want to give to their first child!

As the land was somewhat abundant with produce this year it was difficult to sell their products and instead they continued to trade milk for oats, fish for linens, and so on. With this lack of money they couldn't afford to get the wood to craft a bathtub for themselves, and bathing in the river just wasn't working for them anymore. And so a lingering stink was born, to which the immature children of the village turned their noses to, even if they were a little stinky too.

Only once it hit the summer months Olyff felt comfortable to plant their dormant seeds, burying them in soil with great care and spending the next coming months nurturing them into delicious produce. The seeds garnered them some cabbage, onions and turnips, being a welcome addition to their evening meals and ones that wouldn't have Olyff gagging at the smell or taste of.

With the pair flowing into a perfect routine it was easier to spend more time apart and Byrhtnoth started to do short fishing trips across the land, spending a few nights near his perfect fishing spots. He would take Beauty up to the mountain lake, the fishing village near the keep and uninhabited meadows along with a packed tent and bedroll to keep him safe and warm for the unpredictable nights away.

Although Olyff's pregnancy was progressing fast she was still able to maintain the homestead with ease. Only when she started nearing 7 months did she start finding it more difficult to hunch around the farm, but to her delight the winter months neared and her crops were going dormant for the season. In her slow months she spent more time socialising with the locals, finding herself in the local yet somewhat desolate tavern most afternoons.

It's the perfect time to mention that the Chapman's stead is situated close to Lughaven but a small distance away from another village, Tovar. In the last couple decades, Lughaven had been ravaged by bandits and lost to multiple fires, making some of the homes uninhabitable. Yet the church in the centre of the village still remained and had their weekly masses praising The Watcher, just not as populated as it used to be.

On the other hand Tovar was the place to go to browse wares at the market and to get more socialising down. Wooden homes surrounded a festival square that hosted various seasonal faires and occasional jousting tournaments, making it a pleasant place to visit when you had the energy to trek there.

There are various other spots around the land of Praaven that are worth visiting, but with Olyff's due date being around the corner she stayed as local as possible in case the labor surprises her.

And before she knew it, the baby was on its way! Olyff awoke alone at home just as her contractions began but to her luck her husband was just minutes away from arriving back from another fishing trip. 

She groaned in her half sleep state before the realisation hit her and she stood up out of bed. She clutched at her pregnant belly and moaned in pain before seeing the bewildered look in her husband's eyes.

"It's coming," she huffed under the contractions, "get the linens!"

As panicked as he was he tried his best to help with the labor but he couldn't help but to let out a scream or two in tune to Olyff's painful groans as she experienced the pains of labor. This was Olyff's first pregnancy so she expected to be giving birth the entire night but to everyone's surprise their new baby was ready to be introduced to the world only a few hours later.

Olyff did one last push before her husband carefully scooped their baby into the linens in his arms. They snipped the umbilical cord and he gasped in awe at their precious bundle of joy before passing her into his wife's tired arms.

Say hello to the first baby of Olyff and Byrhtnoth, Baby Pipa!

If you've read this far I just want to say a massive thank you! I hope the farming and fishing talk isn't too boring but unfortunately that's all that these guys can do for now ^^' That photo of Olyff all stinky with their firstborn always cracks me up, hope you had the same reaction!
Join me in the next year when it arrives! Peace!

The Chapmans

Intro  -  1301